ALEJANDRA.
I relax in the bayside window of the room Katherine and I share in our family’s two-story home. Katherine is gone, she’s hanging out with some of her friends. She wanted me to come, but I declined.
I hate hanging out with Katherine’s friends. Not that they’re not nice—they are, but they’re her friends. I feel like the third wheel when I hang out with them. I’d much prefer to stay at home, in my bedroom, hiding from the world.
I shift my MacBook sitting in my lap, and I pull something up on N*****x. I need the distraction tonight.
It was a rough day today. Passing out in front of all of Zaire’s friends at the beach was humiliating. When Zaire told Mom once we got back, she freaked out and had Dad do an exam on me just to make sure nothing was wrong.
My dad’s a doctor—a general practitioner. He used to be a surgeon, but he was gone a lot. He gave up his prestigious job at the hospital when I was just a baby so he could stay home more. He’s always been around to me.
I sigh, leaning my head against the window.
Why am I such a mess?
I get that feeling on the back of my neck again. That tingling sensation.
Somebody is watching me.
I peer out the window and see a pair of glowing yellow eyes looking up at me through the darkness. They’re standing in just the right spot, so I can’t really see them. Just the outline of a body and the eyes.
Eyes aren’t yellow.
Well, I guess eyes aren’t purple either.
I shut my computer and get up from the bench.
Tonight, I’m going to see exactly who has been watching me.
When I make my way down the stairs, I catch sight of my parents sitting in the living room together, watching some movie.
“I’m going for a walk,” I yell.
“At this time?” Mom asks.
I glance at my phone and see that it’s just 9:30. My curfew isn’t until midnight.
“She’ll be fine,” Dad says, then turns to me. “Just don’t be gone long, okay?”
“I won’t,” I promise, then walk out the front door.
The boy isn’t standing there anymore, but I know where to go to find him. It’s as if some force is pulling me. Maybe that should frighten me, but it doesn’t. I just follow the pull, my heart racing faster and faster with every step I take.
I find the boy sitting on a bench at the beach—the same beach I had gone to earlier today.
Taking a seat beside him, I’m careful to keep a lot of distance between us. I still can’t believe I followed a stranger in the dark. It’s like I’m asking to get kidnapped.
“Have you been following me?”
It’s not the first thing I meant to say, but I’m not upset I said it. I want to know.
“Yes,” he answers.
Great.
At least my stalker is honest about it.
“Why?” I ask.
He’s quiet for a moment, so I finally look at him.
I hadn’t looked at him before this. Just his silhouette outside my window.
The first thing I notice is that his eyes aren’t yellow at all—they’re light brown.
I feel something when our eyes meet. Something I can’t explain. It’s like my stomach has tightened and my chest has started squeezing my heart. It’s like I am looking into my future. I push that thought aside for a later time, though, and focus on now.
“I’m Forrest Romano.” His deep voice resonates through me, and the second he says his name chills break out on my skin.
Seriously?
What is wrong with me? This is my stalker.
It’s then I realize I’m still staring into his eyes, so I shift my gaze to his hair. It’s a beautiful dirty blond color and is cut short—not too short, just long enough for me to run my fingers through it.
The guy is tall. Maybe even taller than Zaire, though it’s hard to tell when we’re sitting down.
“What’s your name?” Forrest’s question interrupts my scan of his body.
“Alejandra.”
“Alejandra,” he repeats.
When he says my name, I feel it. My entire body relaxes, and even though I could be in danger right now, I feel safe with him.
This is crazy.
“Why have you been following me?” I ask, once my heart stops racing so fast.
“Your eyes…” His voice trails off.
I roll my eyes in response. “Yeah, they’re purple.”
“No,” Forrest counters, shaking his head. “They were purple. They’re pink now.”
Certainly he’s mistaken though. My eyes can’t change colors.
“Your eyes were yellow earlier,” I say.
“That’s my wolf.” His lips quirk in a smile and he rubs his hand over his jaw. My eyes track the movement before I register what he said.
His… Wolf?
Is this boy serious?
