Chapter 1

A boring classroom is the last place I want to spend my time on a beautiful day, but unfortunately, here I am. The Professor is droning on about material to review for the upcoming final, but it’s hard to concentrate on my notes, with Maci looking back at me over her shoulder every few minutes.

“What?” I ask in a harsh whisper. Maci is a close friend, but she was one for the drama and gossip. She lived for it. I’d rather keep to myself and couldn’t care less about other people’s problems. But by the smirk on her face, my instincts are spot on.

Before I can avoid her eye contact, she speaks. “See that guy sitting at the desk in the back?” she asks, attempting to point inconspicuously. “He has the hots for you. The dude hasn’t stopped staring since you entered the class.”

I instantly lose interest. “He can keep looking because I’m not interested,” I laugh, shaking my head. This Class needs to end. I focus back on my notes. 

A vibration shakes my desk, and I grab my phone before it tumbles off the edge. My eyes instantly light up as Amelia’s name flashes across the screen. She and I have been best friends for years. In elementary school, my sister Marley and I were very fortunate. Her family took us in after my parents passed. Since then, she’s been a major part of my life. Amelia’s my saving grace. 

I sneak a peep at the Professor, hoping he won’t notice the disturbance.

“Can you meet for coffee after class? I have something to ask you.” Amelia text.

“Of course! See you then, 😉.” I quickly respond under my desk, giving the Professor a few glances before finishing. Maci notices I am in a better mood because she moves to the seat next to me, and we chat away quietly for the rest of class.

Time flies, and the bell rings for dismissal. 

“Study for the final next week,” Professor Davis calls as the class rushes for the door. Maci and I are the last to pack our things, but he doesn’t mind. “Have a good weekend and be safe,” he says with a smile as he crams papers into his briefcase.

“You too,” we reply simultaneously and share a glance before walking out the door into the bustling hallway.

“I’ll call you later,” I promise Maci as we go our separate ways.

I’m buzzing with excitement as I head for the doors to the parking lot.

“Hey, Chloe,” a strange voice calls out to me. Spinning around, I fake a smile as I see the boy from class.

Looking him over, I’m not impressed. “Do I know you?” I ask in confusion while crossing my arms.

He shifts awkwardly under my gaze. “Well, no. Not officially. I’m William,” he smiles, extending his hand.

I shake it briefly before pulling away. “Do you need something?” I ask, hoping this will end quickly. My phone buzzes like crazy in my bag. I’m coming, Amelia. I swear.

William gathers his courage and clears his throat as I struggle to keep my patience. “I wondered if you would like to get coffee with me sometime?” he asks, his eyes filling with hope. Then, as if William can sense I’m going to turn him down, he raises his hands in defense. “As friends, if that helps with your decision,” he bargains, flashing me a warm smile, and I can’t help but cringe inside, something about him didn’t feel right, but I didn’t want to be a bitch and hurt his feelings.

“Okay, as friends,” I agree, smiling. “We can go after finals. I’m sure some others from class would like to celebrate with us,” I propose and notice William’s hope disappearing with my answer.

“Yeah, sure. It’s a plan then,” William says, giving me a slight smirk before turning back down the hall.

 I wait for William to disappear before I head out of the school. 

 I shake away the lingering awkwardness as I walk to my pride and joy, my father’s 1969 Camaro. He left it to Marley and me in his will, but she let me keep it. She knows it has a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, my father and I rebuilt it together.

Turning over the engine, it immediately purrs to life. “Still got it,” I smirk, pulling out of the parking lot and heading to meet Amelia.

Arriving at the cafe, I park and hurry for the entrance, knowing I’m late. As soon as I step in, I see Amelia, who is occupied ordering drinks. 

I sneak beside her, ignoring all the strange stares from customers. “Hey, sexy bitch,” I whisper gruffly in her ear.

She spins around in surprise, and I can’t hold back my laughter. “Oh, my god! You scared me,” she laughs with her hand against her chest.

When we finally relax, the barista calls Amelia’s name and looks at me. “So, how was class?” Amelia queries while grabbing our coffees from the counter.

“The usual,” I shrug, walking to the empty table near the window. “Oh, but someone from class asked me for coffee,” I tell her as I sat. I spin my cup in my hand, avoiding Amelia’s eyes as she sat across from me.

“Let me guess. You turned this person down?” Amelia asks, lifting her brow.

“No,” I defend. “I agreed to meet next week after finals, but only as friends. He’s not my type, Amelia,” I explain to her. I can’t help how I feel. If it clicks, I’ll know.

“Oh, come on, Chloe. You need to live a little,” Amelia declares, placing her hand on my arm. I just roll my eyes in response and take a sip from my coffee, glancing out the window and ignoring her comment, when I catch a blinding light from the corner of my eye. Amelia looks at me with a smile. You can’t miss it. You can see it from space, bright and cheesy.

