Laura
I'm stunned to silence.
Since I poured out my heart over the phone, part of me had registered this person as the Caleb I once knew. But getting confirmation? Dude, when did Caleb start sounding so... Husky and sexy?
He was always handsome, but his voice... Damn.
It takes me a few moments to gather enough courage to answer his question. "Yes..."
Caleb exhales and breathes a laugh into the phone. "This is so surreal. We haven't talked for seven years, and now... Holy shit."
A blush creeps over my face, and the amused and excited tone in Caleb's voice is enough to almost make me sober. Why did I call him? I bet he thinks I'm a loser.
"Okay... Can we forget that I called you? You can pretend this never happened and go back to living your life. And I will return to what I was doing before you called."
Crying my eyes out, that is what I was doing. And after this phone call is over? I will probably be drinking and doing it again.
"No, I don't want to hang up."
My heart rate accelerates, yet I don't speak. I didn't expect Caleb to want to continue the phone call.
"Look, I'm happy you called..." Caleb grows quiet, and I don't say a word, forcing him to speak again. "Are you still there?"
My voice comes out as a hoarse whisper. "Yes."
"Oh, wow," Caleb laughs. "Have you had a lot today?"
My cheeks heat up. "That is none of your business, Caleb."
He chuckles. "Fair enough."
"I'm going to hang up now."
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm not thinking straight."
It is so weird talking to grown-up Caleb. He is definitely not a little boy anymore. I'm already trying to picture him, but I can't form an image inside my head.
But the girls always surrounded him in the past, and I bet that hasn't changed. The bastard must be hot.
"So I'm supposed to forget this phone call ever happened?" Caleb asks.
"You had no problem forgetting I existed, so... Yeah?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You never called me after you moved away. I bet you forgot about me as soon as you left Werewolf Valley. Oh, and you never even came over to say goodbye. You just disappeared during summer break."
"Hold on," Caleb is speaking in a louder tone. "Your parents hated me—we come from two different packs, Laura. They told me to stay away from you and said it was what you wanted. And I trusted them. I thought you didn't have the balls to tell me yourself."
"W-what?"
Caleb growls. "And I have thought about you a lot since I left Werewolf Valley behind. The memories of you have haunted me, really. I didn't understand why it mattered so much that we were of different packs. There wasn't an ongoing war between our packs, and I really fucking liked you. You were my best friend."
I freeze into a block of ice.
It's not easy being told your whole teenage years were a lie. What hurt me the most when I was a teenager and still makes me bleed is Caleb walking out of my life. For years, I thought it was his choice, and now it turns out it was my parent's fault he left?
What. The. Hell???
The pain in my chest is about to tear me apart. I'm lost and confused. Why would my parents drive Caleb away from me? They knew how much we played and liked each other!
At least when we were younger…
My lips tremble. "All along, I thought you abandoned me..."
I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Either Caleb is lying and is extremely good at it, or my parents are assholes. It's probably the latter. Either way, I felt like a complete idiot at the moment.
"No, I didn't stop talking to you by choice," Caleb sounds like he is in pain, and I hear him pacing a room. Floorboards creak underneath him. "This is shocking for me too... You rode your bike outside my house because you wanted me to come out?"
I blink away a couple of tears. "I did, and... Again, this phone call is a mistake, Caleb. I'm in an ocean of hurt, and there isn't a point in digging up old bones in the sand. We are seven years too late. Please, have a nice evening, and take care."
My finger moves to end the phone call, but Caleb throws in my nickname to make me hesitate.
"Don't do this to me, Teacup."
Teacup.
Why does that name give me butterflies?
I don't hang up, but I say nothing.
"Something made you call me tonight," Caleb uses a gentle tone that sounds careful and calculative of what to say next. "Mind telling me what it was?"
"I'm drunk."
"Is that all?"
No, I still miss you. "Yes..."
"How did you manage to find my number?"
"I picked up the first Caleb Harrington in your area and randomly called the number displayed."
He laughs. "Which means you probably had no idea it was me answering the phone before you started yelling at me."
