LOGINChapter 58: Is It Jealousy or Curiosity?~ Yates ~The second my feet hit the pavement outside Gwen's house, I hit the ground running. I was incredibly lucky that Jerome had been focused on the front porch; otherwise, he would have caught me slipping right out of her bedroom window. I crossed the street in record time, slipping inside my own house and locking the door behind me.I leaned against the wood, letting out a long breath. "Phew. That was way too close," I muttered to the empty hallway.Desperate to wash off the leftover grime from the block party and the scent of the woods, I stripped down and threw myself under a steaming shower, quickly scrubbing my skin and brushing my teeth. Once I felt human again, I wandered downstairs to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. My stomach was entirely empty.Instead of food, I found a handwritten note sitting on the kitchen counter. I recognized my dad's messy handwriting immediately. I picked up the paper and skimmed the line
Chapter 57: Fabricated Lies.~ Gwen ~"That’s Jerome. He’s going to knock on the front door any second, so you need to get out right now," I whispered frantically.I scrambled across the mattress, snatching his discarded shirt and heavy jacket from the chair, shoving them toward him. But moving that fast was a massive mistake. A sharp wave of dizziness hit me, and the pounding in my head flared up so badly that my balance gave out completely. I staggered sideways. Yates moved instantly, catching me by my upper arms before I could hit the floor."Hey, are you alright?" he asked, his brow furrowing with immediate concern."I’m fine," I lied, quickly pulling out of his grip and forcing the bundle of clothes into his chest. "Just put your clothes on and get out.""How am I supposed to leave when Jerome is literally standing on your front porch?" he pointed out, quickly throwing his shirt over his head and pulling his jacket on."When you snuck in here last night, did you walk through my f
Chapter 56: My Knight in Shining Armor.~ Gwen ~The details of what happened right after that enormous beast jumped to my defense were mostly a blur. But I distinctly remembered the way the creature looked down at me. There was an uncanny sense of recognition in its gaze. It wasn't just some wild animal; it was a werewolf. And when I caught the unmistakable glow of those intense blue eyes, the fog in my mind cleared just enough for me to realize the truth. It was Yates. He had tracked me down and saved me.I remained frozen on the damp grass, my vision swimming as I watched him dominate the space, easily driving those two predatory guys away. Before I could even attempt to process it, the weight of the alcohol dragged me under, leaving me too sluggish to speak. I had wanted to tell him how terrifying his wolf form truly was up close, but the words wouldn't form. I was trapped in a strange paradox of intense fear and overwhelming relief—fearing the massive predator standing before me,
Chapter 55: Damsel in Distress.~ Yates ~The moment I stepped onto the crowded dance floor with Fanny, my mind completely drifted. I couldn't focus on the music or the rhythm. Instead, I kept thinking about Jerome and Gwen, wondering what was really going on between them. I remembered clearly telling Jerome that I was completely fine with him pursuing her. I didn’t want to stand in their way, and I definitely didn’t want to deal with that ugly, clawing jealousy ever again. But watching them together made a strange knot form in my gut."Are you actually having any fun?" Fanny’s sharp voice suddenly snapped me right out of my thoughts."Yeah, definitely," I lied, looking down at her. "You?""About to be," she said with a slow smirk.Before I could answer, she leaned in close, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck, and pressed her lips firmly against mine. I kissed her back, pulling her slender frame against my chest, trying to force myself to focus on the girl in my arms. But as the
Chapter 54: Having Fun Gone Wrong.~ Gwen ~The moment I saw Yates steering Fanny through the crowd directly toward us, my pulse went into overdrive. A cold splash of reality washed over my temporary buzz. It was one thing to process the mess of our secrets in the quiet of my own head, but watching him approach the very guy who now knew everything about our time in the woods was a completely different level of stress. The looming confrontation felt entirely inescapable."Hey, man," Yates said, clapping Jerome roughly on the shoulder before pulling him into one of those aggressive, brief guy-hugs."Hey," Jerome replied, his voice level and steady, giving absolutely nothing away.When they pulled apart, Jerome was the one to break the silence. "You guys are just getting here?" he asked, his eyes drifting over to Fanny.She was trailing a step behind Yates, her arms tightly crossed over her chest and a permanent line etched between her eyebrows."Yeah, we just walked through the gates,"
Chapter 53: Block Party Celebration.~ Gwen ~Evening arrived far quicker than I wanted it to. After twisting and turning in front of my own mirror for a solid ten minutes, I finally accepted my fate in Elodie’s neon blue outfit. Just as I was checking the laces on my tall boots, a text lit up my phone screen. It was from Elodie, letting me know she was waiting at her dorm so we could head out together. I drove over to her building, picked her up, and we made the short trip to the edge of campus together.When we arrived, the Old Athletic Bowl was already completely transformed. The sunken stadium was packed to the brim with students from practically every department. The air carried a thick mix of deep bass, the collective roar of hundreds of voices, the sharp scent of cheap booze, and an undeniable electric energy."Wow. There are way more people here than I expected," I shouted over the noise, looking down into the massive concrete bowl."Told you so," Elodie said, bumping her shou







