Trouble seems to keep finding me. Ava and I run to my car without looking back. I quickly pop my trunk, throw the bags in, and start my engine. Why are we running? I sense Ava is hiding something, “What did you steal?” I yell at her as I swiftly back out between the shoppers in the parking lot. There’s an employee running out of the store, I can see him in my rear view mirror. “Buckle up.”
I hook a left to weave through the parked cars, and drive down a different lane to the exit. He might have been able to see my make and model, but not my plate number. “Where’s the hotel, Ava?” I don’t know which way to turn. “Go right, she says.” Whatever she stole, it better be worth all of this. I’m mad now, and I don’t let her in to my head. I can feel her trying to read me. She can’t.
“You better start talking Ava.” I look at her intensely.
“Just keep driving Aster.” She’s being snarky and I don’t like it. I’m not the one who stole shit. This is pissing me off greatly. Ava uses the map on her phone, “Take a left at the next light.” I whip my car in front of oncoming traffic to turn. “Nice blinker.” Ava’s sudden care for rules astounds me. “Hotel’s on the right.”
I’m grateful that we were able to get away. I don’t need anything on my record, I don’t want to be found. I’m trying to lay low. What kind of person takes something that doesn’t belong to them?
“Didn’t you take a life back in Massachusetts? That didn’t exactly belong to you, did it?”
My ears perk up. Claws rip through my cuticles. Teeth shoot out of my gums. Heat boils in my blood. The flashes are starting again.
I see the pool of blood on the ground. The bits of flesh. The woman fought to survive. She didn’t stand a chance. The moon was full and I couldn’t stop myself.
My eyes begin to water. The flashes fade, and my claws slowly retract back into my hands. I look at Ava. She’s watching me like a television, “What?” I’m breathing slowly. Trying to calm myself down.
“We can’t shift anytime we want. Only the day before, the day of, and the day after the full moon.” Ava’s eyes open wide, “You almost just fully shifted while driving.” She’s right. The first time happened when I was driving as well. I gotta get this shifty shit under control. Ava laughs. She can hear me again.
“I wonder if you can shift beyond the full moon because you’re also a witch?” She reaches into the glove box for my tarot cards.
“Don’t touch those!” I bark at her.
“Why not? Are you gonna get mad again?” She prods.
“No. Those were my grandmothers. She passed them down to me, and they’ve been in my family for many years. Others are not to mess with them.” Ava doesn’t appreciate my explanation. Her curiosity leads her to open the deck. “Or what?” I swipe them out of her hands. “Bad shit happens. I’m kind of all set with that right now, okay?” She throws her hands up, “Okay.”
I park in front of the hotel. Ava unbuckles her seat belt and opens the car door. “What did you steal?” I gotta know. “It’s a surprise.” She smiles at me, closes the door, and walks inside. It’s probably something stupid like nail clippers, or tweezers. Whatever it is, I would have bought it. I don’t steal. Something is a little off about her. She’s deceitful, controlling, and unbelievably fascinating.
The automatic hotel doors swing open. Ava walks out and I feel like I’m watching her in slow motion. My senses are heightened. I can smell her from here. Her scent drives me insane, and she knows it. She gets into the car, and hands me a key card. “222 for you, and I’ll be next door in 224.”
Two rooms? Did we not just fuck last night?
“I’m just fucking with you Aster.” I shake my head. Whatever. There’s barely any parking spaces near the entrance. My car barely fit between the dumpster and a pickup truck. I grab the bags out of the trunk. Why can’t I hear her thoughts. Does she not have any?
“Oh I have thoughts. It’s kind of great that you can’t hear them. Trust me they’re dirty.” She finds this all too amusing. “It’s probably a hybrid thing. You’re different, and that’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.” Ava tries to comfort me but I still want to know what’s on her mind. She’s tricky.
I follow her up the stairs to the second floor. Ava slides the key card into the door, the light turns green. We walk in, I drop my bags and throw her against the back of the door as it closes. I kiss her, and she pushes me back. She’s angry with me. “What’s wrong?” Ava pulls me by the hand into the bathroom. I’m liking where this is going.
