Chapter One

LEAH

It was a huge wolf. It had black fur and the strangest eyes I had ever seen; Silver. Where did it come from? It looked at me quietly like it was studying me. I could feel my heart thumping hard against my chest. Adrenaline flushed into my bloodstream and my mind was racing as I thought of what to do next. If I made a silly move, I would be dead. Maybe I was dreaming. If I closed my eyes and opened them, I would surely wake up. I had probably passed out on the couch while trying to unpack with Lauren. That was the only good explanation for all this. The size of this wolf was too huge to be called a regular wolf. It looked so intimidating and there was this aura around it that emitted power and demanded respect at the same time. I just couldn’t understand it. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath hoping that when I woke up, I would find myself on the couch back at home….

***

FIVE MINUTES EARLIER…

I winced in pain as I held my ankle. It stung so badly. This day had gotten worse already. I looked at my foot and saw a short purple line across my ankle. It was a bruise. It was all my fault. I hadn’t seen the log of wood while I was walking. This couldn’t be happening. I was so deep into the woods that it would be so hard to find me. I had to get back home so that I could get proper medical attention. With that, I gritted my teeth and tried to stand up. It was a success on my better foot. I tried to step with the bruised foot and a new wave of pain engulfed my foot. I crumbled to the ground and laid back there in so much pain. I cursed under my breath as I held the ankle squeezing my face so hard like it was going to take the pain away. It didn’t. I placed my hand over the bruised part and rubbed my ankle slowly. It wasn’t helping matters either. I needed assistance and I wasn’t sure I was going to get one while I was out here. 

Lauren, my mom didn’t even know that I was here. I had left the house silently in order to get some breathing space. We had just arrived from Washington out of hope that we could put our past behind us. Lauren had assured me that WinstonVille would be the perfect place to restart our lives. WinstonVille was a quiet town in West Virginia. Nothing happened over here which made it a great choice for my mother. I had wandered into the woods with the hope that I would find the solitude that I had seemed so much. It had been so quiet and I had loved the way my feet crushed the dry leaves. They made a crunching sound. The air was organic and fresh. I loved the smell of the tree barks which filled my nose as I grace the woods with my presence. It had been all perfect until I stumbled on a log of wood and sprained my ankle. 

I looked at the bruise one more time and I touched it. That proved to be a bad idea because a new jolt of pain swept through my body. I winced one more time and took my hand away. It hurt so bad. I tried to calm myself down by breathing in and out slowly. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. I had just gotten into town. Before anybody could find out I was missing, I would have probably died. Why? Who knew the kind of wild beasts that were roaming through the woods now? There was a crunching sound that came from behind and I turned my head around quickly to see what it was. There was nothing there. I gulped hard and turned back to my ankle. I hope it was just squirrels and nothing more. If there was something out there watching me, I would be in big trouble. I couldn’t even walk. How would I run away?

The sound came again and I turned around. Nothing was there. What was going on? I could feel my heart race. There was something out there watching me. I wondered what it was. Whatever it was, I didn’t want it to see me and notice how weak I was. I tried standing on my feet with my good leg. It was successful and so I tried to move away slowly. I took a step with my other foot and I fell to the ground afterward. This wasn’t going to happen to work. The sound came from behind me and I turned around to see what it was. Nothing was hiding the trees as I had expected. Maybe my mind was just playing games with me. I was probably overthinking as well. There was nothing out there. I sighed in relief and turned my head around. What I saw made my heart skip a beat….

***

I opened my eyes and found the big black wolf still staring at me. My heart jumped once more. This time it had its head cocked as it watched me. What was it waiting for? It hadn’t made a single sound since it had arrived. I had expected the animal to consume me as soon as it found me but that wasn’t the case. It was waiting. But for what? For me to escape. If I did, he would still chase me down and devour me. I still had to take my chances. I stood up from the ground slowly watching the wolf. The wolf’s head was no more cocked as it watched me. I was waiting to see what I would do next. I stood on my feet and unconsciously took the first step with my bad foot. I crashed down to the floor in pain. I grunted as I held my foot. It stung worse than the previous time. I had given up. There was no hope of me escaping. 

