Eyes of Light

I could see Anna by the door, a wide smile on her lips as she entered. She saw the kiss. I was ready to stand, to tell her to come over, but she discreetly pointed at Nick and hurried into a group of people I didn’t know. A group she probably talked to when I was gone. Furrowing my eyebrows, I glanced at Nick, his cheeks still pink, but he was staring at me.

“Come on,” he muttered, grabbing my food for me. I didn’t get to even ask where he was going before his warm hand engulfed mine, giving me just enough time to grab my drawing and get up without tripping before he led me away and out the doors.

The cool air hit me immediately and I shivered. Nick tightened his grip, making my glow brighter, instantly warming me as his fingers laced with mine. He didn’t go ahead of me, he stayed by my side, our shoulders bumping at our swift pace. He was pulling me behind the school and down the back hill. What about our stuff? Where were we going? He pulled us forward a little more, the dark trees shading the area darkly. I gulped but remained calm; Nick was right next to me. He handed me my food and stared at me with a look that said “eat.” I obeyed.

“Did you have a dream last night?” he muttered suddenly, catching me off guard.

I chewed on my breadstick carefully, giving him a nod. He pursed his lips.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, I was going to…I just didn’t know what to say, or if it was even important.” My voice was soft and I cleared my throat, shifting on the rough log beneath me. He looked stern.

“I can feel that it was,” he whispered. His voice held awe and his eyes held confusion; like his words were meant more for himself than me. I listened though. I was confused.

“What do you mean? how?”

“When I kissed you-” he started, shaking his head to pull off the subject and back onto my dream. “What did you dream about? And say everything you remember.”

I wondered why his voice seemed so stern, so interested. I wondered why it was important, but then I remember that I had told him about my dreams. Darn it. Clearing my throat, I pushed the hair away from my face and swallowed another bite of bread, cracking my knuckles nervously. I tried to remember.

“Well…” I started off, sighing heavily. He crossed his muscular arms over his chest and waited somewhat patiently. “We were in this… field, the same place I dreamt about my mom. I was standing there and you were next to me, and I could see three shadows in the bushes. You turned into a wolf and stood by me and the black magic came… but it was strange.”

“How?” Nick questioned immediately, cocking his head, trying to understand. I didn’t smile like I wanted to; he was too adorable. I needed to focus.

“Do you know when the black magic hisses? Or… screams, or whatever?” I asked slowly, catching his gaze.

He nodded.

“I-I heard it. It said ‘help.’ It sounded distressed and sad… but then I woke up.”

It was silent after this, Nick’s chocolate eyes locking mine darkly. He looked deep in thought, his body unmoving in even the strengthening breeze. His curls were becoming windblown, but it only added to him. I sat silently and tried not to fidget, eating the rest of my food so quickly, you’d think I was a vacuum. Nick continued to stare out into space, his full lips twisting as he scrunched up his face in an adorable confusion. Did he know how he looked when he glanced in a mirror? I didn’t understand why he wasn’t so cocky. I guess he was reserved.

“You said three shadows…” he finally whispered, breaking the silence. I watched as his face turned a little lighter, something going off in his head. He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist, his face full of concentration, like he was trying to come up with an answer for a math problem.

“Um, yeah…” I answered, even though he didn’t need one. He swallowed and looked back at me, thinking.

“One of them could be Coimbra, one Sheba or…” he struggled now, his voice dead sure on Coimbra, but wavering at Sheba’s name. “The other… it has to be Jeremy.”

“What?” I asked quickly, confused. “Jeremy can’t help them. He’s part of your pack.”

“I know,” he grumbled, kicking at some rock in the dirt. “But I have a vibe. I’m almost positive two of those figures were Jeremy and Coimbra, that leaves two more; the black magic and the extra shadow. Sheba and Coimbra are both on the council and Jeremy is set to be. You have a witch, a wolf, and a vampire.”

“But Jeremy isn’t on the council-”

“He wants to be,” Nick whispered, silence following. A gust of air sent chills down my spine and I glanced around warily, scooting off the log. “Jeremy and Lucas are missing…or gone,” he snorted, his eyes telling me that this was once again a trap. “The shadows in your dream were two members from the council and one that will become one. That leaves the black magic…”

“Sheba,” I whispered, something clicking in me. My mind wrapped around how vulnerable and sad she looked the last day at Eve’s, matching it with the hissing “help.” I didn’t want to believe it was her, one of the people trying to help me. I didn’t wan to believe that, even though she was hard and rude, she was capable of killing my own mother. I felt tears sting my eyes.

