The cold breeze wisps by us as we make our way to the doors. The music plays loudly as we make our way to the gym. Gage opens the door for me, and I walk in. Lilly comes running toward me. "Oh, my god. You guys are the cutest couple ever." She says.

"Thanks, Lilly," I say, and Gage just smiles. "I'll see you later," I tell her and wink, walking toward Laura and the rest of the gang.

"What's going on?" I ask. The girls explain that none of the boys want to dance. "Well, us girls want to dance, so we're going to head to the dance floor, and you boys can go do whatever boys do." I grab Laura's and Ashley's hands, and the rest of the girls follow.

As we start dancing, I notice some of the boys watching us from the sidelines. Maybe they'll change their minds and join in later. Either way, we're not going to let their lack of enthusiasm ruin our night.

☾

As the night continues, I feel strong arms wrap around my torso, and I smile. "Hmm, you like to tease, don't you?" He whispers as his body presses against mine, and we let the beat of the music flow through us. I can't help but laugh and continue dancing. The song changes, and they slow it down. He turns me around, pulling me close. I wrap my arms around his neck as his hands rub my lower back. We sway to the rhythm, lost in the moment. The world around us fades away, leaving only the two of us in our own little bubble of happiness.

Laura grabs my hand and apologises as the DJ plays 2000s R&B/hiphop. "Sorry," I mouth as she pulls me away from him. He puts his hands in his pocket, shakes his head, and walks back to where the boys are.

We finally take a break and head to the bar. I pull out my ID and show it to the bartender, and he asks what I would like—"Vodka." I smile. The girls and I chat as we drink. I watch as Gage is in conversation with his buddies. He looks over at me and smiles. I blush and put my head down, turning my attention back to the girls. I feel a kiss on the crevice of my neck and hear his voice.

"Sorry, ladies. But I need to steal her for a minute." Gage says as he grabs my hand. I feel a rush of excitement as Gage pulls me away from the group.

"Where are we going?" I say as he opens the doors leading to the hall. He continues walking, holding my hand, until he turns a corner. The hall is dark, leaving us out of sight of others.

"Right here." He backs me up against the wall. I feel his breath on my neck and his hand sliding down my arm. My heart races as he leans in for a kiss. His tongue parts our mouths as he presses against me. I can feel my body responding to his touch; my knees are growing weak as I melt into him. Every nerve in my body is on fire as we explore each other's passion, lost in the moment and consumed by desire. My fingers run through his hair as his lips move toward my neck. I let out a soft moan, my body craving more of him. The intensity of our connection leaves me breathless.

"You look so sexy in this dress," he softly says as his hand runs up my thigh through the slit of my dress. I feel a shiver run down my spine as his touch sends electric waves through my body. I lean in closer, my lips brushing against his ear. "Gage."

"I love when you moan my name," he whispers as his fingers find my sensitive spot. I shiver at his touch, feeling a rush of desire course through my body. "You know exactly how to drive me wild," I reply breathlessly.

He pulls down my panties, taking them off. He stuffs them in his pocket before continuing to please me. I untuck his shirt and undo his pants. He lifts me up, kissing me harder as he glides into me. The passion between us grows stronger with each thrust. The music from the gym muffles our moans. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. Our bodies move in perfect harmony, lost in the heat of the moment.

The scent of his cologne fills my nostrils as I run my fingers through his hair, and I feel his heart beating fast against my chest. As the intensity of our passion increases, I can't help but wonder if anyone else can hear us. But the pleasure he's giving me is too good to stop now.

The magnitude of the moment is heightened by the risk of getting caught, adding an element of danger to our tryst. As we reach the peak of pleasure, we both let out a sigh of satisfaction, knowing that this will be a memory we will never forget.

He slowly puts me back down on my feet and hands me my panties, "Thanks," I say, laughing as I begin to straighten myself out. He tucks in his shirt and fixes himself.

"Come here," I say as he moves toward me. I help fix his tie and make sure he looks good. "Perfect," I say as I walk toward the lit up hall. I twirl around and look at him. "You look amazing." He smiles as he walks toward me. He leans in and kisses me.

"Stop making out and get your ass in here," Laura shouts from the doors. "The DJ is playing our song." I begin to laugh, and we walk toward the gym. Pretend by CNCO blares through the speakers, and I head to the dance floor with Laura after Gage kisses my cheek. He walks over to the rest of the guys, and we girls dance. We all get lost in the music, laughing, dancing, and enjoying our time.

I look over at Gage, and he smiles as he takes a sip of his drink. Nothing can ruin this night. But I spoke too soon. Lily runs into the gym, screaming and crying. Blood covering her dress. The music stops, and everyone freezes.