I turned around and found the wolf still waiting. I moved backward slowly and the wolf followed me. My heart was knocking hard against my ribs. Now I'm surely going to die. I made a silent promise that if I ever made it out of this situation, I wouldn’t go to the woods ever again. That was impossible because I was going to die in the next few minutes. My back hit something solid and turned. It was the log of wood that had tripped on. The wolf stopped as it saw me stop. This was confusing. I searched around in tension for what to do next. Fear had gripped me and was in control of all my actions. I saw a dry twig by my side and picked it up. I waved it at the wolf who didn’t look scared in the slightest. 

“Stay away from me!” I ordered. “I’m warning you.”

The wolf’s eyes went from my hands down to my ankle. It was looking at the bruise that I had. Its eyes came back up and I looked into them. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing, but it seemed like I saw an amount of pity in them. It was feeling bad for me. How was that even possible? The wolf took a step forward and I threw the twig at it. The wolf growled and pounded toward me. I closed my eyes and waited for it all to end. After a few seconds, nothing happened. This confused me. I opened my eyes and saw the wolf right in front of me. Its nose was a few inches above my silver-blonde hair. It was smelling me. I looked up and its silver eyes gazed down at me. I could feel its aura around me. It was like a force drawing us closer to each other. Suddenly, I felt so comfortable around it. I didn’t even know that could be possible. One minute I was afraid of it, and the next minute I wasn’t anymore. 

I lifted my hand slowly and tried reaching for the nose of the wolf. Then, something stopped me. Different sounds were coming from behind us and we both turned to the direction it was coming from. To my surprise, it was two other wolves. They weren’t as huge as the black wolf was but was close enough. The first one was brown while the other was gray. They both moved toward us and I grew scared. The black wolf left me and went over to them. This was confusing. Maybe he knew them. If that was the case, then I had nothing to worry about. There was something about that wolf that I couldn’t quite understand. Why was it so kind to me? I had expected it to murder me right there. Or wasn't I appealing enough to be dinner? It seemed so. I was glad about that. 

The brown stepped forward and roared at me. My heart skipped a beat. It looked quite angry but the black wolf came to his front and told him to chill. I turned to the gray wolf who was just watching me. I wondered what they were all planning. I couldn’t escape either from what was going to happen next. The black wolf turned back to me and the two new wolves came forward as well. My heart began racing again. I tried to move back but I was at the end of the log of wood. There was no escape. There was something different about the other wolves. They weren’t as intimidating as the black ones. They were scary but not intimidating. The gray one growled now and I almost screamed. 

My body was trembling in fear now. If this was a dream, I hoped to wake up soon. I regretted leaving the house to get some air. I shouldn’t have gotten this far into the woods. None of that mattered now, in the next few seconds I would be dinner. I could feel my body grow weaker as they approached me. It looked like my body was finally giving in to the fear. My vision became blurry as they halted. I was going to pass out. I could feel it. At least I wouldn’t be alive when they feed on me. My body dropped from the side and landed on the leaves. The wolves’ paws seemed to have disappeared and so was their fur. What was going on? The fur completely disappeared and became human legs. Three pairs of legs stepped forward and I looked up to them with great strength. They were humans who were so gorgeous. How was that even possible? I was hallucinating maybe. 

They all had a pair of black shorts on. There was one in the middle of the other two who had black hair. He looked dead gorgeous. They stopped at my front and I dropped my eyes from them as I slowly lost grip of consciousness. I felt myself go into a cold and dark room where I could feel nothing. Just before I passed out, I heard a female voice ask,

“What are we going to do with her?”

They were so close to me but the voice seemed to be coming from far away. 

***

My eyes opened slowly as I got back to reality. My head was aching and I could hear the voices of children laughing around. The voices were quite far but I could still hear them. I felt so weak and tired and it seemed like I would slip back into oblivion once again. The laughter came again and this time louder. I blinked twice and got a foothold of consciousness. My eyes looked around the room to gather where I was. This place wasn’t familiar and I could perceive the smell of wood. It was so refreshing. I sat up from the bed quickly but that proved too costly because of the headache that came with it. I winced in pain and held my forehead as I waited for the pain to disperse. My head throbbed badly before it cooled down. 

