Nueva left Evie’s house feeling a bit better; talking to your friends indeed is the best therapy.
She drove straight home and locked herself in her mum's study with a new book she had been eager to read.
The study was bright with white painted timber walls and a large bay window. Underneath the window next to a dark brown desk was a weathered old grandpa chair with a big soft Moroccan style pillow. Nueva loved curling up here with a book whenever she needed some time to herself.
She had just gotten comfy when her mobile phone started vibrating on top of the desk. An unknown number flashed on the phone’s display.
She didn’t usually answer unknown numbers but slid her finger across the display and put the phone to her ear when the mobile phone rang for the third time.
“Hello”
She could hear someone breathing on the other end.
“Hello, who is this?” again no answer; Nueva decided to hang up when she heard a familiar voice.
“How’s your hand?”
“Ryan, Is that you?” Her stomach turned itself small at the sound of his voice.
“What the hell did he want after all this time?” She growled to herself.
“Yes, it’s me.” He sounded nervous and out of breath.
“How did you get my number?”
“That’s not important. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am for how I left you on our date.” He whispered the words, and Nueva had to push the phone against her ear to hear him.
“Don’t worry about me; I am fine.” The tone of her voice came out harsher than she initially meant.
“Has anything strange happened to you? Do you feel different in any way?” He spoke fast as if in a hurry.
“No, and even if it had, it’s none of your God damn business”, She hissed.
He was the last person she would talk to about the things that had happened the previous few weeks.
“OK, I understand but, please listen. Stay away from the woods.” His voice was solemn as he spoke the last words.
“Wait? What wood?”
“Stay away, promise me.” He hung up before she could get an answer.
Nueva curled back into the Moroccan pillow’s busy pattern on the chair and dangled her legs over one of the armrests.
“What wood? She massaged her forehead in an attempt to calm the whirlwind inside her head.
Somehow, she fell asleep, and once again, she was running in the woods with the grey wolves. When she spotted the white wolf, it came right at her. They collided in mid-air, rolling tangled together in the springy moss-covered undergrowth, and as Nueva scrambled back up, she realised her hands and feet were massive paws.
“We are one”, Eira spoke inside her head.
Her eyes flung open, and she almost fell out of the old chair. Outside, the sun had started its descending journey across the sky, colouring the white timber walls peach inside the study.
The following days, Nueva kept herself busy helping out with chores. Ever since her dad had passed away four years ago, they all had to help out around their house and large garden, and there was nothing like some hard, honest labour to keep herself distracted.
After pushing the lawnmower up and down the soccer field size lawn, Nueva’s singlet and shorts clung much like a second skin to her body. The sun seemed to tease her with its sunny bite high above the clear blue sky.
Miranda waved to her from the back porch holding up a glass of cold lemonade. Nueva pushed the lawnmower up towards the house and turned it off.
“The lawn looks great, darling.” Miranda praised and held out the full glass.
The cold glass felt like luxury against the heated skin of her palm, and her fingers slid on the condensation. She moved the smooth ice cubes to the side with her lips and drank greedily.
“Thank you, mum.”
“You have been very busy. Why don’t you ask your brothers to help you?”
“Nah, it’s OK. I am almost done for today anyway. I am going shopping with the girls,” she answered in loud crunches with her mouth full of melting ice cubes.
“Oh, OK. That’s more like it” Miranda smiled, and that smoothed out her usual worried frown.
