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I swung my first towards my opponent’s face but he ducked out of the way at the last minute. Sweat beaded my forehead as I raised my tightened first ready to deflect a blow as I stepped backwards.
I didn’t watch his fists, I was taught to watch my opponent’s eyes to be able to anticipate their next move.
“Too slow,” my opponent teased with a challenge. I would make him eat that comment soon.
For a few moments I watched him carefully studying his eyes, which flickered to his right, betraying his next move. This time I had more than enough time to move out of the way and attack with a well-placed kick to his side. My kick wasn’t hard enough to incapacitate him but I heard a grunt of pain.
“Did that hurt?” I teased as I bounced lightly on feet a safe distance away from him.
Instead of some cocky reply he glared at me and I grinned.
His eyes narrowed as he planned his next line of attack and I watched him carefully as I anticipated his next move. Like before his eyes flickered to the left and I ducked out of the way as his fist swung for my face then I stepped closer and landed a punch to his abdomen. The grimace on his face told me it had hurt.
“Now whose the slow one?” I teased back.
If you compared my five foot seven inches lean frame against my opponent’s six-foot muscular build you would think I’d be at a disadvantage but I wasn’t. At the age of sixteen I’d started to develop heightened senses and along with that my physical strength had also increased.
The changes had been subtle at first and as time had passed they’d become stronger and stronger.
I got in a few more hits before my opponent threw up his hands in defeat.
“I’m done,” said Gary as he bent down and reached for a towel next to the gum mat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel.
“You’re showing your age,” I teased as I reached for a bottle of water beside the gym mat we were sparring on and took a couple gulps of water.
He glared at me because of the reference to his age. He was no spring chicken but at the age of thirty-seven he didn’t consider himself old but to my seventeen years he was exactly young.
He’d been my father’s best friend and I’d known him my whole life. After my parents died when I was ten Gary had become my legal guardian. To me he’d been the unofficial uncle that had become my only family. He loved me like a daughter and I loved him like a father.
At the age of sixteen, I’d made the decision to get emancipated. Gary had understood my need for independence and to be able to control my own affairs so when I’d sat him down and explained to him I wanted to do. He hadn’t been surprised in fact he’d supported the idea.
Although I was considered an adult and able to make my own decisions Gary had remained an important part of my life. He was family, the only family I had.
“Come on there are some boxes with your name on it,” said Gary as he turned to leave the gym. I followed him, wanting to do anything but unpack boxes. It was such a tedious task.
“I don’t want to,” I whined like a five year old. He shot me a warning look and I glared back at him playfully.
“The moving company unpacked everything, except your personal boxes,” he informed me as he left the gym and walked upstairs to the reception and the entrance of the house.
My house was quite big. I’d resorted to naming the lounges according to its use: game lounge, casual lounge, formal lounge and the upstairs lounge.
The house also had a gym with an indoor heated pool, it had it’s own tennis court and a huge landscaped garden. I had enough staff to run the house. I rarely used the driver because I enjoyed driving.
“Has my new car been delivered yet?” I asked as I followed him up the stairs to the first floor.
“Not yet,” he turned to smile at me. I’d been driving him nuts asking about the new car.
I returned his smile with a cheeky one.
“Go unpack some of your boxes and I’ll see you downstairs for lunch in an hour,” he instructed as he turned to the left into a hallway to his bedroom.

EPISODE 2
See you in an hour,” I replied as I took a right and followed the hallway down past some of the guest bedrooms till I got to my bedroom, which was the main bedroom of the house. I opened the double doors.
I loved my new room. I’d gotten someone in to help with the decorating and she’d really done a good job. I loved the color purple and blue so my whole room, which was the size of two bedrooms, decorated in those colors.
As I stepped into my room I felt calmness settle over me.
The only things that stood out in my bedroom were the four boxes at the foot of my bed. It would take me forever to get through them all.
We’d just moved into the house a couple of weeks before. The movers had sorted all the other boxes. Initially, I’d been left with ten personal boxes and I’d only managed to unpack six of them in the last two weeks.
I decided to shower before I punished myself with the task of unpacking the four remaining boxes. Normally, I would have gotten the movers to do it but the fact that they contained my personal items made it hands off to anyone but me.
As I walked into my adjoining bathroom I stripped off my gym clothes and threw them into the wash basket. I turned on the shower and adjusted the water temperature as I got in.
I closed my eyes and savored the feel of the water running down my body. I was stalling but the boxes wouldn’t unpack themselves.
Once I’d finished showering, I got out of the shower determined to finish the unpacking in the next hour.
I changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt before I walked over to the boxes. There was another reason I’d been putting it off, inside these boxes were memories of my parents who had died when I was ten.
Although, they’d been dead for seven years it still hurt to think about them, and how much of my life they’d missed. I swallowed hard.
I still remembered the last time I’d seen them alive. They’d planned an evening out leaving me home with the baby sitter.
My mom had kissed me good night as she’d tucked me into bed. I closed my eyes for a moment as remembered her warm and loving smell. God I missed her.
Then my father had stood in the doorway.
“We’re going to be late,” he’d informed my mom as he’d walked into my room and stopped next to my bed.
“Night princess,” he’d whispered gently as he’d kissed my forehead. I could still feel his lips on my forehead.
The thickness in my throat grew. Princess had been my nickname given to me by my dad.
As I’d clutched my childhood teddy, Norman, I’d watched from them leave. That had been the last time I’d seen them alive. They’d gone out that night and they’d never returned.
The truth was they hadn’t just died they’d been murdered. Seven years later their murder was still unsolved. Initially the coroner had ruled it an animal attack but later it had been changed to unknown.
At a young age I’d learnt that life wasn’t guaranteed and that someone could be taken away at any moment, this had pushed me to live my life to the fullest. It had also made me fiercely independent and my need for control had grown.
It was also one of the reasons I trained so much to keep fit and be able to protect myself. I didn’t want to meet with the same fate as my parents.
I let myself wallow in the memories of my parents and their death for a few more minutes before I took a deep breath and released it before I opened the first box.

nice one

Cool story

Stay alert guys for the remaining episodes!!

