Talia was anxious to talk to Brodie. The butterflies returned the instant she saw him. He was coming over.'Keep it together and hear him out', she mentally coached herself. She stood there and watched as Rose stepped in front of him, touched him.Talia thought he'd brush her off and come to her so she waited and watched  as Brodie's expression changed to, from that distance, what looked like happiness.Her heart beat faltered and a crushing pain seemed to take over her. Is Rose his mate? Why her of all people? Well, she wasn't going to hang around and watch.Talia took off running, her feet carrying her instinctively as far away as she could get. Like a bat out of hell, she flew, faster than she had ever ran before.Her brain couldn't comprehend where she was. Only after her lungs started to protest did she slow down and take in her surroundings. Talia had headed to the forest and subconsciously ended up in the spot where she and Brodie had k

School passed fairly quickly for Talia.The final exams were due to start next week so all of her classes consisted of prep and revision of all the topics that were likely to come up on the papers. She was relieved that she had managed to avoid Rose and her cronies but some of the boys took notice of her new look. Glances of astounded admiration followed her down the halls. For someone who had always faded into the background, this new found attention made her uncomfortable.  The unwanted stares were not just because of her change of clothes. Now that her class had come of age or were fast approaching, the idea of mates and mating were in the forefront of many minds. Talia gathered her belongings as the final bell of the day rang. A mixture of excitement and trepidation filled her from her very core, she was heading to one of her favourite places to meet Brodie. Hurrying down the street, she ducked in the door of the cafe, cursing herself for not

I made it to my first class by the skin of my teeth. I managed to slip in unnoticed, thankful that no one paid any attention to me.I pulled out my notes ready for the exam prep. The teacher stood at the front of the class, rattling through what may be covered in the exam. I highlighted key points and colour-coded references to make studying easier for me.I sort of lived for this. I'm a geek, a hard-core geek. I wanted to excel at everything I attempted. Not to gloat, I worked at something until it was second nature which was ultimately harder but far more rewarding.The next few classes were the same. Putting in so much effort and concentrating on the task helped me forget that I was going to see Dr. Stewart tomorrow.By the time lunch rolled around I was confident that I had all the necessary study-aids I needed for pack politics, biology and physics.I headed for my favourite spot on the grounds. Dropping my book-laden bag, I slumped down by th

The sound of someone clearing their throats roused me from my sleep. Brodie and I were still in the same postion in the bed, his arm wrapped protectively around me and I was curled up at his side with my head on his chest. Suddenly, my head bounced of the mattress. Brodie had jumped up when he realised that we were no longer alone, his cheeks were blazing as he mumbled incoherently and straightened his shirt. My parents were standing just inside the room. I could tell that they were struggling to contain their amusement at Brodie's reaction. Sitting up, I stretched fully, not feeling any discomfort whatsoever. Well, except for needing the toilet. "Hey guys, can you give me a few minutes?", I signalled to the bathroom with my eyes. They seemed to hesitate, "Seriously, I'm fine but I won't be if I don't go soon.". I grabbed the pole that held my IV bag and swung my legs out of the bed. "Here, let me help you.", My mother came around to my side. I would

As Dr. Stewart prepared the necessary equipment to draw another set of blood from me he chatted away happily. "I hear that you want to study medicine. A fine ambition, if I do say so myself. Have you thought about where you'd like to go?""Yeah. I've been interested in the medicinal properties of plants forever and decided that I wanted to become a doctor at the age of seven. My dream has never changed since then. I've thought about a few universities but haven't made up my mind yet. I figure I'd be better applying to them all, you know?", Talia was happy to talk about a subject that distracted her.The Doc smiled at her knowing this information already," I went to Eastview Univeristy, myself then went on to specialise in blood disorders and anaysis at the Moutainridge Institute. I have kept in touch with the professors that now teach there. Have you looked into it as an option? I'd be happy to get all the information you require, even help you with your admissions ess