CHAPTER ONE: STRANGER AT THE DOOR

JASMINE

The rain hit the tarred pavements in a chaotic rhythm, just a few minutes ago the sky was sunny with a chance of rain.

" I knew I should've carried the umbrella" I muttered, grumbling in annoyance.

It was expected that there would be light showers, but this just made my terrible day even worse. I stepped into the rain without caring about my clothes. My backpack felt heavier than usual, not because of the soaked papers after all I did not spend a whole $30 for a fake waterproof bag, but it's the stress that's built up over the week, and knowing there's still a few more days of this left.

At the corner of my eye, I catch a familiar sleek black car, probably a Bentley or a Tesla I don't know, but .... Didn't I pass this car just five minutes ago?

I knew I thought deeply a lot and people may think I'm a sociopath, but I'm always aware of my surroundings. I couldn't help but feel my skin crawl at the thought of someone watching me.

Similar cars have been seen around here these last few weeks, I'm sure of this, cause this is downtown, you don't see luxury cars around this area.

I hurry up home to my rundown apartment, locking the door, I feel my tense nerves relaxing, i take in my familiar habitat.

Walls covered with a peach wall paper, the slightly worn sofa and coffee table, the cozy thrifted rug that hid rotting wooden floors. Habitually I began sniffing around my apartment to know if someone broke in again, but the dull scent reminded me that I have been suppressing my beast since Mrs Elliott went on a trip.

That old lady, bless her heart, had taken care of me since I was in sunshine orphanage till now. If not for her medical history making her unfit for guardianship, I would by now be legally her granddaughter. Before she left she told me to suppress my beast. The city isn't safe for us she said.

" Knock, knock"

I ran to the door and looked through the peephole to see who it was.

" Bitch I know you are watching me, if you don't open this door I will yodel so hard and loud that your neighbors are gonna scream" Sloane shouts.

Quickly i opened the door to this gorgeous mess. She's soaked to the bone but it did nothing to hide her beauty, dyed midnight blue hair sticking to her face, her body con could not hug her perfect figure any tighter. Her makeup is surprisingly stable which reminds me to ask which brand she is using.

" I'm Sooo upset" she dragged out as she helps herself into my apartment.

" I can see that" I look at her shoes. Those were her favorite leather pumps, now it's soaked.

" It's ruined" she removes it and throws it at the door.

I raise an eyebrow to that but don't complain because after her tantrum, she'll pick it back up.

" What's got you upset, apart from your shoes"

Walking to the fridge, i get leftover ice cream for us. Perks of being a supernatural, you can't catch a cold after being drenched in the rain, adding ice cream to the list won't even make me sneeze.

" My boss has been a total dick head today" Sloane says as she grabs the whole tub of ice cream and sits on my sofa.

I look at her in annoyance, I understand she has a good immune system, but she is daring for a human. Going to the bathroom, I fetch one towel and toss it on Sloane.

" Isn't he one every other day" I ask.

" Yeah, but today was just unnecessary, he was practically on my back today, he rejected my report three times today, giving escuses like it does capture the main element, the fonts are too big, the fonts are too small." She drys her hair before continuing in annoyance.

"His junk is too small for his big ego and believe me I've seen it, and I still can't see what Yvonne sees in him, or maybe it's the fact that he gave her my report to work on and she just highlighted on some unimportant stuff and gave her all the credit" Sloane slumps on my sofa in defeat picking her perfectly manicured fingers.

Her job has been eating into her, typical office job nine to five, minimum wage income, enormous workload. She has been wanting to quit her job for a while now.

" This is getting worse than before, he was just promoted and is already power crazed, but wait, I thought Yvonne was a newbie?" I ask.

" He got that promotion by using MY idea, and yes Yvonne is new in the office, but I just caught them going at it in the restroom at lunch time, now everything just makes sense" Sloane says sounding defeated and it breaks my heart.

She used to be care free, do what I want consequences later kind of girl, but now I guess this is what happens when you grow up.

