Lioness: The Hunt

I stare at the clouds flowing in front of the moon hiding its’ bright blue light as I lie in bed looking up through my skylight.

The heat from the fire keeping me warm on this cool fall night. Living alone sucks, being alone is not a good feeling but it is the only way to keep everyone safe.

Being a lioness is rare in the shifter world, I guess that is why I was never allowed to shift in front of anyone.

I never got to go on the pack runs, train with the others, I was not even allowed to attend the pack school; I was homeschooled by my parents.

So, after that fateful night I ran. I do not even remember how long but I did. From one small town to another I kept moving to keep them from finding me. I changed my name, keep my hair died and got some tattoos to keep my appearance different then what they knew me as.

One small town only had like seventy people in it and was cozy. It reminded me of a hallmark Christmas movie.

Everyone knew everyone and they were all so friendly. I was sleeping in the woods and would go into town when things were absolutely needed.

I remember walking through the small food corner store when I accidentally ran into an older lady. To make up for it I helped her with her groceries back to the house she was walking to.

We talked and somehow she convinced me to stay, and I agreed so now I stay in a small shack on their property in the woods they let me rebuild. Maybe weird to some but I built it into a treehouse.

Some nights I will walk the property to check safety then I shift and run in my lion form. I look over my shoulder and my alarm clock show me it is seven fifteen.

I jump up and get ready to go share dinner with the Clary’s. We have a nice arrangement worked out. I help with gardening, tending to the animals, and we share three meals together.

I try to not get to close because I know if there is a hint of any danger, I will have to leave to keep everyone safe.

I walk in making sure to leave my shoes by the door, so I do not track any dirt in with me. “Good evening Mrs. Clary.” “Ember, sweetheart, good evening, how are you doing dear?” Her voice was so soft and sweet, it could calm a raging storm.

“I am doing great; do you need any help?”

“No dear, go ahead and go to the dining room Dave is in there already.”

“Let me guess, the game is on.”

“You are starting to know him as well as me.”

I turned and headed into the dining room where Dave was yelling at the referees on the television about how they need to learn how to make the right call.

“You know they can’t hear you right?” I ask as I take my seat next to him.

“Oh, I know that it just makes me feel better.” His words come out as if he was irritated but I know it was at the game.

As he continues to try to get the refs to hear him as if he is there Barbra brings in dinner.

“I made both of your favorites.” I fist bumped the air and began licking my lips.

“It smells wonderful.” That was the very truth my mouth was watering just from the smell.

“Thank you dear, here we have parmesan garlic chicken, roasted asparagus, fried corn on the cob, and of course macaroni and cheese.”

At the sound of her calling out the meal Dave quickly muted the television. Barbra always says food is the way to a man’s heart and from her husband’s action she is correct.

“So, Ember, we have to go to the train station in the morning and pick up our granddaughter and was wondering if you would like to come with us?” She asked as if she did not know I was not a fan of new people or crowds but with everything they have done for me.

“Sure, I need to go to the store anyways. How long will she be here for if you do not mind me asking. I want to give you guys your family time.”

She smiles sweetly back at me, “she will be here for five days. There are just somethings going on at home she needs to get away for a while.”

I nodded at her statement, “and you know you do not have to make yourself disappear while she is here. Be nice to have someone her own age to talk to.”

After dinner I helped clean up the table and done the dishes. When finished Dave was already snoring in his recliner and Barbra was crocheting a blanket in her rocker.

“I am going to go back to the treehouse now, thank you for dinner.”

“Good night, dear be safe out there.” I smiled as I walked out the door. The cool fall wind was strong as I walked back down the small trail.

The clouds were still blocking the moonlight, so it was a dark walk which I did not mind. About halfway to the treehouse I decided a small walk in my lion form would be nice.

I went behind a tree and stripped off my clothes and put them inside a small hole in the tree for safe keeping if I ever needed them.

I then closed my eyes and pictured my lion form in my mind. I then felt my bones begin to break and realign into place. The first time I ever shifted was the most absolute painful thing I have ever experienced.

Through each shift the pain does not go away but it gets more bearable.

Once the transformation was complete, I stretched out my long body and padded my paws into the cold dry dirt beneath my paws. I was rare I did not have your usual color of a lion.

My fur was not any type of a brown tan color, my fur was jet black like a panther, but I was a lioness.

My fur slick and smooth, my tail had a tan tip as did my ears. Around my shoulders and front legs were like a dark grey, lighter black.

