The pub was located opposite the dog-walking park. It was a traditional Victorian building set behind a large carpark that always had the same three cars present. This carpark was mostly used as an outdoor smoking area since the outdoor ban, as much as the landlady tried to discourage it.Unfortunately, Tom and his friends currently loitered around the sloped disabled ramp, meaning Scarlett's group would have to pass them on the way inside.Tom looked up, giving the lads a cursory glance before pinning Scarlett and Sienna with his stare."Ladies," he said in a cheery tone, blowing smoke in her face.Both girls ignored him as they made their way into the pub, to the familiar smells of spilt beer and wood polish. Tom and his gang entered just as they placed coins on the table, seeing a game in progress."House rules is that the winner stays on," Tom's best mate Dylan said to Adrian when they clocked the pile of coins. "Well, I want to play him," Riley told them in a deadpan voice. He
"Sienna, you should enter that tournament thingy Tom was on about. It would be so hilarious if you beat him," Scarlett said, only to change the subject away from Riley's sad family situation."Oh." Sienna looked down and picked at the corner of a beer mat. "I'm not as good as him.""I am," Adrian declared with so much certainty that it didn't even sound arrogant--it was just a fact. "I'll go.""We should all go," Scarlett suggested. "I'll be fun."As the others nodded in agreement Scarlett glanced around the bar. A couple of blokes in suits had arrived for after-work drinks, but aside from those, only the regulars remained. One was a guy they called 'Chris-the-Piss' who sat way too close to the television screen, talking back to the football commentator. The other, Aussie Daz, sat with his new American girlfriend at the table by the window, drinking red wine and arguing loudly about who should win the X-Factor.One of the business types was openly staring at Sienna's behind as she lea
Sienna felt the dew from the grass permeate her canvas pumps as she walked across the sprawling lawn outside the Rec Centre. She looked up from her sodden, grass-covered shoes to see Adrian and Riley were already waiting by the entrance. The pair were leaning on the smooth metal bike rack, talking about something funny if their laughter was anything to go by.Her heart pounded as she looked at Adrian’s smile, sending a flourish of adrenaline that rushed to unlock the cages of butterflies in her tummy. This happened every time she saw him without fail, even if he'd only left the room for minutes. Seeing him was like a drug.The pair stopped laughing as they shifted, getting up to meet the girls."Come on, let's get a space before they fill up," Adrian said, leading them through the automatic double doors.Sienna felt Tom's eyes on her as soon as she entered the computer room, filled with the hum of computers and the smell of furniture polish. The room was immaculate, every wire neatly
Scarlett could barely wait to drag Riley away from Adrian. She felt naughty doing it, but the feeling of wrongdoing only made her more excited. The situation gave her Romeo and Juliet vibes, and for now, she was only focused on the all-consuming love part of the story, ignoring the inevitable tragedy at the end.As the pair walked up the brightly lit corridor, flooded with natural light from the giant windows, Riley placed an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. The roughness of the act made her cry out in shock.She looked up at him questioningly. "You mind?" he asked, glancing down at her with an almost angry frown.Scarlett smiled as she looked down and shook her head, walking as one with their hips swinging in time. It felt so right.When they reached the cafeteria Riley pulled out his wallet and sighed. "I have no cash.""I'll get you something," Scarlett blurted with far too much enthusiasm. He looked away, glancing out at the playing fields beyond the carpark. T
As Riley leaned over, poised to pounce on his innocent victim, Scarlett grabbed at his hand. It wasn't just another excuse to touch him--the thought of him fighting was one thing but she didn’t want to see it. It made her stomach turn, giving her that same feeling as the time her neighbour’s cat had caught a bird in the bushes. The poor thing had squealed and flapped to no avail, and though she’d desperately wanted to save the poor little thing, her mother stopped her. It was just nature, she said, and it was kinder to let it take its course.Maybe that was why her wolf hadn’t appeared. Her soft-hearted nature was holding her back. She was no hunter-killer. Not deep down.He looked down at her and sighed at her pleading eyes."Let's go outside and sit on the grass," she suggested, taking hold of his hand. The sun beamed down on the field, drying the ground and making the perfect environment for a picnic. She popped the sandwiches in a bag and grabbed her coffee, waiting for Riley to f
"Adrian?" Scarlett asked, sliding up to her stepbrother with the sweetest smile she could muster."No," he uttered. She watched as he placed the butter knife he was holding into the sink and wrapped his sandwich."You don't even know what I'm going to say," Scarlett whined."Yeah, I do," Adrian said, giving a humourless smile as he passed her and exited the kitchen.She trailed after him as he went and sat in the living room, getting his phone out to check the time."Why don't you want Riley and me to date?" she asked."Well, because it will get awkward once you figure out he's not what you think and he stomps all over your heart," Adrian said."How do you know I won't break his heart?" Scarlett asked, feeling offended by his assumption. "Why is it not conceivable that he could fall for me?""Because I've seen him do it over and over. He finds a girl, flirts with her, little playfights and touches, then he bangs her, rips her heart out, stomps all over it and never speaks to her agai
