Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One

by Wendi Wilson

  “What the hell?”

  Her butt was still round, but more narrow and compact. Her hips still swelled out gently, but not nearly as wide as before. Her thighs, though nowhere near having any kind of gap, were narrower as well. Her calves looked muscular and defined.

  “Huh. I guess all that working out really did a number on me.”

  She turned this way and that, checking herself out from different angles, before realizing the time and dashing to her closet to find something, anything, to wear. After discarding all the jeans, which were too big, and all the yoga pants, which would just be embarrassing, she settled on a black elastic-waist skirt that fell to mid-thigh. She added to that a fitted button down pink shirt that, even though it was too big on her now, looked decent enough to wear to school. She finished the look with a pair of black sling back sandals.

  Melanie ran into the bathroom and threw her wet hair into a high ponytail. After putting on some mascara and lip gloss, she flipped off the light and ran downstairs, completely forgetting her daily “you are beautiful” mantra. She grabbed her backpack and yelled goodbye to her mom before running out the door to wait for Tara.

  “Perfect timing,” she said aloud as she pulled the door closed and turned to see Tara’s car pulling into the driveway.

  The car stopped with a screech and Tara jumped out before Melanie made it even half way to the driveway. She stood there, hanging on to the car door like a lifeline, staring at Melanie with her mouth hanging wide open.

  “What is it?” Melanie asked looking down and checking herself out. “Did I drip toothpaste on my shirt?”

  “Are you sick?”

  “Thanks a lot. Do I look sick or something?”

  “Yes. I mean, no. I mean, you look amazing.”

  “Then why did you ask if I was sick?” Melanie asked skeptically.

  Tara came around the car door and walked up to Melanie. She looked her up and down, then circled around behind her and smacked her on the butt.

  “You are, like, half the size you were last week! I thought maybe you had a stomach bug and couldn’t eat or something, but you look healthy to me. Your skin is glowing and you don’t look tired or anything. What the hell, Mel?”

  “I didn’t get plastic surgery, if that’s what you’re asking, hussy. I started working out on my mini vacation.”

  “Mel, that’s great, but to see results this fast? That’s magical.”

  “Alright, stop checking out my ass and let’s go before we’re late.”

  After they got in the car, Tara froze while putting the key in the ignition and glanced at her. Melanie arched an eyebrow and waited for her to speak.

  “You didn’t do this to make Jeremy jealous or something like that, did you?”

  Melanie shook her head sadly. “No, I didn’t. Besides, Jeremy loved me just the way I was.”

  “And you loved him, too?”

  “Yes, I did. I am going to get past this, Tara, starting today.”

  They were silent the rest of the way to school. Melanie was going over the details of her plan in her head, and Tara knew not to try and make small talk.

  First things, first. She had to tell Jeremy the truth without letting Mr. Hughes know that they weren’t fighting anymore. He could be watching her at any time, waiting for her to go to Jeremy so he could hurt him. Luckily, she knew just how to get around that.

  She told Tara to go ahead and that she’d lock up the car when she got out. When she was alone she pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote a short note that no one would understand but Jeremy.

  “I need Ace, and only him. He should come by today after school, so don’t bother showing up, Jeremy.”

  She folded it up tightly and held it in her hand as she exited the car. She knew Jeremy would understand, and that if Mr. Hughes somehow saw her give it to him and got his hands on it, he wouldn’t get it. He would think she was rubbing some new imaginary boyfriend in Jeremy’s face to keep him safe.

  A smile tugged at her lips as she walked toward the front entrance of the building. A shrill whistle rang out that jerked her out of her daydream. She stopped walking and glanced around. There were students crowded in groups all around her, and it seemed like all eyes were focused on her. Tara popped up in front of her out of nowhere, grabbed her hand and dragged her inside.

  “What was all that about?”

  “I told you, Mel. You look amazing,” Tara said with a grin.

