Chapter 4

Chelsey's point of view.

There's no name or sign, but I know it's from my father. He's obviously run out of beer at home and gone to the pubs, the only bar on the pack reserve. I sigh at the thought of food and don't bother ordering anything for myself; instead, I get one large pizza for when my father returns. He'd be hoping for leftovers. Before the food arrives, I go upstairs and take a quick shower. My head is swollen from the events of the day, and my heart is empty and so cold that not even the shower can warm me. I only have one more night to figure out a strategy for my shift and the festival I'll be attending. I silently pray to the goddess, hoping to find a way to get through this.

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Cain's point of view.

All night I've been tossing and turning. 'Goddess That tiny little wolf won't leave my mind. Her curves, all the dips and swells, and that smell are driving me insane! Nothing in my life has ever smelled so inviting. Those eyes stare back at me every time I close mine; she was clearly unmated, and her wolf had yet to appear. That means she'll be at the festival and available for her first shift, and I might see her again. She's got my wolf mentally rolling on the fresh grass under a cherry blossom tree, Goddess that wolf will be a beauty. I'm having trouble just thinking about her. What's the matter with me?! Have I ever felt a she wolf so deeply buried in my mind? What have you done, Goddess?

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Chelsey's point of view.

I skate through my few school hours without seeing Josh, and I learned her name is Jessie from people in my classes who asked if I wanted to challenge her. That's the last thing on my mind; tomorrow is the festival and my birthday, and I still don't know what I'm going to do; I'm terrified! Not only will this be my first shift, but it will also be hot! I'm only small, and if my mystery stranger Cain's huge wolf is any indication, I don't stand a chance out there alone; my virtue could be taken by anyone if I'm not careful. What am I going to do, Goddess?

I walk slowly home, trying to organize my thoughts and plan a strategy, only to be surprised to see my father waiting for me by the car. He's clean and appears to be mostly sober.

"Come on, come on. We don't have the entire day!" He calls, and I hasten my steps into the passenger seat.

"Where exactly are we going?" I inquire quietly.

"Bank. There's a surprise in store for you." He doesn't sound happy, but he also doesn't sound angry. I'm curious why we're going. And why is he even making an effort?

We drive for ten minutes once we leave the pack reserve and into town, stopping outside the bank.

"Here. This will come in handy. Only you may enter; I will remain here." My father hands me a key, and that's all there is to it... "You'll need your ID as well, Code:269360," I say as I get out of the car and walk into the bank.

My mother is an angel. A true saint. She has left a slowly growing sum in a safety account for me and made certain that my father will never be able to access it. I was supposed to come in the day before I turned eighteen and check the sum, taking whatever I thought I needed for now. That is, in wolf terms, what I require for my shift ceremony. I can't believe it! She accumulated over $25,000 in that account for me over the course of my life. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes; no matter what, she always wanted me to be safe and secure, knowing that I had money to fall back on. 'Please look after my mother.' I silently pray to the moon goddess. I silently thank my mother in my mind and feel the warmth of her love, oh how I miss her. We decide to take $500 now and let the rest grow slowly with interest. The $500 will last me far too long. I don't spend much time in pack territory, but I'll have to keep an eye on my father and his knowledge of how much I really have. I adore my father, but he adores alcohol more than I do; I wouldn't put it past him. When I get back in the car, I decide to give him a $100 'thank you' for remembering and thinking about bringing me here today, which he's grateful for even though it's for more booze, and it will keep his mind off my true sum for the time being. Thank the goddess for my mother's generosity; I'll be able to get something to wear to the festival tomorrow.

"Dad? Is it okay with you if I go shopping while we're here? "I need to get dressed for the festival tomorrow." He responds with a nod.

"I need to get some carbs as well." Last suits are probably a little too small now." And, to my surprise, he jiggles his beer gut and smiles slightly, and for what seems like an eternity, I return his genuine smile. I miss the easygoing, loving father I once had.

"I'd forgotten how much I missed you..." I mumble, but I know he hears me. He gives me another surprise with a small squeeze on my knee before returning his hand to the wheel. That was probably the first unforced contact we'd had in years... I can't help but smile because I miss how he is when he's sober. He genuinely cares. I understand how difficult it is for him. I'm a carbon copy of my mother, right down to the small frame and red hair, and aside from his blue eyes, everything about me reminds him of her. Sometimes looking in the mirror hurts. All I can see is her staring back at me. My father pulls up in front of a large shopping mall, and we exit in silence. I haven't been to a mall in years, and if I need clothes, I order them online.

"Does an hour sound reasonable?" My father smiles. I doubt I'll ever get used to seeing his smile. As we walk through the mall, we nod and split up in different directions.