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NO PICTURES IN THIS BOOK ARE MINE. NOT EVEN THE COVER.
Not a sweet romance. Not even a romance, honestly. It's angry and bitter with steamy scenes woven between. Please read the tags so you don't proceed further and get yourself disappointed or upset. This kind of book truly isn't for everyone.
1 out of every 4585433.
Those are the statistics of wolf parents birthing twins. The chances of one of those offspring being a different species entirely is less than 1%.
.0000013%, to be exact.
Human offspring usually get surrendered to the world of their own kind or killed right after birth. This is the story of a girl whose fate had other plans.
Horrible, unforgivable plans.
Evelyn Bloom had always been different. It started off when she was young, around the time that the girl noticed how much faster the other kids were while out at recess. She would constantly be excluded from games that involved cardio because having her on their team meant the chance of losing. No matter how hard Evelyn tried to keep up, they'd surpass her by a landslide. Even during regular games like hide and seek, Evelyn was exiled. The smell of her stood out amongst the others, making her easy to find. Exercise and physical activity are important to wolf children as they grow up, and when it was realized that Evelyn couldn't bond with anyone during that growth because of her inabilities, she started to become an outcast.
Classmates.
Teachers.
Strangers, even.
She was excluded from everything, and everyone.
Evelyn didn't understand why until she got older, and her parents had no choice but to tell her the truth of her species. In a town of nothing but werewolves, Evelyn was a human. It made no sense to any creature of the pack; both of the girl's parents were the Alpha and Luna, and her twin sister was the most powerful she-wolf of their age group. It was rare that she was born with no wolf, and instead of seeing it as extraordinary, people were disgusted.
She didn't belong, and even while no one would say it to her out due to fear of her powerful father, she was viewed as nothing short of useless.
A leech.
With such neglection, Evelyn still spent most of her high school days trying to be accepted. Since she couldn't fit in physically, Evelyn immersed herself in her studies. She thought that maybe if she learned enough about wolf anatomy, Evelyn could become a pack doctor. Warriors were constantly getting injured, so it seemed like a perfect fit.
After all the work Evelyn had put in, they wouldn't accept her there, either.
"They just- they prefer their own kind, Lynn." Her father, Alpha Bloom, had to be the one to break the news. "Don't take it personally, honey."
"It's their loss." Her mother chimed in as Evelyn sulked on the couch. "Not even the main pack doctor is as smart as my baby."
"Lynn Lynn!" A half-assed knock on her door shot through Evelyn's bedroom before the door opened, and Elise poked her head inside. "Hi there, big sis."
Elise Bloom. The pride and joy of their family, as well as the pack. She was beautiful, strong, a natural born leader, and Evelyn's best friend. Her only friend, really. Wavy taupe-colored hair that reached her back, bright blue eyes, sun-kissed skin. Her body was nothing short of perfect with small feminine curves that complimented impressive arm, leg, and stomach muscles. She led the hunts, stayed active in the community, volunteered at the daycare to train the younger children. The dream of every boy in their school, and the envy of every female.
Elise was absolutely flawless.
"I'm two minutes older than you." Evelyn took off her large pink headphones, turning around in her computer chair to face her trophy sister. "Hardly a big sis."
She was Evelyn's biggest supporter. The difference in species was of no concern to Elise, and she always stuck up for Evelyn in school when people got ugly about her behind her back. She never told Evelyn what they said, but she knew when it happened just by Ellie's face for the rest of the day. Evelyn has heard Elise curse people out on more than on occasion from classrooms away.
"Still lookin' at places you rather be than here?" Elise asked, fully submerging herself in Evelyn's safe space.
"Eh." Evelyn shrugged, peering back briefly at the page she had pulled up. She found herself constantly scanning through places inhabited by her own kind. Most of the time, Evelyn liked to believe that she'd fit in better with the humans. "Not as much tonight." Or, maybe she's been in this world for too long. Maybe she wouldn't really fit in anywhere.
"Would you like to come out with me, then?" She asked. "Some friends and I are going to go for a little run through the woods." Elise was really good with constantly trying to include Evelyn in her social outings. Ever since her sister's wolf came in, Elise has been keeping the beast active when the moon is out, and the air is comfortable. Since Evelyn can't keep up by foot, she uses her arm strength by swinging from branch to branch while they ran below her.
"Tonight?" Evelyn peered out her window, raising a brow at the half-moon. "It's kind of dark, don't you think? And it's chilly outside."
"Well, I-" Elise blushed. "Our birthday is tomorrow, and you know what that means."
Oh, Sweet Jupiter.
How could Evelyn not? Tomorrow was their twenty-third birthday, and excitement buzzed through the pack at the fact that Elise is supposed to find her mate on the night of their shared celebration. Because of being a twin, Elise was forced to be a late bloomer. Typically, the wolf version of her species shows up at the age of sixteen. That was what connected mates together after exactly two years of getting in touch with the furry four-legged versions of themselves. Elise wasn't able to transform until the night of their twenty-first birthday, which meant that tomorrow was the night that her siren call to her mate became available. A sweet melody and smell that only her other half can detect.
