hapter 19
+5 Bonus
Tala’s Point of View
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“How about my way.” I suggest.
“Your way involves sitting on the couch reading a book and not leaving the house for another week.”
I cross my arms over my chest and stare defiantly at the man in front of me.
‘Come on Tala. You need to do it.” I shake my head and shift my weight to my other foot.
Being a wolf has certainly been helpful in the past two weeks. Otherwise, I’d have to be in a cast for much longer then I was and I think I’d die. Two weeks was torcher enough for me. I feel sorry for those unlucky enough not to be a wolf and have to endure the usual time it takes to heal a broken bone.
“I’ve told you, it isn’t happening. He sighs in frustration, running a hand through his short hair.
“swear, you are the m
most stubhom I have ever met
“Thank you.” The corners of his mouth turn down into a slight frown.
“That wasn’t a compliment.” Hook around the back yard, making it seem like I’m uninterested in our conversation. Im stil not allowed to go to school and it’s a little after lunch right now so no one is around, though, I did see Asher’s Beta around here somewhere. I don’t remember his name, though, don’t think. Was ever actually introduced.
“Nothing you can say
by will make me change my mind.” Asher pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, mumbling something to himself too quiet for me to here
“Tala, it isn’t healthy for a wolf to stay in human form for so long” He argues, but all I can think about is how painful my first shift was. The second time I changed, I was running and in danger so I probably had the adrenaline blocking everything i felt the first time. I never want to feel be that again.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” Aside from the fact I don’t want to do it, I also don’t know how. True, that’s what Asher is trying to do right now, but I’m fighting him tooth and nail. Ha, get it? I didn’t even try that, but oh my god that was bad.
“Why not?” I hesitate upon telling him that I’m afraid and it’ll hurt because made it my mission to hate him from the first day I arrived here.
“I just can’t okay.” I mumble, staring at my bare feet. Since Im technically supposed to be shifting, I shouldn’t need shoes
Asher sighs and throws his hands up the air.
“I’ll just call Bo then since you insist on being so stubborn, but we are going to try this again tomorrow.
“No!” I answer quickly, but then realize how stupid I sounded. “Don’t call Bo. I add, a little quieter.
“Why?”
“The dude has been suffocating me for the last week and a half, I need a little space.” Asher rolls his eyes, but moves so he’s standing next to me. Placing a hand lightly on my shoulder, he speaks.
“You can’t be too hard on him Tala. He’s been through so much and he’s still so young” I furrow my eyebrows.
“What do you mean?”
“He had a hard life when he was younger, but kept on going because he knew one day he’d meet his mate. Meet you”
“I know I’m new to this, but surely he could have anyone he wanted.” My alpha shakes his head.
“He probably could have had anyone, but as soon as he laid eyes on you, you’re all he wanted and that still stands. Any girl in his eyes is nothing compared to you. That’s how I feel with your mother. I could never hurt her or look at anyone else the way I see her.”
“My wolf wants him. I mean, I feel her pushing me to go to him,” I pause. “It scares me.” He looks a little surprised by my
w confession.
Chapter 19
“Haven’t you dated? Not to make this awkward, but I thought you’d be used to boys attention being on you. I know Jason couldn’t stop talking about you when you first got here and when you creamed him at paintball, he didn’t know whether to be impressed or hurt that a girl beat him.” I crack a smile and allow my legs to fold underneath me. To everyone else, it looks like my legs gave out on me, but I end up sitting with my legs crossed and my arms planted on the ground behind me to keep me partially upright.
“I have dated, but everytime I was in a relationship it never lasted long.” More careful then I did, he takes a seat on the ground in front of me. “The guys would become totally infaturated with me, but I could never seem to reciprocate their feelings. I never knew why and became known as a heartbreaker, but boys always saw me as a challenge, trying to get me to fall in love with them. They tried almost everything imaginable, yet I broke up with them in the end.” I chuckle. “I do give them props for trying though. I could be… difficult to handle.” He snorts and I raise an eyebrow in question.
“Difficult is one way to put it
“Try being in my shoes and then we’ll see who’s laughing “I retort and he shrugs
“I can picture you as a heart breaker, but it isn’t for the reason everyone probably thinks. Even before you shifted and knew about wolves, she was inside of you. Even when you didn’t know you had a mate, your wolf did so any guy other then the one you were destined to be with would feel wrong”
“I wish I would have known this sooner mutter, turning my face to the sky and shutting my eyes as the sun shines down on us, yet doing little to actually provide any heat, I don’t really need it either since my body temperature is burning hotter then it used to
to answer. “You’re afraid because you
“You’re avoiding the subject.” He says, a large smirk forming on his face. I make a face and choose not to ans like him, am I night?”
