Chapter 1
2018 Words
Katy
I think I'm going to be sick.
Is the room spinning, or is that me? I don't know! I might just have killed a man and not any man—I just baseball-batted my employer's son! Am I going to jail? Will I have to spend Christmas locked in a cell?!
"Oh my god, Katy, what have you done?!" I ask myself. This is so unlike anything I've ever done. I'm a quiet girl. A creep. A weirdo. Someone who rarely talks and more than often keeps my thoughts to myself, but this?!
I can't believe I hurt someone!
Nausea bubbles up in my throat as I stare down at the unconscious body on the carpet. What am I supposed to do? Shove him under the couch and pray nobody finds him?
No.
I have to breathe and think rational thoughts. Though one glance at the tongue rolled out from the man's mouth is all it takes for me to shriek like a frightened animal.
I can't believe I hit him!
It was in the act of self-defense, though. When the guy entered through the backdoor, he said my name, so I thought he was a stalker—a naked stalker! His body is covered in blood, and his size is downright intimidating! But after looking at his face and the pictures on the wall, I realize there has been a mistake!
The man on the floor is Sky Howler, son of Marissa Howler, the woman who hired me to be a private chef! This is a disaster!
I cover my face with both of my hands. Should I call Marissa and try to explain the situation? No. I should call the cops... or wait; maybe I should check if Sky is still breathing? Ugh, the panic is turning me stupid!
My eyes travel to the dark-haired man, and I blush when I once more notice that Sky is entirely naked.
His abs and v-lines are on full display, and I feel like a total creep checking him out. He is massive, covered in blood, and even his muscles have muscles—when did he grow up to become a giant!?
I have known the Howler family for many years. They used to be neighbors with me. It was a couple of years ago, and this man, Sky, wasn't as massive and hulking back then—he was a cute little kid with braces that could hardly fit his mouth!
And now I might have killed him!
As I suffer another panic episode, two eyes slowly open. They are a dark hazel, and if looks could kill, I would be a dead woman.
I shudder.
"Everything is spinning..." Sky mumbles.
I slowly sit down on the floor. "You're still alive..."
That is the wrong thing to say, he immediately glares at me, and I question my decision to stay.
Am I safe here?
Most likely not.
Besides his long eyelashes, everything else in Sky's appearance is startling. For starters, no normal human is this big, and second of all, I hit him with a baseball bat, so it's only natural he might wish me dead.
"Of course, I'm still alive!" Sky barks. "You weren't trying to kill me, were you? I'm not sure how I got hurt in the first place... are you sure that you're a human?"
Say what now? "Uh, what?" I nervously laugh. "How hard did you hit your head? Of course, I'm human." Oh no, did I hit his head so hard that he became dumb too? Oh, no, Mrs. Howler will fire me now for sure!
His hazel eyes narrow, but he doesn't attempt to get up from the carpet. Instead, he keeps glaring at me. "Do you know how hard it is to hit an Alpha unconscious? And a hybrid one at that?"
Oh boy.
Did I give Sky a concussion? I must have hit his head pretty darn hard. Is he seriously calling himself an Alpha now? And a hybrid?
What the hell does that even mean?
I don't know what to think. Is this some sort of weird kink or something? I've heard rumors about a cult that runs naked in the forest around the time of every full moon, and Sky did come home naked...
Oh no. What if Sky is part of that scandalous society?! Should I call the cops on him and have him arrested?
No wait, having a kink isn't necessarily illegal.
And not to mention I need this job more than anything since I'm dirt poor, and Sky has money to pay me. The guy might be a nutcase, but he is a freaking billionaire!
"Look," I try to keep my tone friendly. "I don't know what you mean by saying you're an Alpha and a hybrid or whatever. But I am truly sorry that I hit you with that baseball bat. I honestly thought you were a pervert or a flasher who had found his way here."
"A flasher? You really thought I was a flasher?!" Sky sounds pissed off, which is frightening. He even sits up and shows me his teeth in a display that I find... odd. Who the heck does that? A dog?!
Wait.
Is it a sign of rabies?
I hold up my hands in surrender. "In my defense, you came in through the back door naked and still haven't covered yourself up!" Please don't bite my head off...
Sky snarls—actually, SNARLS at me! Gosh. I have met many angry men in my life, but I'm certain none of them ever snapped like this and acted like a goddamn beast!
"I'm not a flasher!" Sky growls. "Not even close!"
"Y-you're scaring me..." I shrink away from him a little. We are both sitting on the floor now, though Sky is scary, even parked on his ass.
"Scaring you?" Anger is written over his features. "Are you actually f*****g afraid of me?!"
"Yes..." my bottom lip is trembling. "Please don't hurt me..."
At that, his face softens, or maybe it's wishful thinking. He blinks at me for a couple of seconds and then sighs.