  “It’s not that noticeable, is it? I don’t think I’ve gotten that much smaller.”

  “Uh, yeah, it is. Not only are you wearing a skirt to school, which by the way, is the first time ever, but you are walking with your head held high and your shoulders thrown back. It’s the confidence, Mel. If nothing else, the change in your body brought out this confidence that wasn’t there before. People can see it.”

  Melanie gave Tara a quick hug. She could have said “You’re not fat anymore, so now you’re beautiful,” but she didn’t. She said the most perfect thing she could have.

  “I love you, Tara.”

  “Love you too, Mel.”

  Melanie walked to first period, trying to ignore all the staring. She made the best of it though, smiling at everyone she made eye contact with. She wasn’t going to let the attention get to her.

  Geez, I don’t look that different. You’d think I had two heads, or something. She took a deep breath and strode forward. Looks like I’m going to have to get used it, she thought.

  Melanie walked to the doorway of English and stopped just outside the threshold. One glance around the room showed her that Jeremy wasn’t there yet, and that there were only two empty desks left, hers, and his normal seat right behind her. She smiled in satisfaction for a moment, then she noticed the silence.

  All eyes in the classroom were on her as she crossed into the room and headed for her seat. As she approached Sissy, she heard her harrumph and sneeze/cough something that sounded like “liposuction.” Her little gaggle of friends tittered around her until Melanie stopped in her tracks right in front of Sissy and pumped her arm back. Thinking she was going to get another slap to the face, Sissy squealed and covered her head with her arms. Melanie just laughed softly and continued on to her desk.

  As she turned and sat down, she caught Mr. Hughes’ eyes on her. He looked surprised and possibly even a little disappointed in her new look. Melanie smiled inwardly, careful not to show him any emotion. She never even considered what her toned up body would mean to him and his desire for her. She only thought of protecting herself. Mr. Hughes liked her chubby. Maybe he wouldn’t want her now.

  Her train of thought was interrupted when Jeremy Stevens walked through the door and froze. He looked at her incredulously, and she got a little twitchy and unnerved by his perusal. She didn’t let anything but disgust show on her face, for she could see Mr. Hughes still staring at her from the corner of her eye. Both of them seemed to snap out of it at once, Jeremy shaking his head to clear it and walking forward and Mr. Hughes addressing the class and starting to call the roll.

  When Jeremy sat down behind her, Melanie stretched and scratched the back of her head, dropping the note on his desk in the process. She heard the paper crackle when he grabbed it, and again when he unfolded it. She heard his sharp intake of breath when he read it and another when a loud voice rang out from the front of the room.

  “Mr. Stevens! Please bring that to me. There will be no passing of notes in my class, Miss Johnson.”

  Jeremy got up and walked to his desk, dropped the note and turned to walk back. He caught Melanie’s eye and gave a slight nod. She narrowed her eyes and shot him the dirtiest look she could muster, knowing that all eyes, including Mr. Hughes’, were on them right now.

  Once Jeremy passed by, she shot her look back to the teacher. He read the note and shoved it into his desk drawer, but not before a smug smile pulled his lips up for a brief second.

  Yes! He bought it!

  He thought Melanie was reinforcing her break up
with Jeremy to keep him safe and away from her. He was in for a big surprise.

  Chapter 25

  When Tara dropped Melanie off after school, she ran around the house closing every curtain on every window. Then she ran up to her room and changed into her workout gear. She went into the back yard and ran laps, waiting for Ace to come to her.

  After about twenty five minutes, she got a creepy feeling that she was being watched. She stopped running and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath while scanning the woods.

  She still felt uneasy, so she stood up straight and tall and called out, “Who’s there? Come out and face me!”

  She snapped her mouth closed and gave herself a mental slap. Where the hell did that come from? I am so not into confrontations.

  Before she could make the decision of fight or flight, she heard a sharp whine and a black mass of fur came from behind a large pine tree and started toward her.

