“I shut the door and waited to see what she would do. To my surprise she lowered the gun but kept it in her hands. “I’ll give you five minutes to explain.”I opened my mouth to begin but she held up a hand. “First let me get you some pants.”

“She put a hand up to her scars, whispering, "Your love comes with a heavy price tag.”

“The road ahead holds many tests challenging everything she ever believed. I whispered a prayer for her inner strength to guide her on her path. She was going to need it.”

“The first time I saw her had been an accident. I was racing through the woods, attempting to run away from what I am, from the life I lived. Before I even heard her I caught her scent and I was lost. I stopped running and turned, seeking out what called to me. When I found her my life changed.”

“I'm hideous""You could never be hideous""Forget it" I wanted this conversation over."I can't forget it," Gran said, not giving up so easily. "I don't like to hear you talk about yourself that way. Your scars do not define you, young lady. Your action do.”

“I don't want to hurt you. I would die to protect you from pain.”

“They tried not to stare, but they couldn't keep their eyes away. I was a freak now. I made people uncomfortable and not necessarily because of my scars-but because what my scars represented. Danger, fear, and the unknown. Something had had happened to me, something not even I could remember. They all probably thought that I was crazy, that I somehow did this to myself. I couldn't blame them. ow could I? They might be right.”