Voiceless - M. Sinclair Page 0,3

almost causing a whine of excitement to break through my throat. Immediately, she hopped around in my head, pacing and letting out a small sound of approval. Apparently, she was thrilled about this possible location. Well, okay then. That made it easier. Willowdale Village it was.

My shifted side and I hadn’t had much freedom in our life so our relationship could be odd, but I never doubted her instincts on things. If she thought it was a good idea then it probably was.

With that in mind, I nodded, pointing towards it before handing her my ticket to LA to exchange.

Immediately, she gave me back two twenties and a ten, making my night as I breathed a bit easier. She pointed me in the direction of the bus waiting outside. “Be safe, hun!” she called as I offered her a small smile.

Honestly, it was people like her that I was thankful for.Thankful for someone that actually took the time to answer my questions instead of pretending I was dumb because I couldn’t communicate the same way they were used to. I could laugh, giggle and even moan with pleasure...but the Maker fucked me out of being able to speak my mind. Literally...voiceless.

I shook my head, trying to clear my head from that negativity. The bus was empty except for the bus driver who I offered a nod to before settling into one of the back rows, sighing in relief, knowing that no matter where I ended up… it was somewhere else than ‘home.’ I powered up my phone, curious to see if anyone had noticed I was gone.

I sighed. No calls. No texts. Honestly, they probably wouldn’t notice for two to three days and then would wait to go into my room for another few before finding my note there. At that point they would probably dismiss it as a joke or me being ‘dramatic.’ I wasn’t positive what they would do following that and although it hurt they didn’t care, I also knew it wasn’t my problem anymore. They weren’t my problem anymore. I just couldn’t be that silent girl for a minute more before I lost my mind.

It wasn’t just my voice either.

No, I mean, I couldn’t be silenced by their expectations of how I was supposed to live. I couldn’t be ‘human’ and try to blend in. I had no idea if Willowdale Village would be any better, but I hoped that there would be at least a few members of the supernatural community. Shit. I guess I hadn’t considered that, especially with it being such a small town.

I mean part of the reason I’d chosen Los Angeles was that they were known to be far more accepting of the supernatural community, specifically shifters. Maine had not been.

My parents and I had kept our heritage a secret, and every single day that drained me. Denying your true nature could really fuck with your head, especially at such a young age. I was sending a small prayer up to the Maker that my new location would allow me to express myself a bit more freely. I never wanted to feel so damn trapped again.

When someone else joined me on the bus, my fox instantly perked up, causing my body to jolt with excitement. I made a small worried noise, pulling up my hoodie, and trying to keep an eye on the stranger without them noticing me.

My fox, the little hussy, was making it difficult as hell. I gripped my hands together, trying to not get up and go to him… because that would be super weird. I hadn’t even seen the man besides his large muscular frame walking down the aisle.

I willed myself to be invisible. It was pretty easy considering most people ignored me since I couldn’t talk.

Was it just me, or did this stranger seem far larger than most men I knew? His eyes were glinting almost reflective gold as he tugged his hoodie up over damp hair. He slid into a seat a few rows in front of me on the opposite side of the bus.

I breathed out, relaxing a bit, as he put on headphones.

I hated that I was scared. For normal women, it wasn’t safe to be out on your own at night. While as a shifter I was a lot more physically capable than even some human men I knew, I still worried.

Human men were awful. No really, they were cruel and treated most shifter women as second-class citizens. Shifter men were a