Clementine
Okay, maybe Blackfern Valley was a lot bigger than I thought it was. I swear I was lost. I really had no sense of direction.
Where the hell am I?
I kept walking aimlessly for another twenty minutes. Houses had started to thin out—not that they were very close and abundant to begin with. I could feel the sweat start to pool around the base of my neck and in the canyon of my breasts.
God, this humidity is going to kill me. But I kept walking.
The black tar seal had ended; now, it was mostly dirt and gravel. Okay, I was certain I had gone in the wrong direction.
I turned around and smacked into something.
Ouch, my poor nose! It was getting a hell of a beating today.
I looked up and saw another large body obstructing my view of anything else, then took a step back. “Sorry about that,” I murmured, rubbing my nose.
“You know, glasses are supposed to help you see, yet you’re walking into me.” His voice was smooth, but there was something cold about it. My defensive walls instinctively went up.
“Yeah, well, they don’t work if you creep up on people as they are turning around.”
I looked up and met the icy cold blue eyes that matched the voice so well. My heart flipped. He was beautiful. He had dark hair that sat around his shoulders, tanned skin, and muscles bulging out of his black tank top. His eyes were framed with thick dark lashes, which made his eyes pop. As I checked him out, he was doing the same, but instead of admiring me, he had that all-too-familiar look of disgust on his face.
“Is it her?” a nasal voice asked.
“It has to be,” another said.
I stepped back again and adjusted my glasses.
“Wow, she wears glasses. Like what the actual fuck?”
“And she’s fat.”
I bristled at the last comment, and turned to face the girls who were chatting quietly with each other. I was surprised I’d heard them at all. Both were tall and had an athletic build, so yeah, in comparison to them, I was a little chubby. They had blonde hair that billowed gently behind them in the slight breeze. Their eyes were crystal blue and held utter hatred as they looked at me. What had I ever done to them?
The male of the group I had walked into regained my attention.
“You need to learn your place,” he growled. “And I’m going to have fun teaching you.” My hackles rose at his predatory gaze. There was something off about him.
“Cool, sure, well maybe you can start by teaching me the way out of here. I’m super lost.” Wait. Did I just say that?
His eyebrows rose, and the girls sniggered.
“You sure are,” Barbie One said.
“You know your kind aren’t welcome around here, right?” Barbie Two added.
“My kind? And what does that mean? Someone who hasn’t bleached the brain cells out of their head?” It was like I had no control over my mouth.
“Oh, my God! Lincoln, did you hear what she said to me?”
“Well, I’m assuming he knows how to listen, but that might be a stretch, so who knows.” I shrugged. Holy shit, where the hell is this hostility coming from? I was usually the type that does everything to avoid confrontation.
“Put the stupid bitch in her place, Lincoln. Show her who we really are.”
His eyes raked over Barbie One and flashed her a toothy grin before he looked at me.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“Clementine,” I said with much more confidence than I felt. It was almost as if my name alone would protect me, would instill fear into him. It was a stupid notion. The guy was obviously unhinged. Stop making this worse. Just back up and apologize. Keep your head down and leave.
The look in his eyes was primal, and I instinctively took a step back. “You know, if I squint, you could almost be pretty.” I took another step back as he stalked forward. “Maybe if I take you from behind… That way, I don’t have to look at your ugly face,” he growled. Another step forward. My heart raced, and my entire body tensed.
Surely, he isn’t about to attack me?
“Tell me, Clementine, do you like it rough?”
“Look at her. She’s probably still a virgin.”
My eyes snapped to the Barbie girls for a moment, but they were obviously whispering to each other.
Did I imagine that?
Lincoln took advantage of my split-second distraction and closed the gap between us.
I let out a little shriek as I stumbled backward. “K-keep away from me.” This time my voice held no confidence; it was high-pitched and full of fear. His eyes seemed to flash at the sound of my terror, and his nostrils flared slightly. “Come near me and I will scream.”
He grinned, and his eyes flashed again. “Good, I like it when they scream.”
A loud growl came from nowhere, and a massive wolf jumped out of the treeline. If I was afraid before, I was petrified now. I froze where I stood, my heart hammering in my chest. The wolf was beautiful with thick tawny fur and big brown eyes. He was gorgeous but incredibly terrifying. It was eerily similar to the wolf that had been haunting my dreams.
Shit! Maybe I’m still dreaming?
