Sassy Ever After: Bite My Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by V. Vaughn

  “Okay. I’ll make sure the other two are ready.”

  “Just us, Juliet. You’re not telling me everything about what happened in the woods tonight, and I’m not letting it go.”

  “Alisha.” I sigh. I’ve wanted to tell her for years about what I am. At first, I thought she’d run from me, but now I know better. She’s my best friend and loyal to the core. I’m more afraid she’ll manage to get herself into trouble with the information. I love my friend dearly, but she has the curiosity of a cat, and she can’t let things be. I take a deep breath. Lying by omission all this time is weighing heavy on my mind, so I say, “Okay. I’ll explain more tomorrow. Now go to sleep.”

  * * *

  Birds chirp in the trees as I pace the campsite area and wait for Alisha. Jayden and Chelsea are still asleep, and I don’t want to explain why Alisha and I are hiking without them. I keep reminding myself about how Alisha is open minded and will embrace what I am with the unconditional love we have for each other. But the fact remains that nothing she expects to hear today can compare to my truth.

  The sound of her feet thudding softly along the road carries to me, and I walk over to meet her. “Hey,” I say when she gets close enough.

  She smoothes back a strand of hair from her forehead that is damp with sweat. “Hey. Thanks,” she says when I hand her an ice-cold water bottle. She gulps some down and tilts her head toward the path. “Ready?”

  I nod in reply and begin to walk. “Good run?”

  “Not bad. But since I don’t know the area, I had to pay attention.”

  “I can see where that would be a problem for you.”

  She swallows down more water. “At least I didn’t get lost.”

  “You stayed on the same road?”

  She chuckles. “Yup.”

  We walk in silence for a while before I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “So about last night.”

  “I’ve been thinking about what I saw,” she says. “It’s kind of odd you were never afraid of those wolves. Why?”

  “Because they weren’t completely wolf.”

  “No?” Leaves rustle as she pushes a stray branch out of our way.

  “They were werewolves and understood what we were saying.”

  “Werewolves? And you know this how?”

  I stop and grip her arms lightly as if I can control her reaction. I look her in the eyes. “Because I’m one too.”

  Her brow lowers as if she doesn’t believe me, and I let my hands drop. I can practically see the wheels in her head turn and guess she’s replaying memories of odd situations. I think about the time she caught me crawling back through our window with my shirt on inside out, or when she claimed my eyes flash in a supernatural way that makes me look possessed when I get angry. As her face relaxes, I say, “You get it now, don’t you?”

  She nods slowly. “It does explain a few things.”

  “So yeah. I can turn into a wolf whenever I want to.”

  “That’s pretty cool.” She catches herself and asks, “It is, right?”

  I smile as relief washes the tension from my limbs. “It is. I should have known you’d think so too.”

  She links her arm with mine as we begin to walk again. “Why did that wolf try to attack you?”

  “She was probably jealous of me. The male was checking us out to see if either of us smelled like a compatible mate.”

  “Interesting.” She nudges me with her elbow. “He really liked the way you smell. Once he figured I wasn’t the same smell as the fleece I borrowed from you, he moved on to you, right?”

  I recall my reaction when the wolf sniffed me last night, and my insides twinge a little. “Probably.”

  “So does this mean you found yourself a new guy?”

  “No.” My voice comes out a little louder than I planned. “I’m not interested in having a mate.”

  “Why not? He was kind of cute in a wolfie way. I bet he’s hot as a man too.”

  If I’m going to bare my soul to anyone, it’s Alisha, so I say, “In my pack, there are very few females, but I still couldn’t find a mate. The males chose human women over me.” I sigh. “I’m just not cut out to have one. Besides, it seems he was already involved.”

  “Nope. I don’t buy it. I refuse to feel sorry for you, because I don’t believe for a second you’re meant to be alone.”

  “I’m fine. Werewolf men are obnoxious. You know, big, muscular, and cocky as all get out.”

