A Howl In The Night by Lorelei Sutton (life books to read .txt) 📕

"No..." I back away, accidentally knocking into a desk. It tumbles over, hitting the ground with a clash. Fear is now in my steps. I don't want Ian. I want...

"I've finally found someone as special as I am," he tightens his grip, "this will be a fun game." The fear immediately recedes, and now I am almost consumed with laughter. So this is a game to him. He doesn't truly like me, but he wants me to fall for him. I smile good-naturedly. So this isn’t a love of Xavier’s caliber.

If only Ian knew how special I really am.

"Just go ahead and try," I laugh, "try and steal me from him."

I point as a huffing and puffing Xavier stands in the doorway. He is staring at our linked hands with barely veiled disgust. I smirk, willing to play a little game of my own.

"I thought you were gone for the day!" I exclaim, ripping my hands from his with so much force that I nearly spin, and rushing to him, "I'm so glad you're back!" I give him one of his own bone-crushing hugs, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him slightly wince. "Act lovey-dovey," I hiss in his ear whilst delving for a kiss on his neck. It burns when I touch him with my soft lips, tingling with passion that is about to break from its collar. Xavier is bewildered for a minute, then he joins in, his arms wrapping around my form. For a minute, there is no place I would rather be. I subconsciously close my eyes, drowning in his intoxicating aroma...

"I know you guys are faking," Ian says confidently.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, pulling away from Xavier so I can see Ian's smug face. The curtain is closed, and the critic isn't satisfied.

He grins knowingly, "you don't do anything that regular couples would. You've fooled the rest of the school, but not me. I see how you rip your hand from Xavier in the hallways. I know that you don't love him."

I look from Ian to Xavier, alarmed. I rush to him, hugging him tightly. I should become an actress.

"Why would you say that?" I rant, "that is so mean!" I shoot Ian a death glare, and for a moment, Ian seems unsettled. And for another second, in the safety of his warm hands, I am unsettled too.

Maybe I have been lying to myself all this time.

Away from the eyes of our audience, practically buried in each other's arms, Xavier shoots me a wink. I roll my eyes, and the forbidden question flits out of my head like a stray thought, ready to return at a later date. A date I am definitely not waiting for.

"Okay then," Ian shrugs, "if you hate me so much, then we can just be friends first." He grins mischievously, "I know, sooner or later, you will be falling for my irresistible charm. I did save you, you know."

"Save you?" Xavier asks suspiciously, narrowing his beautiful eyes, "from what?" The animal in him seems to rise, and for a second I spy the wolf in him, baring his teeth at the intruder.

Ian's perfectly shaped mouth twists into a smirk. "Sidney, well, was having one of her bad days," he hints, leading Xavier to the obvious. He turns to me, utmost concern carved in his features.

"What did she do to you?" he asks with probing eyes that look into my soul.

"Nothing," I lower my eyes, ashamed that I couldn't have taken care of it myself. Ashamed that once again, someone had to save me.

Anger builds up in him, clouding his handsome features. "Tell me." For a second, I can sense his ancient, yet perfectly preserved mind, superior in almost every way as he speaks to Ian.

"Don't get angry with him!" I yell, running between them, "I will tell you myself."

My breaths are heavy as Xavier finally turns to me, the anger dissipated from his face. However, some bafflement is still in his expression. Why would I save Ian from his wrath? I don't know for sure myself. "What happened, Mona?" he questions me softly, gently.

I am nearly choking the sentences out, for it is my failure. I do not want Ian to tell, for Xavier will kill him, whereas he will only be disappointed in me if my lips form the words. But I don't want him to be disappointed. I want him to be proud.

"They bullied me," I look to the floor, staring at the floor, "because I am different. Because you talk to me." Silence sizzles through the air, thoughts lingering on the tip of my tongue. "Because suddenly I have everything they have ever wanted," I whisper, concluding my insight. Xavier's eyebrows rise slightly, and he chuckles.

"Jealousy, huh?" I stare at his face, contorted with amusement. He doesn't even seem serious. "So what did they do to bully you?"

"They were about to cut her with a knife," Ian cuts in; "they already slapped her and bruised her with their words." I marvel over Ian's thoughtful diction. They bruised me with words... nothing suits the impact better.

Xavier straightens, the laughter vanishing from him as quickly as a stray thought. "Sidney slapped Mona?" his words are full of caution and worry, "did she draw blood?"

"Of course she did," Ian shrugs, "you know how she likes to wear a ton of rings."

His face is now robotic. "How fast did it heal?"

"About thirty seconds," I say quickly, "they called me a monster." Memories rise in my mind, most of which I can barely bear to remember.