The wolf bared its teeth, but this time not at me. It bared them at Lincoln, who arched his eyebrows at the wolf, and smirked.
A low guttural noise came from the wolf’s throat, and his ears were flat against his head. The wolf’s brown eyes were unblinking as they stared Lincoln down.
When I could finally move, I took a step back and reversed right into a tree.
Shit!
The girls started backing away, but a masochistic Lincoln stared down the wolf contemptuously.
Oh, this dude is a Grade-A idiot. Does he really think he can take on a wolf?
Something clicked in me, a lesson from long ago. There was never just one wolf. The breed was known to run in packs. Panic set in as I started to look around the treeline, waiting for his mates to come and eat us for lunch. And let’s face it, if the wolves did come out, they would probably go for me first. I was the only one with decent fat stores. I kept an eye on the treeline as the gentle breeze rustled the lower leaves.
The wolf’s loud growl brought me back to the situation unfolding in front of me. His teeth dripped with saliva, and I could see the pink gums above his canines under his furled lip.
Fuck me, those are some big teeth!
One of the girls gently grabbed Lincoln’s arm and tugged him backward. She wasn’t looking at the wolf, and seemed to be naturally submissive. Finally, the guy started moving away. He looked at me with contempt.
“This isn’t over, Clementine.” The wolf snarled loudly at his words, and the guy glared at the animal before he turned and bolted with his girlfriends.
The wolf finally turned and looked at me.
Oh, crap!
It was my turn. Why hadn’t I taken the opportunity to run? He cocked his head like he was examining me before giving a little huff, then darted back into the forest.
Suddenly, I could breathe again. I hadn’t realized I had stopped, but the oxygen burned as it re-entered my heaving lungs. I took a few deep breaths, but my body didn’t calm. Looking around, I realized I was alone again.
With my newfound breath, I did something I really hated doing. I ran, and I ran fast.
Liam The mud under my paws felt amazing as I whipped past the trees. The forest smelled fresh and wet with slight hints of honeysuckle. I splashed into a stream playfully and bounded against the gentle current, spooking the tiny fish back under their rocks. I lapped up some water as I trotted through the stream. It was icy cold and refreshing as it zinged around my tongue. A gentle breeze swirled past, making some leaves fall into the stream from the canopy encroaching it. “Wait,” Lucian said softly. “What is it?” “I smell something.” Suddenly, Lucian fought me for control. His ears started to twitch, and he sniffed at the air. He growled low. I gave up on fighting Lucian for control and let him follow his instincts. He started cantering north with impressive speed. He must have gone at least five kilometres before slowing down and lowering his underbelly to the forest floor. He began to shuffle and creep forward in an army-like crawl, hiding under a bush that faced the street.
Clementine When I entered the house, I went straight down the hallway and into the tiny bathroom for a shower. I needed to wash the sweat off me and the disgusting, skin-crawling sensation of what almost happened. What kind of person threatens sexual violence against another? And what kind of person just stands by and watches? No, not only watches, but eggs it on. What the hell was wrong with those people? Then there was the wolf. I had never seen a wolf before. I grew up in central Vancouver, and wolves didn’t tend to come into the city. In fact, I was probably one of the only Canadians who could say that the largest and scariest animal they had ever seen had been a deer. The only other animals I had interacted with had been squirrels and chipmunks. I even avoided my friend’s cats and dogs thanks to allergies. And one time, when there was a bear on campus, I walked the opposite way than the crowd. I had an adverse fear reaction to anything that could eat me. Seeing that wolf had t
Liam I could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she opened and closed those soft-looking plump lips, trying to figure out something to say. “Come on,” I said with a flick of my head. I led her toward a booth and threw two fingers up to Ryan, my best friend, and the bartender on duty. He nodded at me and started pulling a beer from the tap. Clementine shuffled her feet as she sat down. “Nervous?” I asked her. Her shuffling instantly stopped, and she glared at me. “No,” she lied. It would have been flawless if I couldn’t hear her heartbeat giving her away. Ryan came over with the drinks himself. “I wasn’t going to trust April not to spit in it.” he mind-linked me. I nodded my gratitude and slid a beer across to Clementine. She stared at it like it was an alien entity. “Not a beer drinker?” I asked. She picked up the glass and took a sip. A small amount of head lingered on her upper lip. “I was just curious as to what the catch was,” she said as she licked the remaining foam
