Returns

ONE YEAR BEFORE

It was the week before Tara’s birthday, and even though she wasn’t quite at the official mating age yet, she was still totally excited about the event. Tara would be turning 20, and as always, it was a chance for the three of us to celebrate together. We spent nearly every moment of that week planning her birthday. It wasn’t going to be anything fancy, just a small cake at Tara’s home with her family, and then we’d head out for a girls' night. Simple, but perfect.

We were sitting in the university cafeteria, at our usual spot by the large windows that overlooked the campus courtyard. The afternoon sun streamed in, with its golden light across our table, it warmed up the whole atmosphere, as we excitedly went over the final details for the party.

"So, the cake is sorted, right?" I asked, glancing over Tara’s shoulder at her notebook.

"Yep, chocolate with raspberry filling. My mom’s favorite, obviously," Tara replied with an exaggerated eye roll, making Cara and me laugh. "But at least we’ll get to go out afterward and have real fun."

"I still can’t believe you’re not having some grand party," Cara teased, tapping her fingers against her coffee cup. "It’s not every day you hit 20, you know."

Tara made a movement with her shoulders, with a little smile on her face she said "There’ll be plenty of time for big parties. My mom is already organizing the one for next year. And as it looks it will be huge with too many people” She winked. "For now, a simple night with my favorite girls will do."

I smiled, looking at my two best friends. It was always like this with us carefree, easy. There was something comforting about knowing how much we could rely on each other in a world that felt like running way too fast constantly.

Suddenly, the loud chatter of the cafeteria died down. A strange, almost electric tension filled the air. Cara, Tara, and I exchanged confused glances before turning to see what had silenced the room. All eyes were fixed on the entrance, and the girls sitting closest to the door were murmuring, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"What the...? What's going on? " Tara started, but then we saw him.The new guy.

I’d heard about him while walking through the corridors but had yet to meet him. He’d just transferred from another pack, one far away, and now he and his family had returned here. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had dark, curly hair that fell in a messy but somehow perfect way around his face. Despite the biting cold of winter, he was wearing just a plain t-shirt, showing off his strong muscled arms and the perfectly sculpted abs beneath. I must admit that for a moment I had to really remind myself to breathe.

But it wasn’t only his body that had left everyone speechless, there was more, it was his eyes. They were the deepest shade of dark blue I’d ever seen, almost like the color of the lake up in the mountains, the one that always looked so dark and endless. For some reason, a strange, tingling sensation crawled up my spine as soon as I laid eyes on him.

Still on my seat, I turned and leaned closer to Tara and Cara. "Why do I feel like I’ve met him before?"

Tara raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Maybe you just want to meet him and are trying to come up with an excuse to talk to him? I mean, who wouldn’t?"

Cara giggled and looking at me said . "Yeah, maybe your instincts are just giving you a head start."

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, I noticed that he was walking directly toward us. The cafeteria seemed to hold its breath as he moved through the crowd. His beautiful eyes were fixed on me, and with each step he took closer to us, the strange sensation running through my body only intensified.

When he reached our table, he stopped. I was totally in awe. Closer he was even more handsome and with a bright, heart-stopping smile, he said, "Hi, Fluff."

Tara and Cara froze, their eyes wide, while my own brain seemed to short-circuit. I stared at him, blinking rapidly, and finally managed to stutter out, "R...Ro...Romer?"