"Please tell me that you're not going to go try and see if you can find him." Evelyn expired.
"Well-" She giggled helplessly. "It couldn't hurt."
"Elise, you know the Moon Goddess doesn't alter destiny. She's not going to go against ancient tradition just because you're impatient." Not that Evelyn could blame her, of course. She-wolves dream and fantasize constantly over finding their mates. It was a promise for love, after all. Unconditional, unremitting love. "But if it makes you feel better to see if you can find him-"
"Or her." Elise pointed out. "I mean, we're paired to reproduce but I'd be happy with my mate no matter who or what they were." She let out a sigh of sheer bliss. "I can't wait."
"So weird." Evelyn understood that her sister and others were programmed to be excited, but she found the whole concept entirely macabre.
"Oh, come on, Lynn." Elise poked at her twin, entirely aware of her sister's adverse opinions.
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "You come on." What sense does it all make? Someone could live a completely independent life, happy and alone, until they make eye contact with a mate? And then, what? Their whole life suddenly revolves around that person, and in some cases, it's a complete stranger. To Evelyn, it sounded forced. Unnatural. You lose yourself and become part of someone else.
Absolutely not.
"Think of it as love at first sight." Elise offered. "But stronger and guaranteed. You feel it in your veins, in your bones. Your breath is all for that one special person. You want nothing but to share your happiness with them. Everything and anything in between."
"Hard pass." Evelyn put a hand up to stop her gooey rambling. "I've no interest in being coerced into loving a stranger."
Elise sighed. "You don't get it."
"I do." Evelyn countered. "I just don't want that for myself, nor do I respect that the Moon Goddess does that to people."
"To wolves." She corrected. "And, not to cause anxiety, but having a wolf isn't technically necessary. I mean, you may be human, but your parents are the two most powerful in our pack. Not to mention, I'm pretty up there in stats and we shared a womb."
Evelyn glared. "I do not have a mate, El."
"So..." Elise frowned. "You won't come out with me, then? Just for a nice little nighttime workout?"
Evelyn shook her head. "I'm going to work half a pint of ice cream into my mouth and go to bed." She smiled softly at her. "You have fun, though."
"Fine." She gave in. "Next time, though- I'm forcing you out of your room."
"Yeah, yeah." Evelyn went to put her headphones on, but she heard her sister call her by her nickname gently.
"I know you don't like mate talk, but I really hope you've one..." Elise spoke.
Evelyn stared skeptically. "Why?"
"Because you deserve to be worshipped." She explained. "I know it hasn't been easy for you in this pack, but- you are not just some human like you always claim. You could go to those cities that you fantasize over and I'd still be able to spot you from a mile away. You're unique like one of us." Her lids lowered a bit. "Beautiful like us. Any man would be lucky to have you, mate or not."
"Or woman." Evelyn poked at the correction Elise had made earlier.
"Or woman, yes." Elise remained serious. "It may sound horrible now, but everything changes once that bond connects to the other soul that weaves with yours."
Evelyn knew she was just trying to help, but she couldn't entertain this. "You're gonna make me gag, El."
"Don't puke." Elise smirked. "I'll be home later."
She shut Evelyn back in her room, and the human listened closely as her sister hurried down the steps and out of the front door. The cracking of bones and squelching of organs moving together followed right after, making Evelyn shudder. The sound of transformations were so unappetizing to the ears that it had scared Evelyn out of growing the gull to visually witness the process. She had always managed to turn her head away just in time. A familiar howl echoed through her bedroom next, and Evelyn glanced out her window just in time to see Elise's wolf sprint down the street to meet up with her friends.
When the human went to turn back to her computer screen, something peculiar had caught her peripheral vision. At first, it was nothing more than a mere black figure. Evelyn's curious dark cyan blues peered further into the darkness before the figure walked into the little bit of moonlight available, and who it revealed made her stomach twist.
Luca Hail.
He made his way up the driveway, his wavy blonde hair now apparent and unmistakable. Luca is the strongest male behind Evelyn's father on their packs system of patriarchy, and since her parents did not have any sons to take the crown as Alpha, it was decided that'd it go to him when the time comes.
Evelyn jumped up from her seat, racing over to her door and locking it with haste. The knock coming from the front door came shortly after, and she listened to her parents open it up and greet the man with pleasantries.
What the hell was he doing here?
Luca typically never comes to her home; most of the business and the discussions happen at pack meetings once a week. Evelyn goes like she's supposed to, but never participates. It's not like they even want her there, anyway. However, the fact that he was there made Evelyn paranoid beyond belief.
Luca's parents despise humans. They express it through their glares and scoffs whenever Evelyn is around, and she fears that once Luca becomes Alpha, they will have her exiled. Hatred is taught, and judging by how Luca ignored her existence just as much as everyone else, he felt the same as his family. The only reason she hasn't drowned in the anxiety of losing her home is that Luca has yet to find a mate, which is the one thing keeping him from his crown.
What if it's-
No.
It can't be her sister, could it? That would be cruel. Unbelievably, undeniably cruel.
Then again, the moon goddess has done worse things, and Evelyn's existence is her favorite joke.