“I feel like I shouldn’t like him, but I’m drawn to him” Asher sends me a small, knowing smile.
“You and Bo have a special bond that can never be broken and it’s natural for you to be drawn to each other. If you want my opinion,” He starts, but I cut him off.
“I don’t.” He play fully nudges my shoulder with his own and I can’t help but think it’s a little strange that mr. uptight and angry knows how to be… compassionate. Is that the right word for this?
“Don’t fight with him if he wants to hold your hand or keep you close to him. It may come across as clingy or that he’s hovering, but he’s lost too many people in his life to lose someone as important as you”
“What do you mean?” He shakes his head and pushes himself back up onto his feet.
“That is not a story for me to tell.” He holds out a hand to help me up, but I simply glare at it.
“Shouldn’t I know?” Curiosity is getting the best of me and he won’t tell me. That’s a bad combination
“You’ll have to ask him. I promised I wouldn’t speak about it” I frown and slowly take my soon to be “daddy’s” hand. He pulls me easily to my feet and I brush any dirt off of my sweatpants.
“You totally ruined the moment.” And as unbelievable as it is, we were having a normal conversation with each other without yelling our heads off. The second one so far, and I’m wondering why he’s being so easy to talk to all of a sudden
“We we having a moment?” He asks, but I can see in his eyes that he already knows the answer.
“Of course not. What would give you that idea?” He shakes his head, smiling, before taking a few steps back.
“Ready to shift yet?” He asks, slipping his t–shirt off over his head. For an alpha, he doesn’t look that strong, but I know looks can be deceiving. I learned that the hard way.
“Nope, but nice try” I turn around and stick my hands into my jacket pocket, my destination being the kitchen. I’m hungry.
Asher doesn’t answer, but I feel a weird shift in the air. I shrug it off, but for some reason my wolf is on edge. My heightened senses pick up quiet footsteps approaching me from behind. I keep my posture relaxed, like I don’t suspect anything, but I have a good feeling he’s up to something
Almost at random, I duck down and press myself firmly to the ground to see a large shape fly right by where I was just standing moments before. I pick myself up and my hands find their way to my hips.
“Really? Attacking me from behind. That’s low, even for you buddy.” I narrow my eyes at Asher’s large, brown and black colored wolf. The only
Chapter 19
+5 Bonus
thing that could tell me this is Asher is the wolf’s eyes. They are the same hazel like when sudom and quess he smells the same, but I don’t even want to go there.
How did you do that?
jump and stare, wide–eyed, at the alpha. Considering no one else is around, it had to be him
How did you do that? I heard you inside my head” He gives me a wolfish smile, well as good foamthecomoveme
Benefits of being in a pack. Now, how did you move out of the way?
“Selcando that too?” ask onoring his questions: Instead, I’m thinking of ways I can bother some poopt with this new information, I close
intercon to be able to concentrate better.
Yes, but back to the question
-like chocolate chip pancakes!
Tala
– wish unicorns w
Focus or
-Barron slept with a nighdight uncl he was nine
To this, he’s quiet and ceny to see him trying to hold back his laughter.
Are you being sendus?
-Why would I lie about that?
A sister’s revenge or to stall for
Why would I be staling?” Task poling od my bmazing salna skulls to give him my i
confused face. He doesn’t look convinced. Opica
what if I’m buying time? And that is compikely true, by the way”
You don’t want to answer my questions, but too need to know the answers. Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s all important: NowT please answer the damn question.
I can hear him starting to get angry at my lack of cooperation and I hope I don’t make things worse with my next question.
“Um, would you be mad if I a
I asked you to repeat the question? He sighs loudly and I lift my hands in an innocent gesture. I honestly forget the original question thanks to all of my distractions:
You refuse to acknowledge that you’re a wolf and exercise bec yet you manage to avoid an attack without even seeing it. How?
“I just knew to get out of the way. It’s not like I’m spider man with his spidey–senses, but i would compare it to that if I had to compare it to
something.”
You’re not a super hero Tala.