"They're dead; they're all dead." She screams. We all run out of the gym to see what she is talking about. I cover my mouth as I see dozens of students mauled to death in the parking lot. The air falls silent as we all stare in shock at the scene before us. It's a massacre, and no one knows who could have done it.

"All students inside, NOW!" One of the school's council members yells.

Gage grabs my shoulders, and I jump. "Hey, you're okay. Let's go inside." He wraps his arms around me as he slips his suit jacket over my shoulders. We head back in. The vivid image of the students in my mind won't go away as I enter the gym. I take a seat next to Laura and the rest of the girls. I look around, and we are all clearly shaken up by what just occurred. The boys kneel in front of us, trying to calm us down.

"Gage." A member of the council calls for him. "I'll be right back." He says. He heads to the man, and I can clearly see that they are having a deep conversation. The council member seems to be in distress, and Gage listens attentively. He looks over and motions his head at Ace; the rest of the guys get up and head toward him before walking out of the gym. I place two fingers on each temple to try and help subside the panic I feel inside. I look around, and no one has answers.

I notice no one is paying attention to the doors, so I get up. Laura grabs my arm and asks, "Where are you going?"

"To find answers." I walk away and head toward the doors. I look out the window panel and see no one around. I open the door and step out. I take off my heels and head to the front doors. I look out to see Gage and the whole hockey team outside with him.

I wish I could hear them, I think to myself.

They begin to walk back to the entrance, and I look around to see where I can hide. I look to my left and see the stairwell. I run up and hide on the landing, away from them. I hear them enter, and one of them asks.

"So what are we going to do?"

"We're going to rip them from limb to limb." Gage states with a tone that sends shivers through my bones, and I cover my mouth to try and calm myself.

"Gage, that's going to cause a war."

I hear a growl, and then, "I'm the Alpha; you do as I say. The Lakewood Pack will pay for killing those innocents.

"You're the boss." Ace states, and I hear them walk away. I take a few moments before getting up and heading back to the gym.

I slip back on my heels and walk the halls. "Alpha? What the hell are they talking about? An alpha is the leader of a wolf pack. These guys are just mere humans. Unless..." I get into my thoughts as I walk. I look at the team hockey photo in the glass case, "Unless werewolves exist," I say to myself.

I'm all in for the paranormal, but this doesn't make sense; werewolves are just myths. aren't they? I think to myself as I head into the gym.

"Where the hell did you go?" Gage says as he grabs my arm.

I shake him off and say, "To the bathroom." I take a seat as one of the professors says it will be a few hours until we can go home. In the distance, I can hear the sirens of the police. I try to calm down and take deep breaths, but my mind is racing with questions about what happened. We each get let out one by one after giving a statement about our night to the police.

Gage grabs my hand and asks if I'm okay. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to go home." I tell him. He nods and opens the truck door for me. I get in and buckle up, feeling relieved to finally leave this place. As he starts the engine, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm down after the chaotic night.

☾

The drive home is intense, and all I want are answers. "Do you have any idea what happened?" I ask him.

"I overheard the police say it was a mountain lion." He lies.

"Maybe it was the wolves from last night." I look over at him, and he looks back at me. His eyes wanting to tell me something, but his words say otherwise.

"I highly doubt that." He looks back to the road as he drives, and I narrow my eyes at him. We finally arrive at home, and I head inside. I walk to my room, and he follows. I slip out of my dress, and he begins to kiss my neck. I pull away.

"I'm not in the mood." I tell him as I grab a shirt, throw it on, and head to the bathroom. I close the door and look in the mirror as I grip the counter. I take deep breaths. The images from tonight run through my mind. I wash the make-up off my face and throw my hair up in a bun.

I walk out and see Gage in sweatpants sitting on the bed. I sit next to him and finally look into his eyes. "What's going on? What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing," He says, "I swear, I have no idea what's going on." He tells me, but his eyes say otherwise. He licks his lips and says, "But whatever happens, remember I love you."

"I know that, but it still doesn't justify the fact that you're hiding something." I say.

"I don't know what to tell you." He responds.

"How about the truth?" He swallows hard and takes a deep breath, and before he can speak, both of our phones go off. I read the email that was just sent,

"School is closed until further notice." I say. I look at him, and his phone rings.

"Hello?" He says as he looks me in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm on my way." He gets up and throws on his hoodie. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He kisses my cheek and walks out of my bedroom door. I get up and follow.

"Where are you going?" He turns to face me and says, "I'll explain when I can."

He walks to the door and opens it. "Gage! What the hell is going on?" I shout.

He walks back toward me and cups my face, saying, "I love you, Star. Remember that." He kisses me. I feel my heart racing as he lips touch mine, and his words echo in my mind. I nod, unable to find my voice, and watch him walk away with a sense of longing.