  “I was right! Your wolfie is definitely hot.” She stops walking. “That wolf wanted you and then protected you from the other one. Now, maybe he’s not the one, but there is definitely someone out there for you, Juliet. Remember the gypsy said you have a Romeo?”

  I reach into the pocket of my shorts, and the glass potion bottle the witch gave me is smooth in my fingers as I fondle it. I discover a smile has crept onto my face, and I quickly frown.

  We start walking again, and Alisha says, “Wait. The firemen. Are they werewolves?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the frat at school with the sexiest guys ever that were practically untouchable. Them too?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  She punches my arm lightly before she begins to hike again. “You could have told me, you know. No wonder they wouldn’t ask me out. I wish I had known it was because I can’t growl.”

  “That’s what you’re taking from this? You don’t care that your best friend is a freak?”

  She turns to walk backward as she speaks. “You are so not a freak. You’re amazing, and I’m a little jealous. Can you run superfast when you’re a wolf?”

  “Yup. Want to race me?”

  Her face lights up. “Can I?”

  “No! I was kidding.”

  She pouts for a second, and then her smile returns as she says, “If Roman is a werewolf, then you really could have your Romeo.” She steps back beside me. “I still say he likes you.”

  “Actually, I think he likes you. How do you feel about becoming a werewolf?”

  She stops again and latches onto my arm tightly. “Are you serious? Could I really become one?”

  “What is wrong with you? I was joking.” I chuckle. “You don’t even know what you’re asking. But yes. You could become one if you found your true mate.”

  “That’s so cool.” She splays her fingers over her neck. “Would he bite me and drink my blood?” She shakes her head as I grimace. “Right. That’s vampires.”

  We’ve reached a small ledge that has been cleared and allows us to gaze down at the valley. We stop to look, and I say, “I swear, Alisha. If I told you I was an alien, you’d probably ask me to beam you up to my planet.”

  “Well, duh. Human life is so boring.”

  I shake my head at my adventurous friend. “By the way, this isn’t something you can share with anyone.”

  She stares at me with intensity. “I guessed that. Thanks for telling me your secret. It makes me feel special that you trust me enough to let me know.”

  “You are special. I’ve never told another human what I am, but I trust you with my life.”

  “Aw. You’re making me teary, Juliet.” She waves her hand in front of her face before she pulls me into a sweaty hug. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Alisha.”

  When we break apart, she says, “So tell me more about how things work. I want to know everything.” She waggles her eyebrows at me as she sits on a rock and adds, “And I mean everything.”

  I roll my eyes at her as a grin covers my face, and I share everything she wants to know.

  5

  We spent our first full day splashing around in the river, and now I’m working on the fire before a bunch of testosterone-driven wolves try to do it for us. The firemen will be here soon, and I’m not looking forward to it. Alisha is convinced Roman likes me, and the other two girls are fighting for the mirror so they can impress hunky firemen. I let out a big sigh.

  “Tonight will be fun, Juliet,” says Alisha as she app
roaches me with a drink. “Trust me.”

  She hands me a plastic cup, and I take a sip of the contents. The alcohol flavor is strong, and I squint at her. “You’re liquoring me up?”

  I told her that werewolves could handle more alcohol than humans because of our metabolism. She winks at me. “I think you can handle it.” Alisha sits in a chair and stretches her long legs out. “Are you going to be nice tonight?”

  “I will. I promise to save my best snark for you.”

  “Good. Chelsea and Jayden are practically peeing themselves with excitement over this.”

  “Yeah.” I frown because Alisha doesn’t seem that thrilled. “You’re not?”

  She twirls her foot and smiles as she bites her lower lip. “Logan and I have been texting.”

  I recall the calculator comment from the fortune-teller and ask, “He’s the physics teacher at your school, right?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Nice.” That explains why she’s been clutching her phone like it’s her lifeline and grin. “But wait. Didn’t he have to do math to get that job?”

  She rolls her eyes. “I know. It’s crazy to think I’m falling for a guy smarter than I am.”