“What are you up to?” I ask, eyeing her skeptically. That smile of hers is never a good sign. “I know that look,” I whisper, leaning over the table. “You are up to something,” I tone thick with suspicion, but her smile didn’t falter.

“Okay, so you know the ball my pack tries to get into every year?” Amelia smiles, and I nod in acknowledgment. “They have invited my family to it tomorrow night,” she squeals.

“Oh, my god! That’s amazing,” I reply with relief. “I thought you were going to make me do something crazy like always,” I giggle while relaxing in my chair with a smile. I sip from my coffee cup again. “I’m glad you can finally go. You have been talking about this ever since you were a kid.” Within seconds, my smile fades as I watch Amelia’s lips form in a mischievous grin. “Why are you looking at me like that?” worriedly, I ask.

“Well…” she hesitates. “You’re coming too.”

My eyes widen. “Um, excuse me? Crazy best friend says what?” I leaned forward again. “It’s a werewolf event, and I’m human. Don’t think I’m welcome,” I quietly argue, but it didn’t seem to get through to her.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Amelia dismisses with a wave of her hand. “We don’t mind humans if they don’t gossip that we exist. The pack knows you’re my best friend,” she asserts as her features morph into her infamous pout. “I need you with me, Chloe. Please say you’ll come,” Amelia clasps her hands together like she’s praying and flutters her lashes.

She knows this is my weakness, and I know I don’t stand a chance against it. Giving in, I sigh. “Of course, I’ll be there,” I grab her hand. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t? I’ll always be there for you,” I smile, squeezing her hand.

“Yay!” Amelia exclaims, rushing to my side and wrapping me in a wolfish hug.

I try not to complain, as she is squeezing me tighter than usual. She has always been affectionate, but I can tell something’s bothering her. I pull away, catching sight of her face. “You okay?” I ask, searching for her expression.

“I’m nervous, Chloe,” she whispers.

I tilt my head, confused. “Why?” I ask, and she gives me a deadpan look. I guess that’s a stupid question.

“It’s the biggest party of the year for my pack. The best chance to find my mate. What if I screw it up or make a fool of myself?” she claims, resting her head on my shoulder for comfort.

I rub her back with a chuckle. “Amelia, everything will be fine. You could never make a fool of yourself. I promise,” reassuring her.

She lifts her head and smiles at me. “What would I do without you?” she pulls back from my shoulder to cup my face in her hands.

I can’t help but groan in protest when she squeezes my cheeks together. “Well, you wouldn’t have anyone to go with you to the ball, would you?” I tease in a muffled voice.

Amelia only laughs, releasing my face, and stands. “Let’s get out of here. We have some shopping to do,” she says, pulling me up from the chair and wrapping her arm around my shoulder as we toss our cups in the trash and walk out.

I breathe deeply, taking in the fresh air as we step out of the shop. The sunset is now behind the clouds, but the air is heavy with humidity.

“Do you want to ride with me?” Amelia asks, pulling her keys out of her bag.

“Sure, you can drop me off later,” I suggest, and walk over to Amelia’s Mercedes. She unlocks it with her key fob, making the horn sound, and orange lights flash. “These new-fangled cars have so much technology. I’m glad my car doesn’t honk at me when I try to open it.” I look at Amelia with a smirk as she starts the car with a button.

“What?” she shrugs. “Oh, come on. You need to get with the times and get a new car,” she tells me with a teasing grin.

“Nah, I’m good,” I reply.

“Whatever you say,” she shakes her head while pulling onto the street. 

Amelia stops at a small boutique with a window full of gorgeous wedding gowns neatly displayed. We enter, and the doorbell chimes, and as if on cue, a friendly older woman comes to greet us.

“Hi there, girls,” she smiles warmly. “Is there anything I can help you find?”

I cannot help but return her smile with my own. “Hi! Do you have any dresses for a ball?” I ask nicely and watch her face light up.

“Yes, we do. In the back-right corner of the store,” the lady explains, pointing us in the right direction.

“Thank you,” I say gratefully. 

We head to the back of the store. Amelia is at my heels. We look through several racks, and the sound of light fabric and squeaky hangers fills the room.

Finally, I pull a beautiful black dress from the rack as if it’s calling my name. “Amelia,” I call, raising the dress in the air. “What do you think of this one?” I ask, holding it to my curvy frame and striking poses.

“Wow, nice modeling, Chloe,” she jokes. “That one is gorgeous, though. Go try it on,” she orders, pointing to the dressing room behind me. I turn to see a small closet-sized room with a curtain, and I glance back at Amelia with a blank look. “Just go Chloe,” she shakes her head.

