4

NATHAN

It was really difficult for me to leave her. She looked so beautiful while she was sleeping, and I didn't want to wake her. Now she's going to think I used her for sex and ran away. Ever since I left her house, I haven't been able to get her out of my head. I don't understand why I feel this way all of a sudden. She floods my brain without even trying, and every time I think about that damned smile, I smile, blush, and think of the times when she's next to me with that wide, beautiful smile on her face as she greets me good morning.

Right now, I'm sketching her beautiful face on my sketchpad. Her face is unforgettable. I don't know if I can go through each day without wanting to see her again, without wanting to talk to her again. I stop drawing and sigh, looking around my room at the bookshelf. She has read so many books that I've read. I don't know why I'm keeping that in mind, considering I'm the one who decided to leave without saying goodbye.

The last relationship I was in wasn't fulfilling. I thought I was in love with her, but it turned out I just loved the idea of us, something I wished I had. It was hard to break things off with Katherine, but I had to do it for her sake and mine. I saw an opportunity at love, and I ran away from it. I don't know how the pack expects us not to fall in love with humans. There's a reason why we decided to mingle with them in the first place.

We wolves have been living in the woods for centuries, away from humans. It wasn't until werewolf hunters began to raid our home that we decided to live among humans, making it harder for them to find us.

We still live close to the woods, though. We can't be turning into beasts in town and walking around the streets like we're not going to get shot or taken to the zoo.

Right now, I'm in the house I grew up in. I came to Texas to spend time with my parents and my brother for a few days before I leave. Maybe if I leave, I'll forget about her, if that's even possible.

Katherine and I were like a power couple back at Princeton. Everyone loved our relationship, but little did people know that we weren't really in love with each other. Did we love each other? Yes, but we were not in love. At least, I wasn't.

Katherine took the breakup hard, though. We broke up in the summer after junior year of college, and she hasn't spoken or looked at me since then. The easy-going and party-loving Katherine was gone, replaced by a heartbroken girl who didn't believe in love anymore. I really broke her heart, huh?

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a knock on the door. The person opens it without me giving permission, and I know it's already my little brother, Tyrone. He never waits for anyone to invite him in; he just invites himself in. Right now, he's wearing a grey hoodie, grey sweatpants, and flip-flops. His red hair is what makes him unique. We used to call him Archie, but without the charm to attract girls. He's handsome, though. Who could say no to those beautiful brown eyes of his?

Tyrone has never had a girlfriend. We even asked him if he was attracted to girls, and he said he was. We told him that if he wasn't attracted to girls, he should just say so, but he insisted that he was. He was telling the truth because when he was sixteen, he had a crush

 on Penny Lockhart. She was pretty, or at least Tye thought so, but she didn't think he was pretty. It was so hard to watch my brother turn around in disappointment after confessing his love for her and getting turned down.

His friends and I tried to cheer him up, but he didn't want it. The thing with him is that he bottles up his feelings. He acts like he doesn't need anyone's help or sympathy. I would like to know what he's thinking.

Now that he has a nice haircut and has become muscular, all the girls in our pack, even the human ones, want to date him. But he keeps rejecting them. He hasn't shown any interest in the hot girls, not even Blair Stone, whom his mates think is attractive. Oh well, I guess not all straight guys want to date girls all the time.

"I knew you weren't going to wait for me to tell you to come in." I throw a pillow at him, and he catches it effortlessly. Ugh, werewolf reflexes. I miss the days when werewolf puberty hadn't hit him. It was easy for me to bully him, and he wouldn't do anything about it.

"You know me so well," he says with a sarcastic grin. "Mom wants you to come down for breakfast." He looks at the drawing I did of the woman I had been with last night. I just wish I knew her name, at least.

Hmm, I just got a crazy idea. Maybe I should go ask that bartender. It seemed like they knew each other, but would he even tell me her name? He'd probably assume I'm a creep.

"Woah, who's this?" he asks while admiring the beautiful drawing.

"Uh, a model."

