“You might as well start eating,” Mum said with a strained smile. She’d called Adrian multiple times, but he’d yet to reply.‘Probably thinks he’s too good to be summoned so casually,’ Scarlett thought, trying not to roll her eyes.The atmosphere in the dining room was heavier than usual. Scarlett, her mother, and her best friend began to tuck into their food, the strained silence broken only by the scraping of forks on China.She picked at her salad, trying to spear a particularly robust tomato with her fork. It exploded into a mass of green seeds and goo, making her grimace and drop it to the plate.The clatter of her fork grabbed the attention of her mother who looked over with a concerned frown.“Is everything okay?” She asked. She’d asked this question roughly a thousand times since her stepfather Ron and stepbrother Adrian had moved in. Both women sensed the shift in energy. The scent of an Alpha was a powerful thing; something the previously all female household would take time
Adrian was sat in front of the television, playing a first-person shooter, and basically hogging the entire living room. Not that Scarlett was in any position to complain. She had a favour to ask. A huge favour. 'I'll pretend it's not a favour,' Scarlett decided. 'I'll make out as if he's the luckiest guy on the planet.'"So, what did you think to my friend, Sienna?" she asked.Adrian pulled off his headset, flashed her an annoyed looked for interrupting him and asked what she wanted."Did you like Sienna?" she repeated."Your blonde mate?" Adrian asked and made a puking gesture. “Even for a human, she was annoying. I don’t know how you put up with this shit day in, day out. If I had my way I’d tear their scrawny throats out.”"She's the most popular girl at school and she wants to go on a date with you," Scarlett continued with a wide grin, still trying to make the idea sound appealing, though she knew it was a losing battle.His face confirmed he wasn't falling for it."Hard pass,"
"Hello?" the young man replied in the same questioning tone. The first thing she noticed about him was his scent. He was powerful. Not an Alpha but almost as strong. A Beta most likely.The second thing was the shape of his lips—top heavy and downturned. He looked like a young Johnny Depp. Young Johnny Depp was an obsession of Scarlett's. She would watch his films on repeat, despite being terrified of Freddy Krueger.The guy on her doorstep had lighter hair, and his brown eyes had flecks of green, but there was a strong resemblance. 'I need to stop staring like a lunatic,' Scarlett realised."Can I help you?" she asked."Riley, just come on in!" Adrian shouted from the living room.Riley looked at Scarlett with a patient smile, waiting for her to move and let him inside."Oh," she uttered, stepping to the side and holding the door open for Adrian's guest. "D—do you want a cup of tea or coffee? I just boiled the kettle.""Coffee would be great," he said. "He takes it without milk or
Sienna downed the last of her vodka and coke and eyed the bottle of clear liquid with indecision. Getting too drunk before the date was a bad idea. Puking, slurring your words and wobbling about the pavement were not endearing behaviours.'But I'm so nervous,' she thought. The single drink had done nothing to ease the knot in her stomach or the flutters in her chest.Sienna had been on plenty of dates before, but this was different. It almost felt like a blind date. Usually, her dates were with guys from her school—ones who knew her and had a good idea of what to expect. They understood she was at the top of the food chain and they were interchangeable trophies for her arm. She never genuinely cared for any of them besides Tom, and he had trampled all over her heart.Tom had been different. There was just something special about him. A spark. Adrian had that same spark, but even brighter. She was a moth, drawn to his dark flame. His odd choice of style and clothing might an issue, b
Adrian gave Scarlett a final withering stare as they heard a knock at the door. She smiled, took his hand, and thanked him profusely before he pulled the door open and left.With a grimace, she turned back to Riley. "I hope they don't kill each other," she said. It was a major overreaction, but her worries were valid."Oh, you don't have to worry about Adrian." Riley chuckled. "He'll eat her alive and use her bones to pick his teeth afterwards.""You haven't met Sienna," Scarlett said."I've met plenty of Sienna’s," he said, looking her up and down with narrowed eyes."I'm nothing like her!" Scarlett cried. "If my Mum had called me something normal like Rebecca I wouldn't even be in the damn popular group."Riley looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. She knew what he was thinking: until her wolf made an appearance, she was basically a human girl. A late bloomer her mother said. It wasn’t at all uncommon to remain shiftless until the age of eighteen. Most wo
"Dance for me," he said.Scarlett giggled, but the laughter become soft and tapered off as she took in his facial expression."I can't dance," she said. "I'm... terrible. I have all the style and grace of a greased up, three-legged warthog on an ice-rink."Maybe it was the vivid mental image that made him snort with laughter. He looked her up and down with suspicious eyes."Adrian said you are a cheerleader," he sternly pointed out."Oh God," Scarlett covered her head with her palm. "Only because Sienna forced me. Little Miss Gymnastic gold champion has to take every opportunity to show off her limber frame. Meanwhile, you have me in the background, tripping over my own feet like a hopeless lummox. You’d think I’d have some sort of natural grace!"He burst into laughter again."Show me a routine," he demanded, staring up at the ceiling.When Scarlett dropped her shoulders in defeat, about to begin the silly cheer, Riley sat up on the bed and waved his arms."Woah, woah, woah, sweet ch
After changing back into her regular clothes, Scarlett scoured the internet for memes that were funny or relevant enough to share on her social media. It was a full-time job, taking up more of her time than homework, but somebody had to drudge through the sea of endless posts to pick out the gems.There were a lot of memes about men, due to the trending hashtag #notallmen. Scarlett steered clear, careful not to take a stance one way or another. She couldn't deal with people arguing on her posts. The only valid response was a laughter emoji.It wasn't long before the dreaded message appeared in her inbox. She was going to have to deal with Sienna’s bitching for weeks, maybe even months if she still wanted to hang out here with the same frequency. Deep in her heart, Scarlett almost hoped that her bestie would stop hanging out here so much. Yes, it was a normal teenager thing to do, but sometimes she wished to be… herself. Abnormal. Animal.Scarlett’s brow shaped into a confused frown as
Scarlett closed her eyes and prayed, but it did no good.His response was innevitable, she realised, seeing the cruel sneer materialise across his lips. "I only went out with you because my stepsister begged and pleaded with me," he revealed.Sienna's previously smug face dropped immediately. She slowly turned to Scarlett, eyes smouldering like lasers. Anger radiated off her in waves, almost visible and hot."Seriously?" Damien asked with a mouthful of food, choking on his salad."Yeah," Adrian told him. "She fucking begged on her knees with tears in her eyes because she was so worried her so-called best friend would blame her if I said no."As Sienna stared into the eyes of her best friend, she could see her rage and pain. Little tears formed before she threw her tray full of food at Scarlett's feet and ran from the cafeteria. Everyone turned to stare at Scarlett. The entire student body. She'd never felt so exposed and open. Staying out of the limelight was important--her mother
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'