“What are you?” He tilts his head to the side as he studies me. “I’ve been trying to figure it out. Your smell is unique, and your family is all human. I’ve been trying to place it, but I can’t.”
“What do you mean what am I?”
“I mean what kind of supernatural are you?”
Supernatural?
Okay, this guy is insane.
Literally insane.
I stand up and brush the sand from my legs.
“I think I should go home now,” I say as I take a step back. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t follow me around anymore.”
The guy stands and I see how right I was. He is taller than Zaire.
“You’re shorter than I thought.” He’s frowning at me, like he disproves of my height.
My eyes widen and I look up at him.
He’s at least a foot and a half taller than me.
I swallow hard.
“I’m not that short,” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest, ready to defend myself.
“Are you even five feet?”
“I’m four eleven and a half.”
“The half doesn’t count.” Forrest smirks, rocking back on his heels.
I roll my eyes. Again. “It so does.”
“Your eyes are black now.”
“What?” I ask, feeling confused. But then I remember… this guy thinks he’s a wolf. He’s completely off his rocker and probably escaped from a mental institution or something.
“They’re purple again,” Forrest observes aloud. “That’s kind of cool. I’ve never seen anybody’s eyes change colors before.”
“Did you forget to take your meds this morning?” I back away from him slightly.
I probably shouldn’t antagonize the crazy person.
His eyes widen, as if he’s just realizing that I do, indeed, think he’s insane.
“You have no idea, do you?” he asks, his voice low.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I don’t have time to listen to this anymore.” I back up another step. “It was very nice to meet you, Forrest.”
He groans when I say his name, as if me saying it had the same effect as him saying my name earlier.
I don’t stick around though. I just turn and walk quickly toward my house.
And I definitely won’t think of Forrest anymore.
Or how big his brown eyes are.
Or how cute his smile is.
And those dimples.
Nope.
Not thinking of any of that.
DESMOND.
I can’t believe I have to drive to Jacksonville to get Forrest.
What the heck is he even doing here?
He won’t answer any of his phone calls or text messages, so I’m the one who had to drive here to pick him up.
It’s not hard to find Forrest. I just follow his scent and find it all over this one neighborhood close to the beach. There are a lot of humans that pass through here, but I also smell something else. It’s not a wolf, but it’s not human. I’ve definitely never smelled a supernatural like this before.
My wolf surfaces and it actually takes an effort to stop myself from transforming. I haven’t had such little control since I was ten and first started shifting. Still, my wolf is in control of me now, and he’s on the move. I follow the scent toward the beach. I can smell Forrest too.
Stopping about thirty feet away, I spy Forrest sitting on the beach next to this black-haired girl.
When I see her, I’m unable to move. It’s like my feet have cemented to the ground. My heart is racing and my stomach is tight.
“Alejandra,” the girl says, after Forrest asks what her name is.
Alejandra.
The scent… it’s her. She’s not human.
But what is she?
Mine, my wolf growls.
Yes, she is.
She’s my mate.
Is she the reason Forrest stayed here?
I try to read his thoughts, but he’s blocking them. I doubt he even knows that I’m here.
Why is he being so stupid? Any shifter could sneak up on him right now and kill him. He would be completely unaware because he’s busy chatting with my mate.
Why is he talking to her? Is it because of her smell? It must be. He’s curious.
One thing is certain.
I am not leaving Jacksonville without this girl.
She’s mine.
After a few minutes, the girl gets up to leave. When I see her face, my breath ceases.
She’s the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Her skin is flawless, her eyes are…
Purple?
She has purple eyes.
It reaffirms the fact that she’s not human. Humans don’t have purple eyes, but neither do shifters.
Maybe she’s a succubus. That would explain her charm.
No, she’s too short to be a succubus, I realize when Forrest stands up next to her.
I hear her tell him she’s four feet, eleven and a half inches. She looks offended when Forrest calls her short.
This girl is tiny. She’s going to need a lot of protection.
I will protect her with my life.
She turns her back toward Forrest and begins walking toward the neighborhood I was just in. Forrest follows her, and I follow Forrest. I want to make sure my mate gets home safely. It’s late at night and while this neighborhood seems safe, I know looks can be deceiving.
