Shifting Fate

Chapter 2: Heat Wave

2: Heat Wave

Anyra

My heart beats wildly in my chest, and my hands and feet grow numb. I'm frozen in place as I see his bright blue eyes grow concerned.

“Are you okay?" He asks, his words sending violent shudders through me.

With great effort, I nod, my lips pressed so hard together I think they are likely to fall off.

“My name is Logan," he says to me and produces a hand. “Logan Tyler."

Shakily, I reach up and shake his INCREDIBLY warm hand with my cold and clammy one.

“Anyra," I croak. “Anyra Alden."

Logan smiles. “Pleased to meet you."

His smile makes me flush with heat in places I was NOT expecting to feel in a classroom full of people in response to a person I had just met. But he isn't just anyone.

He is The One.

What are the chances I would find HIM in the furthest corner of the country so close to my first shift?

I remember my mother saying how not all wolves find their mate. Some go their entire lives never feeling, or unable to feel, that all-consuming desperate need to be close to that one person. She had, if only reluctantly, and now I have. This had to be the worst time.

After realizing I'm still shaking his hand, I pull away quickly and bury myself in my notebook, letting the long strands of my hair cover my face.

“Alright, class. Today, we are going to cover one of my favorite topics. As it is close to the end of the school year, and you have already taken your state tests, we have the freedom to explore a little bit outside of our usual domain," Mr. Baylee calls from the front of the classroom.

The students who had been loitering at the lab tables make their way to their seats in the center of the room.

He goes on when everyone finds their seats and gives him their attention.

“There will be a full moon in a couple of weeks. Now, I know this has very little to do with biology, but I would like to point out some similarities between animals and the lunar phases.

“Not only does the Moon affect the tides, something several species rely on, but it also affects breeding times and migration events. For instance, coral polyps release their eggs and sperm into the sea during a full moon. Billions of these little polyps scatter through the water on such a large scale that it can be seen from space.

“Also, many species use the Moon as a navigational aid at night, just as we do. The tiny crustaceans, called sandhoppers, use the Moon and Sun to navigate between the shore and sea.

“But that isn't what I want to discuss today. Today, I wanted to talk about WHY the Moon has had such an impact on modern society."

Mr. Baylee was right, I think to myself. This has nothing to do with Biology.

A kid in the front raises his hand. “Many cultures have viewed the Moon as a deity, claiming that it has power over our lives. If something happens during a particular phase, they thought, it must be the Moon giving them a sign."

“Some cultures think that the Moon has influence over the Supernatural," another kid says.

“Like werewolves?" A large guy in a gray hoodie asks, then raises his chin into the air, howling like a wolf. The sound is so loud that I have to restrain myself from covering my ears.

“That's enough, Jonothan," Mr. Baylee warns.

“Yes, like werewolves, for a start. For this week's project, I want each of you to consider the ways in which the Moon has affected humanity and the various species on the planet.

“Your subject can be anything that is or is perceived to be influenced by the Moon, including supernatural similarities over several cultures. I want five pages by the end of next week. This is a group project, so make sure to get with your lab partners."

At this point, the bell rings, and many students gasp sighs of relief. Logan moves to grab his bag next to him, and his thigh rubs my leg. Instantly, a heat flashes between my legs, and I bolt up, dashing from the room.

The pull to go back, talk to him, and touch him is almost too overpowering. But I push past it and run to my next class.

Lunchtime comes around far later than I would've liked. I hold on to my plastic tray with trembling hands as I gaze out into the mass of flesh that is the school body.

Unlike every other school I have gone to, every grade here goes to lunch at the same time. From freshmen to seniors, all of them are crowded into the circular room.

Panic sets in as I try to find a place to sit amid the flow of people and noise. I smell everything. The trash cans lining the walls, the meals people have packed, their sweat, all of it crashes into me at once. I can handle the noise, but the smell is nauseating.

My mom warned me that the closer I got to my first change, the more I could sense the world. Over the course of the past few weeks, my vision has become incredibly acute, my sense of smell overwhelming, and even the sound of paper falling to the floor sounds like a volcano erupting.

So, as I'm standing there looking like a clutz about to have a panic attack, a warm hand gently touches my shoulder. I jump so hard that I almost bump into a girl with a tray full of food.

“Sorry," I murmur and turn around to look straight into HIS eyes. Fireworks go off in my brain. His dark hair and crystal blue eyes draw me in and consume me.

I hear the softness of his voice and then realize he asked me a question.

“Huh?" I ask wearily.

“I said, would you like to come sit with me?" I look behind him and see a group of people sitting around a rounded table, two girls and three guys.

A girl in a pink sweater eyes me, her black mascara making her green eyes pop out like bullets. Whatever Logan had intended, clearly, I am NOT welcome at his table.

I shake my head quickly and mutter, “Thanks, I'm good," before I dart to the next table, where a lone girl sits reading a book.

I sense him walking away from me, his aura growing a sad blue. He had truly wanted me to come sit with him. Could he feel the pull as well?

It wasn't common for a human to feel the intensity of a mate's call, but it could happen.

I turn to my food, trying to ignore the sensation of pinpricks on my spine. He's looking at me. I know he is. But I can't afford this right now. There is too much going on.

My birthday is two weeks away. I have two weeks before my first change and before I shift into something that is very much NOT human.

I wonder for a second what I'll look like.

Will I be a silver wolf like my mother? Or a black wolf like my father?

A shudder runs through me as I consider the latter. 'Whatever happens, let me not look anything like my father.'

My heart beats rapidly in my chest, the feeling too intense. Helpless, I turn in my seat and find his blue eyes looking at me, and in that instant, nothing else matters.