She takes her shirt off, and slowly unbuttons her jeans while staring into my eyes. I’m trying to keep eye contact but it’s almost impossible. She smiles, turns on the shower, and steps in. I throw my clothes on the floor and step into the shower with her. Ava grabs the hotel soap and washes herself ever so slowly. She’s driving me mad.
I can feel that she wants me to watch her, but she does not want me to touch her. Such a fucking tease. “Patience”, she says to me. I don’t have any. Nor do I feel much like waiting. But I’ll watch the show.
Ava washes every inch of her body, and then puts the soap into my hands. Am I supposed to wash her now? She shakes her head no. I get it. She wants to watch me wash my body. This game is making my heart beat harder with every minute that passes by. The tension that’s growing here is impossible to ignore.
Somebody knocks on our hotel room door.
My skin crawls. I don’t want to answer the door. Ava is naked standing right in front of me. The knocking gets louder. I’m caught up in the moment and the person on the other side of the door is uninvited. My fangs burst through my gums. I can feel my vision change. My claws launch out of my fingertips. The soap drops from my hands. Ava looks half worried but I’d never hurt her. I raise my hands to her waist. She slides the shower curtain open. I see my half wolf self in the mirror. “Holy fucking shit.” I can’t believe what I’m seeing. There’s no hair growth. No wolf snout. My eyes are glowing so bright I imagine they can be seen in the dark. The knocking on the door makes me growl. I didn’t know I could even do that. “I kind of like it.” She puts her finger on my nose, “Stay here. I’m going to answer the door.” Ava puts on a robe. When the fear of who could be at the door kicks in, I become human again. Or whatever I am. What am I? Am I even human? I don’t even know. The only thing
Ava is asleep in my arms. I carefully free myself from her. I’m feeling disoriented and sore. Looking in the bathroom mirror I can see that it clearly wasn’t a dream. There’s a few scratches and light bruising on my neck. I sit in the tub and let the shower water fall on me like a rain storm. For a moment I get lost in the thought of this being some kind of forever. I shuffle my tarot cards on the coffee table. My heart thinks it’s possible for me to have some kind of a happy life with Ava. The World and the Ten of Cups. I shake my head. It’s like these cards are mocking that very thought. They show me harmonious happiness along with achievement and completion. If only life could truly be that easy. I watch Ava sleep for a few minutes. She’s absolutely everything I never knew I wanted. I know I could love her. There’s a cosmic connection here for sure. Some people never know a love like this. Ava could leave tomorrow but yet ten years from now if I saw her, I know I’d feel the same.
The thought of being a slave doesn’t sound appealing at all. I can’t believe that werewolves choose to do this willingly. I’m driving angry. I need to slow down. Ava stares out the window with her headphones on. I don’t want to be a pack slave if that really means I’d just be passed around. Sounds more like I’d just be the pack slut. I’m sure some girls would kill for that. Not me.Ava says I could be her slave, but would the pack be okay with that? Would they cut me a break and just allow me to be at the hands of the gamma. What if the Alpha doesn’t approve of me? Lots of questions are running through my head and I need them to be answered but I’m not even sure I’d get the whole truth out of Ava. There’s something about her that just seems so selfish.I’m head over heels for her, but I fear that she’s not exactly who she says she is. Or maybe that’s just how I feel because I have major trust issues. It’s probably because she can hear everything I’m thinking, and I can’t hear her at a
My anxiety is so bad that I feel like I’m going to throw up. “Aster close your eyes and breathe with me.” Ava takes my hands into hers. We’re standing at the end of a dirt road. She inhales slowly through her nose and exhales through parted lips. I take in a few deep slow breaths.My boots crunch through the gravel. Spectacular rays of orange and purple bathe clouds in color. This is a beautiful location for the packhouse. We’re about ten minutes away from the coast and thirty to the city. I like what I’m seeing but the energy is off. She’s attempting to sneak me into the packhouse slowly. I think about running back to my car to escape. But I breathe in my fear instead.“Welcome to The Barking Moon.” Ava says majestically. I throw a salty stare her way, “You didn’t mention a bar.” She smiles, “You never asked.” I could go for a drink. Ava douses me in her perfume. “What the fuck are you doing?” She sprays my whole body, “I don’t want any of them to pick up your scent.” I’m lost, “Do I
