Curves & Courage

by Christin Lovell

  CURVES & COURAGE

  A Future Alphas Title

  Christin Lovell

  ~*~

  Copyright © 2013 by Christin M Lovell

  Cover Images: Copyright ©:

  mhiser

  sushkonastya

  ~*~

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ~*~

  FUTURE ALPHAS

  Bold & Beautiful

  Curves & Courage

  ~*~

  CURVES & COURAGE

  ~*~

  Love is pure and blameless

  Yet it pushes you to be daring and dangerous

  Love takes courage and vigor

  Yet it pushes you to compromise and surrender

  Love brings happiness

  Yet after, it welcomes pain and sadness

  Love is but a tender flower

  With thorns ready to prick in disaster

  Love, yes love

  It’s more like a grey dove

  Pain, harrowing pain

  It’s an arduous disdain

  The two are closer friends than we thought to believe

  They are at the ready when the other leaves

  ~*~

  CURVES & COURAGE

  Chapter 1

  Sophie

  The first day in a new school was always hard, especially when it was never the actual first day. Since my dad went rogue over four years ago, we’d moved more times than I had digits for. I was used to it. That didn’t make it any easier though.

  Anxiety tightened my chest as I tugged the sleeves of my hoodie down into my palms. I balled my hands into fists around the fabric, my mini security blankets. I gazed ahead at the door. It took longer and longer to build my courage with each new school.

  Taking a deep breath, I exhaled long and slow, savoring my final moment of peace.

  Moving forward, I jerked the door open. My senses were immediately bombarded. My wolf abruptly was up and at attention, surveying her new territory.

  The halls were packed tighter than sardines in a can. I’m definitely not in Kansas anymore.

  There was a lingering dingy smell that had been there when I came to register the day before. It seemed uniquely linked to the school itself. I scented the ammonia from the cheap, diluted liquid cleaners. Cobwebs collected in the high corners that were swept away maybe once a year. With clusters of kids crammed together in the halls before class, laundry detergents mixed with fabric softeners that were muted beneath heavy spritzes of colognes, perfumes and body sprays. Lotions layered with scent enhancers danced with pheromones before the negative smells returned.

  I shoved my way through the cramped space towards my first class. The nauseating scent of sweat and a lack of deodorant from far too many students assaulted my nasal passages. I tried breathing through my mouth. The moment I tasted the awful musk, I snapped my mouth shut.

  Noises echoed throughout the halls, bouncing off the speckled, linoleum floors and the metal of the lockers; teens roughhousing, shouting and bantering emphatically amongst themselves. To half of them it was a contest to see who could be the most obnoxious it seemed.

  I clenched my fists tighter around my sleeves. I was never able to find my happy place in public; only at home, where I needed it most.

  My wolf cringed back, hunkering down low and deep within me. Poor girl. She’d started out feisty. We’d once been a magnificent duo, attuned and in perfect balance.

  That wasn’t the case anymore though. Not since my dad took us away from our pack, the only family we’d had since my mother died in a car accident a month after I was born. It wasn’t until we left that things went from bad to worse.

  There was safety in moving, at least initially. His guard was usually up in the beginning, ensuring that he played the role of a perfect, doting father. I knew within a week that would slip away, along with my hopes and dreams of him ever making a permanent change.

  Chapter 2

  Dominick

  “Hey, man, did you do the history homework?” Kris glanced sideways at me as we made our way through the busy school halls.

  “Let me guess, you didn’t?” I shook my head in dismay.

  “My dad had me training combat to cover your ass one day.” He prodded my shoulder with a single finger.

  I shrugged him off. “You could have just told him.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah right. My dad may be pack beta, but in our house, he’s alpha. He’s stubborn as shit and doesn’t budge.”

  “Better than living with the alpha.”

  “Nah. You’re dad’s not that bad.”

  “Doesn’t feel that way when he cracks the whip.”

  “He’s cool about it though. He’ll at least listen to your humdrum bullshit. My dad shuts me down the second I open my mouth.”

  I chuckled, picturing Swanson’s face turning red in the heat of the moment. He’s tall and lean; he has plenty of muscle, but not an overwhelming amount of definition. Everyone always underestimated him. That’s how he liked it though. He enjoyed the shock on their faces at his first pounce.

  The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Kris was the spitting image of his dad. The same sharp features, deep, dark eyes and thin lips. The only steadfast difference between him and his old man was the goatee his dad refused to shave off for the past five years.

  I stopped just outside the classroom door. “I’ll let you copy at lunch.”

  “Sweet! I owe you one.”

  I frowned at him. “Dude, cool it with the adjectives.” I rolled my neck and shoulders. I lowered my voice, dropping it to a growl of warning. “We’ve got reputations to uphold.” Inner city schools were brutal. You had to stay tough or get swallowed. As werewolves, it would be double the shame if the latter happened.

  ~*~

  First, second and third period passed without a hitch. It wasn’t until we got to fourth period, English, that my entire body strummed with awareness. Every hair stood on end; every one of my senses went berserk as she overwhelmed me. My wolf was on his toes, pushing towards my surface, anxious to get to her.

