Waindale

The sidewalk is coated with leaves as the trees that line it grow bare. Vivianne stays a step ahead of me, then two, then three. The thought of seeing him again is distracting my feet—hell, my entire body is in a confused state, not knowing what to do anymore. Whenever I was in trouble, I would fidget with my hands. They were uncontrollable and awkward, no longer attached to my body. That same feeling is returning, but this time the only part of myself that I feel connected to is my head.

Vivian glances back at me. “Come on,” she says, crossing the street. I catch up and walk alongside her.

“What are we going to talk about?” I ask. The need to prepare is growing inside of me.

“Whatever you feel the need to talk about.”

“Do you know what he’s going to say?”

Vivian shakes her head. “He can be a bit of a closed book sometimes. I doubt he would share his thoughts with me if I asked, especially if it was about you.”

“A-Are we almost there?”

She points to a dark blue house at the end of the street. “That’s mine.”

“He’s there,” I say.

“You know?”

I nod with a furrowed brow. Sucking in a smooth breath, I try to calm my heart and find a spontaneous burst of confidence from deep within me. We walk through the grass and to her front door. “My parents aren’t home,” Vivian preps me, “so you’re all alone. I’ll be out here if you need anything.”

“I’m going in by myself?”

“Go on. He knows you’re here.”

I take one last breath before entering the house. His scent pools around me and welcomes me in immediately. Three steps from the door is a large archway. I take them and peer into the open room beyond. Adam is standing in front of a couch as if he’s been switching between sitting and standing—or maybe that’s just me trying to humanize him.

He promptly turns to me. I stand in the archway with my hands clasped together. The last time we spoke was when I ran off from the forest, after I made him rescue me from a very scary tree. It wasn’t the best way to repay him for putting up with my silly plan.

The last time I saw him, he threw out the idea of not trying to unmate.

“Hi,” I say.

“Wrenley,” he acknowledges. “I wasn’t sure that you’d come. Last time we spoke—”

“I ran away. Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It was rude after you helped me down from the tree. I was just a little overwhelmed, I guess.” The sudden desire to be more transparent overcomes me, and I continue. “Honestly, I don’t know what to do. I thought time would let me figure things out, but I didn’t get anywhere. Maybe I should have talked things through with you, to begin with.”

“I understand,” he says, settling my nerves. “It was a lot to throw at you at once. I suppose I’ve been dulled to the idea of being overwhelmed.”

I enter the room properly, leaving the archway. The living chair in front of the couch is prime real-estate, and I take my seat. Adam sits down on the sofa. The only thing separating us is a sturdy coffee table with a sandalwood scented candle sitting on top of a stack of large picture books. For a moment, I imagine the candle being lit.

“It’s time we talk things through,” Adam starts.

“I want to know more.”

Adam’s face questions me a little. His brows move closer as his body tilts forward. His elbows rest on top of his knees. “More?”

“About your kind, I guess. About the pack. About the Goddess of the moon.”

“Who told you about the moon goddess?” He asks, curious.

“Well, first a woman that has a store down on the water. She gave me a necklace with a symbol for the Moon Goddess on it. She said it would help me.”

Adam nods a bit.

“And I’ll need to know more about you, for obvious reasons,” I add on.

Adam watches me for a moment, making my hands act up. Finally, he speaks. “You’ll have to attend the Academy.”

“What?”

“You’ll have to transfer from Waindale High School. Vivian and Imogen and Eli will transfer back as well. They will still be around to help you.”

“Transfer back?” I question.

“They were attending Waindale Academy—all pack members do—but when you arrived I sent them to the high school to look after you,” he explains.

“Right. I just—Vivian never mentioned that she went to the Academy. And how am I supposed to explain that to my family? I don’t think I can just change schools. My mom does not like the Academy students.”

One of his brows gently rises.

“For reasons when she went to Waindale High, but that’s not important. What’s important is that I can’t switch without an explanation.”

“It will be taken care of. Nothing that will raise many questions,” he assures me.

“I have to switch?” I ask, just to make sure.

Adam’s gaze travels the room. “I would prefer that you did.”

“When?”

“Well, I suppose as soon as possible. I’ll arrange it.”

I lean back in my chair. “How many people are in the pack? All of them go to Waindale Academy?”

“About a tenth of the town. They attend the Academy because everyone who goes there knows about us. Students and teachers are either one of us or in alliance.”

I sit up and scoot to the edge of the seat. “Really? Other humans know?”

Adam nods. “Most of those we consider in alliance are founding families of Waindale. They’ve been here for generations as we have.”

