LA PUSH RESERVATION

Kara smiled. "Was that meant to be a compliment, or what?" She leaned forward on her knees and faced him. "I'm only one year older. But, since we never age, I'm technically younger than you."

Brayden hesitated, but brushed a strand of her hair back with the tips of his fingers. "Compliment, yes."

"Okay, good." She smiled and tousled his hair. "That means you're my big brother."

"Rule number one," He held up one finger, raising his eyebrows to a comical extreme. "Do not touch my guitar unless I say that you can." He held up another finger, "Rule number two; do not touch my hair unless I say that you... can." He waggled the two fingers in her face, "Remember that and you will always be on my good side."

"So, if I want to iritate you, all I have to do is... this." She poked the guitar and his hair with her fingers.

He grabbed her by the waist and tossed her easily over his shoulder. "Now I have to throw you into the open ocean," He sighed, as if he were troubled. "What a shame," He flashed a grin that he didn't know if she could see. He kicked open his front door and headed down to the crescent beach.

She screamed, kicking her legs. "No, Brayden- don't!" She pounded against his back with her fists.

"Oww," He said flatly, sloshing into the water. Not only was the water drenching his long basketball shorts and hair and chest. A wave rolled against his knees and splashed them both. He braced himself as another splash of water rolled in, drenching him from head to toe. He snickered, setting down Kara in the knee-deep water and hurrying back to the porch.

Kara felt the rush of cold go through her body, but only for a second of course. Her body warmth took care of that pretty quickly. She stood up before falling into the water again. "Brayden!" She yelled angrily, slamming her arms into the water. She got up and ran after him. "I have half a mind to get your baby wet!"

"I'm stronger than you," He noted with a smile on his face. "And I'm definitely not afraid to do everything in my power to keep you away," He wiggled his eyebrows.

She raised her eyebrows. "You may be stronger than me but I'm..." She tried to think of something that she was better in athletically than him. "Help me out, here."

"More tempting?" He suggested lightly, guarding the door by putting his arms firmly on the frame of the front door.

She giggled. "That's not very intimidating," She told him, leaning against the opposite frame of the door that he was leaning on.

"I'm very intimidating," Brayden said, adding a rumbling growl and a playful chortle for effect.

"Oh, yes. You're very scary," Kara said, clawing at him. "Rawr."

Brayden looked out on the rain and held out his hand, the droplets cooling his palm for a very brief second, but the intense warmth of his skin made them disappear with evaporation. His hand tightened into an angry fist. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain, "Have you ever wished this never happened to you?"

"Yes, actually. A lot." She walked out into the rain and threw her head back, closing her eyes and letting the rain drops fall on her face. They disappeared in a matter of seconds. "And whenever I think it, Quil or someone makes fun of me once they hear it." She growled. "You never get a moment alone, you can never feel the rain on your face, or make snow angels or anything like that. And you can't let your emotions get out of control or else you turn into a hairy beast... it sucks."

Hesitating for a second, he came up behind her, meshing his fingers into hers and putting his head on her shoulder. "Do you have something against hairy beasts, Kara?" He mumbled quietly.

"Yes. They scare the shit out of me, actually," She turned to look at him. "If I wasn't one myself, I'd be running away." She winked. "And I bet the village people would be chasing after you with torches and pitchforks."

"I like torches and pitchforks don't really bother me," He said slowly, easily handling her tiny hands in his extremely massive ones. He tightened his grip on her hands ever so slightly, "And I'm stronger than you, I wouldn't let you run away."

"I'm quicker than you, though." She said, slipping out of his grip and ending up at the other side of the room. She slowly walked back over.

Brayden stepped into the house and shook out his damp hair, sending water droplets askew across the room. He pondered for a second, and sighed. "We probably need to... erm... check in. Sam will get mad if we put it off any longer." He took a backwards step, the rain scurrying off the gutters of the porch. Already there was an inch of standing water in the front lawn. It drenched his hair and the rain trickled down his chest. He felt like a cat. He didn't like being wet.

"Yeah..." Kara agreed, but sad that her alone time with Brayden would have to end.

"Are you coming then?" He asked, taking a hold of her hand and running through the rain towards the forest, henceforth not really giving her a choice. He let go of her hand and he cringed as the "madness within" burst out of his skin. He was glad he was wearing his least favorite shorts and no shoes and shirt. He padded around, listening and watching for Kara. He tried to control his thoughts, but it was basically impossible to stop thinking about how gorgeous Kara was when Kara was the one he was looking for. He directed his thoughts to his parents and the anger he felt when his father had stormed away, stealing his favorite black truck. In the back of that truck was his skateboard and schoolbag. He wondered if his father still had them. His thoughts carried on.

She phased quietly and trotted after him. Her chocolate-colored fur became damp from the rain and she shook herself out.
Let's go. She said in her mind, running in front of him.