Mine?
PENELOPE.
It’s been a couple of nights since I met Liam on the beach, and I definitely haven’t thought about him.
Nope.
Not once.
At least, that’s what I tell myself, but by telling myself not to think about him, aren’t I just thinking about him?
Tonight, my house is noisy and full of people. Well, not full, but we do have company. My mom and dad invited a family over.
My dad works with another doctor that has a large family too. They have five kids, all pretty close in age to us, so they come over every once in a while for dinner and game night. It’s always super loud and chaotic.
“Hey, Little P.”
I look up to see a pair of blue eyes eagerly watching me. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes.
They have a son named Brian. He’s the same age as Paige and me. He goes to our school, so I see him a lot, but he’s a little too flirty for my taste. At least with me. He never flirts with Paige.
“It’s Penelope,” I say, frowning.
Why does my family and this one boy insist on calling me ‘Little P’? I hate the nickname so much.
I turn to walk away from Brian, but I hear footsteps behind me and know that he is following.
“So, how have you been?” he asks. “I haven’t heard from you this summer. You haven’t responded to any of my DM’s.”
Paige, who is standing close by, laughs. “Brian, if a girl doesn’t respond, it’s probably because she’s just not interested.”
If only I were brave enough to say that to him. I want to tell him that I’m not interested, but I can’t seem to bring myself to say the words. In my head they sound so cruel.
“Little P is just playing hard to get,” Brain says, then winks at me.
Dear Lord, this boy is frustrating.
My face grows warm.
“See, she’s blushing.” He reaches out a hand toward me, so I scream, backing away.
Was he seriously about to touch me?
“Hey,” Paige says, stepping between Brian and me. “Touch her and I will kick your butt.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Brian replies, his face red. He’s frowning as he looks over Paige at me. “I’m sorry, Penelope.”
I don’t respond because I don’t know what to say. If I tell him it’s okay, he will just try to touch me again. That’s the last thing I want. I want his private thoughts to stay private, and if he knew exactly what touching me would do, I don’t think he’d want to touch me either.
I turn around and walk out the back door of my house. I just need a moment to breathe. There are too many people, too many voices.
Deciding to take a walk, I head off toward the ocean. I try to tell myself that I’m doing this to clear my head, but I kind of want to see Liam again. I’ve wanted to see him again ever since I left him on the beach that night. I didn’t even get his number.
His number?
He was insane. Why would I get his number?
Yet, I still feel so drawn to him. Like a moth to a flame.
The moon is nearly full tonight, and I watch it as I walk down the street.
There is a part of me that has always felt drawn to the moon—like it’s calling out for me, waiting for something. I feel like the moon can speak to my soul. It instantly calms my nerves, and for the first time since I left Liam on the beach, I feel content.
Disappointment fills me when I don’t see Liam sitting on the bench, but maybe it’s for the best. Whatever I feel for him, it’s not normal. I walk past the bench and take a seat on the sand close to the water. I keep looking at the moon in awe.
As I sit there, I feel a familiar tingle at the back of my neck.
I’m being watched again.
“Go away,” I call out.
“Excuse me?” A voice responds behind me.
An unfamiliar voice.
I quickly turn around and see there is a boy walking toward me, but it’s most definitely not Liam.
“Oh my gosh. I am so sorry,” I say. “I thought you were somebody else.”
“Is somebody bothering you?” he asks, his nostrils flaring.
“No.” I wave my hand in a dismissal.
He sits down beside me in the sand. He’s a little too close for comfort, so I scoot a little away from him. I don’t want to accidentally touch.
“I’m Aiden Wolfe.”
Wolfe?
Liam claimed to be a wolf.
“Do you know a guy named Liam?”
He nods. “He’s my alpha.”
His…
Alpha?
I look at the boy sitting next to me. His dark brown hair is a little bit shaggy, but I get the feeling it’s not normal for him to keep his hair thing long. It’s like… maybe he hasn’t had time to cut it or something. His eyes are a brilliant color of bright blue.
Except…
His eyes flash yellow as he studies me.
I’m seeing things.
I close my eyes and rub them. When I open them, his eyes are blue again.
“What’s your name?” He’s had a smile on his face since he first sat down and his eyes haven’t left mine once. He raises an eyebrow as he waits for me to answer.
“Penelope.” I swallow hard. What is it about this boy that makes me so nervous?
“It’s very nice to meet you, Penelope,” he rumbles in a gentle tone.
When he says my name my lungs constrict, like I can’t take a deep breath. My heart races and I feel it all the way to my toes.
Mine, a voice from within says.
Mine?
What the heck?
I just met him.
And I’m pretty sure I had a similar reaction to Liam.