As Sienna lay in her bed, she couldn't get Adrian out of her mind. She kept replaying the sex in her head; him pushing her up against the wall and pulling up her skirt. The way he'd encased her hands in his, pressing them flat on the wall as he’d leaned over and bitten down on her earlobe.He'd fucked her so hard she was sore after, and although she hadn't finished at the time, thinking about it had given her more orgasms than she could count. Every time she thought about it her hands would find their way back into her panties.She was about to please herself again when her phone chimed. "Get here in five minutes," it read. "Oh, shit," Sienna muttered, rolling over so fast she tripped on her duvet and fell out of the bed.With no spare minutes to find a decent outfit she pulled on the closest clothes—the exercise pants and top she'd just worn to the gym. At least she looked hot in her gym clothes, even if they did smell a tad funky.She didn't stop to tell her mother she was nipping
Tom caught a glimpse of Adrian as he passed in the hall, smiling under a waterfall of dark hair. He still couldn't believe that this guy was his hero. Deep down he'd known King Cold wasn't a girl. He didn't speak in a feminine manner or act like a girl. Pretending he thought the streamer was a girl was a ploy to stop his mates from calling him gay.'As if they don't hero-worship big sweaty men on the football field,' Tom thought.He wasn't trying to act like a creepy stalker when he wandered over to Adrian's locker and stood, staring like a lunatic as the lad piled books into the shelf and slammed the door.Adrian looked at him and frowned. "Can I... help... you?" Adrian asked and pushed his lips out to the side. He waved his hand in Tom's face. "Hello?""Sorry, I... erm, I just, erm," Tom stuttered as Adrian continued to give him the confused stare."We're having this party on Friday if you want to come?" Tom offered. He wanted Adrian to hang out with him but wasn't sure how to ask
The prison was far more pleasant than Damien had been expecting. Warm, bright and clean, with only a faint whiff of urine and despair. Unlike the werewolves, he had no heightened sense of smell--a fact he was grateful for. It was the single advantage they had over him. He had a plethora of psychic powers, was a hundred times stronger, could fly and in his shifted form... could breathe a fire that burned hotter than the sun's surface. Adrian's face lit up when he saw Damien approach. "I told you, didn't I?" Adrian boasted. He was always boasting. "I said I could get you any girl you wanted. I bet she's just eating out of your hands."Damien smiled as he sat opposite his friend at the white plastic table. "You are the master of manipulation." Damien flattered him. “But is that really what you wish to discuss?”He gave him one of those, 'Really, bitch?' looks until Adrian’s face fell, his chin wobbling for a second before he shut up and looked down.“Why did you eat Tom?” he muttered
Sienna followed Damien to his basement after saying a brief hello to his mother. The woman always seemed to be rushing about with a phone glued to her ear. In all honesty, she was a little intimidating. Damien's father was still out of town, spending most of his time in France since his company had opened a subsidiary out there and he needed to train the managers. Once the pair were alone, Sienna began to feel a level of nervousness that didn't match the situation. She'd never experienced anything like this in her life. Even when alone with Adrian she had retained a modicum of self-confidence, safe in the knowledge that she could seduce the pants off him and had no other duties in her role as his slave.With Damien it was different. There was immense pressure to please him not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. He was smart, and sarcastic and funny and talented. How could she possibly entertain a mind like his? 'You're more than a bitchy bimbo,' she told herself,
The bus from Springwood rattled and shook as it veered about the winding country lanes. The out-of-town members of her pack were all present—they had just attended the same emergency pack meeting—but there was only one on her mind.As she beside Riley on the bus, Scarlett fought the urge to touch him. Now that Adrian was in prison, she figured he would make a move but so far… nothing. If anything, he seemed even more distant.‘Maybe he’s afraid Adrian will kill him,’ she thought. Adrian was still protesting his innocence, but as a precaution, the pack were now forced to choose an alternate leader. They had only one other Alpha in the younger generation—a twelve-year-old boy who some argued had even greater potential than Adrian. He’d transformed into his wolf—pure white and almost as big as a grown adult—at age eleven and grown stronger and bigger since. Of course, Adrian’s mother was livid. She insisted her son was framed, even accusing the boy Alpha. At that point, the older membe