She met Evie and Mira at The Base shopping mall. It was still hot outside, but with the sun lower position, it had taken away some of the intensity of the heat.Nueva had made an effort to get ready and put on mascara and lip gloss. She wore a light-yellow cotton dress that reached her middle thighs and brown leather sandals.A high ponytail held her soft blond locks in place.Mira greeted her with a loud whistle that echoed throughout the shopping mall wide aisles.“Wow, look at you, girlfriend,” she called out as she and Evie came towards her.“So, hot” Evie giggled and pretended to put out a matchstick against her skin.“Eh, stop”, Nueva mumbled, embarrassed, and her cheeks turned pink under her newly tanned skin.“I can’t even remember last time I saw you in a dress?” Mira continued raising both her eyebrows and shoulders in unison.“Not important”, Nue
Nueva couldn’t stop thinking of Gray. It was just something about him that captivated her. Of course, his incredibly good looks didn’t help, and every time she thought about his deep laugh or winsome smile, her core clenched, sending pleasurable waves throughout her body.This attraction was different from what she had felt for Ryan. She wanted all of Gray, and the thought of that made her blush.But she couldn’t help it the more she thought about him, the more she wanted him. His face seemed printed onto her cornea as a permanent fixture. One night she woke up from one of her nightmares, and Gray’s piercing silver-coloured eyes flashed in front of her face, kick-starting the familiar feeling of pleasure rushing through her body. Nueva couldn't help her hands starting to wander across her body under the duvet as the arousal grew.She moved her fingers slowly over her flat stomach before circling them over the warm skin towards her s
White Creek pack territory fifteen weeks earlier.The road through the White Creek territory was like a flowing body of smooth black, treating any driver to an effortless ride into town. On each side grew wildflowers in the thousands colouring the surroundings in bright shades of the rainbow. There were small houses tucked into the flourishing nature, belonging to the pack’s members.At first look, you would never know that this pack have been under a curse for the last several hundred years. A curse that is blocking the White Creek Alphas from finding their true mate and resulting in weakening the bloodline over the years.Alpha Gray steered his black pickup truck of the smooth asphalt down a beaten dirt track leading to his grandma’s small timber cottage.He had always loved spending time here with his grandma, seeking refuge from his parent’s constant bickering.She had called him earlier and said she nee
Ryan's POVThe school bell rang out its high-pitched clang with repeated hammering on the bell.Ryan signed as the bells sound meant a moment of rest from concentrating, listening and taking notes. He grabbed his books and headed out the classroom door. His two closest friends, Harry and Flynn, waited by his locker."Let's grab lunch", Flynn called out and tapped the green metal door with a closed fist before moving to the side to let Ryan put his books away in the narrow storage compartment."Sure", Ryan started before getting interrupted by his mobile phone ringing."I need to take this", he mumbled after fishing the phone out of his jeans pock
Nueva wiped away the condensation on the bathroom mirror. Her eyes twinkled with excitement for the night ahead in the blurry reflection.A week of planning, preparing and setting up was done, and it was finally time to enjoy the fruit of the labour.She gently patted herself dry with a soft towel, ensuring not to mess up her already styled hair. The hairdresser had insisted on a soft Dutch front row braid and glamorous curls to enhance her facial features.She focused her makeup on her eyes, painting a strong winged eyeliner combined with a sparkling shade of silver eyeshadow to make her blue eyes pop.Nueva kept the rest of her makeup natural with only a sweep of pink across her cheeks and a dab of clear lip gloss.
She turned around, and immediately, her jaw came unhinged. Behind her stood no other than Alpha Gray. "Do you mind if I cut in?" he asked in his dark rich voice. His argent eyes flashed dangerously. Derek was about to protest when he noticed Nueva's captivated gaze. So, he stepped to the side and watched her practically melt into Alpha Grays's arms. Alpha Gray towered over her, looking sharp in a dark tailored two-piece suit. The white shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and she could see his well-defined chest straining under the silky fabric. He pulled her into his hard chest and wrapped his strong arms around her lower waist.The music around them seemed to fade into the background over the beat of her raising heart.Her brain was tumultuous as his musky scent of summer rain and pear filled her nostrils. "What is he doing here?" Nueva stumbled; her legs felt weak from his masculine presence. His arms tightened around her immediately, holding
The rest of the night was a blur of dancing, laughing and having fun.She stumbled out from the town hall just after midnight with her arm around her mum's shoulders. Asher and Grim were already waiting, half asleep in the car."Let's get you home and into bed" Miranda chuckled at her tipsy daughter."Woohoo, best party ever", Nueva shouted, punching the air over her head in a victorious gesture.Evie and Mira called out unsynchronised "Yeah" through the open windows of their parent's cars as they drove out from the car park."It sure was, and hopefully, you won't regret drinking all that champagne in the morning?" Miranda agreed, doing her best to get Nueva into the car seat without bumping into anything."I love champagne", Nueva hiccupped and leaned her heavy head back onto the neck rest."So, I noticed", Miranda mumbled while buckling her daughter's seatbelt."Mum, she stinks", Grim grunted from the backseat."Open the
Alpha Gray povGrandma Perla filled the small wide-mouth teacup with freshly brewed coffee to the brim. Her crafty hands were knobby and twisted—more like Ginger roots than human flesh and blood. She gestured to Alpha Gray for a refill, but he covered the cup with his hand and shook his head. Perla sipped the hot liquid. "So", she started glancing over the worn antique gold-rimmed cup, "are you going to go and see her tonight at her birthday party?"Alpha Gray cleared his throat; her milky orbs flashed with old wisdom as he met her steady stare. He shrugged his broad shoulders and drummed a finger on the table surface."Are you going to ask her to come for a visit?" Perla continued casually, placing the emp