I sigh, then step in, closing the drape behind me. I hang the dress up and remove my clothes, placing them neatly in my bag. As I pull the dress from the hanger, I am careful to put one foot in at a time and slip it over my hips. The silk runs smoothly over my skin as I settle it around my shoulders. Admiring myself in the mirror, the dress is backless, resting just above the curve of my ass, and the front displays the perfect amount of cleavage with lace that swoops over my breasts. 

After I finish checking myself out, I step outside the dressing room. “Hey,” I whispered, attempting to get Amelia’s attention.

She swivels around to me, and her eyes smile with excitement. “Chloe, you look gorgeous. You’re going to turn so many heads in that. All the wolves will be itching to get you out of it,” she gushes.

I blush, then notice Amelia has a dress in her hand. “What did you find?” I ask curiously, trying to avoid any talk about wolves wanting to get me out of my clothes.

 Amelia holds up a short gray dress against her perfect figure. At six feet tall, it falls just above her knees. “Wow, you’ll look so good in that one,” I rave, giving her a thumbs up. “Let me take this off. Be back in a minute,” I grin and head back into the dressing room.

Changed, I walk over to Amelia with my dress, and we go to the front to pay for them. 

“You girls are going to look fantastic at this ball you speak of,” the clerk expresses.

“Thank you,” we say instantaneously and laugh.

“You’re a dork,” Amelia proclaims as she glances over at me, then turns back to the woman at the counter, handing her a credit card.

After Amelia, I hand my dress to the lady, and she rings it up. She tells me the total, and I reach into my bag to pull out my wallet when Amelia stops me. “Wait, I’ve got this since I invited you,” she insists and hands the woman back her card.

“Are you sure?” I inquire, and she nods, confirming happily. “Thank you,” I beam. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

The woman hands us the bags, and we head for the door.

“Have fun, girls,” she yells after us as we open the door.

“Bye,” we wave and disappear.

We get in Amelia’s car, and she pulls away, heading back towards the coffee shop. The thought of coffee brings back the event that happened after school today. “Amelia?” I mutter, gazing out the window.

“Yeah?” she answers, not taking her eyes off the road.

“Do you think I should have coffee alone with the guy from class? He gives me a bad feeling,” I admit he makes me feel uneasy, and put my phone in my bag.

“Honestly, if he makes you feel uncomfortable, I wouldn’t go. I was just joking earlier, Chloe. If you don’t want to date right now, don’t push yourself,” she replies, glancing over at me and giving me a reassuring smile, which I return, before looking back out the window. She always understood me.

Amelia parks next to my car, and I hop out, smiling at Amelia before closing the door. As I walk to mine, her window rolls down behind me. “I’ll see you tomorrow, love you,” she yells, blowing me a kiss.

“Okay, love you too,” I shout back, catching her air kiss with my hand and opening my door, waving as she drives off.

I sit in my car, scrolling through my phone, reading through texts and emails before starting my car. After a few minutes, I decide it's time to head home. 

As I enter the parking garage of my building, the roar of my car exhaust echoes through the garage. It’s music to my ears. I’m sure my neighbors hate me because it sounds like a train and sets off multiple car alarms.

I park in my designated spot and step out while covering my ears from the blaring alarms, then rush to grab my dress from the back seat and head inside. 

Trudging up the usual three flights of stairs, I finally get to my apartment and rejoice as I unlock my door and walk in. “Home sweet home,” I breathe, stretching my arms after the climb. Walking into my room, I throw my things on the bed, walk to my closet, hang up my dress, then strip as I head to the bathroom and carefully toss my clothes into the hamper, not even trying to aim. I’m exhausted and get out quickly, only taking a moment to enjoy the lovely fabric around me while drying off. 

As I step back into my room, I hear my bed calling my name and send my pillows a longing glance. 

Skimming through my panty drawer, slip on a cute white pair with black polka dots and search through my closet, finding a pair of soft shorts and a tank top before heading to bed. As I sink into my soft mattress, I rifle through my bag for my laptop and phone, sending Amelia a quick text letting her know I made it home, knowing all too well she’d hunt me down if I didn’t. Then I settle against my headboard. 

Professor Davis’s voice rings in my head, reminding me to study, so I begrudgingly open my laptop since tomorrow’s plans of studying are out the window.

Suddenly, my phone vibrates, displaying an unknown number. I never answer robocalls. “Stupid scammers,” I sigh and quickly clear it, sending it to voicemail. 

I toss my phone onto the bed, but it vibrates again with a text from the same unknown caller. “Hey, beautiful. Why didn’t you answer?” Instantly it creeps me out. 

“Who is this?” I respond.

Within seconds, my phone dings again. “For me to know and for you to find out.”