“As much as I hate to say this, I think Sheba’s being controlled by one of the council members. Coimbra can easily find us, Lonnie. When the leader of them decides he’s tired of waiting, he’ll grab us for a fight. That’s what this is… a trap. He wants us over with and done, but we aren’t going to let that happen.” Nick sounded so sure, so angry, so soft. His eyes locked mine and he gripped my shoulders, his warm breath hitting my dazed face. This was all too much.

“Nick… what do you know that you aren’t telling me? About Lucas?” I whispered, wanting to just pull him closer and have him hold me. I was scared. This was planned out by more than one person and the people I knew were involved. Was I going to die? And then I concentrated on Nick’s smooth features; his complex eyes, his pouting lips, those tiny freckles that matched his bouncy curls. What about Nick? Was he going to die too? I couldn’t let that happen.

“I don’t know,” he muttered, biting his lip. He looked unsure. Whether he was unsure about telling me or unsure about his accusations, or both--I didn’t know.

“Why won’t you tell me?” I practically begged, pushing his hands off my shoulders, only to grab them because I needed the comforting warmth he didn’t know he gave me. He opened his mouth, his lips twitching as he struggled to speak, but nothing came out.

“I could be wrong.”

“You could be right.”

He still didn’t answer me and instead grabbed my notebook, handing it to me. “We have to go talk to Eve. To tell her what we know. If we’re lucky, Sheba and Coimbra might be visiting the council again.”

[&&light]

We walked on through the familiar forest, easily staying on the path. The leaves were splattered around and damp, the mud puddles watery. The sky was foggy, but the smell of cookies assaulted my nose as soon as we came to the downhill. Eve’s cottage was clean and I could see a fire burning from the inside. I could tell that Nick really didn’t want to be here by his tight grip on my hand, but I didn’t really mind. My heart fluttered unstoppably when he looked at me, a wall covering the emotions in his soft eyes. He looked worried suddenly, but not for the black magic or anything that had to do with it. I was confused.

He slowly pulled me down the hill, catching me as I began to slip on the wet slope. He was so graceful and I hated it; I loved it too. I blushed. We walked across the neat lawn, my eyes darting around while he stayed focused on the stairs. And then he knocked. Within an instant, the door flew open and the scent of chocolate growled at me, Eve’s smiling face filled with surprise and welcome.

“Oh my goodness! I’ve been wondering where you two went. I knew you obviously weren’t coming back to stay, and I just wanted to say I’m so sorry.”

“Do all witches have to talk so much?” Nick mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Eve shook her head at him and smiled, her slender face gleaming with beauty. She reminded me of a child, looking about my age. I wasn’t a child, though. No way. But Eve had an innocence to her and her real age couldn’t be more than twenty-two. I didn’t know if she ever stopped aging yet or not. Maybe she was in her powerful youth, her next birthday doing nothing with the numbers. I sighed.

“It’s nice to see you. You can come in, Lonnie, Nick. Sheba and Coimbra are out with the council.” Nick glanced at me knowingly and let out a sigh, nodding once. I smiled shyly and followed, feeling the hotness of her stare as she focused on our tangled hands. I didn’t think it was possible for her smile to get any bigger, but it did.

“We have some theories,” Nick blurted as we walked towards the fireplace. A new looking couch was placed to the left of it, the curtain on the wall a little lighter looking. Maybe she did some spring cleaning, although it was fall.

“Theories?” Eve questioned, shutting the door tightly. She strolled over to the table and grabbed her tea-cup, sipping it politely before sitting. She glanced up at us, trying not to focus on how close Nick was standing next to me. I tried not to notice; I didn’t want to squeal and scare him away.

“About the black magic and the council,” he continued, clearing his throat softly. He scratched his head, tugging at his curls almost nervously. Eve looked startled and intrigued, leaning forward to listen. “Coimbra is tracking Lonnie, but you already know that. I know Sheba is the black magic-”

“No. No, that can’t be,” Eve shook her head quickly, her eyebrows furrowed.

“We think someone’s controlling her…” I added softly, my voice weak. Nick glanced at me and continued.

“Lucas and his son Jeremy have gone missing. Two members of my pack brought the news. We think it’s a trap to get us. Lucas and Jeremy have to be involved with Sheba and Coimbra.”