EPISODE 3
Continues
It contained photo albums of my parents. I didn't open any of them because it hurt too much to look at the photos and be reminded of what I was missing in my life so I put my big girl panties on and got on with it.
All the big portraits of my parents I'd put into the attic. Someday I'd hoped that I'd be able to display them in the house and look at them without feeling the heart breaking loss of their death.
I was relieved when I finished unpacking the albums and I moved onto the next one determined to finish by lunchtime. The next couple of boxes where filled with my personal books, which took forever to get through so by the last box which was filled with clothes like underwear and pajamas, I was tired and hungry.
All the boxes were empty although there were still items on my bed when I heard a knock on my door.
"Time for food," Gary announced through my closed door.
"I'm nearly done, I'll see you downstairs as soon as I'm done," I replied folding my silk pajama top.
"You better hurry up or there may not be any food left," he teased.
I just laughed in response.
I turned my concentration back to finishing up my packing. Once I was done I felt relieved as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. There was a massive dining room but I like to eat at the kitchen table I the kitchen, it was a more casual atmosphere.
Gary had already started to eat when I dropped into the chair next to him.
"You unpacked all four boxes?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes, all four boxes," I confirmed triumphantly as I surveyed the food in front of me. On the kitchen table spread out in front of us was a variety of sandwiches and salad. I selected one and placed it on my plate.
"Wow, that was quick," he murmured as he took a bite of his sandwich.
"I hate moving," I muttered as I dished up some salad onto my plate.
"At least everything is done," he reminded me. He was right everything had been unpacked. The only thing I was still waiting for was my new car.
"And I don't know why you're complaining about moving, this was your idea remember?" he reminded me.
It had been my idea, from the time I'd turned sixteen I'd begun to develop a need for the nature and the wilderness, this had coincided with my senses becoming more powerful.
So here we were.
"So when is my new car arriving?" I whined as I took a bottle of water from the table and opened it to pour into a glass.
"I phoned to check and they said it was on its way. They guaranteed it would be here before the end of today."
I was so excited I was like a little child on Christmas Eve and I couldn't wait to open my presents.
"So are you looking forward to starting your senior year tomorrow?" Ben questioned.
I shrugged.
"Not really."
I wasn't excited about my senior year or starting a new school, it was more of a task that had to be completed. I hadn't quite thought about what exactly I wanted to do once I graduated.
The thing was I had more money then I could probably spend in a lifetime so I had the time and money to take my time to decide.
When I'd gotten emancipated I'd started learning about finances from Gary it was crucial to keep a track of how my inheritance was being invested and I'd learnt a lot. Initially Gary had been in on the meetings with my financial advisors but nowadays I held those meetings without him.
I'd spent most of my life going to private schools and I'd decided with my move to attend a public school for the first time. I might not want to go but I had no doubt it was going to be interesting.
I was attractive and I had money so most girls didn't like me much. Guys tended to be intimidated by me, there weren't a lot of a guys that would take on someone who was strong willed as I was.
It didn't matter to me. I didn't need a man to define who I was.
I spent the rest of the day waiting anxiously for my new car to arrive as I flickered through the channels on my flat screen in my room. There was nothing to watch.
I heard the faint sound of an engine when I bounced off my bed in excitement. My new car had arrived. I ran to the window in the upstairs lounge but I couldn't see anything from the window but I knew the truck was near. Like I said I had really good senses.
I only waited for about five minutes before I saw the truck drive down the driveway headed to the house. It was still early enough to take it for drive.

EPISODE 4
continues
Gary stood beside me watching.
"I don't think I've ever seen a girl get this excited about a car," he remarked with a smile.
"Not every girl gets to drive a Maserti," I shot back with a grin and he laughed.
"You going to take it for a drive now?" he asked.
"You even have to ask," I replied as the truck pulled up in front of us.
The driver got out of the truck and gave me some documents to sign while another guy reversed my car out of the truck.
Beautiful. Purple was my favorite color but I'd opted for a sleek silver grey color. Once I signed the necessary documentation the driver handed me the keys to my new baby.
The only had one question before I got in my new car.
"Insured?" I asked to which Gary replied, "Of course."
Not that it really mattered but I didn't want to waste money if I did total it. I was a little bit of a speed freak and battled to keep to the sped limit.
There was no way I was going to be sticking to the speed limit in my new car. I slid into the driver's seat as the truck left. The car smelt like expensive leather and I took a deep breath.
I started the car up and revved it. Gary just shook his head at me.
He knew me too well. Thankfully through the years and since I got emancipated he had begun to let me make my own decisions even though he didn't agree with them all the time.
I pulled out of the driveway with a screech. I didn't know the town very well but I had GPS so I couldn't really get that lost so I took a right and pressed my foot down loving the thrill of the car purring under me.
I had probably an hour before sunset and I was going to make good use of every minute of it as I began to drive around the new town. The residential areas around the town were sparsely populated. There were a few properties similarly sized to mine but other then that it was forests and fresh air.
Winding down the window I took a deep breath of the fresh air. I felt free.
I loved every minute of getting to know my new car as I drove around for nearly half an hour, I was on my way back when I spotted a red Porsche tailing me. It accelerated till it pulled up beside me. The darkened windows on my car made it impossible for the driver to see me.
The other driver obviously wanted to race and I smiled as I sped up ready to kick his ass. I was used to driving fast cars and Gary had made me take an additional driving course to make sure I was equipped to handle the fast cars I liked to drive.
I put some space between the Porsche and I as it lost some ground but just after a sharp right corner the Porsche accelerated and pulled up beside me. Shaking my head at his attempts to keep up with me and I pushed down on the accelerator as the road straightened up in front of us.
My Maserti was faster. I pulled away from him leaving him unable to overtake me so he pulled in behind me. I smiled triumphantly.
Playtime was over. I could see my house coming up and I was done. A few meters from my driveway I slowed down and the Porsche was hot on my tail but before he could make another attempt to overtake me I pulled hard on the steering wheel and turned into my driveway without slowing down.
The tires screeched on the surface of the road but my baby stuck to the road without losing traction and I slowed down as I entered my property. In my side mirror I saw the Porsche hit the brakes just outside my property.
Still high on the thrill of the race I pulled up in front of the house.

