Edge of Forever: The Death and Life of Analey Rose (The Immortal Souls Book 1)

by Patricia Galvan

  “You can smell him?”

  “Yes.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “He smelled of Pine and fresh mint mixed with some sort of cologne, not sure what brand.”

  “Oh, my god girl, do you think he is your mate?” shrieked Ann.

  “Stop being ridiculous you know that we cannot connect with mates until we turn eighteen.” I loved proving her wrong. “It is too early according to our genetics! That, and it could take a couple of hundred years for me to find him. There is no guarantee that at eighteen my mate will appear in front of me like POOF! Should I tell dad about this dream?” I asked nervously.

  “Definitely not! Unless of course, you want to be grounded for life. Especially if it was just one time. Plus, you want to live for a long time.”

  “Maybe, anyway we better get to Mr. Ryan's class before we are late,” I said, eager to change the subject.

  The walk across the parking lot was short as we reached the entrance to the school. There, leaning against the wall, was the future alpha of my pack. My best friend Asher stood at six feet tall. Some people say we looked like siblings, though that is not true because he was the alpha’s son.

  A general rule in my world, alphas cannot bear female children. I heard it was because of some genetic defect or something. Any other male can produce daughters. Another rule that is absolute states we cannot bite a human.

  According to the council, our population boomed over the last century, nearly causing the extinction of the human-race. In-order to save them they established that rule; our only way for survival was through mating and reproducing.

  “Cutting it close this morning ladies?” teased Asher. He was leaning up against a wall when Ann and I walked up. Ethan walked up beside us.

  “Good morning Ann, hey princess,” said Ethan with a wink in my direction. I smirked at his choice of nickname today.

  “Really Ash? It is too early to mess with me.” I paused long enough to look at his clothes. “Nice flannel, did you tire of red, so soon?” I joked leaving him with a scowl on his face and. Ethan snorted before laughing.

  “I think the blue suites him, why do you feel it necessary to tease him daily?” asked Ann as she looked behind us before rounding the corner.

  It was fun, I thought to myself. Asher was like a brother to me, so it just felt natural to tease him daily. The best part is he dishes right back, as if we were siblings.

  “C’mon that’s just how we are toward each other, it keeps us on our toes,” I said.

  “I guess, just sometimes I wish I could talk to him with confidence. Most of the time I feel confident and then when he comes into view, I just can’t speak,” she said with a sigh the rest of the walk was quiet.

  CHAPTER II

  Mr. Ryan’s classroom wasn’t like your average classroom where there are some occasional literature posters here and there. His classroom looked like a college football stadium. Even though we live in South Carolina, that didn’t seem to have stopped Mr. Ryan from being a die-hard Wolverines fan.

  He had University of Michigan posters and pictures all over the room. Which, to be honest, is a nice break from the average joe classroom. He does have a few Scooby Doo posters near the door, which is cool because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love Scooby?

  My favorite thing was the green alien head he had sitting on his desk. It was usually filled with jolly ranchers or tootsie rolls. During my sophomore year, his classroom was voted as the one having the most school spirit.

  I settled into my desk quietly. Ann kept eyeing me with a grin. All I could do was resist the urge to kick her and roll my eyes. The classroom filled up within minutes as the bell rang for next period.

  “Good morning students hope you all had a weekend full of reading as I have decided on your next book report. This time you will be reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. Quentin, can you hand out the books? Heather will you hand out the rubrics?” Said Mr. Ryan.

  “This really sucks, I don’t want another book report,” said Ann in a hushed tone.

  “I for one think book reports should have stayed in Middle School,” said Ciara. A cool, reserved human girl who we share many classes with.

  Back in fourth grade, she use to sit alone until Ann, with her big heart, asked her to join us for lunch one day. Long story short she’s been around ever since.

  Of course, she is the only human who knows what we truly are. Until a few years ago, no human knew that our kind existed. Ciara was apparently a sight for a rogue who should have approached her as a human instead of his wolf. Long story short I shifted in front of her to save her life and killed the rogue.