“Why don’t they tell anyone? How can you trust them?”

“We protect them,” he says simply.

My thoughts connect his words with what I read yesterday in the book on Waindale’s history. They protect the town. They saved the people from other wolves. Was it true, then?

Adam surprises me when he says, “So, I assume we’re moving forward with this.”

My curiosity and excitement about his kind and the town’s secrets have kept me from acknowledging the basis of our planning. All of it leads back to us—the fact that we are mated to each other. My learning and my transferring and everything to come from this is because we are bonded. He’s not wrong to make such an assumption. It’s not like I came in here demanding we stay apart.

I wish I could ask him why he is going along with this. Because of our situation, I’ve been introduced to things I once believed to be fantasies, but what is he getting out of this? If anything, he’s an Alpha who’s stuck with a human as a mate. Adam should be cursing the Moon Goddess for bringing us together.

“It sure sounds like it,” I murmur. My insecurities are climbing up my back, sitting on my shoulders, whispering into my ear. Look at him—it just doesn’t make any sense. “It’s just—I’m still a little hesitant. Maybe it’s the fact that we aren’t supposed to be mated. I’m not one of you. You’re an Alpha; you’re supposed to be with a Luna; I know that much.”

His shoulders fall, but his voice stays steady. “You should move past that, Wrenley.”

My eyes look directly into his. “And you have?”

“For the most part,” he says.

“Is it like, something is better than nothing? Is this the best of a bad situation?”

“Did I say anything to suggest that?”

I sigh and peer behind me, out the window. Vivian is out of sight, but I hope she’s still there. When I look back, his dark eyes haven’t moved from me. My lips mouth small, silence words as I decide what to say.

“Wrenley—”

“It’s just a little bizarre,” I cut him off. “People aren’t supposed to know these things before they know each other. Really, they’re supposed to be the same species at least.” I suddenly stand up, which makes Adam stand as well.

He holds out his hand. “You’re overwhelmed.”

I stare at his hand and then his face, silently asking ‘why.’

“Go on,” he says. “It will help.”

“Right, because holding hands will make everything okay,” I breathe. “I want to know more about you, Adam, but I can’t let myself feel this way. It’s too soon. I’ll get hurt.”

“That’s not how it works. There is no slowing down your emotions. Everything is immediate.”

“I’m not like you. This isn’t good for me. It’s all foreign,” I try to explain. Adam drops his hand, making me wish I grabbed onto him and pulled him close.

“It’s not something we prepare for either. Before this, I only knew what I had been told.”

I cross my arms and quickly regret my words. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound...”

“I need to get back. I’ll have you transferred to the Academy. Someone will call and explain it to your mother, someone from the high school. Expect to receive your uniform tomorrow. You’ll start there Monday.”

He walks to the archway, leaving. Before he disappears, I ask, “I’ll see you there, then?”

Adam nods once then vanishes around the corner. I crash down into the chair and bend forward; my hands cover my regretful face from the ghosts watching. Vivian comes in shortly after. Just as her lips part to speak, I look to her.

“Every time I see him, it gets harder. How I’m feeling isn’t right.”

Her face settles on something sympathetic.

The next morning, I enter the kitchen after a deep sleep. My stomach cries for food, but before I can check the stove for Grandma’s pancakes or French toast, I’m faced with my mother. She’s standing with her phone in her hand.

“Your school called,” she says. “They said that you’ve been specially selected to attend Waindale Academy. Why didn’t you tell me that you tried for this contest thing? They told me that your personal essay was fantastic and that they can’t wait to welcome you Monday. You better start talking, kid.”

My eyes turn to Grandma who is sat at the table behind her. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I improvise. “I didn’t think they’d pick me anyway. I know you don’t like the Academy, but I thought I may as well try. You know, for the academics.”

She lets out a sigh and drops her phone-holding hand to her side. “You can’t just keep these things from me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I really didn’t think I’d be picked.”

“And you really wanna go there? You want to wear a uniform? You want to learn how to play tennis?”

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for Wrenley,” Grandma chimes in.

My mom looks back at her before saying, “I’m not going to stop you from going if you want to.”

“Okay. Well, I want to,” I say.

“Okay. Then you can transfer. Your uniform will be here later today. They didn’t even ask for your size, so if you get some tiny toddler sweater or gigantic pants, it’s not my problem.”

“Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

She watches me for a moment. The sadness in her eyes is just noticeable if I look hard enough.

“Okay. Well, I’ll get breakfast started,” Grandma says. “What are we thinking? Anyone hungry for omelets?”