ANMELDENChapter 140: The Attraction Continues.~ Yates ~The next morning, the bright, harsh lights of the campus ice rink hummed directly above us as the team ran through drills. Blade edges sliced hard into the ice, spraying fine white powder against the plexiglass walls. We had been going at it for a couple of hours, and my jersey was completely soaked through with sweat."Underwood! Your interviewer just walked in," Lenny shouted, using his hockey stick to point toward the entrance before he skated away toward the far goalpost.I slowed my pace, coming to a smooth halt in the center of the rink. Looking up toward the concrete bleachers, I instantly spotted Gwen walking down the stairs. The moment she caught me looking, she raised her hand and gave me a cheerful wave.“Oh, look at that. Don't even try to pretend you aren't thrilled to see her,” Jack’s voice echoed sharply inside my mind, his mental tone full of teasing amusement."Just shut up," I muttered under my breath, skating over to
Chapter 139: Jerome's Deep Feelings.~ Gwen ~"Jerome," I said softly.I extended my hand, placing my palm flat against his flannel-covered chest and gently but firmly pushing him back, creating space between us. "We can't do this.""Why not?" he asked, his voice full of confusion and a hint of hurt."I...I just...we just can't," I stammered, completely unable to give him a real explanation.Jerome slowly leaned all the way back, letting out a long, heavy sigh as he dropped his hands. He looked down at his sneakers, the silence on the rooftop suddenly feeling incredibly vast."It's alright," he mumbled after a long moment, looking back up to catch my gaze. "You obviously weren't expecting me to say all of that tonight. It must have surprised you to the point where you're just completely confused right now. I totally understand, and I'm really sorry for springing it on you like that.""No, it's completely fine. Please don't feel sorry at all," I said quickly, hating the disappointment
Chapter 138: Jerome's Deep Feelings.~ Gwen ~Jerome continued to talk openly about his life in the pack, sharing details about growing up as a werewolf while I sat quietly beside him, hanging onto every word. Once we finally finished eating, we cleared away the empty cardboard box and stretched out on the blanket, turning our faces up to look at the bright stars scattered across the night sky."If I actually had my telescope up here tonight, this would be a lot more fun," Jerome said, finally breaking the long silence that had settled over us. "But unfortunately, it’s still packed away back at the pack house.""The pack house?" I asked, turning my head slightly to look at him."Yeah," he shrugged, keeping his eyes on the constellations. "It’s this huge place where me, Yates, Elodie, and Fanny used to hang out all the time. But things have completely changed lately. Now, it’s pretty much just me and Yates who go there regularly." He paused, adjusting his position on the blanket. "Well
Chapter 137: Rooftop Date.~ Gwen ~I walked over and sat down on the edge of his neatly made bed, while he pulled out his desk chair and sat across from me."I am seriously so sorry about those two dicks downstairs," Jerome apologized, shaking his head. "They live to tease me at any given opportunity.""I definitely noticed the teasing, but it’s completely fine. I actually found it pretty funny," I assured him."Are you absolutely sure?" he asked, searching my face."Yeah, promise," I nodded."Okay, good," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Well, you can just relax and make yourself at home while I head back downstairs to grab our dinner. You like pizza, right?""Yeah, I love pizza," I told him."Awesome. I will be right back up. Seriously, feel free to look around and relax," he said, standing up from the chair. I smiled at him, and he returned the expression before slipping out the door.Once I was alone, I stood up to browse his space. I noticed one of the large posters on the
Chapter 136: Rooftop Date.~ Gwen ~Jerome drove us across campus toward the row of fraternity housing, pulling his truck up in front of a large, bustling building. When we walked through the front doors, the loud sound of virtual gunfire and racing engines immediately hit my ears. Two guys were crashed out on a large leather sofa in the middle of the common room, which clearly functioned as a shared living space for all the students living in the house. Their focus was locked entirely on a massive television screen where an intense video game match was going down."Hey, Kincaid," one of them mumbled, giving a quick nod in our direction without taking his thumbs off his controller."Hey, man," Jerome called back, adjusting his posture slightly."Whatcha got there?" the other guy asked. He glanced away from the screen for a split second, a wide grin spreading across his face the moment his eyes landed on me."Keep your eyes on the game, dweeb," the first guy snapped, reaching over with
Chapter 135: On the Way to a Rocky Path.~ Gwen ~"She did WHAT?!" Jerome shouted.Before I could even process his yell, he slammed his foot down on the brake pedal. The truck came to a screeching, violent halt right in the middle of the empty road. If I hadn't been wearing my seatbelt, the sheer force of the stop would have thrown me face-first into the dashboard."Jerome!" I yelled, my heart racing as I turned to glare at him."I am so, so sorry, Gwen," he stammered immediately, looking completely horrified by his own reflex. He reached across the console, his hands hovering over my shoulders. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?""Yeah, I'm fine. Luckily the seatbelt caught me," I sighed, running a hand through my hair to push the stray pieces out of my face."Thank God," he breathed, letting out a long gust of air. But his face quickly darkened again as he remembered my confession. "You just said Fanny shifted her form and attacked your arms. How exactly did she do that?""She was in he







