Chapter 2

Allison Point of View.

"Yes," I'm able to say. "Are you also going? Are you a university student?"

His smile gets bigger. "Same kind of thing. I plan to study for a while, but I haven't decided if I will stay or not. I'm a loner, so it's not easy for me to settle down anywhere."

I'm looking at him. He doesn't look like he's by himself. He looks like a pack wolf because he is big and strong and wears expensive clothes.

The majority of loners are smaller and less well cared for. They don't have this wolf's courage and strength. We spend our time looking around, waiting for trouble to come to us or for a pack of wolves to attack us. This wolf looks like he could fight any pack that came after him, and I'm pretty sure he would win.

He must know some of what I'm thinking because he turns to me and says, "When you get to Highland, you'll meet a lot of different kinds of wolves, including pack wolves and wolves that live alone. We haven't all been through the same things."

I nod. I know that I haven't had a lot of exposure to how werewolves act. Mom made sure that we didn't hang out with other lone wolves.

He told me, "Not all lone wolves are good like us." "Many of them are bad people who would attack at any chance. They would see us as easy prey. We are only safe when other werewolves can't find us."

My mother didn't really want me to go to Highland. She thought I would be in danger there, but she knew how much I wanted to go, so she gave in. She had told me that I would never be safe, not even there.

"So, little wolf, what are you going to do when you get there? "Where are you going to stay?"

"The university connected me with another lone wolf who found me a place to live."

"Good, because you will need help and someone to show you around."

"What do you think?"

"Oh, I know people there who can help me. Also, this isn't the first time I've stayed in Highland."

I turn to look at him more closely and realize that he must be in his mid- to late-twenties.

I ask him, "What made you decide to come back to school now?"

"Things are starting to change in Highland, and I want to be there when they do," he says in a vague way, before changing the subject and asking me, "So, what do you want to study?"

"Health care."

"That is an odd thing for a wolf to write about. Doctors on Earth don't know much about how our bodies work."

"No, but healers can only work with packs, and none of the healers in a pack will treat a lone wolf." I thought if I knew more about medicine in general, I might be able to use my training to help people who live alone. It might not be as good as getting treatment from a real healer, but it would be better than what we get now."

"It's nice that you want to help other wolves. He really tells me.

I redden. Thank you. What do you plan to study?" I would like to change the subject.

"Some of this, some of that. I think I'll make up my mind when I get there and see how the land is laid out." He then gives me a smile and closes his eyes, ending our conversation.

-----'

I spent the rest of the trip trying to rest and talking to my new travel companion.

I found out that his name is Calvin and that he has lived alone since he was a teenager. He's been all over the country, and the places he's stayed and things he's done sound a lot more interesting than the life I've had so far.

Not for him the boring work of getting by that I had to do as a kid. But I know that he never tells me too much about himself. Where he was born or any family stories.

I guess he doesn't feel like he can trust me because we just met and I'm a stranger. I'm not complaining because I don't want to talk about my personal life any more than he does.

I tell him that I've spent my whole life going from place to place with my mother, but I don't go into much detail. I do tell him that she died recently, but I don't say much more than that. He cares, but I'm glad he doesn't try to get me to talk about what happened.

I'm surprised by how easy it is to be with him and how quickly time goes by. Before I know it, we'll only be forty miles away from Highland, and our trip will be over.

"Thank you so much for making this trip so fun. I was worried that sitting here for hours with nothing to do would be boring, but having you here has made it a lot of fun."

"So have I," I have to admit. "I hope we'll run into each other again. I don't know any Highland residents."

"I have no doubt. Let me help you with your bag when we get there."

"I can also tell you about Jaxon, the wolf who has been helping me. He will come get me and take me to my new home."

Yes, of course.

When the coach gets to Highland, he keeps his promise. He stays with me as I get off the bus and helps me carry my bag into the building of the bus station. I can feel myself getting more and more excited. I am here at last.

I look all over to find Jaxon. I won't have to wait long to see him. He is standing by the exit with a rough cardboard sign that says my name in big black letters.

I turn around to show Calvin where he is, but he's not there. My bag is sitting next to me on the ground, right where he was just a few minutes ago. I look all over the building for him, but he is no longer there. I'm surprised that he was able to move so quickly and quietly that I didn't notice him leave.

I'm hurt by the fact that he didn't say goodbye. I thought he was serious when he said he liked being with me. Even though we might not be friends now, I had hoped that we would be in the future. I know deep down that I wanted to be more than just friends with her. But I realized now that all I was to him was someone to talk to on a long, boring bus ride.

I sigh and decide to stop thinking about him. Calvin's lack of interest in me wasn't going to ruin my first day in Highland. I had been looking forward to being here for too long to let him ruin it for me. I put on a big smile and started walking toward Jaxon.

"How are you?"

"Nice to meet you, Allison," he says with a warm smile. "Greetings from Highland. I'm sure you will love it here.

Could I help you with your bag?"

I say "thanks" as he picks up my old, beat-up suitcase. Even though it's heavy, his werewolf strength makes it easy for him to lift it. He turns around and starts walking out of the bus station's door, and I follow him closely.