  “Ace!” she whispered happily as she dropped to her knees in the grass. “Come here, boy.”

  Ace took a few tentative steps out of the woods, but stopped and sat on his haunches several feet from where Melanie kneeled. He kept his nose pointed at the ground and looked up at her with sad eyes.

  Melanie closed the gap by walking on her knees toward him. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. He stayed where he was, but remained frozen, showing none of the exuberant affection she had come to expect from him.

  She kept her arms around his neck and whispered urgently into his big, floppy ear, “Jeremy, I’m sorry. I can explain everything, but not here. He could be watching.”

  Ace’s head jerked out of her embrace and sniffed the air around her. He got up and walked in circles around her, sniffing the ground and the trees that lined the yard. He came back and stood in front of her, giving a warning yip towards the woods, like he smelled something that didn’t belong.

  Melanie forced a giant-sized smile on her face, and as loudly as she could while still sounding natural, she said “Come on, boy. Let’s go get you something to eat.” She started walking toward the house and Ace ran stoically beside her.

  Once inside, she dropped all pretenses as she ran up to her room with Ace on her heels. He went straight into her closet and she shut the door behind him. This time, she remembered to leave some oversized sweat pants in there for him wear after he shifted.

  A few seconds later, he emerged and the sight of him took her breath away. Melanie took a step toward him with her arms outstretched. He took a quick step back and threw his hands up in front of him to stop her.

  “Wait, Mel. What the hell is going on? I thought you couldn’t handle what I was, but then you ask for ‘Ace’ to come see you? I need you to explain. Now.”

  “Okay, I will. Please sit down.” She gestured toward her bed, but Jeremy went to the desk instead and sat in the chair.

  “Okay, I’m ready. Tell me.”

  Melanie took a deep breath. “Last Monday, when you skipped school to go running with your parents, I got in trouble in English class. Mr. Hughes yelled at me and told me to stay after class. Then he caught me looking at my phone, at a text from you, and he confiscated it.”

  “But, what-”

  “Just bear with me, Jeremy. I’ll get there.”

  “Okay,” he said, then clamped his mouth shut and nodded for her to go on. She began to pace as she talked.

  “After class he was so angry, yelling at me about disrespecting him and looking at love notes from you instead of paying attention to him. He saw the texts from you and they made him very angry. Angry enough to mess up.”

  “What…”

  Melanie stopped pacing and held up her hand to cut him off. “He said that I will show him the proper respect from now on, and he used the words ‘Do you understand me, little girl?’ Jeremy, those are the same words from that night. The same words in the same voice. It was him.”

  Jeremy jumped up from his chair and reached her in two long strides as she started to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Mel? Why did you push me away?”

  “He got my number when he took my phone, Jeremy. He’s been texting me. He said he would break all your fingers if he ever saw you touch me again. He’s been watching me, watching us. That’s why I had to break things off so publicly and you had to believe it. I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

  Jeremy held her for a while longer until her tears subsided and her breathing returned to normal. He grasped her shoulders and pushed her back, holding her at arm’s length. “Let me see the text messages, Mel.”

  She went to her nightstand and grabbed her phone from where she had left it earlier. She pulled up the app and clicked on the conversation between her and Mr. Hughes. She hadn’t deleted anything, in the off chance there was something she could use to get him arrested.

  Jeremy’s face clouded over as he read. When he finished, he looked up at her angrily.

  “You should have told me, Mel! I could have helped you!”

  “Stop yelling at me!” she hollered back. “I was protecting you because I love you too much to let anything bad happen to you!”

  “I’m supposed to be protecting you!”

  “I can protect myself! If you haven’t noticed, just ask Sissy!”

  With that, the anger drained out of both of them immediately. Melanie bit her bottom lip to keep a smile at bay, but lost the battle as Jeremy started laughing. She joined in and they both ended up falling on the bed in a heap, wiping the tears of laughter from their eyes.