"You actually think that I would hurt you?" He says the words as if they are physically impossible, and then I think I see the disappointment on his face. "Wait... you can't feel it, can you?"
"F-feel what?" Why is he crawling closer? And why is he looking at me as if I've broken his heart or something?! I don't like this!
"The bond between..." he stops and hesitates, and a crease forms between his thick but arched eyebrows. He has a beautiful face, but he is covered in blood, and it's freaking me out. "Wait... you don't know anything, do you?"
"Know what?" I ask.
Sky peers into my eyes. "f*****g hell... you're clueless..."
Clueless about what—I want to tell that to his face, but I'm too afraid! I'm down on my back now, and Sky is hovering above me. His muscular arms are parked on either side of me, and my heart hammers in my chest when I realize he can do whatever he wants with me.
Will I get taken here on the carpet?
How would I be able to stop him?!
Goosebumps prickle over my skin while my throat runs dry. How do I stop this from turning ugly? Should I play along? Would that make Sky leave me alone?
I don't know how to handle this situation. All I know is that I'm scared senseless, and it's embarrassing because this is the kid I used to babysit, but he is a totally different person!
"Sky..." I say and attempt to smile. Our breaths are mingling—that's how close he is while studying my face. "I'm Katy Morris. Do you remember me? I used to babysit you in the past... you wouldn't hurt me."
"Hurt you?"
Sky acts as if I've burnt him. His eyes flash wide, and he bounces off me with incredible speed. But even when he creates distance, I'm still beyond freaked out and want to leave this house.
I sob. "Can I go home?"
"You make it sound as if I'm keeping you here..."
"Aren't you?"
"No, this is MY house... I'm not leaving, but you can..."
"Why do you sound so mad at me?"
"I'm not mad; I'm frustrated because—..."
He trails off, and I stare at him. He seems to find my reaction amusing because he laughs, but the sound is painful.
"My mate can't feel the mate bond..." he whispers. I don't know what it means, but he sounds tortured. Misery is written on his face; strangely enough, I don't like seeing him sad.
"What is a mate?"
My words prompt Sky to snort in annoyance. I watch him stand up and glance down at me with a cold expression.
"Did my mom seriously hire you without filling you in about what we are?"
I'm even more lost now. Is Sky talking about the cult I suspect he is a member of? The ones that run naked during the full moon?
"Look... Sky. I won't tell anyone that you run naked in the woods covered in pigs' blood during every full moon," I do the universal sign with my fingers, which means my lips are sealed. "Your secret is safe with me."
There is a moment of silence. None of us is moving a muscle until a smirk spreads over Sky's lips. It's dark and twisted, and I ask myself why I haven't rushed for the door yet.
My suspected answer?
I'm paralyzed by fear because I know Sky would catch up with me if I ran. That's why I've unconsciously decided to remain rooted in my spot. I wouldn't want to anger him. A guy like him could easily throw me over his shoulder and lock me in his basement.
"From your perspective, I must seem like a crazy person," Sky says, and he actually sounds amused but sarcastic. "But I can assure you that I'm not a flasher or a murderer... though I suppose I have killed people."
There it is! His confession! Sky is a murderer!
I'm screwed beyond belief. Why did I have to open my big, fat mouth and make him tell the truth? Now he will never let me leave.
A cold shiver races up my spine, but I force a smile. I remember reading somewhere never to show fear in front of a psychopath—screaming might excite them!
I nervously laugh. "I see!"
Sky groans. "Fuck... that was the wrong thing to say! I have killed people, but they were all bad people: vampires, rogues... monsters. You know, people wanting to hurt innocents."
By now, I can't stop myself from laughing. Sky is insane, and I'm about to lose my mind myself. The first job I get, and I'm hired by a lunatic! Why is this happening to me?
"You have killed vampires? What are you—Buffy's long lost cousin?!" I continue to laugh even though it's not funny.
"No," Sky's nostrils flare. "I'm a werewolf."
A werewolf?
"Oh boy... it's only getting crazier," I shake my head, trying but failing to keep the laughter from my voice. "Do you identify yourself as a werewolf? Or is this a sick role-playing game? s**t. Aren't you too old for this, Sky?"
His eyes narrow. "Don't believe me? Fine! I will just show you!"
With that, Sky breaks out of his skin, literally.
I'm not sure what sort of hallucination I'm having, but Sky is now a giant black wolf. He is staring at me with eyes that are no longer brown but glowing crimson red. The rest of his body is large and fuzzy, and I gape at him, entirely speechless.
Sky tilts his large wolfish head at me.
Is this real?!
He is as large as a pony!
Looking at Sky becomes too much to handle. My heart is pounding a mile per second. I just found out supernatural creatures exist... yeah... uh-huh... okay... great!
I pass out immediately.
- Writer