It was silent for a long moment, the shocked and confused face of Eve filling my mind. It reminded me of my mother. She blinked continuously, trying to steady her thoughts, and set her teacup down carefully. She locked our gazes, clearing her throat.

“I-I can’t believe this,” her voice sounded so betrayed, so hurt, a tinge of anger mixed in. But she still was uncertain. “How do you know? I mean, how can you be certain? Sheba is my best friend and Coimbra is my soul mate.”

I felt so bad for her suddenly. She lost my mother and became closer to Sheba. Coimbra was always her soul mate, but now they were both betraying her. I felt the need to comfort her, but then Nick would have to comfort me.

“I can’t be certain, but I work off instinct; my instinct is that they are as much as involved as the controller.”

“Black magic is not controlled,” Eve countered, desperately trying to find a way to make everything better. But Nick had thought that out, too.

“Sheba is the black magic and she’s being controlled,” he said sternly. Nick stood for his beliefs and I would trust him, even if he were wrong. “They’re setting up a trap and Lucas…”

“Lucas is human Nicholas,” Eve breathed, but her eyes said otherwise. I looked between them, confused.

“But how is he human with a wolf son?” My question seemed to echo. Eve bit her lip, looking over at Nicholas.

“When the great wolf first had Nick, we knew that he’d start his wolf cycle soon after. I’m sure he’s told you about that. And when he started getting older, they stumbled upon Jeremy. No one knew who he was, but he seemed not to belong in our world. Nick was a shy kid and Jeremy was jealous the instant he saw Nick come out of his long phase. Nick could now phase to a wolf on command and he’d become the great wolf when the time came…” Eve began, glancing over at Nick again. He continued.

“Jeremy tried to work his way into my family, to get to know my dad. When he did, he also met your mother. He pleaded for her to turn him into a phasing wolf like me. He wanted to overrule my powers because he was older and he thought he could be a descendant. The idiot isn’t even part of my family,” Nick scowled, pulling his hand away. “Your mom was the most powerful witch alive, you know. She granted his request because she was always so kind. When he found out that I was already fulfilling my dad’s duties, he was furious. That’s when he informed us of his father, Lucas.

“Lucas was the head of the council, but we all knew he was human. We didn’t understand how he had gotten in or why Jeremy had never mentioned him before. He told us that he’d be next in line for the council leader, and we wondered why he wanted so much to be a great wolf if he had power similar to it. None of us never met Lucas in person.”

“But… why?” I asked, trying my best to take all this in. it was starting to make a little more sense, barely.

“The council likes to live in shadows,” Eve sighed, and I quickly looked at Nick, his face knowing. My lips began to quiver as I tried to speak, but Nick beat me to it.

“You are never supposed to see the council unless you have a title. You and I are allowed, but it helps that our families are friends of them. That’s why we can see Eve, Sheba, and Coimbra all the time. They try their best to stay in a shadow, along with all the other council members. That’s why Lucas is never seen.”

This was… creepy.

“And your dream,” he continued, “proves that those shadows you saw were from the council.”

Now my head was spinning with so many thoughts and so much information. It felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“If… Sheba and Coimbra really are apart of this,” Eve gulped, raking through her long hair with a shaky hand. “then I will try my best to help you.” I sighed in relief, closing my eyes. This could get easier, or harder. I guess I never really knew. “But I can’t do much. I have to enforce the council law and I can’t hurt my soul mate or Sheba, but I’ll do whatever I can.”

But this still didn’t answer my question about Lucas and, before I could ask, Eve spoke. A smile graced her lips now and I realized that Nick’s hand had found mine again.

“I’m really glad to see you changed your mind, Nick,” she smiled. Nick’s eyes widened and that look of worry returned. I had confusion written all over my face.

“Changed his mind about what?” I mumbled curiously, Eve’s eyes widening a little too. She licked her lips and blushed, clearing her throat. Nick didn’t look too enthused. “What?” I repeated, my voice a little harder. Eve caved.

“Nicholas asked me, since I’m part of the council, if there was any way that you were a mistake, that you weren’t his soul mate…”

I felt my heart freeze and my breath quiver as the words sunk in. He didn’t want me to be his soul mate? I slowly turned my head to see Nick standing there, almost blank. I could see him gulp a little.

“What?” I whispered, my eyes darting over his face. He licked his lips and stared at me with intensity, not even denying what I just heard. He didn’t want me. This was all just a game, an act. And now I knew he’d never feel like I did… however that was, I wasn’t even sure. “Why would you do that Nick?” I whispered again.

