AshantiSomething hot scurried through my belly, burning it and spreading all over it. I realized it was fear, and not just the usual one; this one choked my lungs. Chadwick's announcement was an emotionally disturbing shock, and my mouth gaped open for more than a minute.Although it was no surprise, considering that he'd been attacked by werewolves, I wasn't expecting such a plot twist. Chadwick's eyes were on me, capturing my face, clinging to it, analyzing my reaction, begging me to understand.My lids slid down over his eyes; I couldn't bring myself to speak, and I sat there like an object."Ash, please say something," Chadwick pleaded. "I swear I had no idea. I've thought and spent sleepless nights trying to brace myself for this moment, knowing that you're going to break up with me because I'm a freak. I don't know what to do."He buried his face in his palm, groaning into it, and my initial response was to place my face against the corded muscles of his chest and rock him gent
Chadwick It is impossible for me to describe the relief I felt when Ashanti accepted me for who I am. I was suddenly very light-headed, no, giddy all over, and I spent the entire night holding her to my chest. But I was confused, and I did not understand why anyone would want to be with me after I had come clean and admitted that I was a freak—a werewolf. I stared at her chest, rising and falling, and my throat thickened. I was locked down with her, and nothing could ever convince me to end our relationship, so any doubts I had about whether or not she was the right woman for me were now history. I had no intention of breaking up with her, so if there was going to be a breakup, it was going to happen on her end. In spite of the panic-inducing situations that had been occurring one after the other, she never left my side, satisfied me, made me happy, and understood me. I grinned carelessly and ran a hand nervously through my hair, feeling a delicious sense of accomplishment. Asha
Against my will, I drove to Trisha's apartment. The door creaked open, and her sister Beatrice welcomed me and was shocked as a deer caught in the middle of the road."Well, fancy seeing you here.""Where's Trisha?" I asked, keeping my voice stern and getting around to the cramped one-bedroom apartment. The living space was barely separated from the kitchen by a counter cluttered with loose change."I'll go send for her," Beatrice said, every evidence of smiling and familiarity now disappeared. Well, at least she was sensible.The living room had a set of mismatched furniture: a floral sofa, a rustic wooden coffee table, and one office chair which spoke of years spent thrifting.The air was thick with the scent of stale beer that seeped into the fibers of the worn carpet. My stomach churned in disgust at the cocktail of odors: the sharp tang of alcohol and the saltiness of half-eaten chips strewn across the floor."Why the hell would I want Elen to be introduced to such a careless ind
The air outside the restaurant was heavy with fear and terror. When the local police showed up, they tried to calm everyone down and gave them the go-ahead to leave.After the threat had passed, I crept into the eatery. People ran for their lives while yelling at the top of their lungs. One of the workers even passed out; the stress must have been too much for her to handle, and she would have PTSD for the rest of her life as a result.Not my fault, though.After getting my clothes back, I quickly ran into the bathroom and changed into my human form, looking in the mirror to see if I had any scars. Thankfully, there was none.Then I hastily fixed my hair to hide any signs of distress before stepping out and navigating through the chaos. Chadwick must be scared to death. My eyes searched for him, and I rushed to him. When he saw me, he looked like he was about to cry with relief."I'm fine, I'm fine," I threw my hand around him. He hugged me back immediately, so tight, and his body qui
AshantiCarmen's words and actions made me lose composure. I was lost for words when I was ejected into the night, covering my face with my hands. I cringed and leaned against the wall outside the apartment, gulping hard and wondering why I felt like crying. It's not like anyone died.Rigidly holding my tears in check, I swallowed hard, controlled my emotions, and shoved my hands into my pockets. The only thing I left the house with was my purse, which contained my phone and some cash.Laughing it off, I walked away, each step leading me to the streets' nightlife. Things were never going to be the same again, and I knew that I would never step foot into Harrison and Carmen's apartment anymore.I thought of Chadwick's house. I didn't want to feel any guilt tonight because I had kept my identity hidden. I needed a break from everyone and didn't have the strength to explain anything.I kept walking from street to street without any destination in mind. Carmen’s reaction stung, but hey, n
ChadwickI arrived at the Golf Club, waving up my friends and pulling my club from the trunk at the parking lot. But before I joined them, I tried reaching Ashanti again and pinched my lips together when her phone was still switched off.It made me wonder where she could be. When I didn't get her yesterday morning, I stopped by her apartment, met Carmen, and asked about Ashanti's whereabouts, but her response was strange."I don't know," she mumbled and avoided eye contact. I dismissed it because I didn't expect her to be cool with me and felt she was transferring the aggression of Ken's betrayal to me, which kind of made sense as Ken was my best friend. Poor girl.My ball took flight after a satisfying thud. I was enjoying the game a little too much. People say golf is boring, but it always helps to clear my head after a very stressful week.Steve, one of my longtime acquaintances and a neurosurgeon, nudged me. He was almost a decade older than me, but we clicked on many levels."Yo
AshantiI needed a charger because my phone was about to shut off. When I went downstairs to look for one, I discovered that Chadwick had left me a package.I stopped in surprise, wondering what could be inside. Upon taking a peek, I frowned at the carefully curated box specifically designed to ease menstrual cramps.My mind wandered, leaving me to stare at it in confusion and it raced with questions about the purpose of this box. Was he misinterpreting something?I sighed, realizing that I ought to have told him where I was. I asked if I could borrow a charger and connect it to the power supply. My phone blinked back to life, and before I could get in touch with Chadwick, Harrison texted me.He said he had concocted a story for Chadwick, explaining my absence as a need for personal space. I suppressed my laughter at the hideousness. I should thank Harrison for his good intentions.I texted Chadwick to let him know I was alright and to thank him for the unexpected gift box before head
Ashanti I woke up with a long yawn and the most wonderful headache of my life. The nightstand clock read six am. It was time to show myself to the world. Stretching my arms over my head, I pushed myself out of bed and settled for a cold shower to get rid of any remnants of the headache. After drying off, I donned some loose office pants and a striped shirt because I wasn't in the mood for my tight gowns and stilettos. A fluttery, empty feeling rose in my stomach and I was excited to see Chadwick. Although I felt a little guilty for lying to him, it didn't change the fact that I longed for his presence more than the air. For now, he seemed like the only person who could make me truly happy and feel alive again. But at the same time, it made me feel so vulnerable in every way imaginable and terrified me to think about what would happen if he ever found out about my identity. This thought gnawed away at my confidence as I checked out of the hotel and booked an Uber to work. By now