by E. C. Newman
“Don’t get it. Say your sappy good-byes, I’ll be inside.” She shot me an indulgent grin as she headed to the tower.
Ezra rolled his eyes. “I better go. Talk to you later?”
“Yeah.”
He turned to go.
“Want to go to the Christmas Dance with me?” Where had that come from?
He stopped, looking back over his shoulder. “Wow. You don’t ask for the easy stuff.”
“That’s a ‘no’?” I started to feel really embarrassed.
“It’s a ‘maybe,’” he said. “It’s a ‘I’ll try and back out of it, so you better wear a hot dress to make me go.’” He winked at me.
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Shifter or not, I’m a guy. Showing some skin is always good.” He grinned wickedly. “Better get back to your best friend.” And he ran off before I could say more.
I knew I was grinning like a dope again.
“Promise me you won’t wax poetic about him all the time?” Jules wandered down the stairs.
“I promise.” I diminished the cheesiness of my expression.
She shook her head, amused. “I’m glad you two made up though. Both of you have been walking around like hurt puppies.” Her nose wrinkled. “Jeez, pheromones galore. Let’s go for a quick walk. Get rid of some of that smell.”
I laughed and followed her. Slowly, of course.
“Seriously though, no details. He’s too much like a brother.”
“Won’t.” I smiled again.
She rolled her eyes.
“What?”
“That’s your sappy smile. It’s ’cause I said he’s like a brother, isn’t it?”
I kept up with her, pushing a branch out of my way. “I’m glad you have family.”
“It’s not perfect, Sophie. The whole pack and family thing is not remotely perfect. I refuse to be their chosen bitch.”
Double meaning in that. I hadn’t thought about her mate thing with Micah for a long while now. “I know.”
She paused at a large tree, grabbing the lowest sturdy branch. She pulled herself up and looked down at me. “With Naomi gone, shit’s gonna go down. When they find her. Not that I care. She screwed me over, screwed you way over, therefore she’s not worth my time.” She tested a few branches, picking one that put her a good ways above me.
“Yeah.” I felt bad agreeing because I bet Naomi had her reasons. “Maybe some time away will be good for her.”
She huffed. “And dogs don’t drink out of toilets. She’s a spoiled pack princess. If she does come back, I might take another swipe at her.” She reached for my hand, grabbed it, and basically lifted me the whole way up. She was so strong.
I scrambled to a lower, fatter branch. I wasn’t taking any chances. “No. Violence never solves anything.”
“I’m a wolf. Violence is always good. Finally I understand the simmering rage I’ve had all these years and couldn’t deal with. Trust me, you can’t forget what I am. And what your boyfriend is. We could hurt you pretty easily.” She looked into the woods.
I knew the river was close. I couldn’t hear it, but I bet she could. “I don’t think I could ever forget.”
She swung down and sat next to me, pulling me in for a hug. “But you’re my best friend, Sophie. No matter if I’m wolfy or not.” She drew back with a smile. “You’re stuck with me.”
I didn’t mind that. Not one bit.
~ About the Author ~
Born and raised wherever the military sent her father, E. C. Newman is a storyteller at heart. It didn't translate into writing, however, until she found herself in Ancient History her freshman year of college, desperate to stay awake. Bringing stories alive since then in FanFiction, poetry, and original work gave E. C. the confidence to add a Writing Major to her bachelor's degree, and after a stint in acting school in Los Angeles, she gained a MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University in Bath, England.
E.C. currently lives with her mutt of a dog in Illinois, where she teaches middle school drama and high school literature, and can't help but find it hilarious that she’s now teaching how to write an essay when she so deplored them as a student herself. In her spare time, E. C. is also a reader for a literary scout, which keeps her current with the children’s literature market. She actively avoids growing up by writing stories about high school and the trials and triumphs that accompany it.
Find out more about E. C. Newman here:
Website: http://ecnewman.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/E-C-Newman/343707838987100
Twitter: http://.twitter.com/#!/ec_newman
Tumblr: http://ecnewman.tumblr.com
~ More YA Fiction from Etopia Press ~
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Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...
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Because Rhian didn't kill herself. She was murdered. And the murderer does not want Keira to talk...
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The sunflower farm was the most boring place on earth. Until weird things started happening…
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
