Flora’s P.O.V
At first I thought Clay was just messing with me, I mean, what else could it be? Clay and Riley had been best friends since childhood and he’s always treated me like the little sister. But something had changed in him when he came back from Lindersay, what exactly, I couldn’t tell, not until now.
He wasn't holding back anymore. And I could feel the intensity of it every time he glanced at me when we were in class, the depth of his gaze making me shiver every damn time. And I would always be able to tell when he was around because the fine hair on my nape would stand in attention, as if my wolf wanted him to wrap his fingers around my nape in a bold possessiveness that would tell others that I was off limits.
Clay had never been known to hold back from what he wanted. Back when he was in middle school, he was able to beat guys twice his size and win the soccer championship in the Lycan Yearly Championship Programme for boys under twelve, a werewolf version of the Interstate Soccer Championships. And when he got older, he could get any woman he set his eyes on. And then when he was at Lindersay, he was always top in class, always beating the odds and winning against wolves twice his size in every field possible. I hadn’t been to Lindersay, but Riley had always spoken with such pride when he called us to tell us about their achievements, about how he and Clay were making our pack proud.
And now he had set his eyes on me.
“It’s probably because he thinks forbidden fruit is sweeter?” I shrugged as I spoke to Ruth over the phone. “I’m his best friend’s little sister that he’s not supposed to have feelings for so he thinks if he’s slept with me once; it’ll be over and done with.”
“Well, he does have a habit of going after things he isn’t supposed to have and then getting them anyway.” I could visualize Ruth rolling her eyes at the prospect. “I do envy you for getting his attention though. I wonder when he’ll be done with you and ready to move on to someone else.”
Ruth’s words surprised me at how harsh she sounded. I wanted to ask her if she liked him but I think she’s just roll her eyes and say ‘duh!’ and I’d feel like a complete idiot for asking. Of course she was jealous! Clay was the future alpha, he was a power. Everyone wanted to be close to him and if it weren’t for his dominance that shoved everyone back, then he’d be swarmed by people of all age groups at all times.
I hung up with Ruth after a few short words and although her words had hurt me, I decided to end the topic then and there. If anything was to happen between me and Clay, it’ll be a private deal. I wouldn’t let anyone find out, not my family, not Riley and definitely not Ruth. Some things a girl needed to keep to herself or it might cause a lot of trouble.
And I totally understand if someone was the type to share everything with their best friends, but I usually kept most things to myself. And from the conversation I just had with Ruth, something at the back of my mind told me it wasn’t safe to discuss my private life with her anymore.
As the afternoon waned into evening, my wolf started to feel restless, so I decided to go for a run in the woods to calm my wolf. Who knows, I might even end up meeting with Riley on his patrol duty?
I dressed in a loose fitting T-shirt in a bright yellow that once belonged to Riley and paired it with a pair of black track pants for flexibility. Since no one was home at this hour, I went out through the front door and locked up as I left.
A few of my neighbours who were home, waved at me and I waited to chit chat with them for a few moments before I headed straight into the woods and started to run. I took a few moments to warm up for a bit, running lazily before I started to pump up my legs. I could scent several of my pack mates on the way as I twisted and turned around some of the forest giants.
I loved how the wind rustled through my hair, how the dried leaves crunched under my sneakers. I may fall in the category of submissive, but I was still a wolf. An animal of the wild, a child of the forest and of the moon Goddess. Exhilaration pumped through my blood as the scent of fresh pine hit my nostrils and my feet pumped harder, faster. It wasn’t long before I was running at full speed that would almost be equivalent to a wolf in full sprint.
I was smaller than most wolves and it gave me an advantage regarding my speed. I was faster in both wolf form and in human form, even though I had been too much of a chicken to participate in any kind of race. Garrick had been the one to point out my flaws and my advantages.
Speaking of Garrick…I should call him and apologize. I didn’t think we would ever get caught and that too by Clay. It wasn’t his fault and yet he got the raw end of Clay’s anger.