I lifted my eyes to look at my surroundings. I wasn’t home. I was in a room in a cabin. The walls were made from fresh wood. That was where the nice scent was coming from. Where was I? And how did I get here? The last thing I could remember was walking in the woods and then bruising my ankle. It seemed my mind had gone blank just after that. The cabin seemed quiet but I could also hear the voices of children laughing from far away. At first, it was close by. Maybe they were running around? I needed to get back home as soon as possible. Lauren would be upset that I have been gone for a long. I shifted to the edge of the bed and brought my feet to the ground. Then, I stood up from the bed and I felt a sharp pain in my right ankle. I winced in pain and immediately laid back on the bed. 

That seemed to have jolted my memory because I could remember everything that had happened. I had passed out from shock. What I had seen in the woods had been both amazing and terrifying. Some wolves turned into humans. And they looked so gorgeous in their human form. How was that even possible? I had read about tales of Werewolves but I had just assumed them to be fiction and myths. Worst of all I had wished that it had all been a dream. But this was all real. They must have brought me here when I passed out. But why? Weren’t they about to eat? Realizing that they were humans made some things make sense. Like when the black wolf had been looking at my bruise. It had been worrying me. I didn’t know if that was scary or sweet. I had to get out of here but I couldn’t. My feet still hurt a lot. I was in a cabin and it could be anyway in town. I hoped that Lauren wasn’t worried about me. The last thing I wanted was to be looking for me on our first day here.

I sighed as I sat in the bed. My mind was racing as I thought of what to do. How would I get home on time and in one piece? The door opened and my heart skipped a beat. I looked up and saw a girl in a flower dress come in with a tray in her hands. She closed the door behind her and turned to me. As our eyes met, her lips spread out into a smile. She had olive skin that shone brightly as her smile. Her hair was brown and long as well. It fell on her shoulders making her look stunning overall. It made me feel jealous and insecure about my skin. The girl walked towards me and placed the tray on the cupboard just by the bed. The tray was filled with ointments and some other organic stuff I couldn’t describe. The girl stood in front of me with her hands clasped in front of her. She looked so nice already. She was probably trying to make me feel comfortable. 

“Hello there,” the girl greeted. “I am Selena.”

I nodded at her not knowing what to say to her. Was she one of them? It was most likely. Should I be afraid of them? I didn’t know. They had brought me back home instead of leaving me in the woods to fend for myself. The girl realized that I wouldn’t respond to her and turned to pick up the tray from the cupboard. She turned to me and smiled again. It was getting awkward now. 

“Zachary says you’re injured and in need of medical attention,” she announces. 

Zachary? Who was that? I didn’t know anybody like that. There had been two boys and a girl there. I wondered which of the boys would be named Zachary. I vouched for the big black wolf. He looked so gorgeous as he stood just behind my view of the sun before I passed out. He had olive skin just like Selena here which glowed and made him look dead gorgeous. I cleared my mind of such an image. He was a wolf. I couldn’t think of how handsome he was. It was somewhat awkward. The girl noticed that I didn’t know who she was talking about and proceeded to work. 

“My bad. I was foolish to think that you know Zachary,” she said as she got on her knees. 

“No. Don’t say that,” I said. 

She looked up at me in surprise. Another smirk stretched her lips. The smile left an impression on olive cheeks which shone. She was beautiful. It made me wonder how gorgeous many of them were this gorgeous. Perhaps everybody?

“So you do speak?” She asked in surprise. 

I dished her smirk in response. She touched my left foot gently trying to search for the bruise. She reached for my right foot next and her fingers spread across them. Her index finger stumbled on the bruise and it injected a jolt of pain in my system. I jerked acknowledging the pain. 

“Forgive me,” she apologizes. “The bruise isn’t as bad as I expected. I’ll apply a little ointment on it and you will be fine in no time.”

I nodded at her and she reached for her tray. There was a thick brown substance just beside some leaves on the tray. She dipped her fingers into it and brought it to my bruised ankle. The ointment smelled like damp soil. She applied the ointment gently to my bruise. It was smooth but it hurt slightly as well. I watched her as she treated me. Her hair seemed to be smooth. That didn’t seem right for someone who was staying in the woods. Who was I to judge? I am new here. I bent backward a little as she applied the ointment around the base of my foot. The pain seemed to have reduced quickly. That was very impressive. 

