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"You look familiar. Have we met before?" I threw it out there. Hopefully, if I brought it up innocently, she would be more open to talking about our history. "Excuse me?" Emma's face was twisted as if I just poured cold water on her. I guess she wouldn't be as receptive as I'd hoped. Vampires were recently attacked and now the cocky son of the Alpha thinks he can be a playboy? What happens when fate decides to play a trick and make a vampire and a werewolf mates? And what happens when there is a prophecy of their child bringing either peace or untold destruction to both species? Will the tension between them bloom into love? Or will it add fuel to the already existing fire that burns between both of their species?
Chapter 1 PROLOGUE
Desmond
Senior Year
The scorching heat of the sun made it hard to think, but the guys were still deep in argument, somehow finding the energy after a brutal football practice. I chugged from my water bottle, barely keeping up with their voices.
Evan, my best friend since childhood, was at the center of it, animated as always. His auburn hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat, but his skin tanned instead of burning, probably thanks to being a werewolf. When he finished his rant, he walked over, tilting his bottle back to drink.
I waited until he was halfway through before nudging his side. "Tell me you're not still on about the next game."
Evan scoffed. "Do you know how embarrassing it would be for us to lose this close to the finish line?"
"Coach killed us today. We're in a good spot." I clapped his back in reassurance, but he still sulked.
Stretching out on the bleachers, I let my legs loosen up, adjusting the damp towel on my forehead. My gaze wandered to the field, where the cheerleaders were practicing.
That's when I saw her.
Her back was to me, long dark hair cascading down her back, stopping just above the hem of her navy-blue skirt.
She held a placard, completely focused. With my werewolf sight, I saw every detail. From the pale ivory skin of her legs to the way her fingers gripped the sign.
I didn't know why, but I had to see her face.
Before I could stop myself, I was walking across the field.
"Oh my God, I think he's coming this way!" someone whispered, not as quietly as they thought.
The placard girl dropped her sign and turned like she sensed me approaching.
Wow. I inhaled sharply as I took in her features.
Deep ebony eyes met mine. Her dainty nose, blood-red lips, flawless skin, everything about her was striking. My gaze dropped to her throat, where her pulse thrummed beneath her delicate skin.
She gasped softly, and suddenly, my hand was on her cheek. I didn't remember deciding to touch her. I didn't even think.
"You... you had something on your cheek," I sputtered, yanking my hand back, and stuffing it into my pocket like it had betrayed me. My feet suddenly seemed like the most interesting view to me.
A quiet snicker made me look up. Amusement glimmered in her eyes. Relief spread through me. She didn't seem creeped out.
"Are you laughing at me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Because I was just trying to help."
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say...?" She raised an eyebrow, waiting.
It took me a second to realize she was asking my name.
"Knight. Desmond Knight." I extended my hand. When she placed hers in mine, a jolt of energy shot through me, tingling up my spine.
I looked at her, searching for any sign that she felt it too. Her eyes widened slightly, but otherwise, she gave nothing away.
"I'm Emma," she said simply.
"No last name?" I wanted more than that. Fuck, I needed more.
She smiled sweetly but didn't answer. Stranger danger, I guessed.
Still, she felt oddly familiar, like I'd known her forever.
"You new here?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. I was so desperate for her attention.
"Transferred recently." She gestured toward the other cheerleaders, shifting on her feet like she wanted to leave.
I opened my mouth to say something-anything-but she was already walking back. I watched as the other girls whispered amongst themselves.
I turned back toward the bleachers, hoping my teammates hadn't noticed, but I wasn't that lucky.
"Another one in the motherfucking bag!" Tim, our goalie, cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, laughing so hard he nearly choked.
I scowled at him. He was such an asshole sometimes.
"Relax, man! They can't hear us from here," he cackled. "You should've seen your face!"
The rest of the team joined in, their laughter filling the air. I flipped them off and dropped onto the bleachers beside Evan, who, thankfully, hadn't joined in the mockery.
He waited until I settled before speaking. "You know she's a freshman, yeah?"
I stiffened. My head thudded against the plastic seat as the realization hit. "Fuckkkkk."
"You had no idea," Evan said, grinning.
I glared at him. Of course, I didn't have a damn clue or I wouldn't have had all those thoughts...
"Bro, you really couldn't tell? They just had tryouts." He clearly thought I was an idiot.
I ran a hand down my face. That explained the whispering. No wonder the cheerleaders had looked so surprised.
"She seemed..." I trailed off, struggling to put words to the strange pull I felt.
"She's jailbait," Evan pointed out. "Way too young for you."
I knew that. Didn't make it easier even though I knew that was a line I'd never cross.
"Better luck next time, man," Evan said. "She's just a random girl."
But she wasn't. I didn't know how to explain it but she was the furthest thing from random.
"You know how the elders talk about the mate bond?" I started.
Evan's eyebrows shot up. "Are you serious?"
"I hardly noticed anything else," I admitted. "I was just... focused on her."
I didn't even know her last name. Goddess damn it.
"Could just be typical sparks, you know? Doesn't have to mean anything serious," Evan said.
"Yeah, probably," I muttered. He didn't get it.
But deep inside, where my wolf lay, he curled his tail and growled one word.
"Mine."
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