Stella
I'm pacing my tiny bedroom inside the garage. It's late, and I should get some sleep, but Ashley told me to text Evan today.
My nerves are through the roof!
I rake my fingers through my unruly, red hair. My brain cells aren't cooperating. How do I start a conversation with possibly the most beautiful guy I've ever seen?
We probably have nothing in common!
Evan is also the vampire prince, which means I'm already on his hate list. He would murder me if he found out I was the one flirting with him. But damn, I don't want Ashley to punish me for not doing my job!
I lift the phone and quickly type a message.
Me: Good evening.
I facepalm, feeling my heart race inside my chest. Who in their right mind says good evening as the first message to a guy? I've already ruined everything!
Nervously, I peer down and notice there is a reply already.
Evan: Hello.
Oh, that's relatively quick...
I lift an eyebrow when the phone lights up again.
Evan: Do you really think it's necessary to stay away from each other? I know it's what your parents want, but it's weird. You and I will marry each other, and I barely know you.
"Drama already…" I scratch my head and blow some strands away from my face. "How do I handle this?"
Me: Uh, we can't hang out at school, but maybe you could ask my parents if it's okay to drive me to school every morning?
Ashley doesn't have a car, so I'm doing us a huge favor here. I smile triumphantly. I'm such a genius.
Evan: That's actually not a bad idea.
Me: Thank you.
Evan is writing again. I watch the dots jump around on the screen. Why is the damn vampire writing so fast? It makes me dizzy.
Evan: Do you still want my nudes?
Wait.
What???!!!
I stare at the screen, unsure how to reply to this. I'm hyperventilating, and the walls seem to be creeping closer.
Am I hallucinating?!
Did I accidentally inhale drugs or something? f**k! Should I find Ashley? No, she would murder me. I got to handle this!
Me: Do you want to give me one?
WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST ASK HIM?!
Evan: Don't give me that. You're the one who asked me for pictures and not the other way around. So you have to fight for them.
Fight for them? I blush. The gods may not forgive me for this, but I want to know what Evan looks like naked.
Me: Please, send me some?
Evan: You first.
I snort and roll my eyes. Not a chance. I can't send Evan a picture of myself. He will know it's not Ashley right away! Unless I send him an image of my lower body?
There is a pitter-patter in my chest. Will Evan find me gross?
I tip-toe over to my bed and lie down on my back over the covers in what I'm hoping is a sexy position.
My heart is almost in my throat. I've done nothing remotely dirty, and here I am, snapping a picture between my legs. Have I gone insane?
I take a deep breath while my pulse ticks against my neck. I snap a picture from a weird angle and pray. I then send the picture to Evan without even looking at it.
"Will Evan knows it's me right away?" I whisper with the phone resting on my chest. Ashley and I are both pale and of similar build. Hopefully, Evan shouldn't be able to tell I'm not Ashley.
I barely dare to breathe when Evan replies to me. My hands are shaking when I pick up the phone.
Evan: You're beautiful.
There is a little zing in my heart. Evan thinks I'm beautiful. He thinks I'm beautiful... Not ugly, but beautiful.
Me: Thank you.
Evan: I would love to lick between your legs, slow and torturous at first, but gradually add pressure.
My breath hitches in my throat.
"That escalated quickly..." I whisper and imagine Evan eating me out, teasing me with his warm tongue. I've never had s*x, yet I'm already aroused thinking about Evan pleasuring me.
He is a vampire, but I have to be honest—the scary vampire is the hottest man I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes upon.
So...
Should I sext him back? I want to... And he doesn't know it's me, so what is the harm in flirting?
Me: I would love that. Please tell me more.
The vampire doesn't take long to respond.
Evan: And those little freckles down there? I would trace them with my tongue, coat you in my saliva. It would be so hot.
My eyes widen.
Shit!
Ashley probably doesn't even have freckles!
I tuck the phone underneath my pillow and clench my legs together. I'm hot and bothered but at the same time terrified of Evan's last message, and it's all his fault!
What if he knows I'm not Ashley already?!
***
The following day is weird.
I told Ashley Evan would pick us up every morning from now. Yet it's awkward walking up to his black Ford Mustang.
Evan saw my lower regions yesterday. He called my freckles hot and made me aroused with simple words. I mean, he is the first man to have called me beautiful.