EPISODE 5
One thing I hated most about school was waking up early. Why did school have to start so early? I loved to sleep in and I rarely got out of bed before eleven most mornings when I didn’t have to wake up for school.
I yawned when my snooze time ran out and my alarm began to buzz again. I sat up and rubbed my face. Today I’d set my alarm for earlier then normal so I would have the extra time to get my schedule and find my locker.
I kept promising myself once school was finished I’d make sure I never had to wake up early again.
Unlike most girls my age I wasn’t interested in fashion and what was the trend at that moment, I dressed in what I liked irrespective of whether it was considered fashionable or not.
I pulled a pair of black hipster jeans and a button up dark blue shirt then I finished off my outfit with a pair of black flat strappy sandals. The only makeup I wore was some lipgloss. These days I never bothered with jackets or jersey because I never got cold anymore.
When my senses had grown stronger my internal body heat had increased as well. It was annoying that I had no explanation for these changes.
Gary had suggested I get some test runs to discover why I’d suddenly developed changes when I’d turned sixteen but I’d refused. I felt physically fine so I didn’t see any reason to get tests done and I’d learned to live with the new changes in my body.
The smell of fresh coffee caught me as I descended the stairs and I followed it into the kitchen. Most mornings I couldn’t function until I had my first cup of coffee
“You’re up,” I heard Gary say as I entered the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’m up,” I muttered as I went straight for the coffee. I poured some black coffee into a cup and took a sip.
“Mmm,” I murmured as I took another sip and felt the caffeine begin to take affect in my body. Gary just shook his head at me and laughed. He knew better then to try and interact with me before I finished my first cup of coffee.
“Are you taking your new car or do you want the driver to take you to school?” Gary asked sitting at the kitchen table as I finished my coffee.
“I’m taking my new baby,” I answered.
“I’ve installed a tracker on the car,” he notified me. I nodded my head. It was something I was used to. It was his way of keeping me safe. I let him put a tracker of the vehicle I was using and he didn’t send a body guard with me, there was no way I was going to school with a massive bodyguard following me around. If he could he’d keep my locked up at home he would but I wasn’t going to live my life in fear of what could happen.
My parent’s death had been tragic but there was no proof that their murderers were out to get me too.
I was running late so I didn’t opt for breakfast instead I grabbed a protein bar and shoved it into my school bag.
I bent down and gave Gary a quick kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll see you later,” I said as I dashed out the kitchen.
My new baby was parked out front ready for me when I opened the front door. Gary knew me too well he’d made sure she was parked outside for me.
I got into the car and programmed the address of the school into the car’s GPS. I hummed along to the song on the radio as I started the drive to my new school for the next year.
The parking lot of the school was starting to fill up when I pulled in. I found a parking space in the first row in the parking lot. I grabbed my schoolbag and got out of the car.
As I walked away I pressed a button on the remote of the car and I heard the door click closed. There weren’t many students at school yet but I did get a couple of curious looks as I made my way to the entrance of the school.
Once I entered the school I passed a couple of students. The smell hit me and I faltered for a minute trying to figure out what that smell was. It smelt like fresh rain.
Two students standing close by turned to look at me with curiosity as I pushed myself past the smell to the reception room.
Behind the counter in reception sat an old plump lady with a pair of glasses on the edge of her nose.

EPISODE 6
Hi,” I greeted her.
“Hello,” she greeted me back with a warm smile. “How can I help you?”
“I’m a new student and I’ve come to collect my schedule and locker number,” I answered.
“What’s your name dear?” she asked as she began to shift through some of the papers on her desk.
“Scarlett Hayes.”
“Here you go,” she said as she handed me my schedule. On the top of the sheet was my locker number and she handed me a map of the school.
“Thank you,” I said with a friendly smile as I walked out of reception and began the hunt for my locker.
I rotated the map around a couple of times trying to figure out which direction I was headed in. Someone had told me once that women were supposed to be good at reading maps but I wasn’t convinced.
After twenty minutes I was still walking up and down the hallways trying to find my stupid locker. That distinctive smell that had hit me when I first entered the school seemed to be all over this school and I couldn’t explain why. Along with the smell of fresh rain I smelt another distinctive smell that smelt like a woodsy forest.
The distinctive smells kept hitting my nostrils randomly as I walked around trying to find my locker.
“Do you need some help?” I heard a voice ask and made me jump with surprised because I hadn’t heard them sneak up on me.
“You scared me,” I said as I tried to catch my breath as my heart hammered in my chest.
“Sorry,” the stranger said in front of me watching me with amusement. He was a good looking guy a little taller then me, he light brown hair long enough to fall across his green eyes as he studied me with a smile. Yeah scratch that, the confidence this guy oozed kicked him up a level to gorgeous but the confidence also screamed player, he was the type I avoided at all costs. Players were normal male whores who thought they were God’s gift to women.
The distinct smell of the forest hit me as he stepped closer to me and took the map from my hands.
“What are you looking for?” he asked as he studied the map and his eyes flickered back to me.
“My locker,” I mumbled. I wasn’t used to asking for help in fact I hated it. I normally persevered until I figured it out on my own.
“I’ll show you were it is,” he offered as he folded the map and handed it back to me.
“Sure,” I forced myself to say. I’d wasted enough time looking for my stupid locker and as much as I hated help I didn’t want to spend the next twenty minutes still searching for it.
“I’m Blake,” the stranger offered his name as he headed down the hallway with me following behind him. A couple of the students turned to stare at the two of us as we walked past.
“Scarlett,” I muttered.
“So where did you live before you moved here?” he tried to start up a conversation but I wasn’t interested in small talk
“None of your business,” I shot back with my arms crossed my chest defensively.
“Aren’t you just a nice warm teddy bear,” he teased with a devilish smile and I just glared at him.
“Here is your locker,” he said as he pointed to a locker.
“Thanks,” I muttered as I stepped around him to my locker and opened it.
“You’re welcome, Scarlett. See you around,” he said as he began to walk away from me as he hitched his schoolbag over his shoulder.
“Not if I can help it,” I muttered under my breath as I shoved a couple of my schoolbooks into my locker.
“I heard you,” Blake chuckled almost half way down the hallway already. Geez he had good hearing, it was nearly as good as mine.