Once she walks into the house, I approach Forrest.
“What is she?” I ask.
Forrest jumps.
I actually scared him?
Wow, he really is off his game.
“My mate,” Forrest answers, once he sees that it’s me. “And I’m not leaving.”
“She’s my mate,” I counter.
He turns to me, his eye wide. “That’s not possible.”
“You think I don’t know my mate when I see her?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief.
“No. Of course you know.” Forrest scratches his head and stares at me. “It’s just… wolves don’t share mates.”
He’s right.
Wolves are too possessive to share a mate. Plus, we have no need to share mates, as wolves have many males and females. The only shifters I can think of who do share mates are dragons, but that’s because only one in four dragons are female.
“It’s strange.” Forrest’s voice is filled with confusion. “I don’t feel jealous that she’s your mate too.”
I evaluate my reaction before I respond. “Neither do I.”
The thought hadn’t crossed my mind until he said it.
“What do we do?” I ask.
“We’re not leaving here without her.” Forrest turns to stare at the house our mate entered.
I nod. “We will protect her.”
“Always.”
ALEJANDRA.It’s been a couple of nights since I met Forrest on the beach, and I definitely haven’t thought about him.Nope.Not once.At least, that’s what I tell myself, but by telling myself not to think about him, aren’t I just thinking about him?Tonight, my house is noisy and full of people. Well, not full, but we do have company. My mom and dad invited a family over.My dad works with another doctor that has a large family too. They have five kids, all pretty close in age to us, so they come over every once in a while for dinner and game night. It’s always super loud and chaotic.“Hey, Little A.”I look up to see a pair of blue eyes eagerly watching me. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes.They have a son named Shawn. He’s the same age as Katherine and me. He goes to our school, so I see him a lot, but he’s a little too flirty for my taste. At least with me. He never flirts with Katherine.“It’s Alejandra,” I say, frowning.Why does my family and this one boy insist on cal
ALEJANDRA.Today we are taking Zaire to college.All ten of us—Dad, Mom, Dahlia and her husband Alex, Clay, obviously Zaire, Katherine, me, Legend and Amara.We are taking five separate vehicles. Dad and Legend are driving his pickup truck with a lot of Zaire’s stuff in the back. Mom and Amara are taking the SUV with all the seats folded down and the back full of stuff. Dahlia and Alex are driving their small car. They’re not carrying anything, but Alex is going to help move stuff. Not like we need help, but Dahlia wanted to come. Zaire and Clay are taking Zaire’s car. Katherine and I are in the back of the caravan, driving the Jeep that we share. There is really no point in driving, but I just didn’t want to ride with anybody else, and Katherine thinks guys will talk to her if she’s driving because they’ll think she’s a college student. I don’t mind, as long as she drives.Katherine and I are quiet on the drive. I think we’re both sad that we have to say goodbye to Zaire. Sure, he’ll
ALEJANDRA.Today feels like a monumental day. Like something big is going to happen. Something that will change my life. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I can’t shake the feeling. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s strange.Katherine is going out tonight with a guy from our school. He texted her earlier and asked if she wanted to go eat dinner and get a movie. She doesn’t like the guy, but she said she never turns down free dinner and a free movie. I don’t understand why she would go out with a guy she doesn’t really like, but I don’t question her. I’m actually kind of glad she’s going out because I want to spend some time alone tonight.Getting up from my desk, I head downstairs. I tell myself I’m just going on a walk, but I know it’s more than that. I know exactly where my walk is going to lead.When I let my mom know I’m going for a walk, she’s so upset about Zaire leaving yesterday that she doesn’t even complain about it.Once I get outside, I see the almost full moon in the
