Chapter 1.

🌺OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA🌺

Two weeks after her visit to the doctor, Ismena Cranes sat in her bedroom with her best friend, Sandra, who paid her a visit when she heard that her friend is back in town. 

They've been friends for more than ten years—since high school—and even though Ismena left town after college in search of a job, they remained in touch with each other. They visited each other once in a while and spent quality time together.

"Hey, what is this you've been reading since you got here anyway?" Ismena asked her best friend.

"A new book. Damn, you need to read this book, it's perfect." She flipped to the next page, her brows knitted in ardent concentration.

Ismena scribbled down the number ten of her list, "No thanks. I'll pass on that one. Can't believe you haven't changed none in the last ten years. You're still reading fantasies that don't exist." She has nothing against books, but her best friend can spend an eternity reading fairytales. Is that a way to live life?

"You need to read this one. Damn, I'm in love with the hero. He's an Alpha." Sandra's eyes took on a dreamy look, "I have this bad crush on Alpha males. They're dangerous but very sexy. These men exist, you know."

Uh-huh. "You've always had a thing or two for jerks. Just learn to keep reality very separate from your fantasy books. Men that morphe into animals? Yeah, right."

Sandra wasn't touching that statement with a pole. That argument has lived on between them since they were sixteen, grown and matured with them. It'll be with them till old age and go to the grave with either one of them that dies first. No way she's touching that statement.

"Changelings possess dominant, possessive traits. They never cheat on their partner and they mate forever. That love stays alive forever, renewed every full moon." Sparkling, dreamy eyes to the white ceiling, "Predatory changelings possess all these, but Alphas take that to an entirely new level. Don't you want men like this?” 

Ismena raised the white piece of paper up, swiveled her head to the side, and gave it a total appraisal. Her brows knitted, "Yep, this is exactly what I'm talking about."

"What is that?" Sandra dragged her eyes away from her book, throwing her a curious glance.

"Nope, nothing." Her hand in the air came down and went straight behind her back.

Her best friend narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Huh-uh, what is that, Mena?"

Keeping the list hidden is pointless, Ismena realized. Knowing her plump, beautiful Hispanic friend so well, she wouldn't stop until her curiosity is quenched.

Taking a deep breath, Ismena withdrew the list from her back, "Alright. I made the list." She admitted.

"List?" Sandra asked, brows drawn in confusion.

"Yep. List. You know, the list I told you I was gonna make?"

"THE list!?" Sandra's eyes popped out, her voice was a hushed scream. Putting her phone away, she looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance before she looked back at her friend, "You were serious!?"

There's no one else on the one-story floor old but a good-looking house, except the both of them. Ismena nodded her head, "Yes, I was."

"Let me see, let me see," Her friend dove for the white paper and Ismena let her have it.  She unfolded the paper, her eyes darted around and pinned on the words.

"My To-Do List for the next three months?" Sandra read out loud. She threw her friend a glance. Ismena shrugged. Her head swiveled back the piece of paper, she began reading out loud.

"One; Go to a club and have fun. Two; Have a one-night-stand with a total stranger." Paused. Looked up at her friend, "Seriously? You're gonna have séx with a total stranger?"

"Yap. A mind-blowing one at that." She shrugged, "I can't remember the last time I had séx because I was always working and didn't have time for a proper relationship. So, I'm gonna make proper good use of these coming months. This time around, I wanna be wild." A smile split her lips, and her eyes took on a dreamy look, "I want wild. Something completely out of character, I might even try anal too. I've been a good girl long enough."

"Huh-uh," Sarah nodded her head like her friend is making sense, and lowered her head back to the paper, "I knew you had that wild girl in you all along, I just knew it. Sex with a stranger I can recommend, but I ain't recommending anal at all. That'll be putting your health in danger."

Ismena snorted in a my-health-is-already-in-more-danger-than-you-can-imagine kinda way, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Four; Tell my boss he's an asshole." Brows ached. "Five; Conquer a lifelong fear." Snorts, she added, "That'll be fear of heights, just go skydiving."

"I plan to."

"Six; Go camping in the forest. Seven; Ride a horse on a beach. Uh-huh, Uh-huh, as if you can ride a horse. Eight; Make a nude video that will go viral." She paused. Scoffed. "You're not serious."

Ismena put on a hip-hop song and began dancing to it while she answers her friend in a singsong matter, "I'm...dead...serious! I'm dead serious...!" She sang, throwing her friend a wide smile, "Don't worry, I won't show my face."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You've gone crazy. Absolutely crazy. Nine; Get a constant fúck buddy?" Sandra shook her head, "Just say you wanna turn into a slút for some idiot out there."

"Yap. That just about sums it up." No point in staying celibate anyway. There's no time to be a slút for her future husband, whoever he might have been. 

"And, last but not the least... Ten; Write a will." She paused, "WRITE A WILL!? SERIOUSLY!?"

Ismena listed a shoulder and allowed it to fall. 

"That's giving me the 'bad' vibes. Why write a will? You're only on Leave from work, you're not dying." Sandra shivered, "Nope, I'm canceling out this last one."

Ismena took the white piece of paper from her friend and gave her a wide smile she hoped didn't come out too forced. "It's just for fun, okay? I've not had such a long time to myself in forever, I want to do crazy things and make the most of it, okay?"

"Okay, okay, if you say so. I just hope you know what you're doing." Sandra raised her hands in surrender.

Ismena grinned. That wild smile of hers steals the heart of whoever witnesses it, even after ten years, Sandra hasn't gotten used to how that smile glows up her friend's face making her look exceptionally gorgeous.

"I know what I'm doing, baby." With that, she turned and continued her dancing.

Sandra gave her friend a once-over as she made smooth dance moves. At twenty-six years old, Ismena is very beautiful with wild gorgeous blond hair that's always full and curly, it's a hassle to style and park. Although her friend always keeps the hair in order, it's very attractive whether styled or unkempt. Ismena looks good even when if she just wakes up after rolling around in bed all night. She has curves to die for too, with a big butt that has the men staring.

Her 'imperfection' will be the smattering of freckles on her nose and her petite form. At five foot four, she isn't a female giant for sure. That's all the physicals. 

In personality, her friend has always been fun and very funny too, but she isn't very sociable especially in front of strangers, and she isn't the outgoing type too. Ismena has always been focused, and more on work and success in life than social lives, dating, and clubs.

Is there more to her suddenly new resolution or is it just her zeal to do something completely different in her leave vacation?

"Stop overthinking it, baiiiibyyy." Ismena sing-song without sparing her friend a glance.

"I just hope you know you're gonna get fired after you call your boss an asshole, right?"

"Who caaaares?" Ismena bent and twerked her hips in rhythm with the music, "Definitely not me."

"So, how do you plan to tick off your list? Don't tell me you're gonna club and fúck around here in Oklahoma? Your parents will have a fit."

Ismena scoffed, "No, silly. I'm going for a one-week vacation to New York City, I already booked a week in advance flight too. I leave next week."

Finally, Sandra smiled. "Alright then, I'll help you with shopping and getting ready. Go to the City-That-Never-Sleeps and make us proud. I have a feeling about this vacation slash quest of yours."

"What kind of feeling?" She asked, dubiously.

"Not sure if it's a good feeling or a bad feeling, but I have this feeling that this quest will be changing your life forever."