My cheeks burn. Caleb knows me too well. "I guess..."
"Might I ask why you're drinking on this lovely Tuesday night?"
"Uh, let's see... I betrayed my parents, blocked their numbers, ran from my wedding, and now I'm spending the night inside my car in a city far away from home. I barely have any money. The only outfit I have is my wedding dress, and my car doesn't come with a toilet. I'm miserable, but if you want, I can add more reasons to the list."
"Holy shit..." Caleb chuckles. "No, I think you've given me enough reasons to down an entire bottle, if not more."
"That's what I'm doing. I'm getting smashed tonight."
"What the fuck, Laura..."
"Can I hang up now, Caleb?"
"Uh-uh, not a chance," Caleb says, still chuckling at me. "You're going to tell me where you are so I can come and get you. Which town are you in? Should I take a car or a private jet?"
"Private jet?" I widen my eyes and blink repeatedly. "What, how the heck would you be able to afford that?"
"I own a software company. I'm a billionaire now, but we can discuss that later. Where are you right now?"
"Software company?"
"Laura..." He warns. "Where. Are. You?"
"I won't tell you..."
He sighs in defeat. "Alright, we will continue talking while I eat this tasty yogurt on my balcony then..."
"Yogurt? What? But you hated yogurt and ice cream in the past."
"A lot can change over a few years. When you last saw me, I was seventeen, and our best years were back when we were fourteen-thirteen years old."
That's right. My heart falters. Time sure has passed since we were best friends. I'm beginning to realize I probably have nothing in common with Caleb anymore.
It hurts.
"It sure was a long time ago..."
"Yeah, my balls hadn't even dropped back then."
I snort in amusement, rolling my eyes. This guy... "You were a late-bloomer, but I'm pretty sure you had your goddamn balls. They dropped when you were a freaking baby."
"Either way, we are no longer kids."
"That's for damn sure."
"Yup," Caleb smacks his tongue against the back of his mouth, producing this "ta-ta-ta" sound; some habits never die. "So, have there been more unsuspecting victims you've called or just me?"
"No, this is my first-time drunk dialing."
"Ah, there is always a first time for every serial caller. Do you feel the adrenaline pumping? That's how you know it will happen again."
My adrenaline is pumping, but for a whole other reason. I still haven't processed the fact that I'm speaking to Caleb. It baffles me every time I'm reminded of it.
"Hopefully, I won't be making this into a habit."
My awkward tone makes Caleb laugh, which lights up the mood since he sounds less distrustful of me. I move in my seat, reaching for a piece of candy while people pass my car.
"You know, you've changed," Caleb says. "A lot."
Yes, and he doesn't know the best part yet: that I'm no longer the fat girl who people laughed at in school. Caleb never mentioned it, but maybe he would find me pretty now?
I sigh. "Because I grew up—you've changed too."
"How?"
"For starters, you sound like a man."
He laughs. "Because I am a man?"
My lips twitch, and my heart hammers against my chest. "True."
"I'm curious about what you look like today: do you still love running around without a bra?"
My eyes narrow. "Asshole."
When my breasts started growing, I didn't wear any bras, and the guys in my class used to call me "banana tits," which I hated.
"How am I an asshole?" Caleb questions. "Every guy in high school thought you had sexy tits and teased you only because they all dreamed of touching them."
Really?
"That's not true," before Caleb can intervene, I ask a question. "What do you look like right now?"
He chuckles into the phone. "Why do you want to know?"
I blush. "Well, you asked me, so it seemed fair..."
"I'm tall... Muscular—typical alpha. Probably strong enough to bench press you, Teacup." Caleb teases.
My cheeks burn hotter, and I fall silent with a thumping heart.
Caleb hums into the phone. "So, what else is happening in your life besides escaping from potential husbands and weddings? What do you do for a living? Any hobbies? Pets?"
"No pets, and... I'm a baker or... I was. Before I left my hometown, I worked at the local bakery. It was fun, but now I'm homeless."
