Underneath the cloud laced moon, I cruise aside the dotted pave markings as the chill caress under my nails. I dialed his number on the dashboard stereo, and it picked up on the other end. "Hi, it's me." I thought; actually, I didn't think at all. Let me not delude myself in the nonsense. John sold a dream. My worries are protecting the baby.

"Sorry I left so soon. Too many people." His delusion baffles me.

"Um." We know who left first. It's not important. "What you said. Could you really do that?"

"Is that a question?"

I was quiet, pondering. "Who will perform the procedure, you?"

"My assistant and nurse. I am preparing the room."

That's comforting, but who? "Assistant?"

"Of course, Debra Mosely is an exceptional woman."

I twitched, flaring my nose. "How are you and mom? She dumped you?" Him speaking about another female scrapes the surface of my brain. I shouldn't care, but I do. The distance between us is a wall block in my soul. I became so testy with him.

"She is - we're making it. You should call her. She misses you both."

"Hmph."

"Gwen was a part of it, but when it grew complicated, she backed out."

"I am not here for a reunion. I prefer to discuss more about the process before I decide. Could we speak in person? Where are you?"

"Camping in the Cascade area, twenty minutes from you. Sending the location. See you in a bit?"

"I guess. But do not mention it to Que, okay?"

"Nothing to be told."

The lack of hesitation in the agreement warmed my ears before I hung up the line. I am a fool, but I have the chance to have a part of you after I suffered from everything. A baby, a child from you. The address glowed on the screen. I endure sporadic breaths to ease the stomach acid in my throat. You are asking questions, nothing more. We haven't settled and confirmed the arrangement. But is it dangerous for me? Cool it. He has to have some sort of decency in that thick skull of his.

The risk versus the outcome. My sincere apologies, brother. I prefer the outcome. My foot assailed the pedal, accelerating from sixty to eighty. It is necessary for me to make it back at a specific time to avoid Quinn questioning me. I smash the brake, noticing a figure dash in front of my bumper with a sturdy, cocky sneer. It was hitting a utility pole as the rear lift from the impact. The auto body toppled onto the concrete with rigid rockabye.

Everywhere winds nigh napping my neck. Fu-c- I short gasp, seizing it, massaging with gentle touches. The facade of me, standing there with not a scratch on his core. Soren? He is the werewolf. I piece all of it collectively because it fitted the puzzle. Why was he there at the warehouse? To slaughter me?

"You naughty feminine human." He tapped the hood. "You hit me. So... returning the favor." He hoists his fist into space and comes tough as a missile. The collision was worse than the accident. I balled up, encountering edgy components and middle compartments, tearing up the sides of my ribs. Who peed in his cereal? His hairy claws yanked me from the driver's seat, fastening my teeny throat with three fingers, lifting me into the sky. "Your charm is disgusting. Women who affect me are a virus." His metamorphose in full form.

"S-or-" I dangled, struggling to pry from his grip.

He brought me to his ear. "Excuse me, I can't hear you because you are dying." In realization, it was he who overpowered my arrow.

"S-or-en. St-o-p."

"My name is Cage. Soren died a while ago." He squeezed as flashes of your bright smile found me, lessening the fatal clutches. At least we will meet again B - a wrecking ball stock of fur rammed into the werewolf, dumping me to the ground as I held the soreness. Slight whiffs through my tender windpipe, dazed into my conscience to breathe. I staggered to my vehicle, checking behind, viewing the fracas reel into the trees. I falter by the tarnished wheels, reaching past the miniature shards for my pocketbook. A tiny wedge sliced through my pullover, grazing my shoulder blade.

Ah, I stretched inside with a shaky wipe, bringing the wetness to face it. A quarter measure of blood declined the crevice of my fingers. I have to move. Up ahead is a 2024 Audi 45 wagon blocking both roads. I lurched faster in a stagger though I never had before, entering a sweet wood cologne, sleek and jetted. The horrifying excitement mixed. I was unsure how to receive it as I slammed it shut and drifted a u-turn toward the dorms.

Those are the wolves, John warned. But who is the other? A dire the same color as you, but he stands out with rich brown patches different from your snow white coat. Okay, focus. What are my options? Run to dad, but he is towards the fight. Quinn? I am not a wolf. His speeches echoed. I could collect my necessities from the dorm. And figure it out then. I shifted in speed.

I barge into my place. A glint that seeps through the blinds on my futon guides me to the washroom and flips the switch, examining where he wrung. The bruising is ugly, but I survived. With careful movements, I pull over my sweatshirt, unclipping my torn strap bra to view the leaking red. It falls to the curve of my hips, ruining my waistband. It is shallow, but a sport strip band aid should fix it. I swab the mess with peroxide and paste it on there.