  “So,” Jeremy said, clearing his throat as he sobered, “you do still love me?”

  Melanie took his face into her hands and stared into his eyes. “Of course I do. Breaking up with you was a knee-jerk reaction. I felt like I had to do it to keep you safe.”

  “Almost killing me in the process,” he interjected.

  “I’m sorry, Jeremy. During my suspension, I did a lot of thinking and I think I came up with a plan. I need your help, but we can’t let Mr. Hughes know that we are back together, or even talking again. That’s why all the cloak and dagger stuff with you coming as Ace and not yourself.”

  Jeremy sat upright on the bed and pulled her up next to him. “I smelled something out there. I couldn’t place it exactly, but it smelled like someone was in the woods recently.”

  “It was probably him. You saw the text messages. He’s been following me in rented cars and watching me through windows.” She gave an involuntary shiver.

  Jeremy reached over and rubbed her upper arms, as if to drive the chill away. “Okay, I want to hear your plan, but first, I need to ask you something.”

  “Okay, shoot.”

  “Um, I don’t really know how to say this, other than just blurting it out. What happened to your body?”

  Melanie let out a choked laugh. “Don’t you like it?”

  “I mean, yeah, I do, but I loved it just as much the way it was before. What I meant is, I don’t know, how?”

  Melanie understood his question, but didn’t really have an answer for it. “I started working out over my mini vacation. I decided I needed to be able to protect myself if Mr. Hughes attacks me again. I’ve been lifting weights and running.”

  “Yeah, I saw you from the woods. I watched you run for several minutes, and you didn’t even seem winded.”

  “I built up some stamina, I guess.”

  “Well, you look great, but it’s more than that. You know I love the way you looked before, but there was something missing that you have now. It’s like you believe in yourself. I can actually see your strength coming out of the shadows. There’s a boost in confidence and your sense of self-worth. Whatever else it is, it’s sexy as hell, and it has nothing to do with what size your clothes are.”

  Melanie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him forward until their noses touched. She breathed in his scent as her eyes drifted closed.

  “Thank y
ou,” she whispered, then lifted her mouth to meet his in a long, desperate kiss.

  Her phone beeped several times and they broke apart. She groaned at the interruption, but pulled up the text messages.

  Unknown Caller- 912-555-8782

  “Who’s Ace?”

  “You better not be letting anyone else touch you, you little slut. You’re mine.”

  “I hope you don’t think that losing some weight is going to make me lose interest. I’m disappointed, but not deterred.”

  As she and Jeremy read the messages, another came through.

  “Answer me, damn it! I will kill him! Whoever this Ace is, he’s a dead man!”

  “I’ve got to text him back.”

  “No, don’t. Mel, just ignore him.”

  “He’s not going to go away, Jeremy. We’ll deal with this together, but I have to keep him calm for now.”

  “There is no Ace. I just made him up so Jeremy wouldn’t come by and make you angry. I was just protecting him,” she typed. Jeremy nodded, and she hit the send button.

  Five seconds later, she got a response.

  “Good girl. Keep that punk away from you, and I won’t have to hurt him. Soon you’ll be mine completely, and he won’t want you anymore. You and he will both see how perfect the two of us are together. A perfect match, just like I’ve always said.”

  Melanie shivered, then set her phone down on the nightstand. Jeremy wrapped his arms around her, comforting her without words, peppering her forehead and cheeks with light kisses.

  A while later, they were lying on their sides in Melanie’s bed facing each other. Melanie was tracing the curve of Jeremy’s face with her fingertips when she broke the silence.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  Jeremy leaned forward and pecked a kiss on her lips. “I missed you too. I felt like I couldn’t breathe when you broke things off between us, and I didn’t breathe again until I read your note today.”

  “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know…”

  He shushed her with a finger to her lips. “Hush, Mel. I understand. I wish you had handled things differently, but I know your heart was in the right place.”