As I stood before my full-length mirror, adjusting the elegant ballet-inspired dress, Moro, my best friend and roommate, sat on my bed, scrolling through her phone.
"I don't know, Moro. When I first met him, there was something off. But when I saw him again, it was like he was a completely different person. Maybe I was just having an off day or something."
Moro looked up and grinned, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Girl, it's about time you jumped back into the dating pool. Besides, think of it this way. If one guy as hot as him is into you, just imagine your other choices! You could be dating royalty next!"
I chuckled, brushing a stray curl behind my ear. "Wow, you have such a refreshing approach to love," I said, sarcasm tinting my voice.
"Hey, you're too young to tie yourself down," Moro advised earnestly. "Don't end up like my parents, okay? Allow yourself to experience life from different angles. Live a little!"
I rolled my eyes, but a smile crept onto my face. "Thank you, life coach Moro. I'll bear that in mind."
The drive to Riverbend was filled with an odd mix of excitement and trepidation. As I parked and headed to Luke's apartment, I was startled to see Clay's door swing open.
When Clay's door swung open, I was met with an unexpected sight that made my heart racing and my thoughts scatter. He stood there, shirtless, with low-slung jeans, hugging his hips in a way that was almost sinful.
His upper body was a sculpted marvel, the rippling muscles of his chest and arms almost intimidating in their definition. Intricate tribal tattoos adorned various parts of his flesh, curling around both arms, across his expansive chest, even snaking around his ribs on his flank.
My eyes were drawn to a particularly striking design—a tribal wolf that seemed to prowl around his bicep and the curve of his elbow. Glistening beads of sweat clung to his skin, evidence of an intense workout, making the tattoos seem to come alive.
The air between us became charged, as if humming with a silent, magnetic frequency. When my eyes met his, the connection was so immediate, so intense, it felt like a jolt of electricity had leaped directly from his gaze into my core.
This wasn't just the inexplicable pull I'd felt before. It was raw, visceral, and unabashedly sexual. For that split second, everything around us seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us and this newfound tension that was impossible to ignore.
It was as if his eyes had whispered secrets to the very depths of my soul, mysteries I wasn't sure I was ready to know. For a brief moment, he stopped, his eyes piercing through to the core of my being. With a smile that tugged at my heart, he used the towel in his hand to wipe away the sweat from his forehead.
"Oh, sorry. I've got dinner on the way. I thought I heard something out here and figured—" His eyes traveled from my face down to my outfit, clearly surprised to see me in something other than my usual NightBite t-shirt and jeans.
Before either of us could say another word, Luke's door opened. He emerged in a dark, tailored suit cut to accentuate every line and curve of his physique. The fabric could barely contain his muscular build.
"We're off to the ballet," I informed Clay, my eyes darting from him to Luke, whose expression remained unreadable. "Enjoy your dinner when it arrives."
Luke offered his arm and quickly led me to the elevator and the car waiting for us below.
The limousine ride to the opera house felt like I'd entered another world. A surreal bubble where the outside reality momentarily paused. My eyes drifted toward Luke, seated across from me in a crisp tuxedo accentuating his already imposing figure.
The air between us was thick with a tension I couldn't understand. I found myself inexplicably drawn to him, like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, and he was gravity itself, urging me to leap. I felt this carnal urge to pounce on him, to press my lips against his and let go. I blinked and shook my head slightly, trying to dispel these foreign thoughts.
"So, Lexi," Luke finally broke the silence. "Why were you in the building that night we ran into each other?"
I looked up, taken aback by his question. "Oh, I was delivering food to your neighbor."
"Ahh, Clay. Yeah, he's a good friend. Really nice guy," Luke said, his eyes meeting mine. Something in his tone made me suspect he wasn't being entirely genuine, but I decided not to probe.
The opera house was breathtaking, and the ballet was even more so. Dancers fluttered across the stage, every movement a brushstroke in a larger, moving painting. Yet I sensed that Luke, too, was wrestling with his focus. It was as if the beautiful spectacle before us could simply not compete with the magnetic pull neither of us could fully understand.
After the performance, we stood by my worn-out car in the Riverbend visitor's parking lot after the limo dropped us back off. The air was tinged with the lingering notes of the night's enchantment.
"Thank you for an amazing evening, Luke," I managed to say, though the words felt inadequate to capture the emotional swirl of the night.
"Would you like to come up for a drink?" he offered, his eyes searching mine.
"I'm not the kind of girl who does that on the first date," I replied, shaking my head gently.
A slight pout tugged at the corner of his mouth. "How about a goodnight kiss, then?"
It was a request I should've resisted but didn't want to. I leaned in, our lips meeting for the briefest of moments. The kiss was a paradox. Electric and disconcerting, comforting and alien, all simultaneously.
As I pulled away, I felt both a sense of completion and a disquieting awareness that something was not quite right.
But what that "something" was, I couldn't yet define.