My mind went back to the incident in the woods. Where was this Zachary that she talked about? He was probably the one that brought me here. I would like to see him and ask some questions. Or maybe I could ask her instead? Selena seemed friendly enough to answer. Selena finished applying the ointment and let go of my leg. It touched the floor but I didn’t feel it. My foot was numb. That was strange. Selena stood up from the floor and bent over to pick up her tray. 

“There you go,” she said. “You’ll be fine in no time.”

I flashed a smile at her. 

“Thank you,” she appreciated. 

“There’s no need to thank me,” she said. “I’m just following orders.”

Following orders? From who? 

“Do you live here?” I asked. 

“Yes. All our ancestors have,” Selena replied. 

That was one strange reply. I couldn’t show or tell her how awkward that sounded. To her, it was something normal. 

“Are you among those people that turn into those animals?” I asked. 

She blinked at me twice in surprise. It seemed like she didn’t know that I was aware of what was going on. I had made her look uneasy as she held the tray to her waist. 

“What do you mean?” She asked. 

I cocked my head at her completely flustered. 

“I’ll see myself out now,” she says hurrying to the door. 

She was leaving which meant she knew exactly what was going on. It hit me that I didn’t know where I was and how I would get home. By the time I realized this, she was opening the door. 

“Wait!” I beckoned to her. “At least tell me where I….”

She slammed the door behind her before I could complete my sentence. I sighed and slumped on the bed in frustration. I felt like I was being kidnapped even though this was just a sign of hospitality. I needed to get home. I was tired of staying here and also tired of the fresh and organic smell of the wood. My thoughts were cut short when I heard the sound of children laughing again. This intrigued me. I stood up from the bed and tried to take a step with my bruised foot. It still hurt but it was much better than before. I leaped my way to the window and looked down. There were houses around there. It looked like a small village because of the setting. I could see the children running around. They were having fun. This made me wonder where I was. Was I still in WinstonVille? I wasn’t sure. Downstairs, I could hear the sound of wood being chopped. I could see the figure but I could see the ax being swung at intervals. That could be my way back home. I had to get downstairs. 

I left the window and leaped my way to the door. I grabbed the handle and swung the door open stepping out. The stairs were shorter than I expected. I was grateful it was. I struggled to get down the stairs. My ankle began to hurt again, but it was manageable. My focus was to get to the person chopping the wood. I could hear the sound now. I leaped towards the door and grabbed the handle. There, I paused and took a deep breath. This was more difficult than I had thought. I opened the door and walked to the porch. There was nobody here. Only a few people in shorts walk past the house. They didn’t even seem to have noticed me. I closed the door behind me and leaped down the porch stairs. The figure would be in the backyard. That was another journey. 

I walked slowly dragging my bruised foot along as I made my way toward the backyard. I arrived at the corner and I could see a figure splitting the wood. It was a man who was in nothing else but shorts. I watched him flex his muscles as he split the wood with one strike. I couldn’t help but stare at him. Then, the man relaxed and dropped the ax. He turned around and I saw those silver eyes. They were familiar. It was him. The big black wolf. As our eyes met, he raised an eyebrow at me in confusion. I, on the other hand, took in his features. He had short black hair and a sharp jawline. His body was ripped and his olive skin was lubricated by his sweat which made it glitter in the sun. He looked like a work of art. My eyes went back to his and he was still gazing at me. I had frozen to the spot and couldn’t move. He was the one that had found me in the woods first. I was certain he was Zachary. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked. “You’re supposed to be inside.”

His voice was so compelling that I almost gave in. I could feel that aura around him again. It was drawing me closer to him minute by minute. It was so hard to resist. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. I felt so embarrassed. 

“You can’t speak?” He asked. 

“I…I…” I stuttered. 

He shook his head slowly and turned around. He picked up the axe and headed back to splitting the wood. He picked up a short log of wood and placed it on the tree stomp that was there. He raised the ax and I watched how his biceps flexed. It made me tremble in excitement. What was wrong with me? With a simple strike, the log split perfectly into two. He gathered them and placed them with the others he had split as well. 

“I want to go home,” I announced. 

He had placed another log and was about to split it when I said that. He paused and turned to me. He looked flabbergasted. 

“So soon?” He asked. 

I nodded strongly in reply. 

He dropped the axe and walked slowly towards me. I could feel my heart pound as he approached me. He stopped right in front of me and I swear I had seen him flash a smirk at me. He looked so huge as he stood in front of me. 

“Fine.”