I must have been distracted by my thoughts because I suddenly caught a scent in the air that sent a shiver down my spine.
Clay.
I turned my head back to look at Clay, being careful at the same time to not get into any accidents in the middle of the forest. But all I saw was a faint hint of golden eyes and the blurry figure of a wolf. He was far behind me but was gaining speed and as the sun set in the horizon; his form became even more untraceable.
I turned back towards the road ahead and ran even faster. But I had forgotten that even though I was fast, I couldn’t outrun a wolf with alpha blood. I soon began breathing hard as I began exerting more energy trying to escape from Clay.
I knew Clay wouldn’t hurt me. This chase was only a game, a test of sorts. We both knew that he was a lot stronger and faster than me and it was inevitable that I’d be caught. But the fun was in the chase. A laugh escaped my lips when I felt Clay catching up. He was incredibly fast. I had hardly been able to trace when he had snuck up on me. It was also true that I wasn’t a professionally trained wolf or a warrior, but I was still a wolf, able to sense things better than humans. I should’ve been able to tell when he had gained up on me. The fact that I hadn’t was a testament to Clay’s strength.
But that had been the turning point in our game.
A second later, I saw a blur move past me and it caused me to halt abruptly, also causing me to stumble over my legs and soon enough, I was on the ground, skidding forward at incredible speed towards the sturdy trunk of a forest giant.
Something heavy fell on top of me, halting my skid and stopping me just inches away from the trunk of the tree I was about to collide into. I closed my eyes as adrenalin rushed through my body and my heart thundered against my chest. My breath came out in pants and I felt the weight of the wolf lift off my chest.
Clay didn’t move far away. He was still on top of me and when I opened my eyes, I saw the rich red fur of Clay’s wolf, the golden hue of his eyes. He was straddling me in wolf form and I suddenly realized that I was unharmed because of him.
“Clay?” I asked when my breathing was somewhat in control and my heart no longer threatened to burst out of my chest.
And that was when he began to shift.
Flora’s P.O.VI closed my eyes as I saw light consuming his wolf form, beginning his shift. Within a split second, I felt him place his hands on either side of my head, on the ground as dried leaves crunched under his palms.“Open your eyes.” Clay whispered next to my ears, his warm breath fanning my cheeks.“You’re naked.” I reminded him, squeezing my eyes tighter.“I have some clothes behind the bushes.” He told me and I felt his weight being lifted off me as he stood up from the ground. I heard some movement and rustling for a few seconds that felt like he was putting his clothes on.“Are you dressed?” I asked after a minute as I sat up on the forest floor, dusting the dried leaves off my hair.“Yes.”I opened my eyes a fraction only to gasp and close them again, this time with my hands in front of my face. Clay’s throaty laughter echoed
Flora’s P.O.V“Wolf anatomy is very similar to human anatomy, unless of course, we are in our wolf form.” Clay told the classroom as a diagram appeared on the board of a wolf and a human, side by side with all the internal organs in vivid details.It was hard to believe that he was the same man who had chased me yesterday, adamant in his belief that we’ll end up in bed together, making me question everything I believed about myself…and here he was today, in a dark blue suit jacket and trousers paired with a white shirt underneath, all prim and proper like he wasn’t bothered by our interaction at all.The lights in the class were turned down low to allow the projector to focus images on the blackboard, and it made his emerald eyes glow from within, making them seem translucent. For a brief moment, I think I saw them flicker in my direction, but then he turned towards the blackboard like nothing had happe
Flora’s P.O.V“Oh my God!” I whispered in horror. “How did this happen?”“Well,” Nurse Khwan folded her arms across her chest and looked at the boy disapprovingly. “Someone thought it would be fun to go cliff diving backwards. He made a backflip, hit his head on a branch and landed on the wrong foot.” She shrugged like this was an everyday occurrence. “At least that’s what I was told.”“Tell me what I need to do.” I told her instantly, even though the sight of the bone jutting out of his skin made me want to vomit. It was a horrifying sight, but my wolf was an empath and a healer. I couldn’t back away from a wounded packmate that needed my help. The urge to heal was like a constant ache deep in my bones.Nurse Khwan studied me from head to toe. She was a gorgeous woman with short black hair that reached just past her ears and eyes of a dark chocolate