A deathly silence filled the room; I thought I had gone deaf. And Nick remained like stone. I ripped my hand away from his limp one suddenly, my body filling with a mixture of hurt and fury. I shook my head and bit back my tears, inhaling a deep breath.

“Why?” was all I could quiver before I glanced over at Eve through my hazy eyes, her face full of apology. I didn’t care.

I spun around and bolted through the door, managing not to trip down the steps on my way. I ran through the grass. I ran across her yard. I ran past the hill and through the open section of trees. But I could hear Nick’s quick footsteps behind me, no matter how fast I ran… or how hard I cried. I felt stupid for crying like this, for running. But I was hurt. I trusted Nick, I believed that we were getting somewhere.

Was that a lie?

“Lonnie, stop,” he begged from behind me. I stopped.

I faced Nick with a look of shock, the surrounding of the forest getting darker, the sun going down. My breathing was uneven and I had to sniffle, unable to stop the hot tear leaking from my eye as it rolled down my cheek, slowly followed by another. I knew he could see me. I was crying and he could see it, but he stood, shocked himself.

“Why would you do that Nick?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Why would you ask the council if there was any way that I was a mistake? Why would you ask if there was any possible way I couldn’t be your soul mate? I thought… I thought we were getting somewhere…”

Nick was usually full of answers, but now his silence was deathly. He didn’t have an answer, but I did.

“Why Nick?” I asked again, my voice still shaking. I quickly wiped the wetness on my cheek, but the drops continued to fall. They fell out of confusion, frustration, hurt… I didn’t know what else to feel. “Nick, answer me!” I begged, my voice echoing through the trees, but he didn’t even flinch. His face was cold, hidden, and he looked away from me. “Why would you do that to me?”

“I did it because I was scared, Lonnie!” he shouted suddenly, turning his back on me. I could see him crossing his arms over his chest, but it wasn’t out of anger. It was as if he were cradling himself.

“Scared?” I croaked, taking a step forward, stopping when he turned back around. He no longer looked blank. His chocolate eyes looked glazed and his lips were pouted, like he were holding something back.

“I was scared,” he repeated in a whisper, his eyes locking mine. “I was scared because I know what’s going to happen, because I'm not ready. I don’t want this Lonnie, but I can’t stop it. I can’t stop you from being a witch or myself from being a wolf. I can’t make us normal, I can’t make us free. I was scared because I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend.”

I was so confused by his low words and his quivering voice. What was he saying? That he didn’t want me to be around anymore? “I’m leaving then, okay? Since you want it that simple. I’ll go home and you won’t have to see me again-”

“Stay,” he demanded, his eyes dark, and I shrunk back, closing my eyes to let the tears continue to fall.

“Why can’t you pretend to like me Nick? Why can’t you at least pretend to like me the way I like you?” I quivered, biting my lip to stop the sob. I glanced up through my hazy eyes to see his face torn.

“You don’t deserve that Lonnie. You don’t deserve to be lied to or to be used. I won’t do that to you.”

“But I want you to! I want you to pretend to like me! I don’t care if you don’t, as long as I can believe you do. You’re my soul mate and I can’t let you go; I won’t. I-I need you Nick. I need you more than I’ve needed anything and I don’t hate this life. I'd rather leave-”

“Stop it!” he shouted, shaking his head. I let out a sob and wiped my eyes furiously, hearing his feet step closer rapidly until I felt his presence closer, my glow gradually getting brighter. “I'm scared to go anywhere with you, to tell you who I am. I’m afraid to let you hug me and I’m afraid to kiss you because I don’t know how it’s going to feel next time. I can’t do this-”

“Because you’re scared!?” I shouted through my tears, my voice angered and shaky, cracking. He looked at me blankly, his eyes trailing downward until he closed them, his chest heaving with shallow, silent breaths.

“Because I’m scared,” he confirmed, his voice seeming shaky. I stared at him in shock, ready to cry out, ready to hit him and run, but his eyes looked brighter when he opened them, settling on me. “I’m scared I’ll lose you…” he whispered, and I could see a tear dribbling down his smooth, pink cheek, making me hurt even fuller. It was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth. “I’m scared because I love you and no matter how hard I try, I can’t let it go.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, the lump in my throat sticking and my eyes widening. My heart began to beat against my chest and my lungs didn’t seem to be getting any air. I felt a chill run up my spine, goosebumps forming on my skin, and I took in his broken expression. His shoulders were slumped and his hand gripped his curls tightly, his eyes hot and unsure.