EPISODE 7
I didn’t have a lot of experience with guys. My straight black hair reached my shoulders and my eyes were silver grey color that darkened when I was angry. With all the working out I was thin and at five foot seven I wasn’t really tall or short.
I’d had plenty of guys try asking me out, but my life had been too busy with training and taking over my responsibilities of my inheritance to do the usual teenage dating thing. Another doubt of whether they genuinely liked me or they were after my money also sat in the back of my mind each time a guy showed any interest in me.
One day I wanted to have the type of love my parents had had. I remember the way my parents used to look at each, one day I would find someone to look at me that way.
But in the meantime I was going to finish school and then decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
Feeling a little annoyed I closed my locker and opened my schedule to see what and where my first class was.
As I tried to hunt down my first class for the day I noticed the unusual looks I was getting as I walked down the hallway.
Being the new girl I expected some curious looks or maybe the occasional appreciative look from a guy but the students that glanced in my direction looked at me with a watchfulness I’d never encountered before.
It was almost like they were wary of me. I shook my head perhaps I was imagining it. It didn’t make sense, why would they be wary of me? They didn’t know me.
I ignored their watchful gazes and held my head high and walked confidently into my first class of the day, taking a seat nearest to the window.
Students began to filter into the class as I flickered through my schoolbook. When my eyes drifted to the doorway of the classroom I saw two male students watching me closely just a couple of feet from the door.
I didn’t know what it was about this school but most of the guys were gorgeous and well-built maybe there was something in the water.
One with short blonde hair crossed his arms over his chest as he watched me with open hostility but not one to be intimidated I glared back at him.
My response must have been unexpected because instantly the hostility vanished and he smiled at me. The guy next to him with the dark auburn hair let his eyes glanced between the two of us before his eyes settled on me. There wasn’t any animosity in his eyes, he was more curious then anything else.
My attention was pulled away from them when the teacher walked into the classroom and began the lesson. Thankfully the teacher wasn’t interested in making me stand up and making a little speech about myself to the class, I was relieved.
I ignored the eyes that I could feel watching me and paid attention to the teacher. I was here to learn and pass my senior year, I wasn’t here to worry about why most of the school population was watching me like I was going to try and attack them at any moment.
In my next class Blake walked into the class and when he spotted me he smiled and shook his head. Oh great!
I narrowed my eyes at him as him walked over to the empty desk next to me and dropped down into the seat.
Great. Was there no escaping this guy?
“Miss me,” he asked with a smirk.
“I can’t miss if you won’t go away,” I retorted and he laughed.
“Cade is going to love you,” he murmured to himself with a grin and I rolled my eyes at him.
I had no idea who he was talking about and I didn’t care.
“So what pack did you belong to?” he asked softy under his breath.
Pack. What on earth was this boy on about?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, slowly but surely losing my patience with him.
He studied me for a moment looking a little shocked as he leaned forward in his seat.
“You really have no idea, do you?” he asked softly.
“Did you forget to take your medication today?” I asked studying him with faked concern and he laughed.
“I can’t wait for Cade to meet you,” he murmured to himself clearing enjoying his private joke because he made absolutely no sense to me.