I do a checklist in my mind as I slide into my UCCS tan hoodie matching set. Jacket, food, water, I am forgetting something; I sang. My wallet; I pat my pockets. The portrait! I searched in the raggedy drawer, spotting the bleak glitter green folder. I snatched it, pivoted to a tower shadowing over me, and screamed at the top of my lungs, lobbing the keys at it. It captured them. His calm nature silenced my noise while the gleam shone on his expresso mane, older, yet built, and handsome.

"Who are you?" I coughed.

"You're human? Where's the mark?"

"Mark?" I rubbed across where you bit me.

"I see he exalted you."

"Not catching your drift."

"The steeper the bite, the heftier the connection." He admitted, and I considered for a second.

"I thought every mate had a connection?"

"Some settle, which lowers the puncture."

I never knew. "Your name?"

"Xannon." He lifted my chin as I winced from the strain. "Ice will help the swelling."

"Answer my question. Who are you?"

"Ample for time. Take the car and disappear from Colorado forever." He seized my spread out belongings, wedging them in an unknown bag.

"That is a bold statement."

"Also, your intestines on the curb. Let's try to prevent that." My dorm room door burst open as I saw Jeri fall back into the hallway. Xannon and I are wide-eyed at each other. In swift motion, he entered my bathroom, fleeing from sight. As I lit my balsam forest candle to become my normal routine, flinching from the loud thump against the door.

"Jesus, Jeri, you gave me a heart attack." I figured it was him or Quinn. And if there is Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle Dum is not far. I supported his torso, triggering my injury. Shoot, I only remember when I move it. Instead, I snagged a scarf from my shelf, flinging it over my collar. Hopefully, he doesn't notice. In a hurry, I grabbed an astronomer volume 1 on the nightstand to further seem regular. "Why do you insist on bursting into my room unannounced?"

He uses the wall to help with his weak posture, eyeing me weirdly. "Calm your tits. I am waiting for Quinn." His speech sputtered. For Christ's sake, what a sloshed remark. I plop on the bed, throwing the book to the side to swap on my tassel lamp, thinking about molly bopping his forehead.

"Well, he's not here, so you should carry on."

"Yeah, yeah." He threw his arms, lazily dropping across my roommate's bed. "Wake me up when he gets here." Laying his forearm across his lids. "By the way. Why does it smell like out outside ass in here?"

Were-man peeked out with urgency, glowering. I flung my book at him to imply I got him for him, but I study his unratified glares. My goodness, this boy is close to a death sentence and too drunk to defend himself. He needs to bounce soon. "Hey why you do that?" Jeri sobered up, sitting with both arms in the air in disbelief. "It hit my lip!" He massage it. I did not mean to do that. It was a complete accident.

"Don't you have something better to do?"

"Man, what's you deal?" He examines his mouth in my roommate's vanity mirror. I need Que to get here a little faster so they can leave.

"Good, you deserve it. Now it's time to go." nodding towards the door as I thumb signal for him to leave. I halted, because he wasn't going anywhere, laying his head on the vanity desk as though the last of his energy burned out. I gave up with no words to express, reflecting on how that supernatural life still affects mine, even though you aren't here with me. It is an insult, a way to grind a wound that is battered.

The Carpe diem plank sign knocked against the door as it opened. "What's up, Ainsley." Jeri muffled. For the love of - now I have to get rid of her. A grunt blew as I masked it, patting my chest, imitating that it came from me.

"Oh, hey Jelly Jeri." She acknowledged, jumping her eyes from me and him. "Did I interrupt something?" Getting ready to leave.

"Yes!" The outburst was strong, but Jeri no was the endgame. I did not bother to eye him and agreed. "No." Dang it. But I kept it together. The awkwardness floated, but I stayed stern in my foolery.

Jeri raised his head. "Anyway. Didn't I tell you not to call me jelly?"

"But that's what happened between us, did it not?" Ainsley said. Which shocked me.

"Wait. What happened between you two?" I expressed at Jeri, regarding the panic in his face.

"Nothing." He tries to resist the discomfort that is so clear on his face. "I'm just leaving." As he uttered those words, a sense of finality hung in the air while wrestling out of the chair.

Ainsley follows behind him, halfway out the door. "Remember. We can talk about it!" She screams through the hall as I hurried to see his reaction under her elbow, observing him scramble out the exit door.

We looked at each other, laughing. "I want to know, but you know what, I am going to leave it alone." I went back in, shaking my head at all this craziness, and felt a sore spot in lower neck. That's right, Xannon as I massaged it.

"Yeah, it's best." She walked to her bookshelf. The giggles still lingered between us as everything went silent while she search her for a novel. Now it is time to figure out how to get rid of her, too. Love her for running Jeri off. Nice going!

One down, one to go.