“I… I don’t know what to think anymore, what to feel. I know when you’re around because I can feel how you feel and when you smile, your eyes sparkle. Your… your nose crinkles when you laugh and your cheeks turn red when you get embarrassed. You talk excessively when you’re nervous and when you get angry, I can tell you wanna hit me because of how fidgety you get,” he said softly, the shakiness of his voice still there.

“I hate it when you ask so many questions but you always remember the answers. I hate the way you just stand there, like you’re waiting for something to happen when you know it won’t, and I hate when you always agree to what everyone says; but I love how you whine when you don’t get your way. And I love how you stare at me when you want me to say something because you know I won’t. I love it when you touch your hair because it always gets in your way and I love how you giggle continuously when something you think is funny happens.

“I love it when you cry because you make these funny noises and your eyes get even brighter and your nose turns red. I love how you scream when you get scared and how you always know when to trust me. I love how you stand up straight when you walk because you want to be taller, and how you narrow your eyes because you wish you were older. I love how you jump at the chance to learn something new and how you’re so clumsy. I love how you always get so close to me at night because you’re cold or because you don’t want to be alone, but I hate how you tell me you want to cuddle because you say it in a voice that I can’t resist.

“I like how you look beautiful in a dress and how much you remind me of a princess when you curl your hair. I hate it when you wear those stupid flats because they trip you up. I hate how you always want to know about me or how you tell me things and expect some kind of response because I don’t want to be close to you, but at the same time, I can’t help but need it. When you use your magic, it fascinates me because you seem to know what to do despite your lack of knowledge.

“I like holding your hand because it makes me feel like I can take you anywhere and I hate it when you try to hug me because you give me this pout without even knowing it. I hate how you’re so beautiful and you don’t even know and I hate how oblivious you are to other guys because they want you and I wished you’d tell them to go away. I hate how you always glow when I’m around and how it gets brighter when I do something new because it makes me want to get closer to you. When I kiss you, I can feel how right it is and I can feel how eager you are and it drives me crazy and it makes me want to pull you closer and just forget about everything because you--you of all people-- make me feel safe. Oh god Lonnie,” he breathed, shaking his head. “I hate it when you pull on my hair when I’m a wolf because, damn it-” he growled, “it turns me on, and I know that if I was in human form, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.

“But most of all I hate how I love you. I’d get sick if you left and I know I’d never want to go anywhere without you and your annoying ways of asking so many questions and cute facial expressions; and I’d miss how beautiful you look when the sun shines down on you and when the moon sparkles, the way you curl up to me is almost routine; and I’d miss how I held your hand and how often you seem to look at me when you over think things; I’d miss the way you sing to yourself when you think I’m not around and how you dance around when you get excited; but I’d miss the way it felt to see you smile and the way my heart always beats faster every time you touch me, and the way you always seem to get your way with me, and I know that I’d want to kiss you everyday and I’d be afraid of not knowing where you were, so you can’t go.

“You need to just stay with me for hours on end because I’d blame myself if anything happened and I know that I don’t like change, but I’d do it for you, because you can have anything you want now that I’m being honest. I feel the same for you. I’ll be here when this is all done and I won’t run now because I can’t see your face if I do and I know I’m wrong to tell you to leave me alone because that’s not what I want. And I know that when I wake up, your clothes are always so tangled because you toss and turn, and I’d miss the way you always end up on top of me. I’m scared to have you walk away from me and I’ll never lie to you again and I’ll never have the guts to make any sense when you’re around and to tell you that I’ll be here and that I’ll make you stay. I don’t care anymore and I was stupid to try to find a way out of this. I’m deeper than I thought, but I’ll find the time to get my mind caught up to my heart in those moments where I can’t breathe because of how close you are.

“I’ll find a way for myself to understand how it is to feel this way and I’ll find a way to make you feel like I-like I need you because that’s the truth. I’m sorry and I’ll admit this now. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry; for acting the way I do, for having intentions to leave because I was scared of my feelings.”

I had never had anyone talk so much and I had never, ever heard something so beautiful.
I had never heard so many ’and’s’ either. I was crying now, gasping for air like a baby, and I flew forward, shoving him. My hands hit his muscular chest repeatedly and I smacked as I hard as I could, my eyes opening enough to see him wince and step back continuously as I continued.