EPISODE 8
I made a point of turning slight in my chair away from him, signaling to him I was done with the conversation that made no sense.
For the rest of the lesson Blake watched me quietly but didn’t talk to me again. Even after the lesson ended and I stuffed my books into my bag and walked out of the class but he remained seated watching me with a grin.
I had to force myself to leave before I turned around and wiped that grin from his face with my fist. He was so annoying and majority of what he said I didn’t understand.
At my locker I leaned my head against the cool surface and took a deep breath to get my temper under control.
Between the strange looks, distinctive smells and Blake’s odd conversation I was beginning to feel like I was in the twilight zone. There wasn’t much that was making sense at the moment.
I took another deep breath before I straightened up as I felt my anger begin to subside. I opened my lock and took a book out before I closed it with a bang.
After another pep talk with myself I made my way to my next class. I could do this.
By lunchtime I still had no answers to all the strange things I was noticing. I got myself some lunch and made my way to an open table in the middle of the cafeteria.
The strange smells that I’d kept smelling since I walked through the school entrance this morning hit me full force as I sat down at the table.
The distinct forest woodsy smell came from the group that Blake sat with and the fresh rain smell came from another group sitting on the other side of me. How was that possible that all the people in the specific group all smelled the same?
That was odd.
As my eyes connected with Blake, he smiled and waved at me. I ignored him and began to eat my sandwich.
I wondered how long it would take to get a restraining order against Blake, all it would take would be a phone call to one of my lawyers. I was really tempted.
“Can I join you?” a soft-spoken voice asked. I looked up so see a pretty girl with long blonde hair that nearly reached her waist and wide expressive blue eyes as she flashed me a friendly smile. She was dressed in a denim miniskirt and a white button up shirt.
“Sure,” I said and she sat down opposite me sliding her tray onto the table.
“My name’s Keri,” she told me as she began to eat.
“I’m Scarlett,” I replied taking a sip of my diet soda.
I was normally a good judge of character and I felt completely at ease with Keri. Unlike majority of the students in the school she was really friendly.
“It sucks being the new girl, doesn’t it?” she said as she opened her soda.
“Yeah, it does.”
“I was in your shoes not so long ago,” she told me. “I started a couple of months before last year ended.”
We had something in common to bond over and I liked her even more.
“This school is a little strange. Most of the students seem to be divided up into two groups. Blake Stevens is head of the one group and Cade Presley seems to be in charge of the other group,” she said as she inclined her head to the two different groups on either side of us where the strange scents where coming from. ”They don’t really mix and they’re not really friendly.”
She’d just summed up the strange things I’d noticed so far.
“I met Blake,” I revealed to which she raised her eyebrows at me.
“He spoke to you?” she asked.
“Yes, he showed me where my locker was this morning,” I answered with a shrug. I didn’t know what the big deal was.
“Wow, he never speaks to anyone outside of his group.”
“You’re not missing anything, he’s just annoying and he really didn’t make much sense.” I was still toying with the idea of getting a restraining order.
By the end of lunch I decided I liked Keri. She was very direct and straight to the point, no beating around the bush it was like whatever popped up in her mind came straight out her mouth. Most people would be offended by it but I thought it was charming.
She was my kind of girl.

EPISODE 9
The rest of my first day at school went by quickly. Most of the students still watched me warily and every time I saw Blake he would grin and shake his head at me. He was really annoying me.
By the time the end of school bell rang I was ready to leave. I’d had enough and if I saw Blake once more I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions.
I made a quick stop at my locker before I walked out of the entrance to the parking lot in front of the school.
When I say my new car parked in the parking lot, I felt a calmness settle in me at the thought of driving my baby home. I really needed it after the day I had.
I adjusted the strap of my school bag over my shoulder as my eyes met a set of stunning blue eyes. For a moment I stopped and took in the sight in front of me.
If Blake was a gorgeous confident male LovePeddler then this guy was sinfully stunning and the king of all male whores, he oozed sex appeal and an air of confidence that commanded attention. Immediately, I knew he was the leader of the other group, Cade Presley. I felt an air of authority around him and the only other person I felt that around was Blake.
His hair was a black like mine although it was short on the sides and longer on top that fell across his forehead. When his deep penetrating turquoise eyes settled on I felt my body shiver at the intensity of it. Butterflies began to flutter in my stomach as I held his gaze.
There was a dangerous air about of him as well. I didn’t have to know him to be able to tell that he was dangerous and ruthless. It was something I could sense.
Even dressed in a plain white shirt and faded jeans he was gorgeous and looked ready for a photo shoot. It should be against the law for someone to be that good-looking, he was lethal.
I reminded myself that hot guys normally knew it and carried around an ego to match. He might look good on the outside but I’d bet money he was not so good on in the inside.
It was then I noticed he was leaning against the side of a red Porsche. When I realized it was the same one I’d raced yesterday I felt a smug smile tug at my lips as I held his gaze.
I wouldn’t let him intimidate me so I held my head high as I confidently walked towards my car.
There were a couple of girls surrounding him vying for his attention but his eyes were fixed on me.
I watched as his eyes widened in surprise when I opened the door to the Maserati and he stood up. The girls that were trying to engage him in conversation realized that his attention wasn’t on them anymore and when they noticed that he was staring at me they crossed their arms over their chests and glared at me.
As I slid into my car I noticed the guy from earlier, the blonde one with the short hair that had initially glared at me in my first lesson of the day. He walked up to the Cade and stood by him. Both of them watched me intently as I started up my car and revved slightly as I back the car out of the parking space.
I glance back once more before I pulled out of the car park. The strangeness I’d encountered and gorgeous boys forgotten as I raced home. The feel of the car gliding around the corners eased my uneasiness because I was back in control and by the time I arrived home I was relaxed.
In the garage I parked the car and slid out. I still loved my other cars. I had a silver Porsche, a red Ferrari and a few other cars but the Maserati was my favorite. When I needed to relax and drive fast I drove the fast cars but when I wanted to go unnoticed I normally used my Range Rover or Jeep.
Gary was in the kitchen when I walked in dropping my school bag on the floor.
“So, how was your first day at school?” he asked with genuine interest.
“It was okay but some of the students are a bit weird,” I told him as I grabbed an apple and pulled up a chair next to him at the kitchen table.
“How were they weird?” he asked as he sipped his coffee.
“They kept watching me the whole time and it was almost like they expected me to attack them,” I explained with a shrug. It still made no sense.
“Maybe they were just looking a pretty girl,” he explained with a smile and I rolled my eyes at him.

