How long is it going to take for the two of them to realize the truth? If only they could see inside each other's hearts. they'd never be lonely again. If you are enjoying this story, consider leaving it a gem or two in appreciation. It could also use more positive reviews to help it rise in the ratings. The more positive interactions it receives, the more likely it will be to have positive promotions that will lead to more readers. Thank you all for hanging in there with me!
[Apple]I cannot remember a time when I last slept so deeply and felt so safe.Most of the memories of my life before my mother met and married Doc Addams are a blur. All I have are small memories of that time, like the smell of her body and her warmth wrapped around me as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. She always smelled like mint and fresh-cut wildflowers. Waking up next to Sylvester feels so similar, but different in so many ways. Firstly, I do not remember ever sleeping with my mother nude. Nor did she have biceps large enough to be pillows. Or a downy chest to warm my face. She didn't smell like evenings resting by a fire while drinking green tea. And she didn't purr contentedly like a giant cat while she slept. And yet both moments feel like home. But I shouldn't let myself get too comfortable. Despite what seems to be mutual attraction, at the end of the day, I'm just a fake Rental Luna pretending to be his true love and fated mate in a ridiculous plan to help Sy
[Apple]In a flustered huff, I stomp towards the booth. If I had claws they'd be drawn now, ready to slash those posters to pieces.How embarrassing. It's bad enough that I am a Rental Luna, but to have my business spread around campus. "They can't do that," I point to the cutouts of me grinning out at us in a way that suggests AI may have been involved. "They can't just use my image to sell their product! Service! Whatever!!"Rudy holds me back with gentle hands. "I'm sorry Luna, but they can.""What?" I gape at him, aghast. "I never gave permission for ...for...this!" I shout and the woman at the table flinches. I forget sometimes how clear werewolf hearing can be. Even from a distance, they can likely hear everything. As he turns me towards the Botany department, he explains that Rental Luna has owned the right to use my image from the moment I joined their academy officially. "It was part of the deal we had to make to get you set up quickly and discreetly within their system," he
[Apple]A week goes by and I see no sign of Hazel or Thorne. I even stopped by the apartment to drop off the deed, but they weren't home. Using my key, I unlocked the door and left the deed on their dining room table. It came back two days later, addressed to me. I cried for two days. I miss my friends. I haven't told Sly what happened between us, but I get the feeling he can sense my sadness. He keeps leaving little treats for me before he leaves for work. "It's time for another round of classes," Sly declares as he hops out of bed and kisses me soundly. Even though we aren't officially dating, not really, he's taken to kissing me in the mornings. It felt weird at first but now...now it feels natural. Rudy picks me up an hour after Sly leaves and takes me to my Luna classes, despite my protests. I've been a bit nervous to return since I ran away, but the Alpha insists I try again. "I wouldn't ask if it weren't important," he frowned when I brought up never returning. Unable to be
[Sylvester] A raging tornado, Apple storms through the door, her fists clenched and her heart beating so rapidly that I can see her pulse beating along her neck. Her scent is so strong that it almost blows me back. She hardly smells like me at all right now, her own scent burning through so strongly that if I didn't know she was human, I'd almost mistake her for an alpha.She's never this vocal or intense with her anger. She's usually more of a gentle breeze than a tornado. Something big must have happened to rile her up.Why didn't Rudy warn me? "I'm done with that place," Apple fumes as she makes her way through the condo. "I'm not going back!" I don't need to ask where, or why. She's struggling at Rental Luna but I can't think of a better way to teach her what she needs to know. I'm not a luna. Lunas should learn from other lunas."Do you know who showed up today?" she stands there half-naked, wearing one of my oversized shirts that I insisted she wear to keep our scents blended.
[Apple]Sylvester has been so patient and caring. When I first met this alpha wolf, I was terrified, convinced he'd see me as prey. I realize how stupid that is now--He'd never hurt me. Even then, when he didn't know me and was upset at me for saying no, he'd never have laid a harmful hand on me.He's only ever been gentle. Gentle touches, gentle kisses. Even when his words sting he's never been cruel.I wish I could be everything he needs, but after today, I doubt I ever will be. Alexis made sure that I saw exactly what he liked and didn't stop until I understood how I couldn't ever be enough. Because to care for all of his needs, I can't ignore his primal need for sexual connection. All wolves crave sex, but Alpha Wolves in particular NEED to feel connected to those they care about.I've always thought I'd wait for true love before I gave my body to anyone, but now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm not so different from Sly after all. Maybe I need it too. And yet, when he tried t
[Apple]Slowly I move my hand as I open my eyes.Nobody is standing there, but I smell the traces of woodsmoke and know that Sly has been watching me. My cheeks burn with shame and lust. Just thinking about him watching me makes me bubble all over with nervous energy. Do I like that he must have seen me finishing with his name on my lips? Yes, I think I do. What kind of girl does that make me? "A horny one," a voice in the back of my mind thinks. "Perfectly natural for a woman your age." I have never been as free-thinking and as forward with my body as my stepsister Tansy, which is how I lost Zion in the first place. Sharing my body with others has always been an area of fear. But there is something about Sly that makes me want to set aside my shyness and let him in. Maybe it's the way he looks at me, with a hungry fire burning in his eyes and I am something he'd love to consume.Standing on shaky legs, I walk over to the closet quietly, hoping he doesn't notice me passing. I don'
[Apple]On the surface, the "Cryptid Carnival" looked like any other carnival. There are fair rides, deep-fried snacks, side shows, and games. But once you look a bit more closely, you can see all the ways it isn't like a normal carnival at all. There is a touch of magic everywhere you look.Now that we are free of the dark woods, I can see that it is a beautiful autumn evening. The full moon is glowing overhead as families and couples mill around these fairgrounds holding cups of steaming cider or large caramel apples.Unlike any human carnival I ever attended, there are far more people walking around glowing like lightbulbs and wagging shaggy tails than I've seen in one place. Even in downtown Crescent City where the supernaturals outnumber the humans 3 to 1, they still pretend to try and appear to be less spectacular. Rather than hide behind a mask of faked normalcy, the patrons here are wearing their uniqueness like a badge of pride. Even Sylvester is letting Rufus sit closer to t
[Apple]My hands are shaking. It is not like me to be bold, and just the excitement of saying out loud what I am thinking and feeling is too much to feel all at once. I'm stuck between flight and freeze, wanting to flee this prison of my desires.I want him to touch me. To taste me. I want to feel his mouth and hands on every inch of me. But as he stalks forward, his eyes glowing faintly, I wonder what I've done letting this wolf into my world. The passion I feel for him overtakes every logical thought and feeling that I have, making it impossible for me to focus. As his woodsmoke and green tea scent grows stronger with each step, I feel it seep deep within me, becoming a part of who I am.I can't imagine my world without him anymore. And that scares me more than anything. In so short a time, I've become inexplicably attached to him. Even his touch drives me insane with how it tingles through me, electrifying my desires. I find myself holding my breath, waiting for him to brush a str