Rayne's POVFor some reason, seeing the email from the college felt surreal. It didn't actually sink in that I'd been accepted until I saw the mail, sitting pretty in my digital mailbox. I opened the letter and read it over and over again, and with each and every moment I did, my earlier inhibitions slipped away inch by inch. Eventually, I couldn't even remember why it was so important for me to not go.I placed a sleeping Kairen in her cot. The little thing looked perfectly content with her morning meal. With an enamored chuckle, I wiped off a string of milk off the corner of her pouty mouth. It startled me just how much like her father she looked, but her behavior was so similar to mine. With Roman, the case was reversed: he looked like me, but acted so much like his father, especially when it came to his joy at seemingly trivial things. He had reached that age where he liked to play around on his own, and only came to meet me when he lifted his head out of the haze of childish play
Rayne's POVJust like I thought, moving to the city felt like something out of my vivid dreams. The cars, the buildings, and even the people carried a certain aura that was so different from that of the people living in the less urbanized areas. Here, they walked with a purpose, dressed with a purpose, and spoke with a purpose.Kaiden helped me move into the apartment that he told me apart. It turned out that the place had been in his name for a long while, but he never really had any reason to live there except for days he had business in town. We spent half of the day setting and cleaning up, and he didn't forget to keep telling me about our agreement for me to return home the moment things got strange or out of order.Depending on my schedule, I decided that I still had to be going home frequently, because even though Kairen and Roman were in safe hands with their father and Sal, who had offered to watch them also, I couldn't stand being distant from my family for too long.“Everyt
Rayne's POVThe time for registration started, and while the sun shone brightly in the sky, I set out to experience the new world of adult education. I dressed up in a simple pair of skinny jeans, a gray tank top—which I had specifically bought because it looked the exact shade of Kaiden's eyes—and a cropped denim jacket. The weather was exceptionally hot, and too many layers would have just made me all sweaty and sticky before I even reached my destination.I assessed the world with a gaze full of awe—or so I believed—and wonder. The city was a far cry from the quiet outskirts where Mysticrock Pack was located. Over there, you could walk for a long time in a forest with no house in sight because all members of a pack lived in just a single location, leaving the remaining landmass to grow and thrive undisturbed. Many preferred it that way because they felt closer to their roots in such a place, than in a crowded place like the city. It wasn't like I hadn't been there before, but as
Rayne's POVThere's a certain way a person would look at you, and somehow, you'd be able to tell that they had experienced quite a number of things in their however big or small lifetime. Their eyes would be like windows into their minds and hearts, showing you just how careful you should be around them.This man had such eyes. He didn't look much older than I did—he was maybe around Kaiden's age or so. A faint stubble lined his chin, underneath full lips stretched into a straight, serious line. He had a nose that reminded me of those sculptures that usually sat in art galleries. As for his hair, well, it could have been done with a little bit of more dedicated brushing, but given the number of men that walked the halls with a similar hairstyle, I couldn't necessarily fault it.I didn't know that I had been staring blatantly at him until he gently shook me and leaned in closer. “Are you okay?”Embarrassed at my lack of courtesy, I nodded. “Yes.” I pulled away from him and started pick
Rayne's POVBack in my apartment, I took off my jacket and mentally noted the things I had to do before night fell. Although I had fully arranged my things, I still didn't have any groceries to help me prepare a proper meal. Kaiden would have helped me get them, but the thought of calling him because of that made me feel guilty. Besides, it had been a while since I stepped inside a store all on my own, so how could it hurt?Tired of my wild hair, I picked up a hairband off my bed and pulled up the thick locks into a single messy bun. The sweat building up around my neck became cold against my skin when finally exposed to fresh air. The tank top I wore had been coated in a fine layer of sweat, so I took it off. As I did that, something told me that it was better to just take off all my clothes and take a quick shower. I agreed, and slipped into the bathroom for a quick clean up.Done with that, I slipped into a set of fresh clothes. This time I picked a light shirt and some knee-high
Rayne's POVThe morning that came after started like any other day: darkness turning into morning, the sun shooting across the sky and rising to coat the world in its bright white light, and the quiet hours changing to accommodate the hustle and bustle of the now awake humans.Right from the moment I opened my eyes, it was as if I could just feel something coming. I had no way of knowing if it was going to be good or bad. “Something is going to happen today,” I said out loud. The bed creaked as I pushed myself into a sitting position. The night before, after my return home, I prepared a meal and settled into a couch to glance through social media. The Paranormal Watch had been silent for a little while, and Kaiden explained that somehow their information had been leaked to outsiders. It happened around the time that werewolf hunters became public knowledge. Before they went silent, they were the ones giving us information about the current happenings concerning werewolves and where
Rayne's POVThe agonizingly slow class eventually came to an end. Throughout, I kept trying to avoid Jacob's eyes, but he didn't do so well in keeping the surprise off his face. More than once, he was caught lost in thought until a student called his attention.As I picked up my things and got ready to leave the hall, Celine stopped me. I had almost forgotten that she was even by my side. I still couldn't make sense of our rapid acquaintance, and as much as I appreciated her kindness, I didn't know if I had it in me to make new friends.As the thought of friends crossed my mind, I remembered Savannah and how nice she had been to me at first. With everything she put me through, it would have been foolish to simply trust anyone right off the bat, no matter how kind they seemed.“Where are you rushing off too?” asked Celine. Even then, she still had a small smile on her face. No one could keep their face in such a position for so long without having her cheeks hurt. “To my next lecture,
Rayne's POVWe all kept quiet for most of the car ride. I humbly took the backseat for two reasons: to give Celine the proximity she craved with Jacob, and to also avoid his direct attention. Killing two birds with one stone.Celine didn't even try to hide her staring. She ogled him, making faces similar to the ones maidens wore in all those tragically romantic paintings.All too soon, though, we got to Celine's dormitory, and dropped her off. “See you later!” She waved with an enormous smile before leaving. I could only imagine how happy she must have been. Getting a ride from her crush must have sent her over the moon.But her absence created a gaping hole that had to be filled. I didn't actually want to speak to Jacob, so I turned my head and looked out the window, hoping that time would pass quickly and he'd drop me off at home.He turned on the radio. Static scratched the air for a split second before a man's clear voice replaced it. “It's a new day in the city of New Jersey, an