Chapter One

Day 1

It felt like I was jolted out of my sleep, as the thunder roared outside my window. It hadn’t started raining yet, but the sounds outside threatened to bring a horrible storm. But I appreciated the thunder, because I wasn’t having the best of dreams. I dreamed of the pack and how it was in danger last year, but we all stuck together. I could see Horace Sims’ face as Koda attacked him and sent him screaming in high pitched Dolby digital out of Brunswick forest. Mika, Eli, Jacoba and I all laughed. The pack was my family, although I hadn’t made the change myself; nope, still a sad little human.

        I felt like I was on fire now and sweat was pouring down my face as if a rain cloud was right over my head. I looked at the clock beside my bed; it was 4am. I only had a few hours before I had to get up from school. My body felt drained, dizzy and miserable, but these were all things that had happened to the guys before they became wolves. Well at least I knew I wasn’t sick, I was just about to burst into fur and go frolic in the forest (note sarcasm). The thunder growled threats once again outside my window, but this time very loud. Demon leaped up from the foot of my bed and retreated in fear out into the hall…coward. I got out of bed and made my way over to the window to shut it. I reached up for the bottom of the window just as the lightning flashed. A small gasp escaped my lips as I jumped a little, looking down into the yard.

        Did I see correctly, was something standing under my tree? I leaned out of the window a little, squinting down into the dark yard. The wind was starting to pick up, blowing my long black hair into my face, making it almost impossible to see. The lightning flashed again and I screamed and fell back from the window to the floor. A pair of flashing eyes was in the tree now, glaring at me. I heard soft padded feet and the huge bushy black wolf made his way into the window, barely making it through. He scraped the loose nail on the window sill and snarled a protest of pain. Knowing Koda, if he were in human form, I’m most certain it would have been an obscenity. He dropped on his hind legs by my futon, rocking the room a little as he sat.

“You’re going to wake Gladys” I whispered.

        Koda snorted lightly and rolled his eyes at my comment. I knew that immediately as ‘whatever’. Koda began to slowly change back to himself grunting and growling slightly as he did so. I ran over to my bedroom door and quickly shut it. The last thing I needed was for Gladys to be walking the halls to get some water and see a naked boy in my room. The door clicked lightly shut and I turned around to see Koda standing across the room. He stretched his arms into the air and then sighed. Over the past year I had gotten used to seeing naked boys, the pack was well aware and extremely comfortable of their sexuality. None of them cared about me being the only girl, or cared about me seeing their…junk. Koda had changed in the last few months I’d seen him, for one his hair was longer.

        His black hair sat nicely and stopped between his shoulder blades in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His shoulders, arms and chest were more muscular and more filled out as well. Koda even looked taller; I knew he was at least six-three now. Everything on him had changed, but his feet, which have always been big.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, as I approached him.

        Koda turned to face me, his dark chocolate eyes looking into mine. It was hard not to notice Koda and the rest of the pack’s nudity, seeing how they were all not only very fit, but very good looking as well. I knew if Bethany knew my secret she would be more than green with envy.

“I’m passing a message for my Grandfather” Koda said.

“Okay so what’s the message” I shrugged, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

        I was basically trying to keep my hands to myself. The last thing I needed was to be groping my best friend and tribal brother in the middle of the night in my bedroom. But I couldn’t help sneaking peeks, letting my eyes go up and down his body. Forgive me for saying, but I think Koda and his little brother Jacoba were the biggest out of the bunch, in more ways than one.

“Jess?”

I blinked a few times and looked back up into Koda’s eyes, which still wasn’t good for me.

“Yea, huh?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Dude you’re standing naked in my bedroom, do you think I heard you?”

“Wow, yea, okay, look my grandfather wants to have a meeting with the pack tonight on the old tribal land, he says it’s very important.”

“Okay I promise I will be there as soon as I’m done with my homework” I said.

“Alright cool” Koda smiled.

        He turned and made his way back towards the window. It had started raining now, but it wasn’t very threatening rain, so obviously the thunder lied about the storm it roared on about. I followed Koda over to the window as he hopped up on the bay. He looked back at me and an unfamiliar smile crossed his face.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re attracted to me aren’t you?”

        I could feel the fire in my cheeks now; I knew I was blushing. I didn’t know that he’d noticed me looking at him. My face was flushed with embarrassment, as I opened my mouth to defend myself, but nothing came out, because even now I was still looking at him.

“It’s okay I understand you have a boyfriend, but you can’t fight off how you feel forever.”

“Koda don’t…you’re my best friend.”