"Don't worry," Caleb says. "That will be taken care of soon—I got everything under control."
I blink. "Uh, what?"
"I'm tracking this phone call right now and sending someone to get you. But please don't freak out. It's for your own good that I'm doing this, Teacup."
"What?" I nervously laugh. "You're joking, right?"
"Nope."
"But I don't want to be picked up!"
"You need my help, and you will get it. I am not letting you live in your car and freeze to death. It's not summer anymore. You need a cozy bed, a blanket, and your own room."
"No, I don't wish to be a burden!" I argue and stare at a black SUV parking next to my car. Tuxedo-wearing werewolves jump out of it. "Oh-my-god, you sent men in black? Really? CALEB! WHAT THE FUCK?! This must count as kidnapping!"
"If I did kidnap you, Teacup, would it really be that bad?"
I'm about to answer him, but the werewolves surround my car, and one of them rips open the door by force. He must be like six feet tall.
I stare at him.
"Ma'am, we will need you to step out of the vehicle. We are taking you to alpha Caleb."
LauraI'm awkwardly sitting in the backseat of the black SUV, pressed between two huge musclemen. They are both werewolves. Fighting them wouldn't serve a purpose—I would lose any day of the week. It's also hard to accept this, but what is happening now might not be the end of the world. I won't be freezing inside my car tonight, and if Caleb is a billionaire, I won't be starving. Unless he intends to lock me up or something?Shit, I didn't think of that until now!What if Caleb has wicked plans for me, like tying me up with rope inside a sex chamber or something?Not that I'm super sexy or anything. Caleb probably has plenty of options of beautiful girls better looking than me, but what if my best friend has turned into a sadist? And I'm the victim he wants!Chills crawl over my skin.I'm not ready to be handed golden showers or be hanged on a wall or something else twisted!"So, is the journey long?" I awkwardly ask. One of the werewolves shifts in his seat, and my pulse ticks ag
Laura Marcus hits his chest and clears his throat once we are standing outside Caleb's mansion at sunrise. Great. I can't say I'm interested in listening to the beta. I barely slept in the car since I was pressed between two giants. I'm dying to go inside and find myself a fancy bed. "Once we head inside, you can't see Caleb," Marcus tells me in a strict tone, burying his eyes in mine. "There was a full moon last night, and I'm not sure what mental state our alpha will be found in. He might still be aggressive and mad." "From a full moon?" I ask, confused. "Yes, alpha Caleb reacts that way to moonlight. He gets... Upset. Most of the time, he is also aggressive in his human form. That's why you might only see him as a wolf. When we hunt, for example." Now it's my turn to glare up at Marcus. I don't care that he is at least a foot taller than me. I might only be five feet tall, but I'm not a coward, and I won't let this big man tell me what and what not to do. "Listen here," I
LauraSleeping in a mansion that isn't yours is somewhat unsettling. I also think I've woken up like a billion times because it isn't nighttime. Everything is bright. Ths sunlight is creeping in through a crack in the blinds. Birds are singing the song of their people outside, and I've heard many people stomp past the bedroom I claimed as my own. Ugh, why can't they all just be quiet?!I've been tossing and turning throughout the morning, but since I got no sleep in the car, can anyone blame me?KNOCKKNOCKSome bastard knocks on my door, and I growl in response. I'm usually never this aggressive, but I was kidnapped. People got to understand I'm pissed about my situation!And the only clothes I have is a freaking wedding dress that smells like ABSOLUT VODKA!I growl in irritation. "What the fuck do you want, and why are you disturbing my sleep?!""Uh, it's me."Me?Is that a weird werewolf name around here, or is the man outside my door a complete tool?"Who the hell is me?" My voi
