It sent Evan right back to memories from childhood, when they did that a lot, any time their parents were being too annoying. It was a little bit of a secret language between him and Yena. “Well, I dunno about all that,” he said. “Last week the neighbor’s cat got stuck way up at the top of one of the big overgrown trees in the front yard. That was pretty exciting.” Yena laughed, and Tina joined in. Peter grunted defensively and mumbled, “I’ll do the trees this week.” Evan and Tina both looked down and tried to suppress doubtful laughter at that. Under the table, Yena gave Evan’s ankle a light little touch with her foot. It gave him an unexpected shiver. He looked up at her and she mouthed, Thank you. All he could do was smile back in response.#YENA Tina had made all my favorite foods. It was like a big “welcome home Yena” themed feast. I hadn’t been expecting to feel so happy tonight… but
ADAN It was Lucy who first told Adan that Yena was moving back to her parent’s home, where she’d grown up, in the town right next to the college. But then Adan got the parent’s house under surveillance. He had someone posted down the street, parked in a car with dark tinted windows, who watched and made sure that Yena arrived at the house and went inside.The spy kept his eyes on the door all through the night, and in the morning, he called Adan with an update. “A young male, the brother, left the house first on his own early this morning,” the man reported. “Dressed in athletic gear, went off running toward the mountain. Then your subject came out.” “And?” “And I’m following her now. She took a little stroll down the street to a bakery, where she just went in. You want me to go inside, or keep eyes from the street?” “Don’t go in,” Adan said sharply. “Text me the address.” He threw on a jacket and shoe
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