Most lion shifters eyes were gold, wolves were silverish grey, my eyes were a jade green. At first glance you would think I was a panther or another feline but no I was a lioness, but my father was a panther, so I get the eyes and fur color from him, I get the lioness shift from my mother.

At the thought of my parents my heart pinged with guilt and sadness, and I ran through the woods. Letting the wind whistle through my fur as I ran toward the treehouse. Tears threatened to blur my vision so much on my heart and never had the time to grieve properly for my family.

As I approached the treehouse, I took a whiff of air to make sure the cost was clear of any foreign scents before I began the climb.

My nails dug into the bark as I climbed up to where my bedroom is going through a small door I had put in as an emergency exit.

I shifted back to my naked human form and fell unto my bed. I once again looked out the skylight and my grief weighed heavy on my mind.

I closed my eyes to try to keep the tears from breaking through and hummed the song my mother used to sing to me to help me sleep and before I knew it, I let another dreamless sleep take over me.

I felt the warmth of the sun peering through the windows onto my face. I squeezed the edge of blanket ready to throw it over my face and go back to sleep but before I did, I remembered I agreed to go with Barbra and Dave to pick up their granddaughter.

I let out a sigh as I slung the blankets to the other side of the bed and went to shower. I loved a nice hot shower first thing in the morning, it was like a relaxing wake up call. The heat rushing down my back was the best feeling in the world.

It was like it would wash all the troubles away. I hurried my shower along and got dressed to hurry up to the Clary’s because I knew they did not want to be late picking up their granddaughter.

“Good morning, Ember, are you ready to go?” I heard Dave’s rugged voice from the other side of his old black ford bronco.

“Yes Dave, and good morning to you as well.” He smiled back at me as he approached the passenger side to open the door for Barbra.

She may have been on the quiet side this morning, but she was smiling ear to ear, I knew she was very happy to see her granddaughter again.

There was sadness in her eyes I could not pinpoint the reason why and I did not want to intrude on anything, so I kept my questions to myself.

Once Dave joined us in the truck, he roared the engine to life, and we headed down the road to the train station.

We arrived at the train station, and we headed inside to wait for their granddaughter to arrive. As we sat on the benches that remind me of old church pews, I listened to the sound of metal-on-metal screeching as a train was pulling in. Suddenly I heard a loud voice holler in excitement.

“Pops, Maw Maw, I have missed you.”

I turned and saw a petite woman about five foot five or six standing there with three suitcases at her side. She was tan, slender, and had long dark blonde hair.

When I got closer to her, I noticed she had deep brown eyes and she looked like a woman out of a magazine but when we approached, I noticed something that had my senses on high alert.

“Oh sweetie, you are here.” Barbra said as she embraced her granddaughter.

“Oh Laura, this Ember she is staying on the property she is amazing you will love her. Ember this is our granddaughter, Laura Daring.”

I reached out to shake her hand and that’s when I realized from her scent, she too was a shifter.

I was so engulfed with so many questions and concerns I forgot all about the grocery store.

When we returned, I insisted on going back to the treehouse and let them three have breakfast together.

I sat down on my bed and held my head in my hands confused on what to do.

I already laid a suitcase on the bed ready to pack and run yet again but after all this time I have connected with the Clary’s.

They were like family to me and even if I leave I need to tell them goodbye. I am so confused I do not want to hurt them, but I can’t risk being found and people getting hurt, definitely not the Clary’s.

As I have an inner argument with myself, I hear a loud whistle from below the treehouse.

I slowly approached the window my guards up and ready to run if I need to. As I slowly peeked through the curtain, I saw Laura standing there looking up at the front door.

I went to the door for I did not see her as a threat and looked down to her.

“My grandmother told me where you would be, but it was not as easy to find as I thought it would be.”

I turned to walk back in, but she stopped me.

“Before you do anything crazy like leave maybe we should talk first after dinner, think about it. I can tell they love you like a daughter do not run just yet please.”

Her sincere words rang through my ears and when I looked over my shoulder to the point she was once standing but she was already out of my line of sight.

I walked back into the house and sat on the bed. I looked at my suitcase and I prayed I would not regret this decision and I put it back under the bed.

At least until after our talk, I should at least hear her out. I just hope if I do decide to stay no one gets hurt in the end because of it.

I decided since I was getting a headache from everything going on in my brain this would be a good time for a nap before dinner and let them have some quality time together.