Chapter 5:

• Flora’s P.O.V
• At first I thought Clay was just messing with me, I mean, what else could it be? Clay and Riley had been best friends since childhood and he’s always treated me like the little sister. But something had changed in him when he came back from Lindersay, what exactly, I couldn’t tell, not until now.
• He wasn't holding back anymore. And I could feel the intensity of it every time he glanced at me when we were in class, the depth of his gaze making me shiver every damn time. And I would always be able to tell when he was around because the fine hair on my nape would stand in attention, as if my wolf wanted him to wrap his fingers around my nape in a bold possessiveness that would tell others that I was off limits.
• Clay had never been known to hold back from what he wanted. Back when he was in middle school, he was able to beat guys twice his size and win the soccer championship in the Lycan Yearly Championship Programme for boys under twelve, a werewolf version of the Interstate Soccer Championships. And when he got older, he could get any woman he set his eyes on. And then when he was at Lindersay, he was always top in class, always beating the odds and winning against wolves twice his size in every field possible. I hadn’t been to Lindersay, but Riley had always spoken with such pride when he called us to tell us about their achievements, about how he and Clay were making our pack proud.
• And now he had set his eyes on me.
• “It’s probably because he thinks forbidden fruit is sweeter?” I shrugged as I spoke to Ruth over the phone. “I’m his best friend’s little sister that he’s not supposed to have feelings for so he thinks if he’s slept with me once; it’ll be over and done with.”
• “Well, he does have a habit of going after things he isn’t supposed to have and then getting them anyway.” I could visualize Ruth rolling her eyes at the prospect. “I do envy you for getting his attention though. I wonder when he’ll be done with you and ready to move on to someone else.”
• Ruth’s words surprised me at how harsh she sounded. I wanted to ask her if she liked him but I think she’s just roll her eyes and say ‘duh!’ and I’d feel like a complete idiot for asking. Of course she was jealous! Clay was the future alpha, he was a power. Everyone wanted to be close to him and if it weren’t for his dominance that shoved everyone back, then he’d be swarmed by people of all age groups at all times.
• I hung up with Ruth after a few short words and although her words had hurt me, I decided to end the topic then and there. If anything was to happen between me and Clay, it’ll be a private deal. I wouldn’t let anyone find out, not my family, not Riley and definitely not Ruth. Some things a girl needed to keep to herself or it might cause a lot of trouble.
• And I totally understand if someone was the type to share everything with their best friends, but I usually kept most things to myself. And from the conversation I just had with Ruth, something at the back of my mind told me it wasn’t safe to discuss my private life with her anymore.
• As the afternoon waned into evening, my wolf started to feel restless, so I decided to go for a run in the woods to calm my wolf. Who knows, I might even end up meeting with Riley on his patrol duty?
• I dressed in a loose fitting T-shirt in a bright yellow that once belonged to Riley and paired it with a pair of black track pants for flexibility. Since no one was home at this hour, I went out through the front door and locked up as I left.
• A few of my neighbours who were home, waved at me and I waited to chit chat with them for a few moments before I headed straight into the woods and started to run. I took a few moments to warm up for a bit, running lazily before I started to pump up my legs. I could scent several of my pack mates on the way as I twisted and turned around some of the forest giants.
• I loved how the wind rustled through my hair, how the dried leaves crunched under my sneakers. I may fall in the category of submissive, but I was still a wolf. An animal of the wild, a child of the forest and of the moon Goddess. Exhilaration pumped through my blood as the scent of fresh pine hit my nostrils and my feet pumped harder, faster. It wasn’t long before I was running at full speed that would almost be equivalent to a wolf in full sprint.
• I was smaller than most wolves and it gave me an advantage regarding my speed. I was faster in both wolf form and in human form, even though I had been too much of a chicken to participate in any kind of race. Garrick had been the one to point out my flaws and my advantages.
• Speaking of Garrick…I should call him and apologize. I didn’t think we would ever get caught and that too by Clay. It wasn’t his fault and yet he got the raw end of Clay’s anger.
• I must have been distracted by my thoughts because I suddenly caught a scent in the air that sent a shiver down my spine.
• Clay.
• I turned my head back to look at Clay, being careful at the same time to not get into any accidents in the middle of the forest. But all I saw was a faint hint of golden eyes and the blurry figure of a wolf. He was far behind me but was gaining speed and as the sun set in the horizon; his form became even more untraceable.
• I turned back towards the road ahead and ran even faster. But I had forgotten that even though I was fast, I couldn’t outrun a wolf with alpha blood. I soon began breathing hard as I began exerting more energy trying to escape from Clay.
• I knew Clay wouldn’t hurt me. This chase was only a game, a test of sorts. We both knew that he was a lot stronger and faster than me and it was inevitable that I’d be caught. But the fun was in the chase. A laugh escaped my lips when I felt Clay catching up. He was incredibly fast. I had hardly been able to trace when he had snuck up on me. It was also true that I wasn’t a professionally trained wolf or a warrior, but I was still a wolf, able to sense things better than humans. I should’ve been able to tell when he had gained up on me. The fact that I hadn’t was a testament to Clay’s strength.
• But that had been the turning point in our game.
• A second later, I saw a blur move past me and it caused me to halt abruptly, also causing me to stumble over my legs and soon enough, I was on the ground, skidding forward at incredible speed towards the sturdy trunk of a forest giant.
• Something heavy fell on top of me, halting my skid and stopping me just inches away from the trunk of the tree I was about to collide into. I closed my eyes as adrenalin rushed through my body and my heart thundered against my chest. My breath came out in pants and I felt the weight of the wolf lift off my chest.
• Clay didn’t move far away. He was still on top of me and when I opened my eyes, I saw the rich red fur of Clay’s wolf, the golden hue of his eyes. He was straddling me in wolf form and I suddenly realized that I was unharmed because of him.
• “Clay?” I asked when my breathing was somewhat in control and my heart no longer threatened to burst out of my chest.
• And that was when he began to shift.