“No one likes being alone. So I pity Drake, he didn't have a friend to help him with his problem. I was lucky to have Eric, he helped me in so many ways without asking for anything in return. He would also risk his life for me. Drake had no one like that, but I still can’t forgive him for his actions. I can’t go back to the life I had. That’s ok though, the life I had before means nothing to me. It’s time for me to move on, to think last week I was just another girl in the crowd.”

A week earlier: “Will you just stop, and keep your crazy dating ideas to yourself?” Emelia wined. “I will stop whenever you find a boyfriend”, Amber replied with a smirk. Eric walked into the class room and saw Amber pestering Emelia again. “Amber! I think Lilly and Mike are dating!” Eric lied. Before Emelia could stutter a word, Amber was half way down the hall. “Thanks for the save” Emelia said with a heavy sigh. “You know that I would take a bullet for you, Amber is just more deadly.” Eric says with a gleaming smile “L.O.L, talking about bullets are we going to your house tomorrow to do that war paper?” Emelia asked. “Ya sure I’ll get everything we need, you just come with that big brain of yours” Eric replies with his cheeks redder then a cherry. “Man you make a hard bargain.” Emelia said while laughing. “Aw look the two love birds are planning their first date.” A man says, behind them. Eric turns in a blaze of fury, “Don’t you have some village to eat, you monster.” Eric says in a frustrated tone. “Watch it pretty boy. I’m Drake by the way, and you are?” ”Not interested in you, you ugly-“Emelia stopped him before he could finish. “Eric don’t be rude, I am Emelia.” ”Well Emelia if you need anything I’m a whistle away”, Drake said while turning to leave. “That guy makes my hair stand on end.” Eric says with a face of discuss. “Quit being a jerk and just ignore him. I gotta go or I’m going to be late for my job.” Emelia said running towards the door. “Say hi to May and Tie for me.” Eric yelled behind her.

Emelia came home from babysitting feeling strange. “I hope I’m not getting a stomach bug”, Emelia thought. She shook it off and went to bed. When she woke up the next day still feeling terrible she thought about calling Eric and canceling their get together, but she couldn’t bear to hear him disappointed. She put on the most comfortable thing she had and went out. Emelia was about three miles away from Eric’s when she got a shocking pain up her side, then it spread to her head. Emelia then got a feeling like her body was on fire, she runs to the pond where she jumps in. When she comes up for air, she sees a huge brown wolf staring at her. She jumps, but then sees her reflection in the water, she is a gray wolf. Emelia starts to freak out but the Brown wolf speaks to her, “Its ok, this is normal.” “Who are you and what do you mean this is normal?” Emelia growled. “You can trust me.” The brown wolf replied with a soft smile. Then Emelia recognized his voice. “Eric! What happened to us?” Emelia said wile hugging her friend the best she could. “We are vlk shifters, that’s Slovak for wolf shifters, you must have finally shifted for the first time.” Eric said with a smooth tone. “So do we have powers?” Emelia asked with excitement. “No, but we have different personalities to our fur color.” Eric said in such a rapid pace that Emelia almost didn’t understand. “What am I?” Emelia asked. “You’re a gray wolf form so you are known for kindness, but also have a mean side that no one wants to see.” Eric replied. “And you?” Emelia pestered. “I am a brown wolf form, I am more of the protector with a loving side.” Eric replied with just a little bit too much confidence. “How do I

turn back?” Emelia said in a panic. “We have some things to discuss, stick with me and I will teach you how to live like a vlk shifter.” Eric replied with a loving smile on his face. “Ok where do we start?” Emelia said with a half-smile.

It had been two days and Emelia still had not got the hang of changing. “I better call the school and tell them I won’t be there today. I think it would really suck to change on a Monday in math.” Emelia said while picking up the phone. An hour had past and Emelia had not changed. “I bet I could go over to May and Tie’s house, I owe them a visit anyway.” Emelia put on her shoes and grabbed a basket of treats to share with the four year old twins. When she got to their house she could hear Tie crying, “He didn’t get his way again.” Emelia thought, but then she heard a loud crash and rushed in the house to see a wolf like man hovering over the two scared kids. Emelia couldn’t help but change and charge towards the beast. It growled and smacked her across the room. Emelia was determined but every time she got close to the kids the wolf man would give another blow. Thirty minutes passed and Emelia could barely stand, the wolf man came in for the final blow, Emelia closed her eyes suspecting the end. But then she heard a blood curdling cry. When she opened her eyes to see what had injured the monster she saw Eric standing over her with the meanest snarl on his face. “You will not touch her again!” Eric growled.

Eric and the wolf man were fighting gruesomely. “Eric, give it up you know I will terminate you.” The wolf man said with a smirk on this face. “Shut up Drake!” Eric snaps back. “It’s Drake! Why would Drake do this? He has no reason to hurt May or Tie. Why did he come here? Was it a coincidence?” Emelia thought. Eric’s cry of pain pulled her out of her confusing thoughts. She saw Drake throw Eric across the room and smash him into a mirror. “Eric!” Emelia yelled. “Drake what have you done? Why are you doing this to us?” Emelia asked in hopes that Drake would see reason, but his response rattled in her head. “Because it’s fun.” Drake said with an ugly smile. Emelia felt something in her chest that seemed like it would consumer her. “You will pay for what you have done!” Emelia said then jumped for Drake, but this time she was faster and stronger. “This is over Drake!” Emelia said then served her final blow. Drake ran off whining. Emelia then turned to Eric, he wasn’t moving. She laid next to him whining and hoping he would wake up. Eric finally lifted his head, “are you ok?” He asked licking her paw. “What do you mean, am I ok? Are you ok is the question, you passed out!” Emelia said with a lightning tongue. “I’m fine, I am just glad he didn’t take you from me.” Eric said with a heavy sigh. Emelia then realized that, Eric had risked his life for her. “I love you Eric.” Emelia said hugging him and crying. “I love you too Emelia.”