  “What have I been telling you all these years? Sometimes we can’t see what’s good for us.”

  She raises her eyebrows at me, and I realize what I just said. I cross my arms as if she’s scolding me. “I know.” It’s just that my pride has taken so many blows I’m not sure I can handle another. But maybe I need to anyway, because a human man might not be any better. And Roman does have the look I go for. “I’ll try tonight.”

  Alisha stands up and swishes her hands together as if she’s wiping off dirt. “Good. My job here is done. Now I’m going back in to see if there’s some mascara left. You coming?”

  “Why not?”

  A half hour later, a large black truck pulls up next to our RV, and the four hulking men Alisha and I met in the airport get out. A large cooler thuds on the ground by the fire as Alex sets it down, and introductions are made. Roman offers me a quick smile but focuses on Chelsea as she offers him a drink. I use the opportunity to take stock of his appearance. His shoulder-length hair is dark and thick, and I imagine what it would feel like in my fingers. I take in his broad shoulders, and when he bends down to pull beer out of the cooler, I watch the muscles in his legs flex. If my wolf were a cat, she’d be purring. As it is, I have to turn away before my thoughts go too far.

  Alisha must have seen me checking out Roman, because she winks at me before giving her attention to Dean. Sparks fly up as I poke at the fire, and Byron asks if he can help. We get into a discussion about how to cook steak over open flames, and he convinces me he’s competent, so I take him up on his offer to do the grilling. Chelsea put foil-wrapped potatoes on the coals earlier and prepared salads, so there isn’t anything left for me to do. I take a deep breath and go over to Roman to make an effort. He’s talking to Chelsea, and she pulls me into the conversation.

  “I was just telling Roman about where we went swimming earlier.”

  “It’s so beautiful here,” I say. “What did you guys do today?”

  He shrugs. “Hung out.”

  Okay. So maybe he’s still pissed about me not believing they were firemen. “Have you guys worked together for a long time?”

  “A few years.” He glances over at Dean and says, “Excuse me,” before he walks away.

  Chelsea and I exchange puzzled looks, and she says, “Let’s go check on the salads.”

  I smile at her attempt to let me vent about Roman’s behavior. “I’m fine.”

  Jayden’s giggle carries to us, and we both glance over at her and Alex. He leans his head down and whispers, “Your dimples are cute.” I don’t think Chelsea can hear him, but their body language is speaking loud and clear.

  She nudges me. “How adorable is that?”

  “Very.” At least someone is getting attention. I look over at Roman and wonder what makes Alisha think he likes me, because he couldn’t be colder toward me tonight, while just the sight of him is warming me up. I gaze over at Byron and decide to flirt with the cook to take my mind off Roman.

  I tell Chelsea I’m going to check on the steaks, and she goes in the RV to start bringing food out for dinner. Beef sizzles on the metal rack as I approach the fire. “Hey, those smell great.”

  “Yeah,” says Byron. “I’m struggling to keep myself from eating one.”

  I pick up a sharp knife and fork. “We should probably test them to make sure they’re okay.”

  Byron makes a face of mock concern. “I think you’re right. Let me.”

  I give him the utensils, and he cuts the edge off a steak. He lifts it up and holds it out for me to try. Instead of taking the fork I lean in and bite a section of it off. Closing my eyes, I let out a moan and use a flirty tone when I say, “That tastes so good.” I grab his hand and pull the meat to my mouth. “I need a little more.” I take another nibble.

  He lets out a low sound as his wolf reacts and leans in to snatch the rest of the steak with his teeth. I glance over Byron’s shoulder at Roman’s glare, and I smile. Maybe he is interested.

  But my satisfaction is short lived because Alisha storms over and grabs my arm as she says to Byron, “We’ll be right back.” She drags me behind the RV. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Shame makes my cheeks burn. Alisha is the only person who can get me to back down, and it’s not a comfortable feeling. “I didn’t think he’d care.”

  Alisha puts her hands on her hips. “Really?”