  Basically, I had no choice but to explain what I was. So, now she knows of our existence, but I’ve refused to turn her. We have laws I cannot bite her just because she requests it.

  We protect this town and its people with our lives; it was what helped keep us separated from our beast side.

  “School has many things I dislike, but English is my favorite subject. Hard to explain, but being lost in a book can be enriching,” I said.

  “That still comes as a shock to me. Aside from this class you have very little concern with school and its subjects. Not to mention the fact you are a magnet for trouble,” teased Ann.

  Heather sat in the seat to my left before I could protest to Ann. She leaned in and spoke in a voice lower than a whisper, “Ann, I agree. Homework is irrelevant, training is our focus. Our pack owns most of the businesses in town. I have no intentions of going to college after we graduate, not even the community college in the next town over.”

  Heather was a packmate and a friend to Ann and me. She was very blunt and creative, but some say she’s a slacker. Granted yes, she is very carefree about school, more so than myself.

  If ever in a fight, she was someone I could count on. Besides, she was my own personal music guru; looking for new bands or genres, she was the go-to girl.

  “My parents expect me to take over the business, which is where my duty lies here with the pack,” Heather said as she rested her head on her arms over her desk.

  “I want to go to school for fashion design, or maybe cosmetology. Then, of course, start a business here,” said Ann.

  “Okay you two, can we discuss this later? I just want to get through the day without detention or a headache.” With my hands, I began to massage my temples.

  “Easy for you to say. A girl with your looks, strength, and confidence, I bet you will be mated to an alpha,” said Heather.

  “Hey, wait Autumn and I are twins so we both have good looks,” protested Ann.

  “Wake up and smell the roses you might be twins, but you don’t look alike. Honestly, Autumn looks like she could pass being related to Asher rather than you,” Heather said with annoyance.

  Usually I seem to be the one getting worked up over nothing, but Ann had taken my place today.

  “Excuse you, but not all twins are identical,” she protested.

  “Whoa feisty pants, calm down. First, there is a chance my mate won’t be an alpha. Second, most wolves don’t find one another right after their Awakening. What if I don’t mate for a long time?” I asked. “I have dreams to become a writer someday. Lastly, my hair color might match Asher’s, but it is impossible for alphas to have female children,” I said with a hint of a smile.

  “A mate who is not an alpha! That is a joke!” laughed Heather.

  “She has a point sis. You do hold an alpha persona,” added Ann.

  “Aside from the obvious fact that you aren’t Reuben’s kin and the fact what Ann just said is all true. I know you feel different than the rest of the females in the pack,” Heather said with confidence.

  “That and she can talk to anyone bending their will. They would walk off a bridge if she asked. How confident she is with Asher without being afraid of consequences,” agreed Ann.

  “Ok whatever, you are crazy. To be clear I am nowhere near equivalent to that of an alpha. Second, picking on Asher just comes naturally. He ma
kes it too easy with his choice of clothing,” I said.

  “Here’s another fact, most wolves do not learn control until their eleventh year, whereas you mastered it by eight,” gloated Heather, as if she’d proven her point.

  “I remember that. You had the option to go to public school early, but chose to homeschool until the rest of us caught up,” said Ann.

  “Big deal, I had to do more training sessions to stay home with all of you guys,” I said defensively. Having them point out my freak accomplishments bothered me, considering our primitive nature.

  “Not to mention I had to do one on one with alpha several times a week. Half the time I felt like my body was dying. It was brutal; he is a tough trainer. It’s second nature like I am on autopilot. Now if you don’t mind, can we talk about this later?” With that, they both turned their attention on Mr. Ryan.

  Mr. Ryan focused his attention on Isaac and Travis, other kids in my pack. They were getting rowdy in the back of the classroom.

  I live with my father, who was Beta of the North Bank pack. It is one of the three largest packs here in North America. We resided in a small town in South Carolina, where I attend Union High with Ann.