“Here we go again” Koda groaned, rolling his eyes.

        He swan dived out of the window, soaring naked into the rain and landed on all fours. His padded paws made no noise as they touched the yard and scurried over the grass back into the dark trees of Brunswick. I hated having fights with Koda, but David and I were good right now. I turned from the window to go back to my bed, but growled with frustration; it was five-thirty in the morning. It was an hour of sleep I would never get back. D****t Koda. I pulled up into my usual parking spot next to Bethany’s new Tahoe, but the vacant spot to the left sent uncomfortable chills through me. It just wasn’t the same without David there. He had graduated in May of this year and was at NYU on a basketball scholarship. Even Koda had graduated and was supposedly at Florida State, at least that’s what he was telling everyone.

        Suddenly I felt my car rocking on its tires. Nearly in a panic I screamed thinking that the hunters had found me. The car stopped and I heard someone laughing hysterically; I knew immediately who it was. I got out of the car and walked around to the other side. Jacoba and Eli were leaning on the car laughing their heads off. I smacked Jacoba’s chest and tried to get him off of my car before he crushed it under his massive body. Jacoba had to be the biggest fifteen year old ever. He was taller than his brother and more wide and solid with his werewolf muscles than Koda. He had grown his hair out as well, and his regular teeth were even pointed like fangs.

“Jake I should kill you, get up before you destroy my car.”

        Jacoba laughed again, my car creaked and moaned under his weight with every laugh. The car groaned and then the metal popped. I gasped and pushed him out of the way. I kneeled down beside my car to examine the dent Jacoba had put in the side.

“No Jacob” I whined, as I rubbed the dent.

Jacoba and Eli cringed.

“I can get that out for you” Eli informed.

“Forget it I’m going to class” I sighed.

        I got up and made my way across the parking lot. Jacoba and Eli followed me, snickering and pushing one another. Bethany was standing at the back entrance stairs, admiring her handy work on her pedicure. She wiggled her toes wildly in her white flip flops. She moved her red hair behind her ears and looked up to smile at me. Her smile quickly faded when she noticed the two huge freshmen in flanks on either side behind me. I stepped up to her and it seemed like Jacoba and Eli towered over us as they stood behind me.

“Hey Beth” I smiled casually.

“Hey…Jess…what’s up?” Bethany asked, cutting her eyes up at the boys.

Jacoba cleared his throat and nudged me lightly. But he was so strong it felt like he pushed me forward. I stumbled slightly and then looked back at Bethany who looked more than confused, she looked almost ready to run. I knew Jacoba meant that introductions were in order.

“Oh, Bethany this is Elijah Valesil and Jacoba Ateara” I introduced.

“Nice to meet you” they said. Jacoba winked.

“Wait, are you related to that weird Indian kid um….Cody I think?” Bethany asked.

“It’s Koda, and that’s my older brother” Jacoba smiled.

“He’s your older brother, but you’re huge?”

“He didn’t eat his vegetables” Jacoba laughed.

        Bethany giggled and twirled some of her hair around her finger. It didn’t take me long to realize that they were flirting with one another. I shot a quick glance at Eli, who looked at me and just shrugged.

“Moving on shall we” I requested and pulled the double doors open.

“I can tell you’re his brother you guys look just alike” Bethany cooed.

“Really, most people say I’m the good looking one.”

        Eli and I rolled our eyes as we led the way down the hall. All I could think was, Bethany’s going to go to jail, but then again who would believe that Jacoba was fifteen and not nineteen. We all trailed down the hall together, Eli at my side and Jacoba and Bethany behind us. Eli wasn’t as big as Koda and Jacoba; he was about five-eleven, muscular, but not quite as much muscle as the Ateara brothers. He had what I would call pretty boy features, with cropped off black hair, brown eyes and tanned skin. People turned to look at us as we made our way down the hall. The first bell rang and we all parted, Jacoba and Eli headed down the freshmen hall.

        Bethany and I went to our lockers, Bethany beaming brightly. She looked at me as I rummaged  through my locker; I knew she was waiting on me to say something.

“Don’t do it Beth” I finally said.

“Why not?” she pouted.

“Beth, he’s fifteen, fresh and fifteen, you’re about to me eighteen.”

“Do you really think anyone would believe he’s only fifteen, look at him?”

“No Beth, find someone your age.”

I shut my locker and shoved my trig book in my backpack.

“Too late I gave him my number.”

“Okay, so would you rather I bake you a cake with a file in it now?” I asked rolling my eyes and headed down the hall, without saying another word.