I’ve never believed something so complicated before. It sounds insane. He doesn’t even really know me. “I know enough.” Reed speaks but it’s not just his words that I hear. His soul is speaking to me on another level. I see his eyes glowing amber in the moonlight. I’m not as scared as I should be. There’s an instant trust between us. I can feel his energy in a way that I can’t with Ava.His brows furrow, “Ava?” Shit! I carefully say, “I’m still not used to everyone being able to hear my thoughts.” Reed looks to the moon in deep thought. I peer down to my feet trying to focus on the rain. Images from the past few days flash through my mind. “You can’t be with her anymore.” He looks down at me.“What do you mean? You don’t own me. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t sleep with.” He backhands me across the face, “I just did.” The pain I feel from the blow is more than just physical. All of my emotions are raging. I’m anxious and disappointed. I also want to knock him out. “Go ahead!” H
I’m chasing Ava through the forest. Why is she running from me? “Ava!” I yell to her. She runs even faster. Sprinting at this speed seems effortless. The earth feels so good under my feet. I look down and realize that I must have fully shifted. She’s running from me because I’m trying to kill her.I wake up screaming in a cold sweat. Reed snaps up and scoops me up into his arms. I’m just sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing myself like that scares me half to death. I’m not a killer. I would never do anything to hurt Ava. She must be wondering where I am. What if she thinks I left?She knows exactly where you are.How is he so certain? “The last time I saw her was before I stepped outside for air. I need to go talk to her.” Reed grabs me by the hand as I stand up, “Don’t bother. She’s pissed at you right now.” How would he know that? Oh that’s right, “You can all hear each other but I can only hear your thoughts. How is that fair?” He looks puzzled, “Why is that?” He asks. “I guess I’m just
Alpha Wes has deep green eyes with speckles of black and yellow. Reed and I stand together in the the middle of his stone chamber. Why did I agree to enter this man’s basement? It’s beyond me. Maybe this is where he sacrifices people. Shit. What if he can he hear me? Can you hear me? Alpha Wes says nothing. Either he’s got quite the poker face or he can’t hear my thoughts.Aster stay calm it’s going to be okay.I look at Reed. Does Alpha Wes know that we hooked up? Reed nods. I roll my eyes. Great. That’s just what I need. This guy is just gonna think the worst of me. I’m just some whore from the streets to him. Now he’s gonna think I’ll make a great pack slave for sure. Might as well just break out the shackles already.Aster!The energy in this room is dark. I nonchalantly move my eyes all around. I’m looking for my escape route. “What’s your name?” Alpha Wes is just a few feet in front of me. “Aster.” He steps a foot closer, “Where are you from?” Breathing in slowly, “Massachusetts
Reed is visibly upset with me. “I’m sorry.” I put my hand on his face. “You should have told me.” He turns away from me. “Ava told me not to. She convinced me that the pack would want me dead if they found out.” He looks at me and then back to the sky, “She’s right.” I walk towards the bar with fear in my eyes. “There’s only so much I can do to protect you Aster.”Instead of going in I walk around the side of the packhouse. “Where are you going?” Reed asks me. “The ocean.” I say as I head to my car. “But Alpha Wes just told you to work With Ava in the bar.” I look back to Reed, “I need to clear my head. The last twenty-four hours were a lot. I’m going.”Ava walks out of the back door. She looks at me and then to him, “Hey Reed you think you can cover for me for a couple of hours?” He looks confused, “Why where are you going?” Ava smiles, “To the beach.” My stomach just flipped. Reed looks at me. “It’s okay. We have some catching up to do.” He looks at us like we’re both insane, “Whate
