I watch as she sleeps. I know she's hesitant about our relationship, but I'll take whatever she gives me. I slowly find myself falling asleep. I open my eyes to the howling outside and take a deep breath. Damn, assholes. I say to myself. I get up and look out the window to see my pack approaching from the woods.

I see Keenan's black and white fur covered in snow as his head turns to face me. Anger fuels me, and he puts his head down, motioning to the others to shift back. I close the curtain and quietly crawl back into bed. I lay down, and Star turns over, wrapping her arm around me. I kiss her head and fall back asleep.

☾

I slowly rise to the sound of music playing in the living room. The sun's reflection on the white snow causes me to become blind when I move the curtain. I stretch my arms and crack my neck before heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I walk out and see Star dancing along to the music as she cleans. I stand against the wall and watch her. She finally turns around and laughs,

"Go put some clothes on," she says, and I look down at my boxers and laugh.

"These are clothes." I say as she walks toward me. "No, they aren't." She smiles as she walks past me. I grab her arm and push her against the wall. My lips craze her neck.

"Morning," I mumble as I lick her collarbone. She giggles and pushes me away playfully, saying, "Good morning to you too, but let's save that for later." I grab her waist and pull her back to me. She pushes me against the wall. "Fine, you want to play; let's play."

Her lips press against my neck, and her hand trails down my boxers. I moan softly as she continues to kiss and touch me. Her mouth moves down my chest, and she pulls my boxers down, teasing me with everything she has. As she does something she has never done before, I gasp for air. Her lips wrap around my length, and I feel a rush of pleasure coursing through my body. I close my eyes and let out a low groan, completely surrendering to her touch.

I lift her and press her back against the wall, shifting her panties to the side as I glide in. She moans softly, and I can feel her nails digging into my back as I pick up the pace. Our bodies move in perfect sync, and I can feel the tension building up inside me. With each thrust, I get closer and closer to the edge until, finally, we both reach our climax together in a burst of ecstasy.

"Don't play games; you can't win." I whisper. She laughs as I put her back on her feet. She picks up a cloth and shoves it into my chest. "Help me clean this place up." She states.

"Yes, ma'am." I smirk as I head to the room and throw on my sweatpants. I grab the cleaning supplies and start organising everything while humming my favourite song. In no time, the place looks spotless, and I turn to her with a satisfied smile. She kisses my cheek and thanks me.

We head back into her room and get dressed for the day. She wears grey leggings with a t-shirt and throws on a blue hoodie before grabbing her black winter coat. I slip on my jeans and a t-shirt with a grey hoodie. I put on my black winter vest and a grey toque. I look over at her, who is also wearing a grey toque. I smile as she slips on her boots. I take her hand in mine and reach for the keys to my truck. Starting it up from the key fob and letting the truck warm up.

☾

The crisp winter air hits us as we step outside, but the warmth of her hand in mine makes it all bearable. As we drive down the snow-covered road, I look over at her as she looks at every passing tree covered in snow. When we arrive at the paint store, she jumps out with a huge smile on her face. We walk in and flip through the colour cards. Her thoughts are on grey, but what shade?

"What about this one?" I inquire as I show her the colour.

A smile crosses her face, "I love it." She mentions that the dark grey will complement the red in her room and create a cozy atmosphere during the colder months. She thanks me for my suggestion and heads to the checkout with a sense of excitement.

I take out my wallet to pay, but she beats me to the punch by tapping her card first. She grabs the paint cans, but I tell her I'll be at the truck in a minute. I hand her the keys, and she walks away. I run down the aisle and grab all the painting supplies; she was so excited about the paint that she forgot she needed them. I walk to the cash register and pay for it, then grab the bag and head to the truck.

"Shit," she says as I get in and place the bags in the back seat.

"Shits right. How were we going to paint?" I begin to laugh as I start the engine. "Well, how much do I owe you?"

"Nothing," I lick my lips before leaning over and kissing her. She smiles and buckles up.

☾

The snow falls heavily as I drive; I can barely see the road ahead of me. I turn on my headlights and slow down. I look over at Star quickly and see her squint as she tries to see the road ahead. I reach over and pat her hand reassuringly, telling her that we will make it through the storm safely. I grip the steering wheel tightly and focus on navigating through the blizzard.

We finally make it home safe, but we sit in the truck for a few minutes. I turn to Star and smile, relieved that we made it through the storm. "That was intense," I say, "but we did it."