  My heart pounded in my chest; my pulse skipped erratically, unable to remain steady. I scanned the classroom. Disappointment clouded me when I realized she wasn’t here.

  She wasn’t here, but she was nearby.

  “Why does it look like you just got a whiff of my gym sock?” Kris leaned his head in closer as we rounded the third row of desks to our seats.

  “She’s coming,” I bit out through gritted teeth. Her scent invaded my lungs, straining my control, testing my restraint. Her aroma called to be on a supernatural level; her smell wielded my instincts, directing me straight to her.

  “Who is?”

  I dropped my book bag in my chair. “My mate.”

  He made a perfunctory sound, something between a gasp of shock and a shout of celebration.

  I didn’t check his expression for clarification. I moved for the door. I wasn’t going to miss her. Wolves waited all their lives for this moment. It was engrained in us. We sought this. Our purpose always revolved around our mate.

  Chapter 3

  Sophie

  My hands shook as I crossed my arms over my chest. I smelled him; I inhaled him. His aroma swarmed my lungs, enveloping my heart. It awoke emotions I wasn’t aware of. He called to me. I felt the lure to his path.

  My shy wolf roused, poking her head up towards my surface. Curiosity gave her courage.

  My mouth went dry; my head pounded as I turned the corner. I went over my schedule again in my head before checking the classroom
number nearest me. Dang it. I was on the right track. My gaze searched, but I couldn’t find an alternate route that might circle back around. That meant there was no way to avoid it. Unless I was going to skip fourth period, I would have to meet him.

  I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. My heart’s beat was fitful; my mind was muddled chaos. I idly wondered what he looked like.

  I opened my eyes, glancing down at my overstuffed curves. If nature paired based off appearances, then I was getting a chunky baboon for a mate.

  “Trying to avoid me?” His voice washed over me, a soothing yet intense lull.

  My breath hitched. I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. Swallowing, I slowly lifted my gaze. I winced at his flat abs. I couldn’t make out much through his shirt aside from an athletic frame. Dread seeped into my bones as I forced my eyes upwards to a strong jawline and further to lips that weren’t too big and weren’t too small, yet were alarmingly charming in a smirk and framed by dimples. Brown eyes sparkled down at me beneath a mane of light brown hair.

  Golden. God. My gut twisted. Nature dealt hard against him in pairing us.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but immediately snapped it shut. I didn’t trust myself in this moment. Somehow I would mess it up. My dad’s words were haunting me; they taunted me into silence.

  A single brow went up as he considered me. His smile didn’t falter. In fact, it grew. “Don’t tell me a cat has your tongue.” His dimples dotted inwards.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a break in the crowd. I surged forward, aiming to disappear as quickly as possible. I slipped into the correct classroom, scenting another wolf immediately. I hoped they wouldn’t approach me as I sought the far back corner desk; wolves were social animals though. No doubt they would seek me out if they were part of a pack.

  I sighed, collapsing into the chair. My heart pounded in my chest as I sent up a silent prayer; I was hoping I could evade my mate.

  No sooner had I sat down than he walked in, a scowl firmly on his face.

  I silently groaned, closing my eyes in defeat. Life never made it easy.

  Chapter 4

  Dominick

  “You find her?” Kris asked the second I crossed the threshold.

  I ignored him, focusing on her curvy figure in the back corner of the classroom. Something was wrong. No one ran from their mate. In fact, it was expected that they would claim each other within twenty-four hours of meeting.

  She curled into herself, her dark brown hair falling forward and blocking her face from my view. She’d revealed nothing to me in the hall. All I received was a momentary slip, a millisecond that allowed her surprise to show before she slid behind her mask.

  I saw nothing in her eyes. They were dark clouds of brown and grey that swirled and danced in their natural state, yet offered nothing more than the ominous storm clouds they appeared to be.

  Worn skinny jeans hugged her full frame perfectly. I’d got an amazing view of her ass as she walked away from me. She hid her upper body beneath an oversized dark grey hoodie though.

  My wolf roared within me. He wasn’t in love; he was pissed. We were future alphas. No one walked away from us, especially our significant other.

  The final bell rang and the teacher drew our attention to the front.

  She didn’t bother looking up. Seems my mate was rude and stubborn.

  I slinked into my chair. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to focus on whatever crap the teacher planned to dribble on about today. My mate was the most important thing to me; she always would be, whether she acknowledged my existence or not.

  Chapter 5

  Sophie

  The second the release bell rang, I split from my seat and raced out the door. I didn’t care about maintaining a human pace; I was more concerned about escaping him. My instincts told me he would be persistent. My gut said he wasn’t going to give up easily, which meant I would have to work hard to avoid him. That would be no easy feat. It meant denying myself, denying my wolf and denying Nature. It required me to go against everything the pack had impressed upon me.

  I had no choice though.

  I ambled towards the cafeteria. It was a mad house. Voices, shouting, music, fist pumping, sniffing, shoes scuffing…everything echoed. I heard their breaths, their heartbeats, their blood pumping. I heard rap music competing against theatrical tunes from another MP3 player. All of the noises were so distinct; they weren’t blending together in the large space full of metal, windows, and hard floors. It bounced. It slipped away before slamming back into my ear canal.