But I guess it meant nothing?
His face is emotionless when he notices me. He turns to face Ashley and speaks in a calm voice. "Is the werewolf riding with us?"
"Is that a problem?"
An intense sensual fog weaves through my mind when Even's red eyes briefly meet mine. Suddenly, nothing else matters, only him. I realize I'm falling victim to his pheromones, but I can't fight it.
The moment feels like an entire year, and heat flares low in my belly and between my legs. Mortified, I avert my eyes. Like a p***y. Because a blush is raging on my face. Bad enough to be noticed.
Evan sighs. "I asked you a question, Ashley."
"Yes." Ashley brushes her blonde curls to one side of her shoulder. "Stella is my servant, and she follows me everywhere."
Evan doesn't argue with her. His intense eyes size me up again, pushing all air through my lungs.
I try to stay calm, but the view of Evan overwhelms me.
He must be over six feet tall. He is downright intimidating, with a body that could rival any alpha werewolf. He walks into my personal space, not caring to cause discomfort.
I'm faced with the plates of his chest.
"And your servant is the rumored silver wolf?" His voice is cold as he scrutinizes me with his intense eyes, making every hair stand on the edge of my body.
"Yes, the Snowflake pack wants to recruit her," Ashley says without interest in her voice. She is already opening the car door. "They think she is special because of her coat."
Evan says nothing.
He touches my face with his fingers, and I'm slipping away, overtaken by sudden images of myself and this stunningly handsome man naked. His lush mouth on my breasts, those thick fingers inside me, legs parting, breaths labored.
When Evan leans away, I'm close to begging him not to go, but his emotionless eyes find mine, and his lips turn cruel.
"Interesting desires."
My cheeks scald like molten hot lava when I hear his husky voice speak those words. I'm shocked and cannot move a muscle even as Evan walks over to the car as if I'm yesterday's news.
Ashley sighs. "Stella? Could you hurry up a little?"
Shaking my head, I silently open the car door and sit in the back. I'm sweating, and it feels like my skin is burning. What did Evan do to me?
My heart won't stop pounding.
The car soon burst to life.
Ashley talks about herself within seconds, and Evan replies now and then, but he doesn't seem that interested. His eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, giving me shudders.
What does he want?
When Evan's eyes no longer keep me as their captive, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.
I focus on the trees and the city outside my window until Evan takes a right turn. Soon we are traveling over gravel, and he parks the car under a large oak tree next to our school.
When we jump out of the car, the local werewolf pack is standing in a circle in the parking spot.
They are called the Snowflake pack and the most giant werewolf, alpha Logan, steps forward to challenge Evan.
It makes my eyes pop.
Will there be a battle?
I watch Logan crack his massive shoulders and walk up to Evan while chewing on his bubblegum. "You're the next vampire king, aren't you?"
Evan doesn't reply. He ignores the werewolf, making Logan place his big hand on Evan's chest. It's a terrible mistake. Evan's delicate features go from calm to seething; a tiny vein on his forehead is ready to burst.
Logan opens his mouth. "I don't like that you're keeping one of ours your captive, and if you're smart—"
Evan reaches out his arms and snaps Logan's neck like he is made of paper. It happens in less than three seconds. A little crack, and the alpha is dead.
What the hell just happened?
Evan picks up a wet tissue to wash his hands while Logan's body falls to the asphalt. It's the first time I've seen a dead body.
I stop breathing. I'm paralyzed by the scene, the blood, and Logan's rolling head. The other werewolves are gasping too.
"Is there anyone else with opinions?" Evan asks and lets his emotionless gaze wander from one face to another. "Perhaps someone else would like to challenge me?"
The werewolves shake their heads.
"Good." Evan steps over Logan's dead body. "Then please clean up before some human stumbles upon your alpha's corpse."
The werewolves nod in unison, while Evan seems entirely unbothered by what he just did.
He walks for the school gates, and Ashley hurries after him. I'm not as fast and can barely stand on my wobbly legs.
I witnessed a murder.
My heart pounds against my ribcage, and I puke on the ground.
Death and murder are common in my world, yet fear is coursing through my veins. Part of me wants to head home and hide, but I run after Ashley since I don't want to face the same fate as Logan.