"Yeah," she says as she looks out the window, "doesn't look like this storm is passing anytime soon." I cut the engine and grab the bag and paint cans before jumping out of the car and running to the door to unlock it. I motion for Star to get out, and she jumps out and runs through the snow to get into the warm house. I lock my truck and head in behind her.

Once inside, I set down the bag and cans and take off my wet coat. "I'm glad we made it before the storm got worse," I say to Star, who is already making herself comfortable on the couch. "Me too," she replies with a smile.

"Come here," she says. I walk over and sit down. She places her head on my lap and says, "Thank you for driving me today."

"You're welcome." She tells me that tomorrow she will paint, and I nod, agreeing to help her. I hear her tummy rumble, and I know she's hungry. "I'll be right back." I tell her as I get up and put my boots back on.

I head out into the storm and cross the yard over to my house. I walk inside and shake my head to get the snow out of my hair. I take my boots off and head to the kitchen. I grab a bag and begin rummaging through the cabinets and refrigerator.

"What are you doing?" Ace asks. "You look like a savage trying to look for food." He laughs.

"Getting some food for Star's place, someone forgot to go grocery shopping." I look over at Laura, who stands behind him. "Oh, shit. I forgot it was my turn."

"Yeah, we were planning on going after the paint store, but have you seen what's out there?"

Ace rubs the back of his head and says, "No, we really haven't left the room." I am not surprised that he spent the entire day being a freak with his girlfriend. I grab what I can and head to the door. I head back to Star's and take my boots off as soon as I get in. I hold up the bags, and she begins to laugh.

Heading to the kitchen, I put everything away. "Hopefully this is enough for us until we can get to the store." Her arms wrap around my torso, and she kisses my shoulder. "Thank you," she says. I turn to face her and smile. "Alright, what do you want to eat?" I look at the time and realise it's already four p.m. She looks at me. "Hmm, anything with chicken," she smiles.

"Coming up." I say. She walks out of the kitchen and heads to her room as I begin to cook. She walks back to the living room with a book and sits down to read. "I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self and best earthly companion," I say as I see the cover of the book she reads.

"Seriously Gage? Did you read Jane Eyre as well?" she inquires. I nod, "Yeah, just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I can't like literature."

She smiles before continuing her book as I make dinner.

☾

Time passes, and I have everything ready to be served. I call her to the table and dish her plate with Alfredo pasta and cut-up chicken laid on top.

"This smells incredible," she says as she takes a seat. I grab two wine glasses and pour each of us a glass of red wine. As we start eating, I can see the delight on her face with every bite she takes. After finishing up our dinner, she helps me clean up. She heads to her room, and I follow after making sure all doors are locked up.

We strip off our clothes from the day; I slip on pyjama pants as she slips on my t-shirt. We sit on the bed, cuddled in each other's arms under the warmth of the blanket, and watch a movie.

I feel her breath on my chest as she lays there. I close my eyes and savour the moment. I never want to forget this feeling—the warmth of her body against mine and the softness of her skin. I know that in this moment, everything is perfect, and I don't want that to change. My mind races with questions as I watch her sleep.

The full moon is approaching fast, and we face one big dilemma: how am I going to convince her that Laura is truly okay? How will I explain her absence for the time being? My heart races, knowing that when the time comes, I'll lose Star forever, all because of what our town hides from the mundanes. If what my father said was true, I could turn Star, but that would mean destruction for all of us. I need to protect her from the elders and this life. I know that keeping Star safe is crucial, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the facade of a normal life while also hiding our true identities.

I look at her beautiful face. She deserves to live a life free from danger and fear, but I also can't ignore the fact that turning her could mean unlocking a power that could kill us all.

I need air.

I slowly get out of bed and throw on my clothes. I walk out the front door and see our street covered in white snow. The snowflakes gently land on my face, and I feel a sense of calm wash over me. I take a deep breath and let the crisp winter air fill my lungs, refreshing my mind and body.

I stand on the porch and take in the night. The street lights reflect off the snow, casting a soft glow over everything. It's peaceful and quiet. "Hey, what are you doing out here? It's cold." I turn to see Star rubbing her eyes as she stands at the front door.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep." I tell her. "I didn't want to wake you."

"It's okay, but get in here; it's freezing." I do as she says and walk back into the warmth of the house. I get under the warm covers, and she cuddles up to me. I kiss her head and allow the warmth of her body to help me fall asleep. The sound of the wind outside lulls me into a peaceful slumber, and I am grateful for her company on this cold night. As I drift off, I realise that there's nowhere else I'd rather be than in her arms.