  After class, Ciara grabs my arm. “What were you ladies gossiping about? Just being honest, feeling a tad left out here. Is the town in trouble?” she asked eyes widening in fear.

  “Ciara, relax, we were just gossiping. I know that my kind recently came out to the world like five years ago. Keep in mind we are just like you and the rest of the humans. We gossip, shop, and, no, we do not prey on humans for their hearts. I can eat normal food just like you, ok? There is no need to fear my kind.”

  “I can’t help it. It’s just human nature to have concerns regarding something that you know isn’t normal to the human mind.”

  “I get it. Trust me, I do. Would it help to clear up some myths about my kind?” I asked.

  She nodded we walked into the nearest bathroom. I checked the stalls making sure we were alone. Satisfied I jumped up on the counter, my legs swaying back and forth as I took a deep breath.

  “Yes, we do communicate with each other with our minds. It is called mind-link. We can only do that among our own pack while in a different form. However, alphas can use mind-link with other packs.” I paused to let her mind process what I said. She was awed by my words, so I continued.

  “Let’s see, the full moon does influence us, however, we do not force shift during it. Silver does not hurt.” It takes a while to heal from silver. Although any bullet to the head or heart will kill werewolves.

  That myth always blew my mind. Though I did not feel comfortable saying this to Ciara just because we “came out of the woods” and humans knowing about us didn’t mean I would spill all of our secrets.

  “No, we are not immortal. However, if we continue to shift into our wolves after maturity then longevity kicks in putting us in a state of virtual immortality. Any questions so far?”

  Ciara nodded her head yes before speaking, “Does anything hurt you? Like Wolfsbane or whatever it’s called?” I was in momentary shock; I forgot that a lot of movies and books use that in our lore, so of course she would bring it up. I just shook my head no with a little bit of a dumb expression across my face.

  The truth is yes, it messes with our senses, transformation and can slow us down for a while. Again, she did not need to know that. It wasn’t uncommon for us to use a drop of bane in alcoholic beverages.

  Why? Well it helps muffle our supernatural side, so the alcohol stayed in our blood longer, allowing us to get buzzed. “Any other questions?”

  She was silent for a moment; I could hear her heartbeat quicken. Oh boy this was going to be a good question. “Yes, I was-I was um. How big are your um you-know wolves?”

  “Our wolves are larger than today’s gray wolf. Although if compared in height we stand on all fours at a hundred and fifty-five centimeters.”

  “So, I guess that's it for now on the facts about me and my kind. Shall we leave the bathroom now?” With one last nod from her I jumped down from the sink and left her to her thoughts.

  Ciara and I walked up to my locker, with Ann not far behind. “Who is excited about Half-Moon Bar now letting in minors once a week?” shrieked Ciara.

  “I am going clubbing under the age of eighteen makes me feel like a rebel,” said Ann with a cheeky grin. I rolled my eyes. Clubs and dancing never seemed to pique my interests, so I never bothered with them. Yet, that hasn’t deterred me from obtaining a fake ID.

  “Autumn don’t roll your eyes, because this weekend we are having a girl’s night out!” demanded Ann as she quickly put it in her phone’s calendar. I just chuckled she was our personal event planner.

  The three of us walked to our cars, Ciara unlocked the door to her girlish convertible Volkswagen Beetle. We then parted ways and got into my truck.

  After a ten-minute drive we arrived at the pack-house. Also known as the Rendlog, it was built many centuries earlier, made up of mostly stone.

  There, I lived alongside Ann and our parents, Cameron and Elizabeth. The original structure was log; you can see the front door area was still made of the original. This was like a headquarters for our entire pack.

  I ran up the cobblestone pathway, past the flower beds on each side. Once inside, I took off my shoes, adding them to the pile on the racks lining the front room.

  Throwing my jacket on one of the many hooks attached to the wall, I took a few steps forward. There, I stopped at the hallway leading straight into an open and inviting living area. To the left is the kitchen. The living area was designed for comfort, with two fireplaces and one large flat screen T.V. Several couches and recliners. On the right were stairs that went up to the second floor and down to the basement.