Staring out into the deep blue sea. Thunder clouds begin to form in the sky. “Alpha Wes is my father?” Ava stands tall next to me, “Yes.” I question her, “You’re absolutely sure of that?” She nods once more, “Luna Bernie knew your mother when she was with Alpha Wes.” I’m trying to wrap my mind around all of this knowing I have to return to the packhouse. Pretending I know nothing.“Alpha Wes brought your mother here to meet his father. At the time Gavin was the Alpha. He knew your mother was a witch right away. He could smell it.” I recall, “My mother wasn’t a witch.” Not that I can remember. “She was born a witch. Clea didn’t have to practice magic. She had the blood of a Harlow.” I’m a Harlow too, “How did Alpha Wes not smell it on me?”Ava shrugs, “That I don’t know. But we should start heading back before they realize we’re gone.” She turns to walk back to the car. I grab her by the wrist to swing her back to me. “Is there anything else that you’re hiding from me?” Ava pulls her h
Reed is visibly upset with me. “I’m sorry.” I put my hand on his face. “You should have told me.” He turns away from me. “Ava told me not to. She convinced me that the pack would want me dead if they found out.” He looks at me and then back to the sky, “She’s right.” I walk towards the bar with fear in my eyes. “There’s only so much I can do to protect you Aster.”Instead of going in I walk around the side of the packhouse. “Where are you going?” Reed asks me. “The ocean.” I say as I head to my car. “But Alpha Wes just told you to work With Ava in the bar.” I look back to Reed, “I need to clear my head. The last twenty-four hours were a lot. I’m going.”Ava walks out of the back door. She looks at me and then to him, “Hey Reed you think you can cover for me for a couple of hours?” He looks confused, “Why where are you going?” Ava smiles, “To the beach.” My stomach just flipped. Reed looks at me. “It’s okay. We have some catching up to do.” He looks at us like we’re both insane, “Whate
Alpha Wes has deep green eyes with speckles of black and yellow. Reed and I stand together in the the middle of his stone chamber. Why did I agree to enter this man’s basement? It’s beyond me. Maybe this is where he sacrifices people. Shit. What if he can he hear me? Can you hear me? Alpha Wes says nothing. Either he’s got quite the poker face or he can’t hear my thoughts.Aster stay calm it’s going to be okay.I look at Reed. Does Alpha Wes know that we hooked up? Reed nods. I roll my eyes. Great. That’s just what I need. This guy is just gonna think the worst of me. I’m just some whore from the streets to him. Now he’s gonna think I’ll make a great pack slave for sure. Might as well just break out the shackles already.Aster!The energy in this room is dark. I nonchalantly move my eyes all around. I’m looking for my escape route. “What’s your name?” Alpha Wes is just a few feet in front of me. “Aster.” He steps a foot closer, “Where are you from?” Breathing in slowly, “Massachusetts
I’m chasing Ava through the forest. Why is she running from me? “Ava!” I yell to her. She runs even faster. Sprinting at this speed seems effortless. The earth feels so good under my feet. I look down and realize that I must have fully shifted. She’s running from me because I’m trying to kill her.I wake up screaming in a cold sweat. Reed snaps up and scoops me up into his arms. I’m just sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing myself like that scares me half to death. I’m not a killer. I would never do anything to hurt Ava. She must be wondering where I am. What if she thinks I left?She knows exactly where you are.How is he so certain? “The last time I saw her was before I stepped outside for air. I need to go talk to her.” Reed grabs me by the hand as I stand up, “Don’t bother. She’s pissed at you right now.” How would he know that? Oh that’s right, “You can all hear each other but I can only hear your thoughts. How is that fair?” He looks puzzled, “Why is that?” He asks. “I guess I’m just
I’ve never believed something so complicated before. It sounds insane. He doesn’t even really know me. “I know enough.” Reed speaks but it’s not just his words that I hear. His soul is speaking to me on another level. I see his eyes glowing amber in the moonlight. I’m not as scared as I should be. There’s an instant trust between us. I can feel his energy in a way that I can’t with Ava.His brows furrow, “Ava?” Shit! I carefully say, “I’m still not used to everyone being able to hear my thoughts.” Reed looks to the moon in deep thought. I peer down to my feet trying to focus on the rain. Images from the past few days flash through my mind. “You can’t be with her anymore.” He looks down at me.“What do you mean? You don’t own me. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t sleep with.” He backhands me across the face, “I just did.” The pain I feel from the blow is more than just physical. All of my emotions are raging. I’m anxious and disappointed. I also want to knock him out. “Go ahead!” H