“Nick!” I whined, my voice stuttering as I repeated his name. “I-I hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” I bawled.

I hated him for lying, and for telling the truth; I hated him for being beautiful and strong when I wasn’t; I hated him for saying all those things in such a jumbled and formal and amazingly delicate and soft way; I hated him for making me need him and for making me want him, and for making me want to do everything he mentioned just so he could love me more than what he already claimed to. I hated Nick Jonas in such a sickening way that it made me want to throw up because of how much I really did love him, and it wasn’t the fifteen year old love in me--it was the love that made me want to kill for him and I would. I’d keep him safe, I’d keep him for myself, and I’d keep everything the way it was because I couldn’t take it anymore. I was insane. I knew I had to be. I was sick-- I was lovesick.

“Lonnie,” Nick said lowly, his voice still shaking from his tears and my hits. He pushed my arms away quickly but I brought them back, keeping them swinging at his chiseled chest. He stumbled backwards and ended up turning, his face stern as I cried like a moron. “Lonnie!” he yelled, gripping my wrists tightly. I still cried. I felt him push forward swiftly and I gasped, my back hitting a tree, making it shake. I opened my eyes wide and the tears spilled over as I stared at his smooth features.

“Why would you do that to me, Nick? And now you think it's okay that you didn't want me before?” I cried, desperately trying to get out of his grasp to hit him. I was wrong though: it didn’t matter anymore because what he had said made me heart flutter and it made me want to smile despite my hurt. I managed one hand and slapped him across the face, unable to feel sorry about it when my tears flowed even harder. His head was turned and his cheek was red, his face angry, but he kept composed and grabbed my wrist roughly. He pushed both of them up and above my head, a growl rippling through his chest and up his throat. I felt unfamiliar feelings run through me and I gasped for air, keeping my eyes locked on his. It was kind of frightening and I wasn’t in the mental to state to think of it as a turn on--too bad I did. But I couldn’t.

“Lonnie-”

“No!” I growled, using all my strength to push forward, freeing myself from his grasp when he stumbled backwards, and I moved away from the tree. “I hate you,” I repeated, shaking my head. “You-” before I could even finish, his voice sounded, interrupting me.

“Just shut up Lonnie,” he sighed heavily, stepping closer. Before I could move, his strong hand connected to the back of my neck and he pulled me forward roughly, his lips smashing onto mine: I squeaked, my hands flailed behind me when I lost my balance, making me fall into his chest, but he kept the kiss in tact. His lips moved roughly against mine, the softness and warmth creating friction, butterflies erupting into millions in my stomach. My heart thumped against my chest, ready to burst, and my eyes shut tight. I could feel myself being pulled under and before I could think, I flung my arms around his neck, gasping when his hands trailed down to my waist, yanking me even closer. His tongue smoothly slid into my mouth and I tightened my grip on him, making my fingers rub against his neck, and he shivered. Was that what it was like when he was a wolf?

His tongue softly slid across mine, the taste of mint sparking in my mouth. I was shocked and embarrassed and completely taken by him. I felt his hands grip the back of my thighs tightly and I breathed sharply into his mouth when he jerked my legs out from under me, wrapping them around his waist. He pushed forward and held my back against the tree gently, setting his hand on my cheek, trailing his fingertips down the side of my face, making me shiver. He gripped my chin and seemed to pull me farther into the kiss, his chest heaving. I had never seen Nick this way. I never wanted it to stop.

I gripped his curls gently with my fingers and heard him whimper, but it came out as more of a moan, and now I knew that’s what it was when he was a wolf. He even said it turned him on, and I smiled into the kiss as it slowed from the frantic pace to a softer, gentle touch. His lips moved against mine quickly still, but it felt feathery and his tongue slid back out of my mouth a few seconds before his lips detached from my own. His eyes met mine and I was breathing deeply for air from a mixture of shock and the intensity of that kiss. My eyes caught sight of how bright my glow was--almost blinding, and his smile, a real wide and toothy smile, made my heart jump even faster.

“You don’t hate me,” he whispered, his lips brushing mine, and I blinked in surprise. “You can read my mind when I’m a wolf… I can feel what you feel, and that’s why it’s always so easy for me to read you. I know you Lonnie. I know you more than you know yourself and I know that you love me because I love you. I love you and I’ll make you stay.”