Sophia hissed in frustration. For a big city, Crescent Heights lacked luxury options in its malls. She had hoped that shopping therapy would lift her mood and make her problems at home disappear.
She hadn't told Darvin yet.
Her arranged marriage to the Ruan, the heir to the Moondew pack, had fallen apart. That was her father's second plan if Darvin refused to return to the pack. But she couldn't help it; Sophia was a sucker for love and sparks. She didn't feel that way for Ruan.
He certainly didn't feel the same way too, she presumed. So, she called it off.
After Regal's phone call, Father didn't want to lose Darvin, who was now his only path to securing their pack's future, and dragged her along to convince him to return.
Her nose twitched.
Her enhanced sense of smell had picked up a sweet, warm scent in the air. Jelly buns? It smelled just like Mum's. For a brief moment, her eyes shifted to gold in excitement.
Sophia, drawn helplessly, found herself in front of the bakery showcase, staring at the tray of hot, drippy jelly buns that was displayed."
Ma'am, can I get —"
"I need all the jelly as usual, Ms."
A voice had come from behind her. The deep resonating tone sent shivers down her spine.
"Excuse me?" She snapped, whipping around.
"Is there a problem?"
The voice answered calmly. Confused.
Sophia looked at the figure towering over her and froze.
His blue eyes. Tall, slender yet masculine physique was so alluring. She could see his firm chest from his slightly unbuttoned shirt, and the veins on his forearms from his rolled-up sleeves.
It did something to her.
"I wanted those buns," She whispered, more to herself than him.
"I am just going to take these," He said, stretching over her, to grab the buns. His sweet minty scent hit her immediately.
He paid and began to walk away.
Suddenly, she snapped out of her thoughts and, without thinking, she rushed over and clung to his back like a koala from hell.
"Give me my jelly buns!" She shouted, gripping him tightly.
He staggered. "Get the off me —Shit!"
They were beginning to draw the attention of other shoppers, and he hated it.
"You saw me pay for these, didn't you?" He snapped. "Get off me, Brown-y!"
"My name is Sophia!" She yelled. Part of her wanted him to know. She reached for the buns, struggling over his masculine build. She was no match for his strength, but her grip was insane.
His phone had vibrated for the umpteenth time, and he reached into his pocket with one hand while still carrying her on his back. It was a text from Jane.
Where are you, Mark?
He smiled to himself because he had sent a similar text earlier. Although he recognized the urgency of that tune.
She had called him a while ago, saying it was urgent and that it was about meeting up at Ethan's garage.
A smack hit the back of his head."What are you smiling at? Pervert!"
"What?!" Mark sputtered, but she kept hitting him.
"Are you feeling me up? You disgusting pervert!"
He inhaled deeply, and it made her pause.
He lowered the bag of jelly buns beside his leg, and in one smooth swoop, he yanked her from his back, lifting her so her legs now wrapped around his waist. His grip locked her wrists against his chest.
They were now really close. Face to face. And Mark looked Pissed.
"Fine," He growled. " I will share with you, Brown-y. Is that okay?"
She nodded, dumbstruck by this stud in front of her. Her heart pounded wildly.
He set her down gently and reached into the bag as he picked it up. He took one of the jelly buns for himself and handed her the rest.
Then, without a word, he started walking away. While Sophia stood there, her legs refused to move. And for the first time in a long while, the jelly buns' sweetness couldn't compare to what was just in front of her.
She didn't care if he was human. She was drawn to him. She wanted him.
*****
The ride home was smooth. Mark drove, his hands relaxed on the wheels of his sleek black car.
Luxurious. She thought to herself.
Her hunch had been right. It wasn't just the air around him; Mark was actually rich.
She reflected on how terrible a friend she had been. Guilt pricked at her chest. They'd been paired at the City Newspapers for a whole year, and she'd never had any real conversation with him. Never asked about his favorite things. Never asked about his life.
Nothing.
She didn't even know he had a car; she just dragged him around in her loud, rattling tin-can vehicle, even when he offered to drive.
Her heart churned in embarrassment. She really, really needed to be a better listener.
"Hey," Mark said softly, finally breaking the silence.
Jane blinked and realized he was parking the car. She looked outside, stunned. They were right in front of the flower shop, just a stone-throw away from Ethan's garage.
"What are we doing here?" She asked, confused.
Mark chuckled. "I don't know where you live,". He admitted.