EPISODE 10
There is definitely something up at that school. There are two different groups who seemed to be run by two different guys,” I tried to explain.
“You think they’re some type of gangs?” Gary asked with concern.
“Maybe.”
Gangs. I hadn’t thought of that. That could explain why there were two distinctive groups that stuck together and didn’t mingle with the other students.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Gary said with a crease in his forehead.
“Relax, I know how to protect myself,” I reasoned with him. He knew what I was capable of because he trained me himself. Despite what I said I could see Gary get that determined look.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him.
I knew Gary well enough to know that if he thought there was something dangerous in my environment he wouldn’t hesitate to yank me out of the school and make me move to another place which he considered safer.
“I can’t let anything happen to you,” he stated as his eyes softened. He took the responsibility of keeping me safe very serious.
“Nothing is going to happen to me. Other then two tight groups I didn’t see any weapons or any fights. I think you might just be over reacting and I don’t want to move, I like it here.”
“Fine,” he muttered. “But if anything happens that I’m not happy with we’re moving.”
I gave him a brief nod. Even if he was right and the two groups at school were gangs if I had nothing to do with them and kept my distance I wouldn’t have anything to worry about. I still couldn’t figure out why they were giving me strange looks but I was sure after a while they’d forget about me.
That afternoon as soon as I was done with my homework Gary started with my training. I knew it was the fear that something could happen to me that had spurred it on.
He was normally very strict and determined with my training but this time he pushed me harder then he ever had before. By the end of it my legs wobbly and my arms hurt and I lay on my back on the sparring mat with the sweat pouring off me. I’d definitely be feeling it the next morning.
Gary stood above me and gave me hand up.
“Are you trying to punish me?” I teased as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
“I’m just making sure you know your stuff,” he stated with a grin. But I knew him well enough to see the worry hidden beneath the grin.
“Don’t worry,” I told him as I walked out of the gym leaving him standing there drying off his face with a towel.
If it kept him from hiring a bodyguard to protect me I’d do double the training I normally did to keep him happy. I didn’t want some bulky guy following me around at school, it would make me stand out and I didn’t want that.
I was so sore so the first thing I did when I went upstairs to my room was I go straight to my bathroom to run a bath.
With a sigh I stripped my clothes off and sunk into the warmth of the water that eased my tired muscles. I lay in the bath until my fingers started to wrinkle and the warmth of the water began to fade.
Once I got out of the bath I put some clothes on and then headed downstairs for an early dinner. It was the one bonus about having a chef I got him to make all my favourite meals.
It was late when I went back upstairs to me room and Gary disappeared into his study. The sun had set already and it was dark outside. I stood by my bedroom window looking up at the bright stars in the sky admiring at how beautiful it was.
Then I smelt the distinctive smell of fresh rain. I searched for the source and my eyes widened in shock when I saw a huge wolf sitting on the inside of my property by the boundary wall.
It was a massive black wolf. I’d never seen a wolf that big, I even rubbed my eyes and looked again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. It was completely black and it’s amber eyes glowed in the darkness as it watched me.
Feeling vulnerable I shut my window and took a step back.

EPISODE 11
I had more questions running through my mind. Why on earth did a wolf smell like the group of students at my school? I knew it wasn’t possible that a wolf could be that big but I had seen it with my own eyes. Maybe someone had fed it steroids.
And why had it been on my property watching me? I felt a shiver run down my spine.
It was creepy.
There was no way I was going to tell Gary any of this because he’d make me move and I liked it here.
That night after I drifted off to sleep I fell into a restless sleep and I dreamed about the massive black wolf with the glowing amber eyes that had been watching me.
In my dreams the wolf chased me through me the dark forest and no matter how fast I ran it was faster. In the next moment I felt myself fall and I lay face down in the damp grass. Fear spread through me as my heart hammered in my chest and I closed my eyes for a moment and I smelt the distinctive smell of fresh rain.
Something inside me that I’d nurtured for years refused to allow me to lie on the ground and tremble in fear. No matter what life threw at me I wasn’t one to cower from a challenge.
I pushed myself up onto my knees and then I stood up. The smell of fresh rain surrounded me as I struggled to hear any sound around me. Slowly I turned to see the wolf watching me with its amber eyes.
The forest was dark but the steaks of moonlight illuminated the massive wolf in front of me.
My heart pounded in my ears. The fear in me fought against my actions, it made me want to turn and run but I kept still.
I knew none of the training I’d spent my life learning would help me against this massive animal in front of me. It was the first time I felt vulnerable because I couldn’t defend myself.
The wolf sniffed the air before it took a step forward, against all my instincts I remained unmoving with my eyes fixed on the wolf approaching me slowly.
It sniffed the air again as it stepped closer. It was only a couple of feet in front of me but I stood my ground, my heart still hammered with fear in my chest.
Slowly it pressed it’s wet snout into my hand. I held my breath, unsure of what the wolf wanted from me. I opened my hand and the wolf angled its head to my hand rested on its head.
I felt a sensation of tingles start up in my hand as I touched the wolf. It was the strangest feeling I’d ever felt.
You’ve got to be kidding me! I thought when I realized it wanted me to stroke its head. I gently moved my hand over its fur and it nuzzled my hip.
This made no sense, the wolf didn’t want to hurt me and suddenly I felt safe. I’d feared for my life just a few moments ago and now I felt nothing could harm me.
I bent down on one knee and it brought my eyes level with its. It licked my face and I felt a smile tug at my lips.
“Why are you here?” I asked in a whisper. I knew it was ridiculous I was talking to wolf, don’t ask me how but I knew without a doubt that it could understand me. If anyone saw me I had no doubt they would lock me up in the Looney bin.
I watched it’s eyes hold mine and then they began to change. Instead the amber it began to change into a turquoise blue color. I’d only seen those eyes once but I would recognize them anywhere.
Cade.
I shot up in my bed tangled in my bed sheets. My heart hammered in my chest and it felt like it was going to take off.
I rubbed my temple trying to sort through the remains of my strange dream while I tried to get my breathing under control.
There had to be a logical reason why the wolf and Cade were plaguing my subconscious. I’d seen a wolf before I’d gone to bed so that explained why the wolf had followed me into my dreams.
What stumped me was why the wolf’s eyes changed to Cade’s piercing ones. It made no sense. Somehow my first and brief encounter with him had left a bigger impact on me then I’d first thought.
My dream had felt so real I could still feel the fur under my hands. I remembered the strange sensation of tingles when I touched the wolf. It had been a strange dream.