"She's pretty. Are you in love with her or something?"

"Shut up," I say, getting up and shoving him aside. I walk ahead, and he leaves the sketchpad behind, following me.

My dad is the alpha of the pack. And no, that's not the reason why we have a big house. He just has a good job that pays well. My dad has been the alpha since he was nineteen, and when his parents died, he had to take full responsibility. It was the wolf hunters who killed them, those bastards with their vendetta against us.

My dad wanted me to be the alpha, but I chose college over leadership. Tye did the same. Luckily, our dad isn't like those insisting fathers who force their kids to do what they want. He has always encouraged us to follow our hearts. That's one of the reasons why I love him, just like my mom.

My parents are perfect for each other. They've always made me believe in love. Seeing them together all the time gives me so much hope. I'm sure they would want me to be happy, with a werewolf, not a human. That's one thing my parents won't support me for. Dating a human or even marrying one is taboo. They consider it a law against nature unless you decide to turn the human into a werewolf. But not all conservatives accept that method either, frowning upon turning humans into werewolves.

"Good morning, guys." I interrupt my mom. She and Dad were engrossed in a conversation, always talking to each other and gossiping like teenagers.

"Oh, good morning, honey." My mom, Melissa Carmello, beams at me. She has light makeup on, and Tyrone inherited his red hair from her. Although I resemble her more, I got my brown hair from my dad. Tye looks like a younger version of him. My parents have been married for twenty-six years, and their bond

 has never been stronger. I've always believed in their relationship, and the thought of them getting a divorce never crossed my mind. They are like the couple in a romantic movie who stay together after the movie ends.

"There's our boy." My dad, Gerald Carmello, says as he pours coffee into his favourite mug, a gift from Mom that says "World's Greatest Dad." "What did you do last night?"

Not having sex with a human, that's what.

I sit next to him, and Tye joins us.

"Uh, nothing much. I just went to a bar for a few drinks, and then I came home." I put a piece of toast in my mouth and avoid their eyes. I catch my brother staring at me; he can see through my bullshit. I look away from him and fix my gaze on the ceiling.

"Oh, honey, I'm so happy you came to spend time with us," Mom says, her smile never fading. "Tye here has been keeping us company. I think he's getting tired of us."

"I don't think that's possible, Mom." Tyrone puts on a fake smile, and I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"It's not too late to reconsider taking over as the alpha of the pack," Dad says to both of us, and we exchange glances.

Tyrone and I both know we weren't born leaders. I'm an artist with a gallery back in California, and Tye is a dance instructor, teaching amateurs how to dance. I kind of wish he would use his talent to reach higher heights, but he's not ready for that yet, I suppose.

"Nah," I say.

"We're good, Dad."

"Okay." He raises his hands in surrender. "The offer still stands."

"How's your gallery, Nathan?" Mom asks as she takes a bite of bacon. We wolves love our meat.

"It's doing fine. People come in, see what they like, and pay for it. Most of my paintings have been sold, which is flattering. I'm just happy to have a job, at least."

I really am. A celebrity even bought one of my works. I was so thrilled and excited. I still don't know who the celebrity is; it could be Ivanka Pierce, Antonio Reins, or Wiston Parker. I never found out. All I know is that a celebrity agent walked into my gallery and purchased one of my best pieces—a painting of a wolf and a girl. Hollywood does love werewolves, even though the unrealistic depiction of werewolves in Twilight is laughable and bizarre.

You know what? I'm going to see her again. I can't continue to torture myself just because I have an animal inside me. She doesn't have to know about that. It's not like we're going to get married or anything. I'll try my best to see her again. I can't leave Texas without seeing that beautiful angel. But first, I have to be productive.

Ugh! I can't believe I have to hide this from Tyrone. I can hide it from my parents, but not from him. Tye and I tell each other everything. We've been doing that since we were puppies. Well, I'm the one who spills my secrets out; I always have to coax Tye to open up. But this is something I have to keep from him because I know he won't approve of it either.