Clementine I raced out of that bar as fast as my feet could carry me. My hand was still tingling with a strange sensation, like hundreds of little water droplets were running over its surface. Liam must have some weird static electricity thing going on. It was the only thing that made sense. I had lost myself in the warm brown hue of his eyes and the gentle caress of his voice, but most of all, I had lost myself in his kindness. Guys who had god-like features like Liam were rarely nice. I was beginning to find myself laughing at his dry humour and wit. I felt comfortable. And then I looked around the bar and noticed three things: The first was that there was not one ounce of fat on any of the people in the bar. Every single person was slim and gorgeous. The women all looked athletically fit and like they should be on the runway for Victoria’s Secret. The men all had bulging muscles, their arms corded and their abs hard. There must have been a gym around here that everyone went to be
Liam I woke in my bed. The sun was glittering through the crack in the curtains and streaming right into my face. I groaned and tried to cover it with my pillow. “Good morning.” The voice startled me out of my sleep delirium. I sat up and saw a mane of red hair, long bronzed legs and a black t-shirt barely covering her ass—my black t-shirt. “Morning, Cassie,” I murmured. She bounced back from the ensuite doorway and rejoined me on the bed. Leaning in slowly, she brushed her lips against mine. Her cinnamon and vanilla scent wafted around me, and I felt Lucian rumble happily. I smiled as she pulled away from the kiss. After Clementine left the bar and grill last night, Cassie managed to be a beautiful distraction, and I soon was laughing and partying with her. After a few rounds of pool and plenty of alcohol, we managed to tumble back into my bed in the early morning hours. “What are your plans for today, Alpha?” she asked. Lucian puffed himself up proudly. “I am not alpha,” I gen
Clementine Crash. Bang. Slam. The sound of a loud, angry voice rang out. More crashing, more banging. I rolled over in bed and looked up at the ceiling. I knew I had to get up and deal with this—go play referee. I hated playing the arbitrator. I rolled out of bed with a groan, shoved my glasses on my face, and padded out of the room. I walked down the hallway to find my brother in the kitchen, slamming cupboards. My father was nowhere in sight. “What the hell is going on?” I snarled. “What do you mean?” Vinny asked. “I heard you yelling at Dad.” “I wasn’t yelling.” He looked at me curiously. The silver flecks had gone from his eyes, but his green eyes were red and glassy once again. “Yeah, you were. You woke me up.” “I didn’t mean to wake you, Clem.” “So you weren’t just calling him an asshole and still ranting about the fact that Murdoch deserved it?” I asked. Vinny looked at me curiously. “Well, yeah, I did. But I was talking to myself, Clem. Dad isn’t even here.” “What?”
Clementine I walked into the salon feeling a little nervous. A kind woman with blue-grey eyes smiled at me. “Hi, I was wondering if I could book an appointment to cut my hair,” I rushed out. I felt the tears in the back of my eyes, and my lip started to wobble. “Hi, honey! Of course, you can. I have time now if you want?” “Oh yes! Please!” “My name is Steph.” She offered her hand for me to shake. I reached out and shook her hand. “Clementine. Clem.” I studied Steph, who was middle-aged and reminded me so much of my mother. She had the same wheat-coloured hair and a short stature with a petite figure. Steph led me to a chair and wrapped a black smock around my neck before running her fingers through my hair. “What would you like done?” “Just shorten it. It usually sits around my shoulders, but my mom got sick, and I got distracted.” “Oh, honey! I’m so sorry.” She reached around and gave me a quick hug, her eyes tearing up ever so slightly before she continued to run her finge
LiamRyan moved just before my fist connected with his face. Dirt and dust kicked up where his feet bounced off the ground. “What the hell, dude?” he growled as he dodged. Lucian didn’t care. He was out for blood. “Lucian, stop!” I commanded. He wasn’t going to. I had no control: left punch, right punch, front kick. Ryan was blocking as Lucian charged forward in my body. “Lucian!” I shouted, wrestling to regain control. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” “Liam! Get control of your wolf,” Ryan snarled as he defended himself. I pushed Lucian back with all my might, just long enough to grit out three words. “Knock. Me. Out.” “You can’t be serious?” Ryan’s arms tried to encase mine, but getting a good hold was proving impossible. Lucian was frothing at the mouth, trying to come forward. “Now,” was the last word I managed to grit out before Lucian took over again. Ryan looked perplexed as he kept defending Lucian’s advances. Suddenly, Ryan’s eyes blazed, and his fingernails changed