DaoistbdaQJJ

Ava had enough, as she slowly seek to die but something happens that change her life!
____________________
There is almost a constant roar, almost ruining his concentration. He shakes his head, trying to wave away the storm’s efforts to distract him. His paws crunch the grass beneath him as he treks deeper into the forest. Trees loom before him, casting their dark shadows over his furry form. Danger is in every direction. But he does not hesitate.
He is fearless.
The presence is growing stronger, the wind sending the scent to his nose. It is a sweet fragrance, one he has never smelt before; a curious mix of strawberries, bananas, some flavor he cannot distinguish, and a tiny splash of mint. It is a delight, an intoxicating smell that he will remember forever, even when this "it" is long dead. He has never experienced this aroma around a werewolf before.
This smell is so sweet, he wonders if a human could have actually wandered into their midst. Humans generally have nice smells, although none as delightful as this one.

The Wolf wouldn't Let Me Go!

Just before we exit the room though, a huge form fills the doorway. "Hey," he nods at Lucas, and then turns his gaze to me. "I'm Ray," he introduces himself, without a smile.


"I'm Ava," I note his similarity to Lucas, their likeness almost startling. Ray is muscled, even more so than Lucas, and sinewy. He is tall with brown hair, his face an almost perfect copy of Lucas. However, a thin scar stretches from his forehead to his cheek, marring his otherwise beautiful face. If Lucas was the Prince of Light, Ray would certainly be the alluring Prince of Darkness.


"Now I guess you've met all of us, Ava," Wes says loudly, "this is our pack. We used to call it the 'pack of players', but now that Lucas is settled, we can't exactly say that anymore."


"No girls?" I question, only to see four faces shaking their heads no.


"We like to be free of all women," Jake grinned, "love 'em and leave 'em, I always say."


"You people are terrible," I laugh, instantly feeling at home with these handsome men. After a second, I nearly jump in alarm at the realization that I can barely recognize myself. The old Ava would have run away by now. The old Ava would have never fallen for these wily werewolves' tricks. It must be those strange feelings Jake was talking about.


Ray just stares at me, a forbidding expression on his face. "She needs to leave for a minute while we have our meeting," he says, his voice rough and completely unlike Lucas's.


"Come on," Wes protests, "she's not doing any harm! Let her stay-"


"No," his voice is firm, insisting, "she isn't part of the pack." His words are forbidding and fierce, striking me cold. I turn, walking out of the door. Lucas sticks his head out after me, issuing a warning.


"Don't go outside of the grounds," he says, "it isn't safe." Then, Yi comes up and brushes past me into the room. Right before they shut the door, I see their faces, turned serious by something Ray said.


How could he be a player? Maybe he's the strong and silent type all the girls like to go for. He certainly is handsome enough… I mean, they all are. Especially Lucas, having an authority hanging over his head like a crown. Everyone in the pack seems to respect him.


Looking up, I wonder how they all live in such a big place. It is so old-fashioned, obviously not built by these handsome teens... oh, of course. They are probably fifty to a hundred years old. However, most of them don't even look nineteen, though Jake might pass for being in his twenties.


After gazing at the beautiful artifacts for about ten minutes, I decide to head outdoors. Lucas said I couldn't leave the grounds, but he never said I couldn't take a walk in the grounds. After searching for a while, I find an exit, going through it to find that I am now located in the mansion's garden. It is beautiful, alerting my senses with sweetness and beautiful colors. I circle it, but soon dismiss it to be too uninteresting. Just like the mansion; old fashioned and dreary.


The stars wink at me as I survey the area once more. A small path to the side, strewn with pine needles and leaves, catches my attention. Slowly I begin to walk it, not knowing quite where I am going.


The moat is nowhere to be found, leading me to believe that I am not outside of the mansion's boundaries. However, when I spy the dark, forbidding trees that remind me of the forest Lucas and I traveled through, I am not so sure.


Chapter 24