Make A Wish (Dandelion #1) (2 page)

One minute I was standing there breathing and trying to calm down, the next I was on all fours covered in fur and sporting a tail. I looked at my mom and, for the first time in my life, I saw fear. Not just any fear
—
fear of her son, of me. I tried to go to her, to comfort her, but her eyes widened as she inched back, away from me, calculating her every move. I would never hurt her, but in that moment, she didn’t realize that.

She backed up slowly, avoiding looking into my eyes, the eyes of a beast. The second her feet hit the hallway, she reached out and slammed the bedroom door closed, ensuring that I would stay locked in there.

It took me close to twenty minutes to figure out how to get myself back to normal, and when I was, I threw on some sweats and exited my room.

“What in God’s name was that?” My mom spoke, the fear and concern leaving her face.

“I don’t know, Mom. I was upset and, before I knew it, I wasn’t me anymore. Well I was, but I was different.”

“Whatever the hell that was that just happened, Beau, I don’t want it happening again, do you hear me? I don’t like it one bit.” Her eyes hollow, momentarily only a shell of the woman she was just seconds before.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

From there it had been kind of trial and error on figuring everything out, since I never had a biological father to turn to for answers. When I asked her about him, she never gave me any details, just said that he was long gone before she knew about me. I accepted that and the last thing I wanted to do was to push her for information.

She eventually came to the conclusion that I couldn’t suppress my inner wolf. We learned that the hard way when I nearly phased in the grocery store after witnessing a mother spanking her child right there in the aisle.

My mother allowed me to practice and learn to control my werewolf abilities and phasing, a feat I tackled with complete ease. I enjoyed being in my wolf form. I still do.

About seven years ago, I’d come across another wolf—actually, he’d come across me. He could smell the wolf gene in my blood and had instantly dragged me to his pack reservation. I was accepted into the pack as one of them, family. I’d never had much family; it’d always been my mom and me. Finding people who were like me and understood what I was feeling and going through changed my life. I was home.

I was trained in hand-to-hand combat, various forms of martial arts including Taekwondo, Kenpo, and Jujutsu. I learned how to handle sixteen different types of weapons along with all pack rules and regulations. I learned everything I’d ever possibly need to know to live as a werewolf.

My mother’s voice penetrating through the phone snapped me from my memories.

“Thanks, Mother! I love you too. I’ll see if I can find some time in the next couple weeks to get away and come up to visit you. Take care of yourself.” I hung up the phone and headed out to the quad where I’d scheduled a training session.

Early on in my training, it became clear that I was more dominant than most of the other wolves. I didn’t want to be their boss, though. I just wanted to fit in. When the Alpha, Angelo, asked me to become his Beta, the second in command, I hesitated, but before I knew it, I had given in. I gained a new level to my werewolf status. I was respected and looked up to, with more responsibility than I knew what to do with. It was scary at first, but I thrived in the leadership role and I grew to love it.

Angelo passed away five years ago in a territory war with another pack and soon my wolf status rose again. The tough and almost impossible position of Alpha fell to my eighteen-year-old shoulders.

As Alpha, one of my many jobs was to train the wolf pups and any new members that found their way into the pack, just as I had been trained all those years ago.

The littles, Kiara and Colten, are a handful but I am beyond honored to be their Alpha and train them. I wasn’t sure if one day I’d ever have a family of my own, so in a way they are kind of like my children.

Kiara is seven years old and has curly strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. Her father is my third in command, the one behind my Beta. She’s a sassy little thing that’s not afraid to test the limits, which kind of has me nervous for the teenage years that lie ahead.

Colten, on the other hand, is five. It’s not normal to start kids training so early on but he excelled in everything he did. When his mother asked me to begin training him early, I caved pretty quickly. Colten has spiky jet-black hair and grey eyes, definitely a little charmer. He tended to be the exact opposite of Kiara in almost every way. While she’s loud and talkative, he’s quiet and reserved. When he speaks, people listen.

Hours and hours ticked by and I noticed the kids looked really exhausted.

“Let’s bring it in, Kiddos. You’ve worked so hard and I’m so very proud of you both. I think it’s time to call it a night, though. We can pick up where we left off tomorrow.” I bent down to get eye level with them. “Tell your parents that I said you deserve big treats!” The two children got all their energy back, bouncing up and down with the biggest little grins on their faces.

“Okay! Thanks, Alpha! See you tomorrow.” They responded in unison and, like firecrackers, they were off to find their parents.

As I stood up and watched the pups scurry off to their houses, I began to realize just how lonely my life is. While I love being Alpha and I’m always surrounded by pack, deep down I long for a mate and kids of my own.

