YENA Seeing Adan was strange, like déjà vu or a dream that feels too familiar. And it was suspicious, how he was always running into me, supposedly on accident. After he left the bakery, I got a creepy feeling, like I was being watched. But there was literally no one around. Just the one, tired employee sitting in the back room, resting her head on one hand, and using the other to highlight in a big textbook she was reading. No one out in the parking lot. Hardly even any cars parked along the main street, and they were all far away. I shook off the feeling as paranoia. It was just that I was feeling so calm and peaceful, and Adan really startled me, showing up out of nowhere.As if the universe couldn’t let me have one moment of escape, without reminding me of what drama my life has become. Seeing him reminded me of Lucy, for some reason. So I called her when I got back to Tina’s house. “Yo
ADANHey, Yena. It’s Adan. Sorry to text you out of nowhere, but I was hoping we could talk?He looked at the text and read it back to himself aloud. Saying it in a few different tones. Making sure it sounded casual enough.She replied almost right away.How did you get my number?Adan smiled. He loved when he could predict exactly the way a conversation was about to go.You don’t remember? You gave it to me a while back. Sorry I n
Tina insisted I spend the next day with her.“Today is a day for baking pies,” she said, pointing to the window. It was lightly storming outside, with steady rain and dark clouds.I let her get it started, enjoying several cups of coffee in the morning while she made the dough. I was never any good at that part, anyway.“Are you afraid to get your hands dirty now, my daughter?”“Very funny,” I replied. “To be honest, I never really liked getting my hands dirty, even before.”
YENAI’d never run so fast in my life.Evan and I were out in the woods and he was telling me how to stretch, when I caught him looking at my body.With a look on his face that could not be mistaken. His eyes were very serious.It was a look of desire.And suddenly it was like I could smell it on him, too. That he did want me.I cursed inwardly to myself. I didn’t want to admit, finally, that maybe Lily had right about this.I couldn’t deny it anymore.
ADANThe line rang several times before Yena picked it up. She was waiting till the very last moment, deciding if she wanted to talk to Adan.Then: “Hello?”“Hi Yena,” he said, grinning with genuine pleasure at the sound of her voice. “How are you doing?”“I’m okay,” she answered. “Is this about the meeting with the teacher? Did you set it up?”“Uh, no. Not exactly.”Adan paused for dramatic effect.“So th
NOLANYena’s smell had faded from their bedroom, but Nolan could not bring himself to throw out any of her belongings, still. He’d just banished himself from going into her dressing room or studio.His body was missing hers, and he couldn’t sleep.His inner wolf was in pain. And needed some sort of release.Nolan’s heart started beating faster as he retreated into his office after coming home from a long day of work and meetings.Kent was feeling pent up… frustrated and confined.So Nolan calmly went to his office and locked himself inside.He almost went right to the library, but no… he stopped at the bar just to get a cool bottle of water out of the mini fridge. He stood there and drank the whole thing down.The woods behind the palace were pretty secluded. He did start remembering the night he met Yena… when she saved his life, after he was ambushed.Nolan shook his head.He’d been foolish to go on his own that night, so far up the mountain, where he should have known there could b
Lily said to me, “Don’t you dare let him talk about the prince like that!”But I was feeling so angry.The words Evan was saying probably should have offended me. At other times, I would’ve been protective of anyone speaking ill of Nolan, ever.But Evan squeezed my hand, and all I felt from him was love.“Thank you,” I told him. “But that won’t be necessary. I love you for offering, though.”Lily didn’t appreciate the joke.“Nolan is your mate,” she growled at me. “How can you let this wolf say such a horrible thing about him?”But Lily didn’t always get to be the boss of me. I told her to be quiet.“I love you too, Yena,” Evan replied. “I’d do anything for you, you know.”“I do know. Thanks.”Evan slipped his hand out of mine and stood up.“So, what do you say we do something fun today?” he asked. “Something different, that’ll take your mind off this bullshit?”“That’s sweet,” I answered. “But like what?”“I dunno.” Evan started stretching his arms, swinging them around as he walked
They were quiet for the first leg of their run, just keeping pace side by side.Evan heard that the patter of his and Yena’s footsteps had fallen into sync and smiled.It made for a nice, rhythmic sound. And made him think about how good it was to be back with Yena. How natural and comforting it felt to be near her.The sun was coming up, lighting up the clouds in shades of pink and orange.Evan’s heart started racing as they neared the turnaround point at the bottom of the hill, where last time they’d stopped to stretch.Yena slowed to a stop and started rolling her shoulders.“Same stretches as last time?” she asked, giving Evan a bold smile. “Or are you gonna teach me something new today?”Evan smiled back and said, “I can teach you whatever you want.”It came out sounding much dirtier than he’d meant it to.Yena noticed. She narrowed her eyes a