The undertone in his voice is one of amusement and I roll my eyes, aheady knowing that
*Thank you Sherlock. And here I thought I was wonder woman. Though I bet Bo would enjoy seeing me in tights. Unfortunately for him,
that’s never going to happen.
If you would embrace everything and just change then everything wouldbe so much, but no You are stubborn and uncooperative and-
“get it! I’m difficult! We’ve been over this already, but it’s who I am.” gesture to myself, as if that help emphasize my point. “I don’t back down or take orders from anyone and I don’t trust a lot of people ”
I’ve noticed that, but you have nothing to fear. We are like family here and you can
“I have everything to fear I scream, my chest rising and falling quickly trailze who just yelled at and try to lower my voice. “I used to have
a normal life, but everything changed when you dragged me into this life! I don’t know what to expect don’t know who I can trust, but somehow some of you have wormed your way into my life and I don’t mind it.” My thoughts drift to Jason and Bo in partoutar. Somehow, Jason was able to get through to me and we became friends. Not a lot of people would put up with my with how I was acting, but he did and newer raised his voice at
Chapter 19
- me. He somehow managed to stay calm and Bo is a completely other story because he probably couldn’t hate me if he tried,
You don’t have to be afraid.
+5 Bonus
“But I do.”
You’re afraid of yourself.
“Not of myself… what I become,” I clench my fists at my side and try to calm myself down. I can feel her rising to the surface to take control, but I don’t want to let her out. There’s no telling what she do right now and from what Ettle I know, shifting in anger is never a good thing for those around you.
You’re not a monster Whatever is making you think that is wrong.
“How are you so calm?!” I manage to stagger to a tree on the edge of the yard where the forest starts and I lean my forehead against it. Taking in a shaky breath, I feel some of my control sip further.
You need to let her out.
“No.” I grunt, feeling some of my bones begin to pop. He says nothing else as I push off from my tree and focus on staying on my feet as! attempt to walk further into the trees. I vaguely hear someone asking if they should follow me, but then I don’t hear any response.
I make it a few yards into the trees before falling to my knees. I lightly bang my head on the ground, trying to take the focus off of everything cise, but in doesn’t really work. I then numbly attempt to get out of my clothes before they’re ripped to shreds, knowing I won’t be able to stop myself from going wolf.
I manage to get off both my shirt and shorts before my larger bones break and fur sprouts on every inch of my body. I close my eyes. expecting pain, but it never comes.
plus
Once it’s all over, I lay panting on the ground. My body feels sore all over, but nothing hurts to the extent I thought it would. I guess that’s a
Forcing my eyes open, I immediately notice the clarity of everything around me. Since I first changed into a wolf, i haven’t even had to wear my glasses, but this can’t even compare. I see every little detail in everything. And my hearing! Every rustle of the trees, every little ceature’s call, my ears move in the direction it’s coming from.
Quickly, I push myself to my feet, pick up my discarded clothes in my mouth and head back towards the house. I avoid thinking too much that I’m a wolf at the moment and more on what I’m going to do when I get back.
Breaking through the trees, I see Asher hasn’t moved from his spot. I drop my clothes and bare my teeth at him.
-Are you happy now?
Aren’t you?
I shake my head and snap my head in the direction of the woods where I hear the sound of multiple people approaching. Letting out a growl attempt to warm them not to come any closer, but they seem to take no notice of it.
Six men leisurely walk out from in between the trees and completely ignore me as they walk to stand by Asher.
-Who are these people?
leye each one, but they could be my best friend and I wouldn’t recognize them. My wolf just sees so many of them as a threat to us.
You need to calm down.
-I am calm
Thear him sigh before he stands up on all fours and starts walking towards the house.
-Where are you going?
I have things to do, but you u can trust these people. They’ll help you,
-Anything else?
Try not to kill them.
Chapter 1
He disappears and therefore leaves me alone to fend for myself.
Okay, so I know I’m not in control right now, but how does he expect for me to control an animal.
+3 Bonus
“Just take a deep breath. You have to want to be in control.” A blond haired guy says, walking slowly towards me. I growl softly at him and he stops in his tracks. “Just relax. We won’t hurt you.” I eye him and the others, noticing their relaxed postures lease up on the growling and feel my wolf slowly letting me have control once she deems they’re not a threat.
-Who are you?
The guy who spoke smiles.
“The name’s Conrad and I think it’s time to see what you’re made of
76/5