Laura After eating lunch, I'm standing by the sink and pre-washing my plate for the dishwasher. The water is running, and Ryan and Marcus walk for the door to leave the kitchen. "That hit the spot!" Ryan's arms are behind his head, and a boyish grin plays over his lush lips. "I'm going to nap in the garden in my usual spot before practice starts." Marcus is patting his stomach, satisfied with the meal. "I might join you. Get some nice sunshine." I roll my eyes. Could those two idiots even be more obvious? The two werewolves only wish to leave Caleb alone with me. But they are dead wrong if they think I will yield. No matter Caleb's apology, I won't forgive him for kidnapping me, and what is this about becoming his wife? And what, who the hell is Jenna, and why is Caleb betrothed to her?! Damn. I swear I'm not in love with Caleb or anything, but... The fact that he is betrothed to someone else bothers me. I'm not jealous, though! Uh-uh, not me, not even a little bit! I continu
LauraI bitterly swallow coffee while watching Marcus gather the new recruits to become warrior werewolves. I was never allowed to join these training sessions back in my pack. Women weren't supposed to fight. We were expected to be calm and collected. Our alpha preferred we learned the piano instead of playing in the garden with swords like the boisterous boys did.The Rivermoon pack, however, is all about equality. Both teenage boys and girls look up at Marcus expectantly. They are smiling under the blazing sun, wearing shorts since the weather is warm. And me?I brought a sun chair and a bottle of coca-cola that I found in the fridge. I'm wearing a cap on my head that smells like Caleb, and then I stole a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.It's summer in Caleb's country, and I'm going to watch these werewolves train.I'm very comfortable and wave at Marcus when he stares at me. His face immediately turns pale, and I frown. The poor beta is either afraid of me, or he finds me strange. I
LauraI'm baffled when it hits me full force that Jenna is the sister of alpha Roger and that she belongs to the Sunlight Shiver pack.Okay. I didn't expect that.I can't even speak—what do you say in a moment like this?I'm sorry I left your brother and the altar and humiliated you and your entire pack by rejecting him?Pft, that would be terrible.As if reading my mind, Jenna snorts. "What's the matter? Did the cat steal your tongue? Why did you suddenly lose your confidence, huh? Is it because you feel guilty over what you did?"Her friends snicker. I'm not sure what their names are, but they must be twins since they look identical."Either way," Jenna whips her hair over one shoulder, ready to turn away but not without looking me up and down. "You're a dead woman, Laura. Caleb will throw you out of his estate. Your white wolf is the only thing that makes you special—that's why Roger wanted to marry you. But seeing your human form? Damn, you look like a pubescent child. Unattractiv
LauraI'm not easily agitated. Scary movies never made me jump back in high school. My friends never managed to startle me. I can't even remember being afraid of the dark, and I wasn't the slightest unnerved by tales of monsters and ghosts.But I'm terrified now. My pulse is drumming against my neck, and I shake as I lift my chin to face the most enormous creature I've ever seen. The legends said the Lycans were giants, but really?Caleb hunches his massive shoulders to face me. Every muscle on his body bulges, making me freeze.I can't move. My feet might as well have grown gnarled roots and stuck them into the ground. I'm petrified as those blazing eyes lock on mine.Caleb's lips are pulled over his teeth, and his warm breath hits my face.He is more than twice my height. His fur is darker than the night, and his body is swollen with strength. Every finger is equipped with a razor-sharp claw instead of a nail.Powerful. Intimidating.Scary.Yet I believe I can somehow reach him
LauraMy heart is racing, but I'm trying to remain calm. I thread lightly over fallen tree branches, stopping every few seconds to look and listen for any humans camping out here. Luckily, I'm only met with the sun dancing through the canopies far above me and the sound of birdsong.Still, I have to keep up my guard. The Rivermoon pack might own these woods. Yet humans tend to get curious enough to enter other people's lands. Humans can't smell and tell which territory belongs to which werewolf pack, and neither do they know about us werewolves existing. So it's not like I can blame them for coming here. But it would be tragic if Caleb ended up killing someone innocent."Caleb?!" I shout, circling my mouth with my hands. "Caleb? Are you here somewhere?"I hear rustling from a bush, but panic drills me like an arrow when I pick up the scent—it smells like the Sunlight Shiver pack!Before I get the chance to shape-shift, a large brown wolf jumps over me and snarls into my face. My b