My anxiety is so bad that I feel like I’m going to throw up. “Aster close your eyes and breathe with me.” Ava takes my hands into hers. We’re standing at the end of a dirt road. She inhales slowly through her nose and exhales through parted lips. I take in a few deep slow breaths.My boots crunch through the gravel. Spectacular rays of orange and purple bathe clouds in color. This is a beautiful location for the packhouse. We’re about ten minutes away from the coast and thirty to the city. I like what I’m seeing but the energy is off. She’s attempting to sneak me into the packhouse slowly. I think about running back to my car to escape. But I breathe in my fear instead.“Welcome to The Barking Moon.” Ava says majestically. I throw a salty stare her way, “You didn’t mention a bar.” She smiles, “You never asked.” I could go for a drink. Ava douses me in her perfume. “What the fuck are you doing?” She sprays my whole body, “I don’t want any of them to pick up your scent.” I’m lost, “Do I
The thought of being a slave doesn’t sound appealing at all. I can’t believe that werewolves choose to do this willingly. I’m driving angry. I need to slow down. Ava stares out the window with her headphones on. I don’t want to be a pack slave if that really means I’d just be passed around. Sounds more like I’d just be the pack slut. I’m sure some girls would kill for that. Not me.Ava says I could be her slave, but would the pack be okay with that? Would they cut me a break and just allow me to be at the hands of the gamma. What if the Alpha doesn’t approve of me? Lots of questions are running through my head and I need them to be answered but I’m not even sure I’d get the whole truth out of Ava. There’s something about her that just seems so selfish.I’m head over heels for her, but I fear that she’s not exactly who she says she is. Or maybe that’s just how I feel because I have major trust issues. It’s probably because she can hear everything I’m thinking, and I can’t hear her at a
Ava is asleep in my arms. I carefully free myself from her. I’m feeling disoriented and sore. Looking in the bathroom mirror I can see that it clearly wasn’t a dream. There’s a few scratches and light bruising on my neck. I sit in the tub and let the shower water fall on me like a rain storm. For a moment I get lost in the thought of this being some kind of forever. I shuffle my tarot cards on the coffee table. My heart thinks it’s possible for me to have some kind of a happy life with Ava. The World and the Ten of Cups. I shake my head. It’s like these cards are mocking that very thought. They show me harmonious happiness along with achievement and completion. If only life could truly be that easy. I watch Ava sleep for a few minutes. She’s absolutely everything I never knew I wanted. I know I could love her. There’s a cosmic connection here for sure. Some people never know a love like this. Ava could leave tomorrow but yet ten years from now if I saw her, I know I’d feel the same.
My skin crawls. I don’t want to answer the door. Ava is naked standing right in front of me. The knocking gets louder. I’m caught up in the moment and the person on the other side of the door is uninvited. My fangs burst through my gums. I can feel my vision change. My claws launch out of my fingertips. The soap drops from my hands. Ava looks half worried but I’d never hurt her. I raise my hands to her waist. She slides the shower curtain open. I see my half wolf self in the mirror. “Holy fucking shit.” I can’t believe what I’m seeing. There’s no hair growth. No wolf snout. My eyes are glowing so bright I imagine they can be seen in the dark. The knocking on the door makes me growl. I didn’t know I could even do that. “I kind of like it.” She puts her finger on my nose, “Stay here. I’m going to answer the door.” Ava puts on a robe. When the fear of who could be at the door kicks in, I become human again. Or whatever I am. What am I? Am I even human? I don’t even know. The only thing