Chapter 1

Spring 2010

She ducks her head to avoid even the possibility of catching his gaze as he passes her by.

After their meeting almost 2 years ago, Emery never expected to see him again. Then he popped up mid-way through Junior year saying he's transferring. It's been a year now since he started coming to the same high school as her. It had been a complete shock that Emery hadn't been prepared for. For a split second she'd been worried he's start integrating himself more into her life as well but after asking her out once, to which she said no, he'd stayed clear. It's not that he's avoiding her, more the other way around, but he sticks with the group of friends he's got. Those are the popular kids in their grade of course. When the members of the pack welcomed him in with open arms, the human kids also did. Then again, even without the pack members, he would have done fine. He's a nice, good looking guy and this is high school. He's at the top of the food chain and Emery is not even on it.

 

Well, it's almost over, she tells herself. The college admissions have come in and thank God, she has choices. Now she can ease up a little and relax. Or she could relax if she wasn't so aware of Dane Carter. Annoyingly it's not awareness of him in a bad way but more of an attraction. An attraction she can't shake off for the life of her. Even ignoring it these days is becoming harder and harder.

***********


On Wednesday afternoons, Emery stays behind after school to do her volunteering. About an hour after the end of school, a small group of local kids with reading and other mental disabilities gather in the library of Emery's high school to get help with school work or to generally just read books of their interest. Emery found out about the programme in her Freshman year and hasn't looked back in joining every since. She admits it had started as something to put down for college but after spending week after week with them, it had grown into something more fulfilling. The only annoying part is that she has to wait an hour after the end of school. In her previous years the hour before end of school was filled with a class, now in her senior year it's a free period. So by the time school has ended, she's already done the homework she needs to for the day.

However this is a library so she happily resigns herself to reading in her favourite corner to pass the time. Her guilty pleasure genre is the regency-era romances, filled with sassy heroines wearing corsets and handsome royal heroes that come swooping in to challenge them. The erotic component of them aren't unwelcome either. Normally she'd save them for safe reading at home but since it is after school and she's in her quiet corner of the library, she risks it.

Bad decision.
Worst decision ever.

"What are you reading?"


The question is followed by action and unfortunately it's not from her. Before she can slam the book close and slide it away, it's yanked out from straight between her fingertips.
She can only watch in horror as Dane Carter, a guy, she has rarely seen even in the library, scans the words aloud.

" 'Naked as a babe, Abigail stood shyly in front of the Lord. He stared his fill, taking in the sight of her delicate breasts. No longer bound by the confines of the corset they slope gently to the stiff, raspberry peaks of her-'"

Oh thank Heavens, he cuts himself off from reading there. It's still damning and embarrassing but it could be a lot worse.

The relief Emery feels is temporary. He's still holding her book. Closed this time, graciously.
"Dane," she whispers.
Her words stuck in her throat as her brain buffers. This is also the first time they're speaking properly in a year, 2 years if you don't count her rejection to his date.
"This is an interesting book," he grins wickedly, "I'm going to borrow it. Maybe it'll help me understand you better. Some homework, I don't mind doing."


With a wink, Emery watches in horror as he slips it into his bag and walks away with it. Oh fuck her life.

**********************

She has to get that book back. And possibly stop him from blabbing. He wouldn't would he? No. But then again, she did reject him. Twice. Oh God...he's totally going to expose her. It almost would have been better if he'd caught her watching porn. Is it? Okay, they're both bad. She doesn't know which is worse but she does know that she is most definitely screwed. Her invisible years are over.

"Em? Is everything okay? I didn't hide anything in the mash, you know," jokes her mom.

Emery ceases poking the potatoes at once. Woops. Guess with nothing to distract her, she got caught up in her head again.


"Yeah sorry mom. I'm just not feeling too hungry."
"Is everything okay? You ate your whole lunch right? Did you buy anything from the vending machines? I know us women can have body imagine issues but you're still a growing girl and it's important for you to-"
"Mom," she interrupts before it turns into a lecture, "I'm not developing an ED. I'm just feeling a little nauseous."
Yeah, thinking about how her life is going to be over come tomorrow.
Her mother's face falls into one of concern, "oh sweetheart. Okay, well we'll keep an eye on it and if you don't feel too great tomorrow, you can take the day off."
That does sound delightful and like the solution to all her problems right now but ultimately it's just delaying the inevitable. She'll still have to face Dane and as he's made it pretty obvious, he's not someone who'll quietly slink away.
"Ah no. I'm sure it'll be fine in the morning."
"Okay. Well if it doesn't just let me know."
"Sure mom."
"And there's really nothing else you want to talk about? You know whatever's on your mind, you can tell me right?"

 

Her mom is definitely good. Emery can hardly keep any secrets from her sole parent. Well, any except the biggest secret of her life. Her mate.

"I know. But I'm alright."
Unconvinced, her mom nonetheless nods in support.

They lapse into silence eating their respective dinners until Emery braves it and breaks the silence to breach upon a topic she's avoided thinking about herself for years.


"Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"You know the Carter werewolves?"
"Hmmm," nods her mom.
"Are mates and mating the same for them?"
Her mom chews for a moment and swallows before answering, "well, not quite. From what I know they're more intense with it. They have a closer bond with their mates. It's said that for them no romantic relationship will ever compare than one with their mate. Once they do mate, it's also for life. There's no separation like your dad and I. Apparently, the two mates even die together. It can be too much for them especially after mating to exist without the other. Why do you ask?"
The words roll around in Emery's head. Is that why she keeps getting drawn to him? And is it supposed to get more intense? She's not sure she can keep resisting if it does.
"Dane Carter," she states, debating whether to tell her mom or not.

In the end she decides not to. There's no telling which way her mom will swing and the last thing she wants is to admit Dane and her bond out loud. That would make things way too real in a way Emery's not sure she's ready for.

"The Baby Carter," grins her mom, using the nickname that's been given jokingly to Dane among their people, "he joined your school recently didn't he?"
Emery nods.
"So the rumours are true? He's found his mate at your high school?"
"Maybe. I don't know mom," shrugs Emery lying and feeling bad for it but doing it out of self-preservation, "it's none of my business."
"You're right. It's not our business. He seems very sweet and mature though, I'm sure he'll make a good mate to a nice girl."

Emery makes a nonchalant noise highly doubting both those traits. He wasn't very sweet or mature taking her book this evening. Nonetheless, she can be both those things where necessary.

*****************

She gets to school extra early with the help of a lift from her mom. Waiting at the entrance, she hopes to catch Dane before homeroom and hopefully they can just resolve things and he'll understand.
It takes a while, a long time but she couldn't have risked taking the bus and getting there late, missing him. As his car pulls in, she makes her way towards him well aware that some of his friends are also headed in the same direction.

She doesn't manage to beat them and as Dane gets out the car and greets the other guys, Emery feels awkward approaching them. They're all so much taller and bigger than her. She clears her throat waiting for them to give her some space but when they don't, she almost has to elbow her way to Dane.

 

"Dane," she greets finally reaching him.
The guys around him give her strange looks which she gets. What is a nerd like her doing with a jock like him? Whatever, she has to talk to him and desperate times call for desperate measures.
"Can we talk for a sec? It's about that English assignment."
The lie is to appease his friends and shed some light on her presence. They accept it and disperse leaving Dane and her by his car.

"So I did that 'English assignment' last night. Took way less time than I thought," he teases.
She's not feeling so jovial. There's a pit forming in her stomach and with each moment it's growing larger and larger, creating its own gravitational pull that sucks away all sense of hope from her.
"Dane, please. If you tell anyone..."
He straightens up from leaning against the hood of his car which forces Emery to take a small step back.
"If I tell anyone what?" he echoes, "what do you think is going to happen, Emery?"
There are many possibilities, none of which is good for her.
"There's only a few more months of high school left. Please just let me be?"
She's practically begging at this point and she doesn't care. Dignity is exiting her body with every passing moment.
"Be what? Invisible? Scared? Avoiding me?"
Emery sucks in her bottom lip. He's clearly annoyed for whatever reason and they both know the answer to those questions of his is 'yes'. Except she doesn't think he would like her to say it aloud and confirm. So she remains silent.
"This is bullshit, you know?"


No, she doesn't but she stays quiet and lets him get that frustration out. Frustration for what, she's not sure. There's only one thing she can concentrate on right now.

"So you won't tell people?" she quietly questions.
Dane looks up to the sky and then back at her, telling her deadpan, "no Emery. I'm not going to tell people that you read porn books."
"It's not-"she gasps, gazing around to see if anyone listening before dropping her voice and finishing, "porn."
He gazes at her for a moment, his lips twitching wanting to be pushed up into a smile. Not all but some of the frustration leaks out of him.
"We're both 18."
She nods in confirmation.
"We should talk. We're mates. We need to figure things out."


Emery head flinches at his very true statements. They should talk. It's something she's been avoiding for a long time now.
"Not here," she retorts.
"Alright. My place. Can you do after school today?"
"Yeah."
"Cool, give me your number, I'll text you my address."

 

They exchange numbers and as he leaves, grabbing his bag Emery calls him back. Déjà vu hits her but she pushes through.
"What about my book?" she asks.
That is the evidence of course. Silly her, she'd also written her name on the inside cover of it too. As if anyone's going to take it.
Dane simply shrugs, "think of it as a bargaining chip. You come over and you get it back. You stand me up and you'll never get to know what happens to Abigail. And trust me, you'll want to know what happens to her."

She sucks in a breath as he flicks his fingers out in a goodbye salute from his forehead and saunters off. Watching his back, Emery exhales a soft 'fuck'. 

A/n The start of this version is pretty similar but as we get more into the story, it'll start changing! I have plans to change the storyline to the original. There'll also be more Dane+Emery scenes. Updates every 2 weeks (most probably)! Please let me know your thoughts and if this is something you want to read :D