" On the bright side, I took your advice and decided to look for another job and a rival company reached out to me offering me a higher salary and residency at the company apartment, which calls for a celebration cookie!" Sloane immediately jumps up and heads towards the kitchen.

" Really!, that great, I'm so happy for you" I say giving her an air kiss.

She catches it and put it on her cheek and begins rummaging through my kitchenette.

Sloane and I met in highschool, typical cool kid and nerd combination with me being the nerd. She was in the last year of high school and I just entered freshman year. After pulling off a prank on the vice principal, though we were caught and got punished for it, our friendship was born from it and we became inseparable.

" Hey, why is there only one cookie jar" Sloane says holding a yellow cookie jar.

" Daisy's out of town, so no more cookies till she arrives"

" What!, that old hag finally left"

I gave Sloane my best 'bitch you gotta be kidding me' face, I know Mrs Elliott and Sloane don't get along, but I never knew their enmity ran deep.

" Seriously why do you two not get along" I asked.

" Jas I love you but you do not understand the feeling of coming back from work so tired and all you wanted was your favourite cookie, but when it was finally within my reach, it was intercepted my the wrinkled fingers of that old witch, she even cackled at me in the end" Sloane said giving her overtly exaggerated version of events.

Maybe it was my facial expression that exposed the fact that I did not believe her or it was how exaggerated her story was. Daisy doesn't like store bought cookies, she likes them freshly baked.

" Ok that was a lie, the reason is crazy. Maybe it's her eyes or I'm hallucinating, but she gives off this psycho, 'me wanna kill you' vibe.

You know those times she quiet and on her own, I saw her eyes, it was crazed and...hungry? I don't know" Sloane says rubbing her shoulders and shudders like she remembers something creepy.

Can't blame her, daisy is a lone beast like me, after so many years without a pack, she is one step away from being rogue and turning into a blood crazed monster.

She says that when she met me the bloodlust calmed down a bit, but now she is getting restless, that's why she went for a vacation.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sloane perked up from the couch.

“Oh! That should be the pizza,” she said casually, already halfway to the kitchen.

I stood slowly, something tightening in my gut.

“You didn’t order pineapple again, did you?” I called over my shoulder, trying to keep my tone light.

Getting to the door, my hand hovered over the doorknob.

Knock knock knock

The knocks was too firm, It was too deliberate, and not like Sam the pizza delivery guy. Sam does our secret knock for us to know it was him. Maybe sam called in sick today and this person is new.

Something seemed off, I don't know how to put my finger on it. I peek through the peephole and then pause.

No no no no no. I mutter I my head, the bad vibe I've been getting slowly sinking in.

There's no delivery guy, instead I see a tall man, broad shoulders, dressed in all black, his face covered with a black mask.

I didn't need to smell him, his Aura was of that of a trained dog or wolf and not just any wolf.

Wolf shifter.

Daisy taught me how to spot them and escape, unfortunately my only escape route is the window.

My instincts tells me that his wolf is no where as strong as mine, but after weeks of suppressing it, thanks to Daisy’s stupid tea, I am defenseless.

I barely had time to scream for Sloane to run before the door flew open with unnatural force hitting me to the wall in the process.

He acted fast with speed that would've been turtle speed to me if I was a bit stronger than now, delivering a punch to my temples.

White hot pain explodes from that spot as my vision becomes blurry.

CRUNCH!

The sound of my bones cracking accompanies a punch to shoulder. I bit my lips to swallow my cry of pain.

Who is this wolf shifter and why is he after me. I have never seen him before, he should not be a lone wolf.

My head swings to the side as my assailant punches my temples again, my knees buckle and the world tilts sideways as I hit the floor hard, my vision going black.

Everything else that was muffled and distant, the sound of the rain hitting my window and the echo of Sloane’s voice somewhere behind me. Darkness began to pull me under.

Wait!

Sloane

Was she safe? Did they want her, too?

Would they hurt her?

That was my last thought before everything went black.