*
She burst through the front door waking up Edda. Almost stumbling, she hustled towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. Before she had time to turn on the light but just enough time to lift up the toilet seat, she vomited until nothing came up. After that she shook uncontrollably, hugging the toilet as she rested her chin on the cool porcelain.
She glanced back once to find Edda watching her from the doorway. After twenty minutes or so, Edda put a glass of water beside her and went to bed, not speaking a word of it.
An hour later, Jaz climbed into bed and slept restlessly, terrorized by nightmares.
~Chapter 29 - Brew~
Four days later...
Tuesday, June 14th
Jaz hadn't seen Nik since that awful night, and was grateful for the time to recover.
Her ankle had swelled to three times its original size by the next day, and her throat was so sore as if it had been sandblasted. She woke up groggy and weak and refused to look at her hands though she knew since she'd been stuck in the toilet the night before that the clawed hand had gone back to normal.
Edda didn't reprimand her like Jaz expected. She didn't even ask what had happened. It was then that Jaz knew Nik had said something. Of course he had. How else could Edda have seen her injuries, seen her puke her guts up as if she'd drunk a whole wine cellar and not ask any questions, if she didn't know how it had happened in the first place?
To keep her mind busy and far away from that night, Jaz helped de-weed the vegetable patches, plant new seeds and when her ankle was good enough to walk on, she cleaned out the greenhouses, spending a lot of time with the gang.
Most of the time, after chores or on weekends, they chilled out by the lake whilst the weather was still rain-free and hot. Many people swam in it after work. They had picnics and everyone shared their food and passed it around as though they were all one close-knit family. It helped Jaz forget what they turned in to at night time.
She wondered if they could change during the day too, but the thought gave her chills so she stamped the idea away. The problem with locking things away was, it made her an introvert.
If Skye noticed that Jaz was often distant she didn't make a point of it. Instead, she carried on being the much needed distraction to a point that Jaz couldn't -and certainly didn't want to- imagine Skye roaming around at night as one of those bloodthirsty Beasts. She shared her books and music with Jaz, always trying to make her laugh, and more times than not, succeeding.
A lorry that came from outside regularly brought back things like books, DVD's, CD's, iPods, iPads. One time they brought two TVs and another time some speakers: all brand new. They also delivered new clothes: some ordered in specifically by community members who used the internet. Food was also brought in that the community didn't or couldn't grow themselves.
The two delivery men were friendly but kept their distance from Jaz. The older one of the two had a constant frown, and didn't say much. She'd never heard his name, but she knew the younger Were was called David. He always flashed her a polite smile though it was clear that he also regarded her as not one of the Pack.
Jaz hadn't been brought up in any Pack, let alone this one and a lot of people tended to remind her of that fact. They were all courteous and generous but she could see the cautiousness in their eyes. She understood it -expected it- but it didn't make her feel any better.
When a random woman called Signy handed Jaz a plump pillow to prop her sprained ankle on, that was when Jaz realized how much she wanted to be accepted in this Pack.
Jaz spent most of her time with her little group of friends and had become very close to them, especially Skye and Alf. They always had time for her and made her feel involved.
Kenna and Kelda were pole opposites in personality; but both were hard-working, considerate and hilarious when they were together. They were untameable and vibrant, and their wildness was starting to rub off on Jaz.
Ronnie was an angel -when he wasn't being very cheeky- and Jaz treated him like her brother: always stroking his hair and giving him piggybacks.
Alf liked to tease and challenge Jaz; he motivated her and irritated her and spoke the honest truth no matter how brutal. He knew her moods, and she confided in him often. They spent a lot of time alone but it never felt awkward; despite the fact she found him attractive, and he openly admitted the same, there was nothing romantic or complicated about their relationship. They had a strong bond, and it filled a hole in Jaz's heart she'd never been aware of before.
Skye made Jaz think of her sister often. She could imagine Lora being like Skye in character. Skye had such a sweet temperament, a motherly disposition and was the wise voice in Jaz's head.