Chapter 0002

A large, firm hand rand down the middle of my chest, moving slower as it moved lower.

“Keep going,” I said as I turned in the bed, toward the warmth of the hand, my eyes still closed. Then my body was pulled closer until my back pressed tightly against a firm, broad, chest. Wait…whose chest was that exactly? My eyes flew open as I turned around.

Lying right there next to me was Liam, slowly waking up from sleep.

“Oh, my God. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. What are you doing here?!” I screeched.

“Well, this is my bed. So…” Liam said with a shrug.

I glanced around and realized then that I was in Liam’s sports decorated room. I jumped out of his embrace, grabbed a towel wrapping it around my naked body, and started to pace.

“Liam, what exactly did we do last night?”

All I could remember from the night before was getting drunk at the party. But everything that came after was a blur. My clothes torn off. Wrapping my legs around Liam’s solid body. Being kissed ferociously by Liam.

“You said you wanted to get revenge on Noah, so you did,”Liam said, looking at me from the bed. His muscular chest was completely bare.

His eyes bore into me as I continued to pace back and forth, my mind racing.

“I thought werewolves didn’t …” I said, stopping short of what I really wanted to say. I couldn’t finish the sentence. Because suddenly I was embarrassed.

But Liam knew exactly what was on my mind. “You thought that I didn’t sleep with human girls?”

I nodded my head slowly, my eyes going wide.

Liam shrugged. “Normally I don’t. Human girls have never been of any interest to me. But I don’t know, when it came to you, Ella, I just couldn’t stop myself.” The fire in Liam’s eyes burned.

I stepped back unconsciously and stumbled right into his computer chair.

“Oh,” was all I could say.

“Why don’t you come back to bed?” Liam suggested, his eyes never leaving mine.

I shook my head no.

Just then a knock rang out at his bedroom door. “Liam, honey, are you awake?”

My eyes widened in shock. That was his mom on the other side!

I ran towards the bed and dove onto it, burrowing under the covers. I clung to Liam, trying to use his large body as a shield.

“Yeah, mom. I’m awake.” His voice was husky and deep.

The door flew open and under the dark covers I could hear his mom’s voice, “I’ve got you some breakfast downstairs. You know you have to keep your strength up for the football games.” She stopped talking for a second. And then… “Honey, who’s that with you hiding under the covers?”

“Oh, it’s just—” before Liam could finish that sentence, I squeezed his thigh desperately. He jerked. He was crazy if he was thinking about telling his mom about me.

“Oh, nobody. Nobody’s under the covers with me.”

“Sure… Anyway, make sure to grab something for your friend so she doesn’t get too hungry,” Liam’s mom said lightly. Then a few seconds later, I heard the door open and shut. She was gone. Finally.

I stumbled out of the bed and started to throw my clothes back on. They were scattered all over Liam’s room. I had to get out of here. Now.

“I don’t know why you decided to hide, Ella. You totally didn’t have to do that.”

“You’re kidding, right?! Do you know what would have happened if your mom, if anybody found out what we did last night? It would ruin me!” I stepped into my jeans and quickly pulled them up, rushing to snap the button in place. “Oh my God, Noah…”

“Forget about Noah!” Liam growled, anger flashing across his face as he sat up in bed.

I startled at the force of his words. He was panting harder, but this time, it wasn’t because of any desire.

“Last night, that was…my first time. I’ve never been with anybody else. Not even Noah.” I whispered, drawing my arms around my middle.

Liam’s eyes widened in surprise. His face instantly became softer. “Are you serious?”

I opened my mouth to say more but, I just didn’t have time to do this right now. I had to get out of his house. And I had to get out of here without his mom or dad, or Noah, seeing me.

“I gotta go,” I said. I walked to Liam’s bedroom window and shoved it open. Luckily his bedroom and mine were so close I could just climb right into my own room.

I used to hate that our rooms were so close, especially since I was able to see all the other she-werewolves he’d bring in there. I had a front row seat to all sorts of things that Liam liked to do in bed with girls. But today, I was grateful for the close distance of our rooms.

I climbed out of the room, struggling a little bit. Then I felt Liam’s big hands grab my waist and gently push me into my room and onto my bed.

I turned around then, “Thanks.” Liam nodded from his bedroom, a concerned look on his face. I didn’t care. I couldn’t. I drew my curtains shut.

I fell back onto my bed, utterly, and completely exhausted. A buzz came from my pocket. I pulled my phone out and looked at it. It was a text from Noah: You were at the party, Ella?

I texted him back: Go to hell!

And then he texted back: Look, Ella, alright. Ava and I obviously slept together. But you know why! I’m a male werewolf. Everyone assumes my girlfriend is going to be a she-wolf. I slept with Ava because if anything happens, she can have werewolf babies. Humans like you and werewolves like me can’t reproduce!

Was Noah serious right now. I shook my head and texted him back: We are done.

I couldn’t risk being pulled back into Noah’s orbit so I blocked his number on my phone. I opened my laptop, trying to distract myself with the story I was working on for school. But it was the romance about me and Noah. And suddenly it all felt like lies.

I selected the entire story and hit delete.

I tried starting another story, but nothing came. I needed to get out of the house. I grabbed my backpack, threw my laptop into it, and headed downstairs.

My mom was sitting on the couch, reading a book. “Hey honey, off to school?”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect timing. The Gravens brothers are waiting outside to take you.”

My eyes shot open, “What?! No.”

Mom lowered her glasses. “What’s gotten into you? You always ride with Noah.”

But how could I tell mom about this messy situation I’d gotten into with both the boys. I was dating Noah and had just slept with his brother Liam. How was I going to explain all of this?!

“Mom, I gotta go.”

I stepped outside. Noah was there, standing in front of his beat-up car. And so was Liam, leaned up against his expensive Mercedes.

Noah glanced with annoyance at Liam and then back at me. “Get in the car, Ella.”

I walked past Noah, straight to Liam’s car, and got in.

Liam slid into the driver’s seat and glanced my way, grinning. “Good girl.”