It’s rare to be an Alpha at twenty-three and even more unheard of to be an Alpha of such a large pack, unmated. When I thought about a mate, I could feel my wolf rumbling at just the mere thought of her.

Most male werewolves at my age randomly choose a female wolf and complete the mate bond, whether there is an emotional or physical attraction or not. Most couples will fall in love over time, if at the time of their mating they are lacking in that department. Some never gain that kind of connection and live out their lives in a friendship-type way, never fully being able to take the extra step.

That’s not a path I will ever go. My mom always told me, when I met the right woman I would know. I thought I had met ‘the one’ a couple times but the girls turned out to not be it, so I stopped looking. Being raised by a romantic, she had brushed off on me. I don’t care if it’s old fashioned; it’s who I am.

I want to love my mate; I don’t want to spend every waking minute for the rest of my life with someone with whom there’s no romantic connection. Someone who doesn’t love me in return.

Every so often, I hear of wolves from different packs finding their
Soul Mates.
There’s very little known about the whole soul mate concept except for the fact that it’s few and far between. Not every wolf has a soul mate and there’s no way to differentiate between those who have one and those who don’t.

Legend foretells that within those wolves lies only half of their souls, their soul mate carrying the other half. Every lifetime that they live, their soul reaches out, searching for their missing piece. When they meet in person, there’s this magnetic bond that draws them together, and with the completion of the mating ritual, their two souls are knitted back together, making them whole and complete for the first time.

The whole thing seems really beautiful and romantic, but strange nonetheless. I’ve never known anyone with a soul mate bond and I’ve never witnessed it firsthand. I don’t even know if it’s true.

The growling of my stomach brought clarity, clearing the thoughts and emotions running through me. I took a quick shower and threw on my usual garb of a t-shirt and jeans.

Beau: On my way. Need food.

Jack: You got it bud.

With a short text to my old high school buddy, I climbed onto my black and white Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle and headed out. My mother hated the thing and had protested, but with me being an adult and Alpha of one of the largest United States packs, she didn’t overall have much say.

I respected her opinion, but I needed to be able to make and live with each decision, taking full responsibility for all of my actions.

Being on a motorcycle was the closest feeling I could get to being in my wolf form. With the wind ruffling through my hair and the bike vibrating beneath me, I feel at peace and I can’t imagine anything feeling better.

The minute I pulled up to Ziggy’s diner, I knew something was wrong. My wolf was on edge but I just couldn’t pinpoint why.

I stepped into the glass doors and made my way to a tall stool at the front counter lining the restaurant. The place was more vacant than I remember it being, but I was fine with it, knowing I’d have less distractions.

“Hey, Beau!” Jack made his way around the corner, his long curly black hair poofed up and moving up and down with each step. Being so busy with pack stuff, I never got to hang out with him much, and it was nice getting to see him again. As he rounded the corner, he shoved a pretty waitress with blond hair in my direction, telling her to get back to work.

I opened my mouth to respond to Jack and the waitress stumbled in front of me, nearly falling face first onto the tile. I didn’t think, just acted as I reached out to help steady the poor girl. She regained her footing and, with my next breath, my wolf was on the verge of release, her scent surrounding me. She smelled of mint and fresh air, more intoxicating than anything I’d ever come across before.

It spoke to me.

I urged my wolf to calm, which only resulted in a small growl escaping my lips. I’d hoped she had missed it but given the sudden confusion that flickered across her face, I knew she’d heard. I didn’t want to let go of her arm, content to stand there and just breathe her in for as long as I could, but I knew she was human. With a very quick and swift motion, I let go of her and stepped back. She seemed almost hurt that I let go and I wasn’t sure what to make of that fact.

“H-h-hi, I’m Jules. I’ll be your waitress today. Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”

I could see the apparent nervousness in her and it pleased me to know that I’d had an effect on her, as she had with me. I couldn’t keep myself from staring, looking over the girl in front of me.

She was taller than most females, her body slender with legs that extended endlessly. Large aqua blue eyes that shimmered when she smiled were brought out even more by the blue streaks in her hair, wavy strands cascading from the messy bun on her head. With an angular face, sharp cheekbones and a small button nose, it struck me just how pretty she really is.

“Uh... An ice water would be nice. Thank you,” I spoke, clearing my throat from the sudden dryness.

“Oh, okay. I’ll go grab it and will be right back. In the meantime, take a look at the menu and let me know if you need anything.”

Jules rushed out of the room faster than I would have liked, not to mention she did the one thing that was sure to drive me wild. She ran. My wolf wanted to go in for the chase, to catch her and show her who was boss. If tasting her and cuddling her was part of that, even better.