  “Okay, that was a stupid move. But—”

  My best friend’s brow lowering makes me stop talking. She says, “It was stupid. Now, go back there, and behave yourself.”

  I begin to walk toward the group when she grabs my arm again. I turn around, and she grins. “Did you see how jealous he was? He so likes you.”

  “Yeah.” But then I scowl. “But why is he being such a jerk?”

  She says, “He’s a guy,” as if that’s answer enough.

  When we get back to the group, it’s time to eat, and as we do, the guys begin to tell us about their job. It leads to an exchange of stories between all of us, and by the time it’s dark, Roman and I are back to being civil to each other. The big success is Jayden and Alex, and the only way his friends can get him to stop kissing Jayden good night is to start driving away, making Alex chase after the truck to jump in.

  It’s so adorably romantic that my heart aches, wishing it happened to me. Jayden walks toward us with her hand on her mouth before she asks, “What can I do to help clean up?”

  Alisha hands her the salad bowls. “Take these inside, and try to float back down to earth.”

  Jayden grins at us before she walks away, and once she’s inside, Alisha says, “It’ll happen for you too, Juliet.”

  I smile at her as the RV door clicks open, and I hold it for her to go through. As much as I want to believe Alisha, I’m not so sure. While Roman and I are attracted to each other, all we manage to do is play hurtful games. I’m done with relationships like that, and I refuse to be sucked into losing my heart to another cocky werewolf who appears to hop from mate to mate.

  Is it too much to ask for someone like Alex, who tells Jayden her dimples are cute and can’t stop kissing her? Why do I end up being attracted to a guy who flirts with my best friend to see if I care? Tears of frustration burn in my eyes as I gaze up at the sky and listen to the faint howls of wolves running through the forest. I wonder when the ceremony is, and for a brief moment, I flirt with the idea of trying to find out with the intention of searching for the dark-gray wolf Alisha and I saw in the woods. But I know that’s just as futile as trying to make something with Roman work. I push my worries aside and check the fire before I paste on a smile to look happy for Jayden and go inside.

  6

  The next morning, Jayden announces Alex and his friends are coming back to take us on a hike. I do my best to keep my eye roll t
o myself, and I pitch in to make lunch as we get ready. When Jayden emerges from the bedroom with a high ponytail and a silly grin, I let my annoyance go. She’s glowing with her crush for Alex, and of course I want to help foster it along. And if it turns out they’re true mates, I’ll be happy to welcome Jayden into the werewolf world with open arms.

  A sealable plastic bag snaps as I shut it, and I say, “Lunch is ready.”

  Chelsea says, “Bring it over here, and I’ll distribute everything evenly between our packs.”

  “I can take more,” says Alisha. “I’m in training.”

  “I’ve got it,” says Chelsea, and I grin at Alisha for thinking she could tell our friend what to do.

  The rumble of the guys’ truck catches my attention, and I say, “Jayden, why don’t you go outside and wait for Alex. They’ll be here any minute.”

  Alisha raises her eyebrows at me, and I nod. It’s nice to share tiny things like my acute hearing with her, and my decision to tell her my secret is reinforced in my mind.

  Chelsea asks, “Where’s the sunscreen?”

  “In my bag,” says Alisha. “I showed you already.” When Chelsea opens her mouth to ask more, Alisha says, “We’ve got everything, I swear. Now, let’s go.”

  “Fine,” Chelsea says as she hoists her pack onto her back. “But if we forgot something, I’m blaming you.”

  Alisha salutes the back of her as Chelsea leads us out of the RV. We get outside just in time for me to see Roman hop out of the truck, and he flips his hair out of his eyes to look right at me. My wolf notices, and before I realize it, I offer him a big smile. He gives me what I think is a genuine smile back. I’m such a sucker for this guy. My insides warm up in reaction.

  Jayden and Alex are holding hands. She glances at me, Chelsea, and Alisha and says, “Alex said we’re going someplace special.” She bounces on her toes a little, and her joy is infectious. “Are we ready?”