EPISODE 12

EPISODE 12
I shook my head trying to rid myself of images of the dreams. I knew the dreams were created from my subconscious thoughts, and I pushed them away. Dreams weren’t really supposed to make sense so I wasn’t going to look for something that wasn’t there.
I reasoned that it had been all the strange behavior from my first day at school that made me experience such vividly weird dreams.
Tired and still struggling to wake up I dragged myself into my bathroom. After a quick shower I was feeling better but I needed my caffeine fix. While I dried my body off my fingers brushed over my birthmark on my hip. It looked more like a tattoo but I’d been born with.
It was two teardrops side by side. The one teardrop was bigger then the other.
I finished getting ready and went downstairs to get some coffee.
“You look awful,” Gary informed me as I walked into the kitchen. He sat at the kitchen table with a half eaten plate of food and holding a newspaper. I just glared at him then walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself coffee. Just the rich aroma of coffee began to clear my tired and foggy mind.
“Didn’t you sleep well?” he asked as his eyes softened.
“No, I didn't.”
The dark bags under my eyes wouldn’t allow me the white lie so there was no point in lying. Normally I wore very little makeup but I’d put a little more on then usual hoping to hide my lack of sleep but I hadn’t been able to cover it up.
His eyes held mine. I knew what he wanted to know and I shook my head.
After my parents had died I’d suffered from night terrors and after a while the night terrors had faded into nightmares and after a few months and some therapy I began to experience the nightmares less often until a few years later they stopped completely.
It had been years since I’d had a nightmare and I could see the concern in Gary’s eyes. His first thought at the mention that I hadn’t slept well was that I’d had a nightmare about my parents. There was no way I was going to tell him about my dream he’d think I was crazy.
“It was probably first day at a new school nerves,” I tried to explain. I took a sip of my coffee.
“Okay,” he said but he didn’t look convinced but he let it go.
This time I wasn’t at school early so I had to park my baby further away from the school. I hitched my school bag over my shoulder and walked to the school entrance.
Just as I got to the front of the school someone stepped into my path. My eyes went to the obstacle in my path.
He stood in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. Vibrant eyes held mine.
There was an unmistakable power in him that demanded attention but I wasn’t your typical girl. I tilted my heard upwards and held his gaze confidentially refusing to be intimidated. The truth was I felt it but there was no way I’d show him that, my stubborn streak kicked in.
In his eyes I saw surprise at my reaction to him. Yeah, pretty boy I think you’ve met your match.

EPISODE 13
I held his gaze for a few moments before he took a step closer to me. I felt an electric shiver through my body as I felt my body react to him. I’d never felt that type of reaction with anybody else before.
The distinctive smell of fresh rain hit me full force. I took another deep breath but there was no mistaking that smell, it reminded me of my dream last night.
Ignoring my body’s reaction to his piercing stare I kept his stare without revealing the havoc he was causing me. The outside world around us disappeared into the background as we continued to stare at each other.
He might think I was one of those many girls that would be in awe of him and his devastating good looks but he had another thing coming. It didn’t matter that he made butterflies in my stomach come alive, and he made me aware of him. I was stronger then this.
I wouldn’t be one of those girls that fell at his feet and allowed him to treat me like a fleeting attraction before he moved onto another willing girl. There was that saying ‘never judge a book by it’s cover’ but in this case I’d bet he was exactly what I’d summed him up to be. He was a player and in his case the book cover had warning signs telling me to keep well away from him.
“We need to talk,” he said as he folded his arms across his chest. Dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt with a leather jacket made him look badass I wasn’t scared of him. I could see from the way the material molded to his lean chest that he worked out, possibly as hard I as did.
“I don’t even know you, why would ‘we need to talk’?” I asked as I took step forward placing me only a few inches away from him.
I was so close I could see his dark eyelashes framing his turquoise eyes. His dark raven hair hung across his forehead and I had an urge to run my hands through his silky hair.
Mentally I shook myself. It felt so wrong to find him so attractive when I didn’t even like him.
Something dark flashed in his eyes before his forehead creased and as his jaw tightened. Just from his body language I could tell he was angry. He wasn’t used to being questioned, he was the type that spoke and everyone obeyed but I was no follower.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” he hissed, his eyes darkening with anger. The unmistakable power rolled off him in waves and I felt that power hit me in the chest I took an unsure step backwards.
There was something different about him.
He didn’t know me and I had no idea what he was on about. It reminded me about my strange conversation with Blake. I couldn’t figure out why both of them kept talking to me about something I was supposed to know but didn’t.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was going to a school for crazies.
Straightening my back I stepped closer and pushed a finger into his chest. Although he was taller then me and without a doubt physically stronger then me I refused to back down from him.
“Listen here buddy, I don’t know you or what I’m supposed to know but I can guarantee you I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said to him angrily as I poked my finger into his chest. “Understand this, if you don’t back off I’ll make you sorry you tried to mess with me. Keep to the vacant bimbos and leave me alone.”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise and then his eyes pierced mine. Then unexpectedly he cocked his head to the side and studied me for a moment before the one side of his mouth tilted upwards in a half smirk.
His devastating smile made my knees weaken as the butterflies in my stomach went crazy.
I was so over this. As much as he affected me on a physical level there was no way I was going to let him get the better of me or push me around.
I stepped around him and entered the school ignoring his eyes on my retreating figure. The butterflies were going crazy inside my stomach and I couldn’t deny the physical reaction he created inside of me.
He was dangerous and I needed to be very careful of him.
The strangeness I’d experienced yesterday had just upped a level to down right craziness. I couldn’t help my thoughts going back to my dream from last night. Cade smelled like fresh rain like he had in my dream.

