by Leia Stone
I just curled into him, naked, fragile, scared.
He put his hand out to my wolf as if he were calling a dog. Then my wolf walked forward and I looked down to see my furry paws. I was back in her perspective and it was as easy as blinking.
“Sawyer!” The male voice was closer now, and it was followed by another voice and another. It must be his guards looking for him. He was basically royalty.
My wolf leaned forward and smelled his hand.
The second I got close, his hand snaked out and grabbed my wolf by the scruff, pulling me up to meet his gaze, his eyes sharpened.
“Shift. Back. Now. Or they’ll kill you both,” he growled, alpha power pressing down on my body at his command.
Pain sliced along my tailbone and the heat was back. It felt like I’d just been sucked into a vacuum; there was pressure all around me as a force slammed into my back, like I’d been hit with a baseball bat, then my eyelids snapped open and Sawyer was looking at me with relief. Bringing my hands up to my face, I saw that they were human.
“Sawyer!” a man yelled as Sawyer pulled me up and tucked me behind his back to shield me from view.
Just then, Brandon from the van ride earlier, along with Walsh, stepped into the clearing, holding guns at their sides. The giant lead guard, Eugene, stepped up right behind them.
They took one look at me, naked and hiding behind Sawyer, who had his shirt off, and then gave us their backs, cheeks flaming red.
One of the guards mumbled, “We heard a wolf howl, it sounded like it was in distress … we thought you were…”
“I’m fine. We went for a run.” His voice cracked. “Give us a moment,” he commanded and they immediately began to walk away.
“Get dressed,” he called to me, keeping his back to me, as if he didn’t just see me freaking naked. Oh my God, I wanted to die right now. My hands shook as I slipped into my panties and bra, then put my shirt over my head and zipped my shorts up.
I didn’t know a ton about werewolves, but I knew enough to know what just happened wasn’t fucking normal. Like … at all.
When I was finally dressed, I just cleared my throat and he turned around. I couldn’t meet his eyes, I was so … embarrassed, horrified, scared.
Reaching out, he grasped my chin in his warm fingers and tipped it up to meet his piercing blue eyes.
“Don’t tell anyone what just happened. Your life depends on it, you understand?”
My life?
Oh God.
Tears filled my eyes and I nodded.
“No one,” he pressed. “Not your parents, not Sage, no one. And don’t shift again, not without me there.”
I swallowed hard. “What … was that?”
He sighed, releasing my chin, and ran his hands through his hair. “Give me time to look into this.” But I could see it in his face … he knew. He knew something and wasn’t telling me.
“Sawyer. What am I?” My voice was firmer this time and I could see the pity in his eyes.
He tucked a lock of blond hair behind my ear, looking sad, like he’d just received bad news. “You’re amazing.”
That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear him tell me how the hell my wolf and I just split in two. I never should have come back here. Was it too late to rewind the last few hours and go back to my old life? Because clearly this was a mistake…
I tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping. I kept dreaming of my wolf and human, lying five feet apart from each other. Then I remembered Sawyer saying my life depended on no one finding out what I was, and I woke up panting, covered in sweat. This happened over a dozen times throughout the night until finally I awoke to my alarm blaring near my head.
My first waking thought was Sawyer saying, “You’re amazing.”
I sighed, hugging my knees as I buried my head between my legs.
He saw me naked. For some reason that was the sticking point from last night. Screw the fact that I was some kind of freak split shifter.
Sawyer. Hudson. Saw. Me. Naked.
“Rise and shine, bitch!” I recognized Sage’s voice from behind my door. I groaned, shuffling over to the door and wrenching it open. She held two cups of to-go coffee, and after looking me up and down, winced. “Bad night? You look like shit, and the first meet and greet gala is tonight.”
Screw the gala! I wanted to scream at her. I’m a split shifting freak and Sawyer saw me naked!
She handed me the coffee and I chugged it. Warm sweet liquid rushed down my throat and I pulled my shit together. Everything was going to be fine. I just wouldn’t shift anymore, I didn’t shift for over twenty years and I survived life okay…
Only now I was living with a wolf pack and I wasn’t known for keeping my temper in check.
But whatever, everything would be fine.
A grin pulled across her face when I didn’t say anything. “So you’re not gonna tell me your little secret?”
My heart leapt into my throat and I swallowed hard. “What?”
She waved me off, pushing her way inside. “Brandon texted me this morning that he caught you and my cousin naked in the woods last night! You little slut.”
Relief washed through me as heat flared in my cheeks. “He was helping me shift for the first time. I ran into him randomly.”
And he was super sweet and understanding about the whole thing.
She winked. “I love it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to jump in the shower. I’ll be ready in five, you can wait on the couch if you want.” I gestured for her to sit, actually excited that she thought we were good enough of new friends to come over in the morning before my first class.
She nodded. “I’ll pick out your outfit. You might see Sawyer at breakfast.”
My eyes widened.
Sawyer.
Last night.
There was no way he would pick me for anything now. He was probably regretting bringing me here in the first place. I absolutely prayed I never saw him again.
After a quick shower in which I somehow shaved, brushed my teeth, and washed my hair in four minutes, I came out to see a clothing bomb had exploded on my bed.
