Star-Crossed (On-Hold) by Chloe Knox (summer reading list .txt) 📕

of crystal.”
“Coooooooooooooooo-uh-ooooooooool,” Paris hiccupped in the middle of his dumbfounded statement, and then leant his head on my shoulder. His sweaty forehead, made my bare shoulders itch, “You know, you look wuh-really really gorgeous tonight. I just want to eat you up.”
“Okay, I think it’s time you go to bed.”
“Yes, mudder.” Paris mumbled, before crawling up the stairs on all fours to his bed chambers.

“Can’t sleep?” Rose asked when I sat next to the bars of her cell. I shrugged, “Nah. I feel too jumpy.”
“Maybe it’s your inner wolf…today’s your sixteenth birthday, right?”
I nodded.
“Then what are you doing down here? Go out; stretch your baby girl’s legs.”
My inner wolf growled in agreement and anticipation, but I held back, “I want to but—“
“But what? Go live a little! Your wolf—like my cat—is a part of you. She needs exercise. She wants respect. You have to listen to her! Granted not all the time, sometimes what she wants isn’t the best thing for either of you, but you can’t ignore her completely! Because if you do, she’ll grow angry and take over. You’ll no longer be the one in control.”
I nodded in, taking in every word Rose said.
“Okay,” I yelped after a moment of debating, my inner wolf making my body tremor with excitement.
“Wait!”
Rose yelled as she grasped the bars. I had to dig my heels into the ground, to keep from running off.
“What?”
“Just…Be careful Jessica.”
I squinted at her feeling curious, but more alarmed and skeptic than anything, “Why…?”
Rose sighed, “I…I don’t know when or how, but Cameron will come for me. Not because I’m his future wife, but because I’m a member of his pack. So just…I like you…you’re nice…so just be careful. I might not have met Cameron face to face, but I know plenty of people who have. I’ve heard many stories, too. He’s merciless, especially toward enemies.”
I nodded, feeling alarmed, but only for a second. My wolf didn’t seem to think a stupid feline could be more than a nuisance, and so my—and her—excitement easily overwhelmed my worry.
Without another word I ran outside, and stood motionless on the porch for the longest moment.
I let free of my insecurities, cares, and worries.
I listened, to the faint whistle of the wind, the click of the nearby crickets, and the never ending song of the birds. I tilted my head toward the sky, to bask in the feel of the soft caress of the late summer breeze. I inhaled the smell of the forest; alive, fresh, and wild.
Slowly I undid the pins and clips from my hair, letting my long auburn locks cascade around my face. I flipped my hair, allowing the wind to push the tendrils away from my eyes as I looked at the sky.
I never took my eyes away from the mesmerizing swirls, blends, and shades of purple, indigo, and pink, as I slid out of my pea green dress, with the black lace. I slid out from my undergarments, and did my best to untie my corset before slipping out of it. I grabbed my clothes, hid them in a big pot on the porch and then slowly and quietly walked onto the lawn. The wind brushed my completely uncovered body, making me shiver, but in a good way. My wolf loved the feel of the wind, and I could feel her against my flesh, asking, begging.
I closed my eyes, and let her take control as I knelt down on both knees in the middle of my front yard. Minutes later after faint shocks and cracks of pain, I was standing on all fours looking back and forth to make sure no one had seen me change…when the cost was clear, I allowed my wolf complete control, and simply watched from her point of view as she stretched her hind legs, then the front. Her paws curled into the soft and delicate soil and grass under her weight. A faint growl erupted from the back of her throat, reminding me of a laugh, and then off she ran, deep into the forest.

The feel of the earth under her paws, made her feel confident and free. A feeling that even though wasn’t mine, made me feel warm and happy.
It was weird at first, looking through my wolf’s perspective, but not being able to control a thing…well, I could, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to. I had had my fun at the party tonight, it was her turn.
I watched, through her eyes, as she jumped over tree stumps, logs, and bushes. I could feel her breaths as they escaped her chest, slow and light. She was running so fast, I could barely see her surroundings. It was all a blur of brush and foliage and greenery, yet she wasn’t even panting.
A sudden sound of a crackling branch, made my wolf come to an abrupt stop.
She looked around, her heart leaping in surprise, not fright.
She pressed her front paws into the ground, thrusting her hind into the air. She clenched her jaw, and glared from side to side, ready for anyone or anything that threatened her. A soft breeze blew across her whiskers, tickling her face. A nasty and familiar smell filled her nose…sweaty and musky.
I tried to hold back, but my wolf wouldn’t listen. She reacted immediately to the scent, and turned to growl at the big and healthy looking panther behind us. Her lips curled, revealing her teeth and she growled. Her body curved to dig her paws even further into the ground, pawing at it.
The panther mimicked her movements. The black cat curved its back, poking its rear into the air, and digging its paws into the growth under it. Its claws, small but curved and sharp, slowly reached out from its paws to claw at the ground, as well, and I began to panic. There was nothing I could do…other then pray and hope that my wolf would be stronger, faster, and smarter.
My wolf took in a deep breath and waited.
“Go get him.” I told her mentally…that was all the encouragement she needed.

Imprint

Publication Date: 03-29-2012

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
Based off: 'Romeo & Juliet" Dedication: to Shakespeare