Chapter 1

AVA

I covered my ears, rolling my eyes irritably as I sat with my friend Amy in the school cafeteria. Amy nudged my arm with her elbow and whispered, her eyes still fixed on that famous playboy quarterback of our school, Wolf Academy. "Hey girl, look who just arrived. It's Hunter Ysrael from the Cruelcrest Hounds Pack!" I felt Amy's fingers trace my chin and force my face toward his direction.

"Uh-huh. Phenomenal." I said sarcastically before removing her fingers that were gripping my chin. Amy tsked at my reaction but her eyes were still glued to him, watching him from the distance with dreamy, heart-filled eyes.

All these teenage she-wolves were going crazy on this one douchebag. Seriously, what is so special about this guy? Sure he is the son of Alpha Mason of Cruelcrest Hounds pack but I don't see him as anything more than that. I never spoke a word with him, never looked at him in the eye, never stole him a glance. I am not interested in good-for-nothing dickheads like him who don't even care about a woman's feelings. The douchebag walks in confidently with two different she-wolves clinging to both his arms, grinning ear to ear with no trace of shame nor embarrassment on his annoying face.

I roll my eyes again and munched on my large cheeseburger, totally unladylike, I know, but I didn't care. I like the way I am. Although I am not like those other thin, sexy she-wolves around my age, I was completely fine with having a little more meat in my chubby muscles. I wasn't that fat, or should I say, I wasn't obese. My kind of chubby was the curvy, even sexy kind that always turned their heads. So to say, I was deemed 'hot', as the boys liked to call it. I have been told that I was perfect, and beautiful just the way I was, and plenty of guys have even asked me out for a date. Some proposed to take me as their chosen mate. Like duh. I don't want that. Unless of course, it was that certain someone who was giving me the offer. The boys who asked me were either too childish or too narcissistic, although they were all good-looking males. I turned down every one of them without a second thought. Why? Because I only have my eyes on one of my best friends, that certain someone named Axel Jeremy from the Sombermane Band Pack.

I heard Axel had just sat down on the chair that was facing me. I fixed my eyes on the cheeseburger and took another large portion of it into my mouth.

"I think you would want to slow down a little, Ava. I don't want my best friend choking on her delicious cheeseburger." Axel chuckled and then smiled at me gently. I immediately slowed down and did as I was told. I brought my eyes up to look at his handsome face and simply nodded.

I suddenly thought that through the years, Axel was becoming more and more handsome and toned. He was wearing a tight white shirt under a blue denim jacket, paired with the same color of denim pants and white rubber shoes. He had long dark brown hair that reached only up to his shoulders. He pulled it up to a neat and tight ponytail today. On most days, he would usually let his hair loose, and comb it thoroughly, and sometimes he wouldn't. His tanned body and huge muscles have done it all for me. Every time our bodies accidentally touch while taking a group photo or being stuck in a crowded place, my body would freeze feeling his stoned muscles on my skin. He had cerulean blue eyes that looked bright and warm and dreamy and kind, never arrogant or cocky like Hunter Ysrael.

I heard the girls scream once again. They were screaming so loud that it hurt my sensitive hearing. Unlike other werewolves, my hearing was more extreme. So extreme that I could even hear everyone's private conversations all at the same time. I consider it a special ability of mine to be able to use my strong hearing when and however I wanted it. I can choose to block out people's voices, noises, and sounds I didn't want to hear, especially if they were noises that only talked about that playboy Hunter. I got tired of hearing about him all day from everyone's mouths that once I hear someone speak his name, I immediately block out that person. Why is this guy in all these people's conversations anyway? Don't they have a life?

"So, are you one of them?" 

Axel's voice startled me, making me almost choke on my cheeseburger as he predicted.

He must be talking about those girls swooning over that douchebag, that huge dickhead who was whispering something in one of her girlfriend's ear. I frown at that image, I have already wanted to rush to the bathroom and puke.

"Ew, no!" I slapped Axel's arm. It seemed to me that what I just said made his eyes light up wonderfully. Oddly, he looks relieved. But I didn't think anything deep about it. Probably because I didn't want to expect too much and regret it thereafter.

Axel was sketching on the table in front of me. He was covering it up while glancing at me now and then as though I was gonna snatch his drawing any moment. Axel had always been good at sketching. I saw only one of his sketches accidentally, and his work was pleasant and truly breathtaking. Sometimes, I suspected that his sketching was more than just a hobby. He must be a person who loves the arts extremely. 

The school bell rings, marking the end of our one-hour-long lunch. Axel glances up at me from his sketchbook before closing it with his two hands. I raised my eyebrows, wondering what he might be sketching this time. 

"Remind me again what's our next class?" Axel asked.

I squinted my eyes at him. Up until now he still hasn't noted down our schedule and subjects even after asking for a reminder for the 223rd time.

"History. The teacher who attended our class last time was Mr. Gordon, remember?"

Axel held his chin up while thinking deeply.

"Nah. I must have fallen asleep two minutes after he started talking. His voice was always monotone and insufferably boring!" Axel remarked, and I couldn't help but agree. Mr. Gordon was a boring teacher. There is nothing any one of us can do to change that though. He is the way he is, and all we need to do is focus and listen attentively to avoid a failing grade.

My Dad had been giving me warnings about my grades lately, and I don't want to mess it up or my father will kill me.

So Amy, Axel, and I entered the room one after the other. I was the last one to enter the room. Unfortunately, this is the one class I get to listen to all the girls swoon over Hunter Ysrael.

While I was dreading the fact that I needed to be around the douche today, I haven't noticed everyone was staring.

"You're late." Mr. Gordon glared at the three of us.

"Sorry, Sir." We said in chorus.

"All of you find a seat."He demanded before turning his head back to face the chalkboard. 

Amy and Axel immediately found a seat in different rows in the room, and I was left standing there alone. I scanned the room for a vacant seat, only to regret it after as there was only one seat I could sit on.

The one right in front of that dickhead we were just talking about.

Hunter Ysrael from Cruelcrest Hounds Pack.