Flora’s P.O.V“What’s this?” I asked, looking at the box suspiciously.“Your lunch.” Clay shrugged, looking nervous for the first time since I’ve known him. “I woke up early this morning so I thought about cooking lunch…for us.”Clay cooked lunch for me? And brought it to college…how has the box survived till now without any of his million fans stealing it or the entire college bursting into gossip?It was a good thing that school was out or there would’ve been a lot of gossip when people saw him carrying me in his arms. He hadn’t taken me to the cafeteria for lunch, but had instead brought me to the woods behind the school, to the fallen branch of the forest giant where Ruth and I had first seen him kiss Ms. McKellar. I had felt a bit awkward when he had sat me on top of the branch and taken a seat next to me, but then he had revealed his bag and given me the
Flora’s P.O.V“Ugh!” Ruth groaned as she steered the car to the right to get to another parking space. “Why aren’t there separate parking’s for bikes? They take up an entire car space!”“There’s another opening two cars ahead!” I warned her as I looked behind me at the steadily approaching SUV. “Quick! Get it before they do!”Ruth steadily maneuvered her truck into the thankfully ‘bike-free’ parking space and killed the gas. Hopping out of the truck after locking it, both of us stretched our hands and feet, glad to be out of the car after four whole hours.“Damnit!” Ruth massaged the back of her neck. “We really do live in the middle of nowhere!”“Which is for our own good,” I reminded her. “Now…exactly how much money did you manage to bring? I’m thinking of getting some new clothes and shoes, m
Clay’s P.O.VFuck! She looked gorgeous!My mind had taken a while to register that the gorgeous red-haired woman on the opposite side of the parking lot was none other than the woman I desired the most, Flora Argentine.“Fuck! Is that my sister and her friend?” Riley whispered in astonishment from next to me.“Seems so.” I tried to act nonchalant, not wanting him to catch on to the fact that I wanted his sister; wanted her so badly that it was driving me nuts. And the fact that I had liked his little sister ever since we were kids.There had been nothing sexual about that childhood liking. It had been a crush that I knew would remain unrequited until I found my mate. But ever since I got back from Lindersay, things had changed drastically.It had taken just one look and I was a goner.I could still remember walking into class for my first lecture and that was when her scent had hit me. Fl
Flora’s P.O.V“Come over at my place for lunch. Tomorrow @ noon.”I had received the text as soon as I had returned home last night and I still couldn’t believe my eyes.I don’t know if it was the surge of jealousy I had felt when I had seen him ogled by hundreds of hungry female eyes or because I could no longer deny the physical attraction between us, but I think I was going to do it.I was ready to sleep with Clay.Even thinking about it made my cheeks flare up, but was there really a point in waiting any longer? It felt like I was stringing him along otherwise. Yes, I couldn’t help but think about all the negative things that could come out of this union and yes, I was hella nervous about disappointing everyone, but…Clay wanted me, just as much as I wanted him.So why not give it a try?I had been awake since five in the morning and I‘ve had a very restless
Flora’s P.O.VHoisting my form on top of the kitchen counter, Clay wrapped his fingers around my nape in a possessive hold and crashed his lips to mine.Sensations flooded my bloodstream all at once as I held onto his shoulders for dear life. It was so much more than just a kiss. It was passion leashed by bone-crushing will.Clay was holding himself back, I could feel it. But was I really ready for all of him? As his hands moved down my sides, I felt my entire body quiver with need. It was like heat all over again, but this time, specifically for Clay.His lips moved on top of mine, at first at a slow, lazy pace before both of us got impatient. Clay used his free hand to hold me in place as he wrapped it around my lower back. His lips were soft yet firm, with a hint of the chocolate cake that we’d had for desert.I wonder what it would feel like to lick chocolate off of his lips…“Flora…&rdquo