Sage had curated a pretty badass outfit that was totally my style. Light-wash ripped jean shorts, black vintage soft tee, and studded leather backpack purse. There was even a black leather studded headband to match.
“You need to wear the heels or this is just too grungy.” Sage pointed to a pair of black studded stiletto boots that weren’t mine.
I shook my head. “Then I guess I’m grungy,” I said as I slipped into my white Converse knockoffs that I scored at the goodwill. They were so comfortable and I just couldn’t deal with breaking my neck today on top of all the other drama.
Sage rolled her eyes. “Fine, but obviously heels for the gala?”
I shrugged. “Definitely a dress.”
Sage grinned, and in that moment I could see her resemblance to Sawyer. “I hope my cousin picks you. My aunt and uncle will have a heart attack.”
“Gee, thanks.” I grabbed my brush and ran it through my long damp hair. “Trust me. This is a charity case, and after last night he won’t be picking me.”
Sage took the brush from me and started to detangle the back while I threw on lip gloss and mascara.
“Keep telling yourself that. If anything, last night sealed the deal.”
Her words stayed with me all the way to the dining hall. Last night had been intense, the way Sawyer grabbed the scruff of my wolf’s neck and commanded her to shift. I’d felt the alpha power wash over me, something he and his father both had. I trusted him. I could tell he was trying to protect me. He’d said he was going to look into this, but something told me he already knew what it all meant, he knew how I could shift like that but he wouldn’t tell me, which meant it was really bad.
We waited in the food line and I grabbed an omelet and some toast. All of the food was really fancy, buffet style, and at the end of the line I just swiped my little keycard
and it was paid for.
So weird.
When we were done, Sage scanned the tables and that’s when I saw him.
Sawyer.
Sitting with Meredith.
Eugene was standing a few feet from the table, and a line of five or six girls had lined up behind him, writing their name on a clipboard.
Oh my God. Were they … lining up to eat with him?
“That’s disgusting,” I observed as Sage started to weave through the tables.
She followed my gaze. “Oh, get used to it. Sawyer needs to pick a wife by the end of the year or he can’t inherit the alpha position.”
My eyes widened. “Really? They force him to get married?”
Sage shrugged. “They strongly encourage him to pick a mate who will bear strong children.” She winked.
Gross. What a weird society, but clearly, from the looks of the other girls waiting to have five minutes with him, it was totally normal. I wondered if I’d grown up here, if I would think it was normal too.
I realized too late that she was heading for their table.
“No, I don’t want to—”
Sawyer looked up from his conversation with Meredith and saw me walking behind Sage. His eyes roamed up and down my body and my cheeks warmed. Sage plopped her tray right next to Meredith and took a seat.
“Hey, cuz.” She pulled a piece of fruit from his plate and popped it in her mouth. He reached over and used his hand to rough up her hair, which caused her to growl and swat at him.
Meredith looked at Sage with annoyance. “Still acting like you guys are twelve, I see.” I stood there like an idiot, clutching my tray and looking for an open seat at another table when he spoke.
“Demi, sit next to me.” Sawyer patted the open bench beside him and Meredith froze. Her back was to me, and I didn’t think she realized I was there.
Not wanting to make a scene, I strode forward, passed the line of girls who now wanted to murder me, and set my tray next to Sawyer.
“Sleep okay?” He looked over at me as he chewed on a piece of bacon. His dark hair was slicked into a perfect quaff and he looked freshly shaven.
No. Not at all. You saw me naked and I’m a freak. “Yeah.” My voice cracked as I nervously picked up a piece of toast.
“Carbs?” Meredith asked as she watched me take a bite of the bread. “Someone doesn’t want to fit into their gala dress,” she said with a snicker.
Fur rippled down my arms, then Sawyer’s hand snaked out under the table and clenched my bare thigh, immediately subduing my wolf.
Holy shit, I almost shifted.
I was so used to having those cuffs on and having to push my wolf out so hard that I nearly shifted from a stupid comment. I needed to get myself under control.
Meredith looked at my once hairy arms and rolled her eyes. “She’s like a wolf pup who can’t control herself.”
“So,” Sage interrupted, looking right at Sawyer. “I heard you two were found naked in the woods together last night?” Sage looked from Sawyer to me, grinning, and caused Meredith’s mouth to pop open in shock.
“Sage,” Sawyer growled, but was that a grin on his lips?
Meredith stood. “I think my five minutes is up. See you tonight, Sawyer.” Then she waltzed off, leaving her tray, and swished her hips across the room.
He released his hand from my thigh and I found that I was sad to see it go, before rubbing his temples. “What did I ever see in that woman?”
“Nice boobs? Looks good in a bikini?” Sage offered, and Sawyer pinned her with a glare.
“Thousands of dollars in etiquette classes and you say the most shocking things,” he commented.
I relaxed a little now that Darth Vader was gone.
“So, Demi, what major are you taking?” Sawyer turned to me and I realized that he’d seen me naked but knew nothing about me. My eyes scanned over his perfect face. Dark hair and searing blue eyes were my kryptonite.
