QUINN I’m not sure what’s worse- Jax embarrassing the crap outta me while I was topless with my hand down his pants, or the fact that I can’t even vent to my girlfriends about it. My first reflex was to go to Kyla, but she’s got a lot going on right now; it doesn’t feel right to unload on her about a hookup story. Because that’s all it was- a quick, sleazy hookup in the front seat of Jax’s truck. This isn’t a love story. Hell, at this moment, it isn’t even a ‘like’ story.Confiding in Brooke is out of the question for obvious reasons, and I don’t know some of these other squad girls well enough yet to know if I can trust them with my secrets. So I’m left alone with my thoughts, muddling through training on Monday morning while avoiding so much as a glance in Jax’s direction. I’m still pissed at him, and little does he know I’m a champi

QUINN   The forest is eerily quiet tonight as I slink around under the light of the moon, chasing the scents of other animals and relishing in the freedom that comes with shifting to my wolf form. I’ve always had excellent control over my animal side- I integrated quickly when she manifested years ago, probably because I’ve always embraced my wilder characteristics, my baser urges and desires. From my first shift, I’ve delighted in the liberation that comes with it. When my wolf came in, that’s when I really came alive. I love being a shifter. I love the tingling feeling on my skin when I shift, the way the air shimmers around me like liquid metal. I love the feeling of the earth under my paws as I run- and I fucking love how much faster I can run on four legs, how much more agile I can be. I’ve heard some other shifters say they resent their animal side, but you’ll never hear me say that. I’m completely in tune with my

QUINN “You and me?” Kyla asks as she turns to me, gesturing between us.“Sure,” I breathe, scooping my long hair into a ponytail and securing it with a hair tie.I made it to the practice field for training this morning without a moment to spare, still a little rattled after almost being caught with Jax in my room. He hasn’t even made it out here yet- perks of being one of the guys running the place, I guess. I, on the other hand, am still catching my breath while Fallon demonstrates the defensive maneuvers we’ll be working on today. She’s running today’s practice, and she’s brought two of her friends to help out- a couple of guys from Summervale that went to high school with us.Other than her twin, Davis and Boyd were Fallon’s closest friends in high school. The three of them went out for the squad together after graduation and they all made the cut after

QUINN   “How’s it going over here?” Brooke asks as she wheels her desk chair over to me. Our desks are both in the back of the IT hub, right across the aisle from one another. It would be pretty awesome, except Theo is a permanent fixture in the hub these days and my desk gives me a front row seat to his and Brooke’s constant PDA. “Good…” I murmur, the keyboard clicking under my fingers as Brooke moves in beside me and peers at my monitor. “Any luck getting in yet?” I nod, drawing my lower lip between my teeth. “Oh yeah. I’m just copying the files now.” I type in the last few functions, hit enter, and push back from my desk, folding my arms and grinning in satisfaction. “Done.” Brooke watches my computer screen, a smile creeping across her face. “You’re a genius, you know that?” I shrug, though I enjoy the compliment. “I’m so glad you decided to come up here and join us. Put your hacker sk

QUINN   It seems that every autumn, there’s a random day or two that’s unseasonably warm, a little glimpse back at summer. Today is one of those days- the sun is shining, the air is hot, and in a surprise twist, the afternoon training sessions were called off for recruits and squad members alike. We’re all at the swimming hole instead, and I’m not sure who pulled this thing together, but it’s turned into a real party- there’s kegs of beer, endless plastic cups, and a speaker playing music. Whether the squad leaders knew we all needed a break or some rogue squad members took charge of planning this impromptu gathering, it has drawn quite a crowd- there’s a sea of bodies both in the water and on the bank, girls clad in skimpy bikinis and cutoff shorts and guys outfitted in nothing but board shorts showing off their muscular chests. The water in the swimming hole is cold, but nobody that’s swimming seems to mind as they splash abou