"You looked so gloomy, so I didn't want to bother you. But after driving around this block twice, I had to say something."
She stared at him, then they both burst into belly-deep laughter. So much that she got teary-eyed.
"That was silly," She said, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry," She added.
"It's alright," Mark replied gently.
"I'll show you," She said, adjusting her seatbelt.
In that moment, Jane made a silent promise to herself. It was time to be a better friend.
After what felt like an hour, the car hummed quietly as it rolled to a stop in front of Jane's house.
"This is it," she said with a shrug.
"This is it," Mark echoed softly as he unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. He circled around. Opening her door just as she unbuckled her own belt. Jane smiled at him as he stepped out of the car, greeted by the cool night air.
The almost-full moon hung overhead, shining brightly. It cast a soft blue hue on the neatly mowed lawn in front of her house.
Jane lived in Heights, in one of those estate houses that all looked the same: same shape, size, and color. Only the house numbers set them apart. She'd earned this home, and it fit her role at City Newspapers.
"Shit!" She exclaimed under her breath.
Mark, who was standing just a few steps in front of her, turned around sharply, trying to find out what the reaction was about.
Jane pointed toward her window. "I left my lights on," She explained as if sensing Mark's confusion.
"Oh." He relaxed with a small nod. "Okay"
She exhaled, embarrassed, "Would you like to come in for a drink?" She offered, gesturing toward the direction of the house.
Mark looked at his watch, then hesitated a bit. "Maybe some other time," He said gently.
Jane nodded to his response. "Of course."
He walked her to her door, the graveled path crunching softly beneath their feet.
"Thank you," She whispered.
Without warning, Mark moved closer and pulled her into a warm hug."
In case you need another one to get through the night," he said, murmuring softly.
Jane chuckled lightly, muffled against his chest. "Thank you," She said again when he let her go.
"Good night." He said with a small smile before turning and heading back to his car.
He paused with his hand on the door, glanced back at her one more time. She lifted her hand and waved.
Jane watched his engine revive, and Mark's car eased away down the quiet street until the taillights disappeared into the night.
The moment he was gone, she turned towards the house and hurried inside, rubbing her palms along her arms briskly.
The warmth that greeted her inside was immediate and comforting. She shut the door behind her, slid the key into the inner keyhole, and twisted until she heard a click; then she pushed the upper bolt firmly into place.
Jane let out a long, weary sigh and proceeded upstairs, her body heavy with exhaustion of the day. Without thinking, she unbuttoned her shirt as she reached her room and pushed the door open with her foot.
The shirt carelessly landed on the bed.
She walked over to the mirror on her dresser and took off her belt. Her trousers loosened and slipped down to the floor. She stepped out of them and brushed them aside with her foot.
She looked at her reflection. The red of her bra and underwear stood out against her fair skin. She ran her fingers through her wavy, shoulder-length auburn hair and took in her athletic, curvy figure.
She took them off and headed to the bathroom. The moment she turned on the tap, warm water gushed into the bathtub, filling the room with steam.
She sank into the tub, allowing the rising warmth to envelop her like a soothing blanket. She leaned her head back against the edge and let her body soak.
Time slipped away.
Nearly an hour had gone by when she stepped out. Her skin was flushed a soft pink. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but the exhaustion got the best of her.
Jane quickly slid into her pajamas, then sat before her mirror, running her fingers through her damp hair as the blow dryer hummed softly. Her eyes caught the pile of books she'd taken from Jenny's room earlier that week.
Her heart skipped.
The hair.
She hadn't told the police about what she had found. Jane reached forward, picked up the book, and carefully lifted the strands from between its pages. It was thick and long, longer than a human's or animal she could think of.
A werewolf.
Her heart raced. How had Jenny gotten this?
She set the strand back, but noticed that there was some messy ink at the edges of the page. Notes. Jane flipped the book open, realizing that it wasn't just any book.
It was Jenny's diary.
She hesitated, feeling guilty. Was it right to read this? Was it wrong?
But curiosity won. She scanned through the entries until her gaze fixated on one dated just a few weeks back.
I told him I wanted to keep you; He got really angry and hit me several times. He kicked my stomach over and over again. He asked me to get rid of you. He doesn't want people to know about the seed growing inside of me.
Jane's head spun.
She let out a sharp, horrified gasp. Her heartbeat pounded in her throat as the words rearranged themselves over and over in her mind.
Jenny....was pregnant?