“Well, I wanted photography, but apparently that doesn’t make good wife material? So I am only minoring in it and majoring in business.” I dug into my second piece of buttered toast.
Sage grinned. “This is why I like her. She tells it like it is.”
Sawyer frowned, his brows drawing together. “They told you what to major in?”
I nodded. “I also got signed up for etiquette classes for asking how much the school tuition would cost me.”
Sage snort-laughed and Sawyer’s frown deepened. “Shit. I’m sorry. I should have told you more before bringing you here.” There was genuine regret in his voice, which I thought was sweet.
I shrugged. “Better than where I was.”
Silence descended on the table as he no doubt thought about seeing me at Delphi. I remembered the desperate scream as I’d howled, not able to shift into my wolf. But now that I was free, I couldn’t shift for other reasons.
Sawyer looked sideways at me. “Photography, huh? Can I see any of your work? Do you have a portfolio?”
Nerves gnawed at my gut. “I mean, nothing professional, but I’m on Insta.”
“Sawyer doesn’t do social media,” Sage interrupted before she shoved more food into her mouth, watching us playfully.
Sawyer glared at his cousin before turning back to me. “What’s your name there?”
Oh my God, was he going to look at my pictures? That felt … weird. Even though my profile was public and I obviously had followers who looked at them…
“WolfGirl underscore four.”
He dipped his head, then popped a final piece of food into his mouth. “I’ll see you tonight. At the gala?” He looked longingly at me and I nodded, swallowing hard.
He got up and left and the line of girls frowned, looking at Sage and I with death glares.
“Holy sexual chemistry, Batman!” Sage stared at me wide-eyed. “My cousin totally likes you.”
I shook my head. “Please, he was just being nice.”
My phone dinged and I looked down, my heart leaping into my throat.
WolfDude_4 is following you.
My eyes widened at the name, a direct opposite of mine.
With a shaky hand, I clicked on the profile. He had one picture. A grin spread across my face when I saw the white sneakers under the cafeteria table, ankles crossed. My sneakers. He snuck a picture of my shoes when I wasn’t looking and made a profile on Instagram just to follow me.
My mouth went dry when I realized that Sawyer might actually like me and that I might actually be in the running for Werewolf Bachelor. Against all these Barbies…
“I’ve never seen him like this.” Sage startled me and I didn’t realize she was looking over my shoulder.
I closed the app, and shrugged. “He had to make a profile in order to see my portfolio. Maybe he likes photography.”
She grinned. “First of all, your profile is public, you don’t need to make an account to see it. Secondly, he’s pre-med, he loves science and numbers and thinks art is a waste of time.”
Ouch, I might have to change his mind on that. Before I could dwell on it further, my tablet started to ding, one chime after another; like an alarm, it kept beeping.
I scrambled to get it out of my bag. “What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s an alert. They won’t stop until you’ve read it and accept.” Sage looked over my shoulder as I pulled the tablet out and read the screen.
“Demi Calloway. Your major has been changed to Advanced Photography. Business has been dropped.”
Shock ripped through me…
Sage grinned. “Holy shit.”
Sawyer changed my major…
He knew I wouldn’t be good wife material with this major and he changed it anyway, knowing I loved it. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
My first two classes were amazing! My entire schedule was incredible, actually. I looked down at the tablet and scanned where my third class would be.
Demi Calloway: Advanced Ph
otography Major
1st Period: Introduction to Studio
2nd Period: Digital Production and Image Processing
3rd Period: Photography Basic Design
Lunch
4th Period: Conceptual Process and Photographic Expression
5th Period: Intro to Composition
6th Period: Etiquette Class for Ladies
I scowled at the last class. Well, my schedule was almost perfect. Looks like Sawyer couldn’t get me out of that one. Heading over to where the map said my basic design class was, I took the time to appreciate the Fine Arts building. It was different than the other sections of campus I’d been in, less modern glass and stainless steel and more rich woods and colorful walls. It was also pretty void of students. I was venturing to guess that not many women took arts majors while in a mating year, which suited me just fine. Not only were most of my classes full of males, so far there were fewer than ten students in each class, which would give me more time to pick the professors’ brains.
I stepped into Photography Basic Design with pep in my step. Taking full-time photography classes was pretty much my dream education. Maybe being here wouldn’t be so bad after all. I took a seat next to Sean, a new friend, and we chatted about our ideas for the end-of-year showcase project. Obviously, I had forever to plan, but my mind was already churning with ideas. Professor Woods stepped into the room and nodded to the six of us.
He opened his mouth to start the lesson when Sawyer waltzed into the room with an Intro to Photography book slung under his arm.
I froze.
The professor looked as shocked as I did. “Mr. Hudson, can I help you?”
Sawyer gave him a cool grin. “I added this class, if that’s okay?”
The professor shook himself, swiping through his tablet. “Of course. I didn’t know you liked photography.”
Sawyer scanned the room, eyes resting on me. “I’ve taken a sudden interest.”
My cheeks warmed, but I tried to play it cool, like he didn’t suddenly just become the most romantic man that ever existed.
He walked to the back of the room and took the seat behind me while my heart hammered in my throat.