EPISODE 14
By the time I made it to my locker I’d pushed all the crazy thoughts from my mind. I wasn’t going to allow anyone to ruin my second day at a new school.
“Hey.”
I turned to see Keri standing beside me. Like her personality her clothes were bold and colorful. The blood red mini skirt teamed with black boots and green shirt on most people would look mismatched but she pulled it off. It actually looked stylish.
“Hi,” I greeted as I closed my locker, stuffing the books I held in my hand into my school bag.
“What’s your first class for the day?” she asked.
“Math,” I answered with a sigh. Math was not one of my strongest subjects and I had to work hard at it especially when I was doing my own finances now.
“I’ve got English but it’s next to your class,” she informed me.
“Cool.”
I was usually a loner but I liked Keri. There was something about her that put me completely at ease in her company and I knew I hadn’t known her for long but I felt she was someone I could trust.
“I saw you had a run in with Cade this morning,” she said as we started walking down the hallway to our first class.
My eyes darted to her curious gaze.
“He is like Blake, he never really talks to anyone outside of his group? What did he say to you?” she asked.
“Honestly, he didn’t make much sense,” I revealed. “He wanted to talk to me and told me I knew what it was about. I’m not sure he is playing with a full deck of cards.”
Keri laughed and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
“Only you would think the hottest guy in school was crazy.”
She hadn’t known me long but she knew me well already.
“He’s not the only crazy in this school,” I added remembering Blake’s conversation with me had been just as weird.
“Do tell,” she instructed.
“Blake also made no sense,” I told her.
She laughed again as she shook her head.
“Let me correct that, only you would think the two hottest guys in this school were crazy,” she restated trying to keep a straight face.
“Maybe it’s something in the water,” I said with a shrug.
I wasn’t going to waste anymore time thinking those two idiots.
“Have you seen any wolves before?” I asked when I remembered the wolf I’d seen last night watching me. Even memories of the dream were still fresh in my mind.
She stopped for a moment, my question clearly taking her by surprise.
“Yeah, I’ve seen a couple. I once saw a huge and I mean huge black wolf,” she said as she held her arms out to give me an idea of the size she was talking about.
“I’d didn’t think that wolves could get that big,” she added as her arms fell to her side and she started to walk again.
“I think I saw the same wolf,” I murmured. It was nice to know that the wolf I’d seen last night hadn’t been a part of my imagination.
“Did it’s eyes glow like an amber color?” she asked in a whisper like anyone that overheard us would think we were nuts, and we’d be joining those two crazy idiots in the white padded room.
My eyes met hers and I nodded. A foreboding feeling settled in my stomach at the confirmation that we’d both seen something that wasn’t possible.
Instinctively, I knew that there were too many strange coincidences for all of this to be nothing. There was definitely something strange going on.

EPISODE 15
In my first class of the morning my annoyance grew when Blake breezed into the class and dropped into the seat at the desk next to me.
I glared at him and he smiled back. He was deliberately trying to annoy me and I could feel my temper spring to life.
Not wanting him to get the reaction he was working for I turned to look out of the window and ignore him as best I could.
“Not talking to me this morning?” he asked in a teasing tone. Ignoring him wasn’t helping so I swung my gaze back to him as I gripped my pen in my hand tightly to try and keep my temper under control.
He leaned back lazily in the seat smiling at me when he noticed I was trying to keep my temper under control. I so wanted to wipe that smile off his face.
“Leave me alone,” I hissed at him in a whisper not wanting to cause a scene. The class was starting to fill up.
“I wish I could but I can’t,” he said cryptically as he leaned forward. His smile began to wane and I could see the joking was over and he was serious.
“We can’t leave you alone,” he added.
I was about to ask him who was the ‘we’ he was referring to and why they couldn’t leave me alone when the teacher walked into the class. His gaze held mine until I turned to face the teacher.
I wasn’t going to let him say things like that to me without explaining further so when the class ended I made sure I grabbed his arm just as we exited the classroom.
“You don’t get to say things like that without any explanation,” I stated to him as he turned to face me. His usual light hearted and teasing look was gone as he looked at me with a seriousness I’d never seen in him before.
“I can’t tell you,” he explained and then added, ”Just know that Cade and I are the good guys.”
With no further explanation he turned and walked away from me and I was tempted to throw a book at him.
If I was confused before I was even more confused now. They kept spinning one riddle on top of another and I had not idea what they were talking about and they wouldn’t explain.
Frustrated, I stalked to my next class. Like the day before, I kept getting strange looks from most of the students.
By lunchtime, I was tired of going around in circles in my mind. On my way to the cafeteria I made up my mind, I wanted answers and I was going to get them.
I walked into the cafeteria and spotted the person who was going to give me the answers I wanted.
Cade was sitting at the large table on the one side of the cafeteria where the strange smell of fresh rain was the strongest. I still needed to figure out why most of the students smelled so distinctive.
I walked determinedly to the table. This morning he’d wanted to talk to me and I was ready to talk. His eyes fastened onto me as I reached the table, conversation at the table died down when the other students sitting with him noticed me.
I recognized the blonde guy that had stood beside Cade yesterday was sitting across from him. He looked to Cade and arched an eyebrow.
“I want to talk to you,” I informed him. He glanced to the blonde guy and it was like they were having a conversation without words.
“I thought you didn’t want to talk,” Cade said as his eyes locked with mine. A shiver of awareness ran through me, I hated the way I reacted to him.
“And now I do,” I said feeling my temper begin to grow. I crossed my arms over my chest to keep myself from slapping him.
I’d never met such an infuriating man and I seemed to lose my temper around him more easily then usual.
“Don’t get your panties into a twist,” he said as he stood up.
“Leave my panties out of this,” I threw back at him as I followed him out of the cafeteria. If I weren’t so desperate for some answers I’d storm off.
Just outside the cafeteria he turned to face me. The hallway was quiet so we wouldn’t have any listening in on our conversation.
“So what changed you mind? I was pretty sure after your little outburst this morning you weren’t interested in what I had to say,” he cocked his head slightly to the side as he studied me.