  Ann and I headed upstairs to get ready for pack training. Once dressed, we met up with Heather in the living room. We walked out to the courtyard where the pack gathered around Beta Cameron.

  He was going over the training plans and dividing us up into teams. Heather ran to stand beside Quentin, another kid in the pack. While Ann and I were teamed with Asher and Ethan, she looked at me and grinned.

  “What now?”

  “Oh, you know I was wondering if I could get paired with Asher?” Ann asked nervously.

  “I guess, but that puts me with McCoy then,” I said with a sigh, she chuckled.

  “Sis, you are the best,” she said with a quick hug. I couldn’t help but smile; her shyness towards Asher was nauseatingly cute.

  Leaving Ann behind, I began looking around for Asher. Spotting him, I walked towards where he and Ethan are sparring off with one another.

  Ethan’s tall like most guys in our pack athletic body, shaggy hair. Big warm eyes and a young boyish face turned to face me as I approached. A slight smile crossing his face. A split second later, Ash looks at me “What's up Autumn?” he asked.

  “Nothing, just need a break from Ann. Mind trading partners?” I asked. Ann would kill me if I told Asher the reason behind the switch, I thought to myself.

  Looking a little puzzled for a moment, he replied, “Not at all, just go easy on Ethan. We know how you can get” he laughed then headed towards Ann.

  Ethan looked at me before he spoke, “Sorry, Autumn. I never go easy on my opponent.”

  “Good because it wouldn’t look good if you went easy on me. You can’t be the best if you are not pushed to win fairly,” I said in a teasing tone.

  “Let's go, princess. Think running would be less painful than getting your butt kicked sparring?” he said.

  “Is that a challenge I hear?” I asked as he laughed.

  “So, want to make things interesting sweet thing, like a bet on who’s the fastest in the pack?” chuckled Ethan. I moved to look at him before responding.

  “One, stop calling me sweet thing. Two, why running? Are you afraid I might ruin your pretty face sparring?”

  “You think my face is pretty huh?” Ethan laughed, the noise rumbling in his c
hest.

  “Very funny, can you be serious for one minute? What is the wager?” I asked with sass as I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Ethan paused intently for a moment before speaking, “Well what is it you want?”

  “Depends. What do you expect to gain from this?” I asked.

  He grinned mischievously “You already know what I want.”

  Stumped, I thought about it for a minute, “How about when I win, you will owe me a favor, at any time and for anything.”

  He looked me up and down for a moment, drinking in my body. Then, he took a deep breath before he spoke, “When I win, I want to take you out on a date. A real one-on-one date.” Ethan seemed nervous.

  “Wait, what?! No-sorry. That’s not going to happen,” I said sternly. A hint of rejection skinned across his face, only for a brief moment.

  “Do I take this as you backing out Autumn? Are you afraid that you are going to lose?” he said.

  “Ha! Never in your wildest dreams will I back down from you.”

  A devilish grin crossed his face as he held out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”

  It was so, on, I thought! I grabbed his hand and shook it with confidence, “You are going down, Ethan McCoy!”

  “I love how feisty you get when you want something,” he teased.

  Heading towards my gym bag, I open it grabbed out the armband for my phone. Pulling it up my left arm, I tried to ignore his last comment. Plugging in my headphones, I scrolled through my music trying to decide on a playlist.

  Scanning across the screen is Face Everything and Rise. I hit play and cranked up the volume. “You know, Ethan, you’re a nice guy, and you know what they say about nice guys?” I teased as he laughed.

  Putting my buds in my ears, I looked at Ethan giving him a nod that signaled ready. He lifted his hand up then whipped it down. After the signal, we both took off running.

  Focusing on my feet hitting the earth with force, as the beat of the music is thrummed in my ears, I glanced over quickly at Ethan; he seemed focused on the trail ahead, not meeting my eyes.