ALEJANDRA. I hear the ocean in my dream. There are soft waves crashing and… A rocking motion? Why am I rocking? And why do I feel like I got the best sleep of my life? I stretch my arms and legs out. I can literally smell the salt water in the air, like I’m sleeping on the beach or something. Wait a minute. My eyes open abruptly, and I find myself in an unfamiliar room. The rocking sensation wasn’t just in my dreams. Something is rocking gently. I am in a small bed in the corner of a room. I sit up and look around, seeing nothing familiar. There is a small window with a curtain covering it, so I get up and walk over to look outside. When I look out, I see nothing but water. Oh, my gosh. I’ve been kidnapped. My heart is racing, and my entire body feels heavy. Think, Alejandra. What’s the last think you remember? Forrest. Phoenix. Desmond. Puma. I hate how just thinking their names makes my heart race for an entirely different reason than fear. Why are they the last thin
ALEJANDRA.Desmond thinks he’s my “mate.” Mate as in soulmate.He thinks we’re meant to be together.I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but how can we be meant to be when I literally just met him? I don’t know him well enough to be together with him.Plus, the fact that whatever I feel for him, whatever connection we have, I also have that same connection with the other three guys. I try to keep that out of my mind, but it’s impossible. I cringe, thinking about him listening in on my private thoughts. He’s talking with Forrest at the moment. He’s on the other side of the deck, but I know he can hear me.I groan.Great.Now my “mate” knows that I also have feelings for his three best friends. This thing is turning out great so far.I’m also worried about my family. Forrest told me I can call them once I arrive at the school, as long as I promise not to talk about the fact that I’m at a school for werewolves.They don’t like being called werewolves. They say they’re wolf shifters and th
ALEJANDRA.People are staring at me.Do I call them people? Well, I guess they’re technically people, but they’re more than human. They’re shifters. Shifters that could probably rip me to shreds in two seconds flat if I pissed them off.Still, they’re staring at me. They’re probably wondering what I’m doing here. That is a question I wish I knew the answer to myself. Yet, here I am, in a castle where I’m about to attend school.“Do the stairs change positions?” I whisper to Forrest, since he is the closest to me.He raises an eyebrow. “Why would they do that?” “Never mind,” I mumble.Right.I forgot.They don’t even know what Harry Potter is.“Explain yourself,” he demands, not leaving me room to argue.I roll my eyes.Forrest truly is the “alpha.”“It’s from this movie,” I say, waving my hand. Though, it’s much more than just a movie. It’s easier to explain it this way though.“We will watch this movie with you.” It’s not a question.Great. Glad we settled that.When you first walk i
ALEJANDRA.Forrest comes back into the oval office to get the rest of us after he’s done talking to his dad.Oval office.I giggle.We’re halfway down the stairs when I bump into the back of Forrest. He and Desmond have both stopped and they’re looking at me. I look behind me and see that Puma and Phoenix are also staring at me.“What?” I ask.“We’ve never heard you laugh before,” Puma says, voice filled with something I can’t describe.“Oh.” I drop my gaze, uncomfortable with them all looking at me right now. Forrest and Desmond start walking again, so I follow behind them.I’m honestly kind of worried about falling down these stairs. They’re so tall, I’d probably fall forever.“Don’t worry, I’d catch you,” Forrest is quick to assure me.Ah, right.Forrest is in my head now.Or has he always been?“You guys have a lot of things you need to tell me.”“We will. Soon,” he promises. “We just need to get through the next few hours first.” The next few hours.I can do that.“Why did you te
ALEJANDRA.The guys are acting weird—tense. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Forrest’s dad is coming. He’s the alpha, which I think means he’s like the president of the wolf shifters. I don’t exactly understand the leadership system just yet. All I know is that he’s alpha and that someday, Forrest will be alpha too.Forrest acts like an alpha. The guys always do what he says, and he expects me to do the same.Ha.Me? Listen to his commands? That’s not going to happen.One thing I know for sure is that I’m not a wolf shifter. So, technically, he’s not my boss, even if he is my mate.I’m a little confused by the term mate. I thought it meant soulmate. But if I’m both Desmond and Forrest’s mate then I must have heard something wrong. Or maybe wolves have more than one mate. That would be weird, especially when I introduce them to my parents.How could I explain to my human parents that I have four werewolf boyfriends?Wolf shifters, I correct myself. They’re not werew