I get out of the car and walk away to clear my head."Well, that was interesting," Luke says from behind me as other pack members trickle out from the woods with the body of a rogue wolf carried by two pack soldiers. "Guard her." I order Luke, and then i walk towards the soldiers holding the wolf. As soon as I walk over, the soldiers incline their head with respect. I ignore it. I notice absently that I tower over them. I stare at the rogue wolf, not quite comprehending how it is that he managed to escape Calista's protective detail. I tilt my head studying the mouse brown of his fur. He had all the indications of a rogue wolf. His fur was patchy and discoloured. Even dead, his stench was still revolting. But what I could not quite grasp was why he was after Calista."Report"Joel, the golden haired, Amber eyed one that gives off surfer vibes, speaks up."Somehow, he got past our guards and came after her. After we got to the site of the attack, we engaged him and finished him off
I float in a void of nothingness, my consciousness, a thing of the past as I'm sucked into a memory. "Callie" someone screams, slamming my bedroom door open. "Happy birthday day to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, happy birthday, Happy birthday to you." I blink rapidly clearing the fog of sleep from my eyes, half hoping I'm still dreaming. I observe my mum in her pyjamas and fuzzy slippers singing the happy birthday song in a very off-key tone, as usual. "Mom!" I scream. I'd specially asked her not to do this, but in true mom style, I guess she had to make sure I was thoroughly embarrassed. "Happy birthday, sweetie," she laughs instead, her hand reaching out to ruffle my hair. I duck and hide under my pillow. "Canon ball," Nicole, my younger sister, screams running into my room. I remove my head from under my pillow just in time to see her barrel into me. "Umpfh," I grunt and catch her. She smiles up at me cheekily."Daddy messed up the cake, but he's bringing up a cup
Max's Pov"So, I talked to Tarla," Luke says from the chair he's sprawled on. I look up from across the room and the scotch I'm pouring"What is it now?" I ask my Beta exasperated. We are currently in my study discussing pack matters. I know he's about to say something to me about Calista, he's very casual about it but I know him well enough to recognise his tells. From the seemingly casual position to the overly casual manner with which he begins this particular conversation.And I also know that ever since Tarla got back from the Ridgewell pack, and saw Calista’s condition she has been pissed and mean as hell, it stands to reason she would have told Luke, hoping my best friend would speak sense into me."When were you going to tell me?" He asks still maintaining the pose, which might have fooled an average observer, but only a wolf would recognize the set of his shoulders and the slight shifts in his scent from wolf to man.The fact that it fluctuates at all is proof of the magnitu
I've lived 20 years of my life sheltered, and protected from a lot of things.I thought I'd experienced pain before but this awful harrowing feeling in my chest threatens to overwhelm me. I stare deep into his eyes, one part of me, the part of me that is wildly attracted to him half hopes he is lying, while the other sensible part of me is stunned by the ramifications of what he has just told me. Questions fly about in my head at a million miles per hour, but only one question presses me with its urgency."Why would a wolf have glowing eyes?" I ask him. I'm surprised with how calm my voice is because inside, I'm a hot mess of emotions, all of which are fighting for the prime position, of which of them I'm going to express first. Max closes his eyes like my question causes him physical pain. He brings me closer and rests his forehead on mine. He lets a breath before saying."Because a wolf with glowing eyes isn't an ordinary wolf, but a werewolf." I look at him stunned. Disbelief, an
"That didn't go over so well, did it." I look up from my crouched position on the floor. "I know you," I say, to the girl in front of me. She is poised, with an unruffled air. She looks close to my age, and her blond hair is cut close to her scalp, bringing her gorgeous facial features into stark relief. She's wearing a black crop top paired with black cargo pants and combat boots. "No, you don't" she retorts"Yes I do, you were with him""Oh yes," she chuckles, "you saw us, in your school, and then ran away like a hell itself was on your tail" Colour rises in my cheeks as mortification fills me. I close my eyes and let out a groan."Just go away please," I say to her."No can do sweetheart" she replies crouching.For some reason, her calling me sweetheart makes me see red. My emotions fine-tune themselves into a solid blade of anger. I rush at her, screaming, hands outstretched, hoping to choke her, but with surprising and frankly embarrassing ease, she slaps my hand away. In a
"Mummy", little me calls out."You are going to be a big sister, Callie," my mum tells me joy written all over her face. My mum hugs me,"What are we going to name her?" "Nikky" I shout, calling my doll's name. My mum laughs and nuzzles my nose, "That's a really pretty name." "I will be the bestest big sister ever" I declare proudly."Yes, you will my pretty little fairy""I'm Daddy's little fairy," I insist pouting, my mum laughs. Her smile lights up her whole face"Okay baby, how about you be Daddy's fairy, and you can be my little wolf""Yes. I am mummy's little wolf""Yes Callie, you are my little wolf" She says kissing my forehead before she fades away.Flashes of memories assault me. Each one, more painful than the last. I lay curled up on the plush carpet on the floor of the room. I hold my hands over my head as if by strength of will alone, I can tear the memories out of my head. "Make it stop, Make it stop" I whimper, tears leaking out of my eyes. Another memory assaul
"It is believed that thousands of years ago, a group of travellers came across a group of natives of this land. They were sick, hungry, tired and travel weary, and they asked the natives for help. The natives however were a highly suspicious group and refused them shelter, but they gave them food and left them to their own devices." I listen with rapt attention as Max narrates the story of werewolf beginnings, questions already forming rapidly at the back of my mind. "The travellers were grateful for their help and accepted the food, hoping it would help them somewhat, but one by one they started getting sick and one by one, they started dying. When the travellers were all thought dead, one of them, believing that they were responsible for the deaths of her companion struggled with her very last breath to find the natives and when she found them, she cursed them, and using the moon and her blood to seal her curse, she cursed them to die until extinction, after she cursed the, she di
"So werewolves are an actual combination of wolf and man? I ask "Yes?""And then what? When a full moon comes around you just wolf out?" Max looks at me, quiet and contemplative, and then he bursts out laughing. The sound of his laughter is a little awkward, it's rusty and unused. I realise it then, for some reason, this is a man that has had little reason to laugh. My chest constricts and sadness for him fills me. I don't understand my sadness at all. I feel like punching myself because all this man has done to me is lie and pretend about everything, but my feelings about him have always been mysteriously complicated. Sometimes anger and hate, the other times, mind-searing attraction and happiness.He's telling you the truth now, a small voice in my head says, but I ignore it. If I had not been attacked by that wolf, he would not even have bothered to tell me anything. He probably would have gone his own merry way, without hesitation, and I would have been a very forgettable fragm