[Dove]I knew that it was too good to be true. Standing in the middle of a large concrete platform, the size of a basketball court, I was seething with annoyance and anxiety. I was annoyed at the grinning ox-brained Alpha and anxious about what I was just told. It all started with me leaving the mansion, thrilled with anticipation for more surprises since I had just received two - a couple's breakfast and an invitation for a couple's stroll. It was probably euphoria, or his bloody scent, that made me miss all the signs. So we met the first person, an elder who was in charge of the farmers, Patrick - a short, fast-talking man with bowl-cut hair and an overly kneaded forehead. Cole listened patiently as he rattled off about the recent weather and the reduced harvest, his son who was not training hard enough, to the latest technology - something called a 'mobility' phone - the cubs had read from the newspapers and were fantasizing about.I listened in awe at his sentences that alwa
[Cole]"You idiot!" Dove went up to Cole and tried to send a fist towards his face but he swiftly ducked and slid away. He quickly backed away from her with smiling eyes and a loud laugh that rang with an unusual jovial rhythm. She instantly paused in amazement. Then, a smile spread across her face. It was a new smile, one that was innocent and genuine, and Cole suddenly felt a loud thud in his chest. "That was a nice laugh," she said. Cole wasn't sure of what to say or do so he stared at her quietly and became aware of her long silver hair flowing furiously in an incoming strong gust of wind. An image of a waterfall emerged in his mind - his safe zone. In the heat of the moment, Cole stepped towards Dove. "There's one more place I want to go." She stretched out a hand at Cole who hesitated at first, then wrapped his fingers around her small wrist and pulled her alongside him.After more smiles and laughs, they arrived at the riverbank. Cole watched silently as Dove steppe
[Dove]The Whispering Moon Pack does not observe the same rituals as the other werewolf clans; they do not have prayers when there is a full moon. But every year, on the night of the brightest full moon, they have a grand feast with lots of singing, dancing and drinking.The tiny coincidence seemed to encourage my secret mission: mend the relationship between Cole and the Moon Goddess. Since that day by the waterfall, my mind often drifted back to the pain I saw in Cole's eyes; somehow, I felt responsible. It was like my husband having issues with his mother-in-law, I sighed at the thought as my scribbles returned to my view. "Are you alright, dear?" I looked up from the paper and found Connie leveling her concerned eyes with mine. I nodded and returned a weak smile. "Yes, Connie. I'm just- just a bit nervous about the feast that's all." She placed a hand on my shoulder and pressed it lightly with a sympathetic smile. "That's why I'm here, dear. To help you." Speaking of
[Cole]Cole stood like a statue, staring ahead with a dull expression, his eyes in a grim line. In his most boring voice, he sighed at the werewoman clinging tightly to him. "What, now?"He waited as Megan lifted her chin off his shoulder, then swung it around frantically as if checking for a sneak attack. Then abruptly, she untangled herself from him and continued scanning the area. "Megan," Cole exhaled heavily with his eyes closed. When his eyes opened again, Megan was turning around to face him, and Cole saw a mischievous smirk on her face. He frowned at her, "What are you up to this time?" "Nothing," she chirped and patted him on the shoulder. "See ya!" Her body swiveled around and she skipped off. With hands on his hips, Cole muttered in disbelief, "Werewoman." Ignoring Megan, his eyes started to search for the Dove. He had followed Patrick's directions and came this way, thinking that he could easily catch up with her. But after walking a distance, there was no sign o
[Cole]He couldn't explain it but it felt very different now.A month ago it would've been the worst moment in his life to have this werewoman wrapped around him: Dove was an explosion of softness and sweetness that brought out his deepest desires and numbed his senses, and he disliked the feeling of control slipping away. Now, having her tiny frame molded perfectly against him, Cole felt assured knowing that she was safe. Her tears gave him relief. He gently patted her shaking back until her cries reduced to sobs, and then to sniffs.When her hair returned to normal, Cole asked if she was ready to talk and almost laughed when her nose tickled his chest as she nodded. She stood back, avoiding his gaze, and he reached out to wipe the tears stains off her face like it was the most natural thing to do. "Tell." He whispered. She sniffed, still avoiding his eyes. "It's nothing really." This woman is incorrigible, Cole thought in exasperation. He closed his eyes and groaned, "Te
[Dove]My eyes opened to a burst of sunshine in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about last night. Staring at my reflection, visions of Cole kept replaying in my mind - his concerned face, passionate eyes and loving smile. My gaze trickled down to my lips. A finger reached up to feel those plump red lips and I recalled the warm pressure and roughness of his lips. A shiver of goosebumps came all over me. Somehow, knowing that Megan likes Jude, the air was fresh again and my chest felt lighter. The dread from the past few days seemed non-existent and I kept wanting to smile. For some reason, I also took longer than usual to get dressed. The final decision - my best white dress. It snuggled comfortably around my body, showcasing my nice shoulders and rosy knees and allowing sneak peaks of my womanly assets. After a few turns in front of the mirror and smiles of satisfaction, I made sure that my face glowed in the right places and then I strolled to the dining area, humming to a
[Dove]My mind went frantic. I wasn't ready to tell Cole. Make up something, Dove! I screamed internally. I said with a dismissive tone, "It was just a pot. I didn't notice it was hot and carried it." As I wiggled my fingers, the redness dissolved. My hand was normal again. I frowned - the healing took longer than usual. Could it be that strange smell from the candle fragment? I thought. More questions sprang. How did silver get on that candle? What happened in that cave? Someone shook my shoulders and the kitchen returned to my view. Two large hands were on my shoulders and I was looking into Cole's blue eyes. He was crouching in front of me, deeply rattled. "d*mn it, Dove, can you hear me? What the hell's wrong with you?" I blinked a few times, flashed an assuring smile and said, "Sorry. I was just thinking," He straightened with a frown then crossed his thick arms across his chest, and I suddenly recalled the feel of those arms around my waist, his hard warm chest ag
[Dove]So my husband left me in the middle of the dance floor. I know men are creatures of few words but this is too much. Moving away from the dance floor, I contemplated whether to throw Cole over a cliff or remove Beef Wellington from our meals. Megan came into my view. She was staring at something - or someone - and her face was clearly upset. Following her line of gaze, I saw Jude in a dark corner, hugging and kissing another woman. My eyes swung back to Megan and she turned and ran. I followed her. I found her outside the village, sobbing quietly. Despite her effortless threats, I stayed with her. We chatted for a long while on the scratchy grass in the comfort of the glowing round moon above the stretch of distant mountains as waves of the night cool breeze flooded through us. I thanked her suggestion of playing a fast song after two slow ones to keep the celebratory mood; she confessed that she was using Cole to get back at me because she thought that Jude liked me.