My fists clenched around the barbell as I drove it into the air for another overhead press. Sweat dripped down my forehead, stinging my eyes, but I didn't care. I was too lost in the storm inside my head, a storm I couldn't seem to escape. I'd been working out on my balcony for hours, pushing my body to its absolute limit, partly because I wanted to distract myself, but mostly because I needed something to hit, even if it was just the air around me.Luke. The name was like a splinter in my mind. I couldn't believe he'd taken her out on a date. My muscles tightened further as I lowered the weights back down to my chest. The sheer audacity of that man was beyond comprehension. We were supposed to be friends once, but friends don't pull stunts like this.And then there was Lexi. My Luna. The thought of her possibly giving herself to Luke made my blood boil in a way I'd never felt before. If she slept with him, it wouldn't matter if she was fated to be with me; she would have to stay with
The knot of conflicting emotions I'd been nursing since my date with Luke tightened as I slipped into my party outfit. Moro, my ever-loyal confidante, caught my gaze in the mirror."Spill it, Lexi. You've been brooding since you returned from your date with Luke. Was it that bad?"I grimaced. "No, that's the thing. It wasn't bad, it was actually...nice. But something's bugging me, gnawing at me from the inside. I can't shake the feeling that I should keep my distance, but simultaneously, there's this magnetic pull."Moro shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Girl, you're a mess of contradictions. But you know, sometimes our instincts pick up on things our conscious minds can't. Maybe you should listen to your gut.""You're probably right," I sighed, "but for now, let's just focus on tonight."The party was in full swing when we arrived—cups overflowing, music pounding, bodies moving in a chaotic dance of youthful recklessness. It was a place to forget, and forgetting was what I
After dropping Lexi off, I gripped the steering wheel hard, feeling the leather indent beneath my fingers. I was fuming, not just at Luke, but at myself, for cutting the night short after she took the chance and left the party with me. The air in the car was thick with tension, the remnant of emotions held at bay. My wolf was agitated, scratching at the inner walls of my consciousness, begging to be let loose. I knew I had to get away from Lexi before I did something that would be difficult to explain, especially since she was still in the dark about my true nature.And then there was Luke. Watching him in that club tonight, high and reckless, I could feel that something was dangerously off in my gut. He was spiraling, but into what? That was the gnawing question. My instincts screamed that it was more than just the drugs. He's always had a penchant for self-destruction, but this felt different, more sinister in a way I couldn't yet pinpoint. It was as if he were not just playing wi
I sighed, staring at the delivery app on my phone. Luke Rendon's name flashed for the third time tonight. "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath, tapping to decline the order. There was no way I was setting foot in that man's apartment again, not after what I saw last night.I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a freight train of realization. My whole body seemed to vibrate with a blend of anger and repulsion. How could I have been so naive? The image of him snorting coke, so brazen and unashamed, replayed in my mind repeatedly. I felt disgusted, with him and myself for ever considering him attractive or alluring.My mood didn't improve much in class, even though I should have been excited about Professor Gray's announcement. "Alright, everyone, for the next few weeks, we'll be doing special projects and have various guest speakers on various mythologies and folklore." A murmur of excitement hummed through the room. My hand shot up when the professor
A sense of dread washed over me when we parked just inside the pack land borders. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, no guideline for how you tell someone you've been lying about who you are. Well, I'm not lying exactly, but I definitely omit a crucial part of my identity. And not just my identity, but the essence of everyone who lived on this land."Promise me something?" I looked over at her, fidgeting with the car keys in my hands. "Keep an open mind about all of this, and if you don't want to be here anymore at any point, just say so. I'll take you back to the city, no questions asked."She stared back at me, bewildered. "Open mind? Clay, what's going on? Why are you acting so strange?"I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Just...promise me, okay?""Fine, I promise. Now, tell me what's happening."My heart pounding in my ears, I killed the engine. "Let's get out of the car. There's something I need to show you."She followed me out, her brows furrowing, eyes filled
The car rumbled over the uneven terrain, and my fingers tightened around the edge of the seat. I took a deep breath, trying to slow the rapid pulse of my heart. Everything felt overwhelming, from the revelation about werewolves to my inexplicable connection with Clay."Lexi, you don't have to worry," Clay said, his voice tender as his hand reached over to rest on mine. The warmth of his touch sent a calming wave through me, but my brain stubbornly clung to its state of alert."I want to believe you, Clay, but it's just—everything's changing so fast. I have to worry a little, right?" I squeezed my eyes shut momentarily, grappling with the maze of thoughts crowding my head.He chuckled softly. "You're not wrong to worry. But I promise, you've got nothing to fear."The vehicle finally came to a halt, and I opened my eyes to see a grand mansion silhouetted by the setting sun. It looked like something out of a fairy tale but also seemed intimidating. Before I could gather my thoughts, Clay
I nodded, taking in her words like a lifeline. If she could navigate these bewildering waters, then I could too.Clay's fingers gently interlocked with mine, as if silently saying, 'We're in this together.' That simple touch stirred a blend of emotions within me, churning like colors on an artist's palette. Excitement, trepidation, and, strangely enough, a newfound sense of peace."So," his mother broke the contemplative silence, "I think we've had enough heavy conversation for one day. How about something lighter?"She rose and opened a cabinet, pulling out a large tin filled with cookies. "These are my famous chocolate chip cookies," she said, offering the container to us. "Nothing solves life's problems like homemade cookies."As Clay eagerly grabbed a cookie, I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, if this is part of the Luna training program, count me in."He winked at me as he took a satisfying bite, the chocolate melting and mixing with the emotions that colored the moment. "Trust
My heart was pounding as I looked at Lexi. The conversation had already left her shaken, yet something else was even more challenging for me to say. I could feel my wolf circling restlessly at the edge of my consciousness. "There's... there's more, Lexi," I finally blurted out, my voice tinged with a note of desperation. She looked at me, her eyes searching my face as if trying to read the words I hadn't yet spoken. "Okay, Clay, just say it. Please." Taking a shuddering breath, I forced the next sentences out. "When Luke bound his energy to yours, he inadvertently connected you to the energy of all Alphas, myself included. You weren't just more attracted to him, but theoretically, to me as well." My wolf was stirring violently now, pacing and growling within me. The gold in my eyes started to override the brown without my control, a sign that my wolf was getting too close to the surface. I was losing my composure. Lexi reached over and grabbed my hand. I looked down at her hand en