In Love with a Lycan

KENNA

Stepping out onto the porch with my coffee in my hand to watch the sun rise was a dream.

My eyes fluttered shut as memories of why I was here flooded me like a harsh reality.

Making the biggest change for myself, I moved from the city’s busy life and moved four thousand miles away to a small town to make a fresh start.

My life before was nothing but busy. I worked for a major company under a department boss who took everything immediately away from me when I stood my ground.

The bastard wanted my ideas. I hid my work from him, but he must have seen them because everything suddenly changed. He flirted with me, someone who was never on his radar.

I felt flattered and allowed it to inflate my ego, believing he was interested in me. The company held a big event one evening, and we were all invited.

The main CEO of the company wanted to celebrate the success of one of his employees. I thought nothing about it, as I hated the limelight. I remember arriving at the event and walking around aimlessly to find him. When I did, he was with one of the mean girls who made my life a living hell in the workplace. I felt so humiliated when I saw them kiss. I stood in shock for a moment but ran and hid. I felt betrayed.

After calming down, I walked in but stayed out of sight until the CEO boss went on stage to announce who he was celebrating. I watched the entire show in slow motion as my department boss stepped forward and introduced my idea to everyone. I stilled, listening to my words being spewed out of his mouth. When he was done, everyone applauded him, while I felt anger and resentment toward the man. Without a second thought, it gave me the strength to leave. I left immediately after he demonstrated my idea for the company.

My whole life, I have let everyone walk over me. I used to say I loved helping and pleasing people, but after what happened at my old job. I had enough. Someone took full advantage of who I was and even my ideas, making me feel like I was never invalid.

Opening my eyes as I took in the gorgeous day ahead, I sipped my coffee and walked backward to the swinging chair. I sat down and placed the fleece blanket over my legs. I have been doing this daily for the last month since moving here.

After the event night, I stayed off work for a while and decided to leave after a week of constantly thinking about what I wanted in life. Once I decided, I remember phoning the main CEO assistant, my friend Bailey, and telling her I needed to speak to the boss man himself.

The CEO was a great man, a loving husband and father, and an even better employee to work for. I didn’t want to leave, and he helped me when I needed a job. He asked why I wanted to leave, and I made some excuse that I needed a change of scenery. I didn’t tell him what I had planned, even though I didn’t have one.

Part of me hated lying to him, but I had to. I didn’t want anyone to know where I was, especially my department boss. While I was there, I felt like I didn’t belong. Everyone was stunning, whereas I was just average-looking with my long brown hair and brown eyes. As for my life, it was very boring. I only worked for him and lived on the city’s outskirts, away from it all, but in a really rough part.

Working in the city was one thing, but living where I was became another issue. You could hear the cop’s sirens going off to the shouting and fighting below on the street. I didn’t exactly live in the best neighborhood.

After the phone call to the boss, I planned everything. I went into the office to collect my things when everyone had left. I never saw my department boss again—I made sure of it. All my belongings fit into one box, and I left within twenty minutes of arriving. I never looked back.

When I got home, Bailey rang me to find out what had happened on the phone with the boss, as the boss was concerned about me. When I told her I was leaving, the news shocked her. She kept asking me why I was going, but I gave her the same reason as the boss. I told no one the true reason when I left, as I was already ashamed as it was.

After feeling sorry for myself for a week, I left because I felt like someone was watching me whenever I left the house. When I returned, I noticed someone had moved some of my stuff around as if they were searching for something. I packed what I wanted, leaving behind what I didn’t want or need to take with me. I donated most of the stuff to a local thrift shop and left that day.

I drove over four thousand miles without a plan and ended up getting stranded in this little town. I fell in love with the whole place—Willow Creek. Everything about it was like seeing or reading a fantasy novel or film. It was magical, from the clear skies to the crystal lakes. It felt like we had discovered a piece of heaven in this little town.

Being here has been a whirlwind for me. On the first day, I met my boss, Catrina, who works in the general store and is also the treasurer of the mayor. I work with her in the mayor’s office, mainly doing his general administration work. Catrina was the one who got me the job. It is only four days a week, but I have found it perfect as I have had plenty of chances to look around this amazing town to see what it offers.

On one of my walks, I found my little home. Before I found my little home, I stayed in a motel room with red paint on all the walls. Never thought I would get to say I stayed in a red room in my life, but Christian Grey, eat your heart out; there were no whips or chains to hold me down there. But I made an unlikely friendship with a cockroach I named Sid, who appeared when no one was around.

I bought the house with my savings, and I must admit, I love my little home; it needs work but has so much potential. I have done most of the work and mastered a few new techniques using YouTube, which has become my best friend for the last month. I have learned to make bookshelves, lay flooring down, and my latest project—fixing a hole in the roof, which will be my next job today.

Sitting outside on my porch every morning has become a thing for me. It has helped me relax and get my head straight for the day.

My eyes dart around and take in the tranquility of the area. There were only trees, a few little cottages darted around, and a lake nearby. There is so much wildlife here, as in rabbits and deer, but I was sure I heard a wolf howling in the distance last night. It was far away, but I heard it or something like it.

Shaking my head as I drained the last sip of my coffee when my eyes went from the forest line and looked around till I spotted something in the distance, but it was not a what; it was like a who. I know who it is, as I have seen him a few times before, in the town in the hardware store and around locally. I haven’t introduced myself yet, but his name has been around the town lately. Everyone liked to gossip, too.

His name is Adrian Thomas.

I watched as he carried something in—logs, probably. It was nice out, but still cold in the evenings. He places the logs by the door and looks over to his shoulder. I don’t know if he is looking at me or around. It is hard to tell where I am sitting to know where he is looking from here.

After a few moments, I watched him turn around and head back into his house.

Damn, I wish I could talk to him. He is hot as hell, and the local handyman is around here.

Catrina and a few others mentioned him when I bought this place. She told me he could fix anything, but I left calling him because I wanted to do most myself for now as money was tight after I bought the house. I will ring him when I am ready.

I sighed, moved from my chair, and went back inside the house. I needed to get ready and start on the roof. I had borrowed a ladder from Catrina’s husband, Lewis. At first, Lewis was reluctant to let me have it, but I told him I was only clearing out the gutters. But what he doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt, right?

There was going to be a storm coming soon—Lewis mentioned the other day, and I needed my roof done, or I would have leaks everywhere, which would not be good for me or this house.

Looking around one more time, I decided to head inside and straight to my bedroom to get on some old clothes.