17)

Dare had squeezed Del and their other sister Sheila into the back of his car along with Del’s friend Anna, although I think the only reason Anna came was to keep Del company and because Grandpa has gotten a good reputation for feeding werewolves pretty well.

Still with four of us, we had enough for a game of volleyball even after Dare wandered off to look for food, and with only two people per side, we had enough room to move. Jumping high and wide to hit the ball.

Despite being taller, Neal let me take the lead. I could jump higher them him, hit the ball, and also land on my feet. To be fair, while the boy wasn’t graceful, he did have a move where he used his strength to literately throw himself off the ground to get back up.

There were some kids there as well, but the four of us were it for teens for the moment, other than my cousin Pete who wandered over at some point. "So I got a question…"

I nodded at him, “Go ahead and ask.”

He shook his head at me. “No, for the werewolves, him specifically.” He pointed at Neal.

Del looked annoyed. "I'm as much of a werewolf as he is, ask me." Pete gave her an embarrassed look, then shrugged.

“My Uncle Drew grew his leg back after he got bit, does everything grow back?” He looked around a bit, “It’s kind of important, at least for me.”

Del looked confused. “Well, we can try to answer you, but we were all born as Werewolves, what are you worried about growing back?”

Pete huffed. “Foreskin.”

The blond leaned forward with her eyes wide. “What’s a foreskin?”

My cousin blushed, then Del cracked up. "Kidding. But I really don't know, you would have to ask Mr. Lathe… Sorry, I think you got like five or so of those." She pointed at me. "You would have to ask her grandfather or his brother, they're the only two werewolves I know of that became that way from being bit.”

Pete looked thoughtful, then shook his head. “I’ll give my Grandfather time to ask then bug him about it. I don’t want those two mocking me about it every time I see them.”

Then he looked from Del to Anna. “Since you okay answering questions thought, and this is from an entirely scientific curiosity, what about Hymens.”

Both of the other girls froze up for a second and then began to laugh. Anna fanned her fingers out as if brushing away any awkwardness. "It might be different for a girl that got bit, but from what we get told, the sheriff checks to make sure our families don’t lie or leave us in ignorance. They don’t heal.”

She glanced around. “And if you want the highlight of the rest of the Sheriff’s girl talk. We can’t stay pregnant if we turn into a wolf every month, but we should still make the boys wear condoms because we can still get sick. Just not as easily. And if we do want to have a child, wearing a silver earring with a real silver post will keep us from changing shape by accident.” She pointed a finger at my cousin. “Oh, and if a guy won’t wait, he doesn't care about you, he’s just tired of using his hand.”

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Pete was blushing at this point, as the dark skinned girl had stepped a little closer to him with each sentence and ended up poking him in the chest with her last words.

“So, you thinking of getting bit? I’m curious what that curly hair would look like as a wolf.”

She reached up for my cousin’s thick head of curly hair, stopping just short of running her hand through it. Despite his embarrassment at how close she was standing next to him, my cousin stood his ground.

I think he was seventeen, and Anna was only fifteen, but I was still impressed at how he wasn't blushing anymore or backing away. He wasn't getting overconfident either.

He cleared his throat. “I was thinking about going to medical school before I make a decision, and probably finish my clinicals. Vampires were mentioned and I don't want any conflicts with them conflicting with my education. But I would love to hear your opinion on that, maybe while we went on a walk?”

Anna hesitated, blushed a little, and then took a step back, “Maybe after dinner, I’m looking forward to getting to eat without having to fight my three brothers.”

She turned to give Del a look, checked to see Pete still looking her way, then headed for where my Dad was carving up the roasted deer.

I nudged my cousin in the ribs. “Really, the first thing you think of with a Wolf girl is to take her for walkies?"

Pete gave me a worried look, while I grinned up at him. “And those brothers are all probably werewolves too you know.”

He blushed. “If I’m able to become one of them, and decide to do so, I’ve been told I might live over a hundred years, but any girl I meet might not be able to become one too.” He glanced over at me. “It might be best to plan for the long game.”

He followed the girls toward the food. I turned to ask Neal if he was ready to eat, only to find out he had vanished while I wasn't looking. After a moment I spotted him at the buffet filling up a plate, in layers.

I guess I'm not the only one who can sneak around, and I would always be in competition with food to keep a Werewolf's attention.

Maybe I should keep snacks on me.

Unlike the last party, it was the younger people who got to sit at the dining room table with me, the birthday girl, while the older people sat outside and kept an eye on the little kids.

In addition to Del, Anna, and Neal, Pete made the cut for the big table as another teen. While Ami and Sheila who had already bonded to the extent of whispering and gigging filled up the table except for one empty spot.

Grandpa offered to fill a plate for me so I wouldn’t have to wait in line, but there weren't that many people. And I didn't trust him to choose my food for me.

I did not want an all meat and dessert plate.

After eating I headed back outside to open presents. The word had been passed around that I needed warmer clothing for the upcoming Michigan fall weather, or that my family would like plants and seeds as housewarming gifts to put into the little indoor greenhouse.

The highlights of those were an apple tree sapling from Gruncle Drew that would have to be planted outside, and a Red leather jacket from Uncle Mark which his daughter confessed had been hers for the whole two months before she outgrew it, but it still looked amazing.

My parents and other relatives mainly got me things like tee shirts, some gloves, hoodies, and a green knit hat with a matching scarf. While my parents got me socks and workout clothes because they don't love me.

Kidding, I wear out workout stuff pretty quickly, so they were just trying to be practical. My real gifts would be getting taught a new move or technique from each of them.

Ami got me underwear. In front of the people from the school, I was going to have to see every day starting in a week, and the extended family I had just met.

And she knew what she was doing as she stared me in the eye and grinned.

Aran got me a can of fake peanut brittle which I opened in his direction to shoot three plastic wrapped "Snakes" at him sending him running away and giggling like mad.

Grandpa told me I would have to wait for the next time I visited the Ichiban family compound as he had gotten together with my Uncle Dan for my present. Which made me stare at him in suspicion.

The last gift I unwrapped was a dark green hardbound blank book bound in leather from Grandma Bri, wrapped in a matching hand knitted throw in the same brilliant shade of green and with a few dull yellow bands in one corner. The same pattern as the blue and black throw my Grandpa kept on a bench in the solarium on one side of the kitchen.

My Grandmother smiled gently as I flipped through the book. "They say that Witches have a book of shadows with all their spells. And you are a witch no matter how strong others might be. So you should have your book to keep notes in, both for your inner and outer magic. Some little girl like you can learn from it someday."

“The throw I knitted since John told me how his mother made one for each of her children, grandchildren, and their children before she passed, all except the ones she never got to know about. The yellow yard is from the materials she bought but never used, and the pattern is the same. Your Uncle Drew kept her knitting basket and loaned it to me for your father and his children.”

It was the same colors as my eyes, the ones I got from a woman who I could have met if we had been given the chance.

My Dad handed me a handkerchief which I have found myself in desperate need of while my Grandmother hugged me close.

“Happy birthday our beloved.”