  I jumped as someone shoved me. I barely landed on my feet, even with my supernatural reflexes.

  “Watch it, fatty,” the boy called, tossing his chin up at me as he grimaced. His jeans hung low on his hips, barely slipping by the mandatory waistline requirement of the school. His baggy white t-shirt contrasted against the purple bandana poking out of his pocket. He seemed angry…at the world? He had the typical tough guy image I was quickly discovering as the norm in the city. It was be tough or get roughed essentially.

  Not wanting a fight on the first day, I held my tongue.

  “Hey, you, new girl.”

  I spun around to find a pale, slim boy with Clark Kent glasses and extremely curly brown hair puffing out in an Afro sitting at a table a few rows down from where I stood.

  “You can come sit with us if you want.”

  I glanced around, but seeing no other viable options, and wanting to avoid another shove, I strolled towards the table.

  The boy sat with a compartment container with each food item separated into their particular slots. I noticed the lid was labeled with the category of food appropriated for each space.

  “I’m Jayden.” He held out his hand.

  Contact. My throat tightened as I stared down at his hand. “Um, I’m Sophie.” My hand trembled as I took his.

  He closed around mine quickly, giving it a brief shake before releasing it. “You came from the country, didn’t you?” I watched as he reached into his book bag and took out an industrial size bottle of hand sanitizer. He angled it towards me. “Want some?”

  The alcohol stung my nasal passages, burning in my chest. I tried to hold my breath as I shook my head ‘no.’

  He squirted two globs in his hands, thoroughly coating his hands and forearms. “The longer you stand, the more aware of you they are. You should probably sit,” he advised, slipping the sanitizer back into his backpack.

  I plopped into a seat, setting my bag on the table in front of me. I clung to it, pulling it into my chest.

  And then I scented him.

  I closed my eyes, sighing. I wasn’t ready for my mate yet. I couldn’t handle a mate right now. Why couldn’t Nature wait another five years?

  “Rough first day?” Jayden asked.

  I suddenly realized I was being incredibly rude. “Um, it’s been…different.”

  He smiled easily. “That’s code for rough at this table.”

  I studied the Asian boy at the end; his hair was styled in a faux hawk, but that’s where his cool, edgy style ended. He was dressed in a button up shirt, khakis and had a face full of acne.

  The underweight girl beside him didn’t fair well either with old school metal braces and asthma based on the soft wheeze I heard in every breath she took.

  A chubby girl dropped her tray on the table across from Jayden. Raven black hair, black nail polish, black lipstick, a black hoodie, oversized black cargo pants and black boots made her ivory skin look stark and ghastly in comparison. She narrowed her eyes on me, a deep-set frown on her face.

  “She messin’ with you, Jay?” Her words were sharp, attitude in every syllable.

  “Relax, Heather. I invited her.” He slipped a green grape into his mouth, chewing eloquently.

  I listened as Heather’s pulse quickened. I caught the momentary slip in her dark eyes. Crap. She liked Jay…as more than a friend.

  “Sorry,” she clipped; I knew it was only said for Jayden
’s approval though.

  He gave her an approving smile across the table before turning to me. “So, Sophie, where did you move from?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but halted as his scent assaulted me. He’d found me.

  My heart hammered against my chest cavity. My wolf, my poor wolf, merely cocked her head, curious, but not overzealous in seeking him.

  Somehow, through the mangled sounds bouncing off the walls around me, I was able to locate him. He was coming up from behind me, from the long line at the front of the cafeteria. Somehow I just knew that was his heart pitter-pattering and his assured steps getting closer and closer.

  I chanced a glance over my shoulder; my breath caught as he glared at me, his powerful aura emanating off of him.

  Oh God. He’s an alpha. He’s a future alpha.

  I grabbed my book bag, standing abruptly. “Sorry, I’ve gotta go.”

  I didn’t bother looking back as I pushed my way through the throng of students; nasty words, derogatory names called after me, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get away from him.

  I wasn’t ready.

  I wasn’t ready for him.

  Chapter 6

  Dominick

  “Dammit!” I slammed my fist down on the table she’d just abandoned. Food flew up, splattering. Shit. “Sorry.” I walked away, rage burning inside me.

  She was hiding something. I didn’t know what, but I sensed it. She was running. You don’t run from your mate; you run to your mate.

  I stalked angrily towards Kris, my wolf growing stronger, more determined with each stride. The closer I got, the hotter our blood boiled. “Did you see that shit?” I growled.

  His brows drew together as he stared at the doorway. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. “Just give me your history homework and go after her.”

  “Are you kidding? After the stunt she pulled? Hell no. She’s going to have to come to me.”

  He neutralized his expression, meaning he was holding back a mouthful.

  I sighed. “Spill it.”

  “What kind of alpha abandons one of his own, especially his mate?”

  My features pinched as my wolf roared. I huffed, frustration weighing me down. “Fine,” I snapped. “It’s in my locker. 54-16-12.” I turned face and grudgingly set out in search of my mate.