Xavier doesn't even look at me, staring at Ian. "Mona, go home. Wes is checking you out. I will join you later."

"What?" I stare at his deathly serious face with unrestrained worry. Suddenly it seems as if the happiness is sucked from the room, Xavier walking closer to Ian with measured footsteps.

"Go home," he growls at me, and I literally jump back. I am not fond of this side of him... it is as if Xavier morphs into someone I do not know at times like this. Quickly I race out the door and into the hallway, bringing the door to a gentle halt behind me. The last glimpse I snag of them is when they are inches apart, Xavier demanding something from Ian with surprising force. What is he planning? Why did their discovery of my quick healing change his attitude so much?

I force myself to trust him, walking down the hallway slowly. Deep in thought, I wonder what exactly Xavier wanted to talk to Ian about. Everything seems so mysterious now, cloaked in secrecy.

Everything went through a complete and total change, a 180 degree turn of behavior in that extremely hot classroom. Why did he send me away?

A golden vision troops to meet me just as the bell rings, people coming out of the classrooms and almost completely stopping at the sight. Such beautiful, shiny gold hair... not one person has hair even close to that color in the entire school. Even Sidney's voluptuous blond hair pales in comparison to this man.

I sigh as Wes waves at me, knowing exactly what will come next.

Great. Another round of whispers to pass among my classmates.

"Mona!" he calls, as if waving isn't enough, "we have to go!" He finally reaches me, putting his handsome face near my ear. Shivers run up and down my arm as he touches my arm. "We captured the Shifter, and you need to get there to coax it out as soon as possible."

People are edging closer to the rays of sunshine reflecting off his hair with eyes of wonder. Many more are staring at me with viciously envious eyes. They must be wondering why I am suddenly talking to all these beautiful guys.

I'm still wondering that too.

I allow Wes to drag me to the door, passing the tons of silent, staring people that would probably love to chop me in half right now. His hand feels so warm, but doesn't burn me like Xavier's touch does. They are both incredibly handsome, yet each of them feels so different.

Right before he whisks me outside, the door where I just exited swings open and two beautiful guys step out. One has dizzyingly blue eyes, while the other outshines him with eyes of emeralds and azure hair that glitters in the sunlight. Each move the blue-haired man makes is graceful and smooth, his body flawless. Some eyes are immediately magnetized to this new entrance.

Sidney appears in the hallway, walking as if she is about to faint. Cloudiness is in her eyes, and she almost stumbles down the walkway when she sees my face. However, she quickly turns from me and rights herself, heading to Ian as he waves her over. She transforms into the beauty queen she is right before our eyes, fluttering her eyelashes at Xavier as she starts to talk to him. And Xavier begins to truly talk back.

I can see the corner of his mouth turn up in a flirtatious smirk, watching the way he flipped his head back in a seductive laugh. Those actions used to be mine and mine only... why is he using them on Sidney? Strange, curious jealousy floods through me at the sight, and I quickly shake my head. I can't be affected by Xavier. I don't love someone like him, so it shouldn't matter to me.

But then why does it hurt?

Wes practically drags me into the bright outdoors, my eyes unable to tear away from Xavier on their own. He smiles as I blink once, twice... trying to banish the image of him from my vision.

"Looks like someone is lovestruck..." Wes says laughingly, patting me on the shoulder, "I knew this would happen."

"I don't LOVE HIM!" I angrily punch Wes in the arm, and he jokingly staggers backwards.

"It’s okay, Mona," he tries to comfort me, "you guys are fated to be together anyways. Why are you so opposed to the idea that you might be in love with him?"

I freeze, my mind hovering over that one question.

"Because I don't like him," I cross my arms, trying to hide my discomfort.

"Yes, you do," he slings one handsome arm over my shoulder, "don't lie to your best friend."

"Who's that?" I finally crack a smile, all the while pulling away from his friendly gesture. "I don't have a best friend."

"That hurts, Mona," Wes holds his stomach as if I had stabbed him, "that hurts real bad." He stumbles to the ground, groaning so strangely that it actually looks like he's laughing...

I giggle along with him, pulling him up. We begin to walk again, this time a little more relaxed, my mind relieved of worrying about Xavier. Wes might as well be my best friend, because I have practically no one else. No girls want to talk to me, so many being envious, yet horrified over what they had seen today. A hole is in the pit of my stomach now as I realize I don't have a single friend that is a girl.

Crawling onto Wes's back, I hold on as he zooms into the forest. It is almost as if we disappear, only a whisper of reality as we whisk through the trees