Sienna got ready in her bedroom, deliberately avoiding her overly concerned mother. Looking into her mirror, she adjusted her hair for the final time. Then, after a second thought, fixed it one more time.Last night she had googled the term, 'goth girl hairstyles,' and showed the picture to the only late opening hairdressers. Her hair was now a silky blue-black with a sharp fringe and much shorter and choppier. She'd put a skull-shaped hairclip in to match the model but worried it didn't look right on her.Using the same picture as a reference, she replicated the girl’s make-up, with smoky eyes and lips so dark they were almost black, hoping to emulate the look. Staring into the mirror, it was as if somebody else was looking back at her. She liked it.'But will he like it?' she wondered. Since her brain had started working again, there was only one person on it... and thankfully it wasn't Adrian. After a final panic in front of the mirror, she left the house, saying a brief goodbye
“I c—can’t b—believe it,” Scarlett stammered between sobs. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”Sienna nodded and pulled her in for a hug. The girl was little, but she was strong, pulling on her jumper so tightly that it strangled her.“He was an asshole, but he was our asshole,” Scarlett said. “In a strange way, I still kind of loved him.”“Me too,” Sienna admitted. "He was my first love. My first kiss."The local newspaper had reported the murder without naming the victim, but in a small town like this one, it wasn’t five minutes after the police arrived that a neighbour had seen, told everyone they knew and spread the news like a depressing game of Chinese whispers.“He wasn’t a bad guy,” Scarlett said. “Not deep down. I think we were too hard on him… and now we’ll never get to make friends again!” She burst into another fit of sobs at this realisation. The thought of never getting to forgive his crimes against her was the most heartbreaking thing for her. “He saved me,” Sienna whispered
When the police knocked at the door Scarlett, her mother and Adrian gathered on the upstairs landing. They heard Ron place his cup down and move to answer it."What's going on?" Scarlett asked her mother.Mum shook her head in confusion. She clearly had no more clue than Scarlett."Let's go and find out," Scarlett said, following her mother down the staircase. Ron pulled open the front door to reveal a couple of police officers. A tall man and a red-haired woman, both in uniform, pulled out their badges“Can I help you?” Ron asked without saying hello or exchanging pleasantries."I’m Sergeant Hobbs and this is Inspector Greenwood," the woman said. “Is Adrian Turner home?”Scarlett wondered if Sienna had reported him for hurting her. She had said she wouldn’t, but people could change their minds. Scarlett wouldn’t blame her. Not one little bit. Adrian deserved to be punished for his behaviour. Being Alpha did not give him free reign to do whatever he wished."Why? Why do you want to s
Tom smiled to himself as he heard the familiar sound of his ringtone buzzing from his pocket. He frowned when he saw it was not Ariella—the cute Swedish healer from his guild—but Damien.After doing a project with the goth kid, he hadn't bothered to remove his number but never guessed that Damien might call him out of the blue like this."Hello?" Tom asked without hiding the confusion in his voice."Tom, I need you to listen to me and not ask your usual 20 questions, okay? I'm out of town, and Sienna just called me from the inside of Adrian's wardrobe. She's claustrophobic, so you need to nip over there and get her out. Got it?"As Damien spoke the words went into Tom's brain and made a certain degree of sense, but unfortunately—he had questions."Huh?" He muttered. "What? Why?"He could sense Damien's stifled but angry sigh."Tom. I'm out of town or I'd go round there myself. You are the only contact in my phone who lives close to Adrian and knows where he lives. Go over there. Go in
Sienna tried not to yawn as she sat beside Adrian, but her body was fatigued, and her mind worn. The more she tried not to yawn, concentrating with all her mind, the more her throat muscles contracted, threatening to let the subtle act of disrespect escape.She covered her face and turned to look out of the window as it slipped out, but he caught her."Am I boring you, Sienna?" he asked."No," Sienna replied with haste. "I, erm, I'm just so exhausted.""Slap yourself in the face," he said. Sienna did so, not hard enough to hurt but with enough force to wake herself up. It surprised her by working... for a couple of seconds at least. Then she wanted to yawn again."I'm not horny," Adrian told her in a conversational tone. "But I am in the mood to see you suffer."Sienna wasn't listening to him. She'd spotted a half-eaten sandwich on the windowsill and couldn't tear her eyes away from it. It appeared to have an egg mayonnaise filling—her favourite. Her mouth watered as she envisioned b
Riley made eye contact for a second before moving to the left and trying to shove his way past. Scarlett stood her ground, refusing to budge from her spot on the stairs. He was either going to have to talk to her or send her flying.He sighed and tutted. "What lie are you talking about?""The one where you said you'd only slept with two girls, and that it was in the past?" Scarlett intoned, sticking out her chin. She could feel her pulse quickening as the strange, brain-swimming feeling returned."Oh jeez," she muttered, stumbling, and almost falling.She would have tumbled down the stairs, but Riley quickly shifted and caught her in his arms. Held closely and coddled like a baby, she stared up at his concerned frown as he took her to her room and gently placed her on the bed.For a moment he sat beside her. He picked up a brush from her bedside table and fiddled with it, head and eyes down before he finally spoke."It's not like that." He shook his head. "That woman I'm seeing... it'