I’ve never had a crush on a guy in my life. I’ve never even been attracted to anybody. I always thought there was something wrong with me. Now, I meet two guys in two nights that completely take my breath away.
Too bad they’re both insane.
“So, you think you’re a wolf too?” My gaze traverses over him as I wait for his answer.
He raises an eyebrow. “I’m a wolf shifter.”
I nod. “Cool.”
Because what else do you say to a crazy person?
“You don’t believe me.” Aiden cants his head to the side.
“I’m sorry,” I say with a slight shrug. “I just… have hard time believing something so crazy. Werewolves don’t exist.”
“I didn’t say I was a werewolf,” Aiden counters. “I’m a wolf shifter. Werewolves are monsters from a story. I’m real.”
“Okay.” I force a smile on my face.
This poor guy really thinks he’s a supernatural creature.
“What are you?”
“I’m human,” I answer.
“You don’t smell human,” he says, leaning over and sniffing me.
“Whoa, personal space.” I raise my hands and lean back, my heart racing in my chest.
He’s so close.
So close and not touching.
I want to touch him.
I’ve never wanted to touch somebody before.
“I’m cool with sharing the beach with you, but you can’t touch me,” I warn.
“Why can’t I touch you?”
“Because I have hapheophobia.”
“I have no idea what that is,” he says, grinning at me. “But I know that you’re lying.”
“You know I’m lying?”
“I’m a wolf.” He taps on the side of his head. “I can sense these kinds of things. Plus, your heart skipped when you said it. It’s a sure sign that you’re not telling the truth.”
“I was diagnosed with hapheophobia.”
“You were diagnosed, but it’s not the truth.” He shifts his body to face me. “So, what is this hapheophobia?”
I take a deep breath, licking my lips. “It’s the fear of being touched.”
“But you’re not scared of being touched,” he says, not looking away from my face. There’s a gleam in his eye as he speaks. “I’m right. There’s another reason why you can’t be touched. What is it?”
My mouth hangs open.
How is it a boy I’ve just met has figured out what my family hasn’t figured out after seventeen years?
“I… I’m not telling you,” I huff, closing my mouth. “No offense, but you’re a stranger. I just met you.”
“Fair enough.”
Not able to stand looking into his eyes any longer, I turn my attention forward and stare at the moon. An instant calm rushes over me, and I can’t help but feel… right. Everything is right. Including the boy sitting beside me. He belongs in my life.
“Did you know that your eyes change colors?” Aiden asks.
“No, they don’t.”
“Seriously. They change colors. Like a mood ring. And when you look at the moon, your eyes are yellow.”
I cast my gaze down.
His eyes change colors in the moonlight too, but I’m too scared to admit it out loud. Because if I say it, won’t that make me just as crazy as him?
“This is actually ridiculous,” I complain to Parker as we get close to Jacksonville.
Liam was supposed to be at the school by now. When he said he wasn’t coming, we thought he was joking—at least until he refused to answer any of our calls and texts. We sent Aiden after him, and now Aiden won’t come back. He called us to let us know he would be staying in Jacksonville, but he wouldn’t give us any details. So now, Parker and I are going to pick them up.
If we’re late for school again, Liam’s dad is going to throw a fit.
The four of us—Liam, Aiden, Parker, and I—have been late three years in a row for school. And I don’t mean a few hours late. We usually show up a whole week late. Last year, we showed up one month late. It was kind of my fault, but after that we got in a lot of trouble. Liam promised his dad we wouldn’t be late this year and here we are—late.
Our alpha has been calling us constantly. We keep ignoring his calls because what would we say? Your son is refusing to leave Florida? I’m sure that would go over well. Instead, we’re just going to get him ourselves.
“What do you think could be keeping them here?” Parker muses.
“I can think of nothing that would make Liam defy his father.”
Liam is stubborn at times, but he always listens to our alpha. We all do. It’s what makes us pack. If we were all just running off and doing whatever we wanted all the time, who would defend the pack? How would anything get done? We’re loyal, always, to our alpha.
I see the sign welcoming us to Jacksonville.
Thank goodness.
As soon as we cross over the line, I feel something… a pull… My stomach tightens, and I actually have to fight against my wolf to keep him from coming out. When I look at Parker, I notice he’s struggling too.
“What the heck is that?” Parker asks.
“I don’t know.” I grip the steering wheel harder. “But it feels like…”
My voice trails off, because I don’t know a word to describe it.
Parker pipes up. “It feels like fate.”
He’s right.
It does feel like fate.
It feels like everything I could ever want is right here in this city.
“This is so weird,” Parker says.
“I know.”
“No wonder they haven’t left yet.”
The closer we get toward fate, the faster my heart races.
Why do I feel like my life will never be the same again after this?