Chapter 12

"I know what you're thinking… I should be home right now, and you're right, but my dad hasn't come back yet. I'm pretty sure I have abandonment issues because I can't sleep unless I know he's in the house. I guess it's because my mom left when I was around four…I hardly remember her face anymore. My dad's always making these irresponsible, immature decisions and I just want him to be safe, you know?" My voice caught in my throat. "He's all I have now. My own mother walked out on me. I feel like that pretty much shows how worthless I am. If something happens to him, I'll be all alone. It's like he doesn't even consider that in his decision making, but that's all I can think about…that's my biggest fear." Tears began to stream down my face. I buried my face into the wolf's soft fur as its snout nuzzled against my chest. After crying out all the sadness and frustration I had been holding in for a long time, I found myself laying against the wolf's warm body, my breath slowing into a steady rhythm. The weight of the emotional release settled around me like a blanket. In the quiet aftermath, a sense of peace washed over, and for the first time in a while, I felt a gentle ease. Surrounded by the night's stillness, I let myself drift off to sleep. I awoke surrounded by a sea of gray fur, and a massive, wet tongue began licking my cheeks. "What the fuck-" I shrieked, leaping to my feet. My eyes met the wolf's, and there was something oddly familiar about them, though I couldn't quite place it.