Chapter One – The Party, the Wolf, and the Throwdown

Audrey's pov

“Back in this bitch” I said out loud to no one. 

I dropped my bags in the middle of the living room, stood there like an idiot and stared at the tall glass windows of my father's villa.

The place smiled like dust and my father's old Arabian perfume, and even though the housekeepers had come earlier to make it livable after three years, it still didn't feel like home. 

I ran my hand along my father's old trophies arranged on the antique table in the living room and sighed. My father has been dead for four years now, and I've managed to cope with the grief of being an orphan.

I should have been passed out in bed after the flight from Paris, but sleep was impossible.

Not with the racket coming from next door. I could hear the loud roar of cars and loud music, and the howl of wolves.

Yes, actual howls.

I hissed and rolled my eyes. “Are you kidding me? My first night back and this?” I had been home for exactly an hour and already regretted it.

I shut the windows, thinking it'll block out the nosiee, but it was no use. The bass was even rattling the old chandelier, and it felt like they were throwing a rave inside my skull.

“That's it.” There was only so much I could take. I slipped out of my clothes into the first thing I could find, which was pink silk shorts, a white tank top and my fluffy robe since it was cold outside.

My hair was a mess so I knotted it up with the ribbon I still had on my wrist from the flight. Classy. 

I looked like the poster girl for insomnia, but I wasn’t about to let an entire wolf frat ruin my night.

****

What I saw when I stepped out of my villa didn't make sense. A silver sports car screamed down the private road, and its tires were smoking, then out of nowhere, a dark wolf ran along with the car. The crowd outside shouted and hooted as if it was a normal Saturday night entertainment.

The car drifted to a stop, and the wolf shifted into a naked man in front of the headlights, and nobody seemed to care. What ever happened to wolves hiding from the humans? Or weren't there any humans on this street anymore? I wondered.

I made my way over there, hugging my robe as tight as it could go, praying I looked more like an annoyed resident than a trespasser. Heads turned as I entered the yard, and most of them were guys with the kind of smiles that made me want to slap someone.

“Uh, hi,” I said, clearing my throat. “Who’s in charge of… whatever this is?”

Someone laughed and pointed toward the villa. “He’s back inside, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart. Great. I rolled my eyes and walked into the Villa ignoring the hoots and catcalls.

The music was louder indoors. There were empty bottles littered around and wolves in human forms lounging around in half open shirts. I made my way out to the back of the house, the pool area. There were people there as well.

“Hey, excuse me…who's the owner of this party?” I yelled as loud as I could using my wolf voice. Yes, I am a wolf too.

“He's not here. Is there a problem?” one of the boys said as he walked over to me. He sniffed the air and frowned. “You smell like a wolf, but you smell different…”

I took a step back. I had to be careful so no one would know what I really was. A werewolf trybrid. My father was a werewolf, but my mom was a Fae, and a witch. Even in the 21st century, Faes, witches and werewolves still hated each other.

Infact, I was an abomination…a product of a werewolf and a fae. That's why my father is dead, because someone from his pack killed him for marrying a fae witch.

“You smell like alcohol.” I shot back at the guy. He bit his lower lip as his eyes dragged over my body.

He scoffed. “I like you, you have spunk. How can I help you?”

“Who's the owner of this party?” I asked again.

“Wel—” he started to say but he was cut off when something slammed me to the ground..

It was so fast I didn't see it coming. It knocked the wind out of me. It was a wolf, a black massive wolf.

I gasped for air, and crawled backward, trying to get as far away as I could. Its teeth were bared, and there was spit hanging off its lips. 

“I…please the owner of the party. I just want to—” I blubbered, my heart racing wildly in my chest. The wolf leapt into the midair, its body twisting and snapping and by the time it hit the ground, it was no longer a wolf at all.

 It was Adrian Vale, my childhood friend and he was naked, save for some shorts. He was taller than I remembered with a ripped body that belonged in a museum. His dark hair was longer now, that it fell to his shoulders. I had to leave because my mom pulled me out of LA to school abroad before I even had a chance to say goodbye to him.

And he'd never reached out or tried to keep in contact with me. He gave me a once over and he frowned. “No way…”

I tried to cover my shock with attitude. “Some people are trying to sleep.”

He shrugged. “Then go back to wherever you disappeared to, princess.”

 “You almost attacked me, and now you’re refusing to turn down your music?”

“Attacked you?” He scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I smelled a trespasser, that’s all. I just didn't think it'd be you.”

“Yeah well, surprise…” 

He stepped closer, and I took a step back, his chest glsitened under the pool lights. His eyes dragged over my body slowly. “Nice Pajamas.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks and I turned away. “I wasn’t exactly planning to crash your little circus.”

“Then don’t.”

He turned to leave but I caught his muscled arm. The contact made me snatch my hand back. “Turn the music down.”

Adrian leaned in so close that I smelt the wild scent of wolf on him. “Go home, Sutton.”

“It's not Sutton, it's Audrey.” My name wasn’t Sutton anymore. I was here to find out about my father and I wanted to stay anonymous. 

“Don’t bother lying,” he cut me off. “Do you think a fake name can fool me? Please… I’d know you anywhere.”

“Oh yeah? Then you know you're being a complete jerk.”

Adrian grabbed my wrist and dragged me back toward the entrance. God, he had gotten so strong.

“Hey!” I protested, hitting his arm with my free hand. “Let go!” 

But he didn't even though he was making a scene. By the time we reached the gate, a small crowd had followed us.

“Adrian, stop! What the hell is your problem?”

“You!” He snapped back then pushed me out into the street.

I stumbled but caught myself as he yelled. “Don't come back!” Then he turned back into the house.

I stood there shaking with anger. My robe had slipped off and people were staring at me “Jerk. He's a total, arrogant jerk.” I cursed stomping back home.