Where did that thought come from?
She’s human. Not happening.

I knew I was attracted to the beautiful waitress but I pushed all those feelings aside. Even if I wanted to, I could never act on those emotions. It wouldn’t work out. Humans and Werewolves never date or mate. It just didn’t happen.

The wolf inside of me is carnal. He sees things in black and white, always clear. My wolf is fierce, protective, dominant, and aggressive. On the other hand, the human part of me sees every color, every emotion. I sympathize, fear, hope, and, without a doubt, question everything. My human half compliments that of my wolf side, but they also clash. This moment with Jules was definitely one of those times.

I knew walking out and never seeing her again was the right thing to do. Just letting her live her life in peace and happiness was something every human deserves, including her.

My wolf wanted more than anything to bring her into my arms, drag her to the reservation and spend time cuddling and getting to know her as a person, but it was impossible. I didn’t know her and I couldn’t explain why I was drawn to this human girl but once again I was struck with the realization that nothing could ever happen.

I need a drink.

With the two parts of me at odds with each other, the man was more than content at drowning my sorrows in a good ole beer.

Jules emerged only a few minutes later with my ice water in hand.

“Thank you for the water, Jules. I actually just got a call and I won’t be staying but it was very nice to meet you.” I lied, but it won’t make a difference to her. I stood from the stool and reached into my pocket to grab a few dollar bills, then slapped them onto the counter. With one last look at her, memorizing her every feature, I walked out the doors into the cool, dark night, away from the blond human girl.

JULIETTE

I had just pulled into my apartment complex when my cell buzzed on the passenger seat beside me. I reached over and flicked the answer button, pulling my lime green iPhone 5c to my ear.

“What do you want, Saylor?” I answered the phone in my usual quip, knowing it was my best friend. Saylor was in fact the only person who ever called me, besides Jack, who would only call when I didn’t show up for work. It was a sad fact really, but it was my life.

“You’re coming right?” I heard her yell over the loud music pulsing in the background of
Rush
, the bar and night club she worked at.

“Crap.” I sighed, remembering that I’d promised to keep her company during her night shift that evening. “Okay. Give me about fifteen minutes and I’ll head on over.”

“You got it, girly!” And with a click I was left alone, the silence surrounding me.

I laid my head down on the steering wheel, thinking and feeling how agonizingly exhausted my body was. I’d give anything to catch a break, but no matter how much I tried, it didn’t happen. My days are as long as they are repetitious.

“Why? Why me?” I whined, though no one was there to hear me. I glanced at the clock, noticing that four minutes had passed since I’d hung up with Saylor. “Dammit.”

I climbed out of the car and up the flight of stairs, two at a time, until I reached the door to my apartment on the third floor. Once inside, I rushed over to the bathroom and turned on the curling iron, letting it heat up while I went and got dressed.

It took me longer than I would’ve liked to flip through the clothes in my closet, finally coming across my favorite sequined aquamarine dress. With a hard tug, it came freely, piles of clothes toppling out with it. But I didn’t care enough to waste time picking up all the spilled clothing. Saylor was waiting.

I slipped the dress over my head and twirled, the sequins tapping against each other to create a beautiful sound that I’ve come to love. I promptly grabbed my silver stilettos and slipped them over my unpolished toes.

I walked back into the bathroom while yanking the hair tie from my head, watching the messy bunch cascade around my shoulders, the blue streaks sparkling under the florescent lights. It took me only a couple minutes to curl sporadic strands of hair, then I did a quick brush of makeup and was done. I looked at the clock. “With two minutes to spare. Damn, I’m good.”

***

I arrived at the bar and had barely stepped past the bouncer and through the main doors when Saylor came bounding up to me.

“It’s about time. I was minutes away from calling the FBI and telling them you were abducted by aliens.”

I rolled my eyes but played along. “And what exactly would the aliens want with me?”

“To use your body as a vessel to take over the world, duh,” Saylor responded, barely blinking.

I lifted an eyebrow at the ridiculous words that came gushing from her lips. Her ability to come up with crazy comments on the spot never ceased to amaze me. “Oh shut up and get me a drink.”

“Who peed in your Kool-Aid?” Saylor chuckled in response as she turned and headed in the direction of the bar.

I followed closely behind her, feeling and probably looking very much like a lost puppy. Bars and clubs always make me feel like a fish out of water, the atmosphere bringing back memories of the foster homes that I grew up in. How Saylor could handle it, I’d never know.

“Oh… Ya know… Rough day,” I responded, trying to sound as cheerful as I could.

“Sit right here—” Saylor patted the stool at the bar, “—and tell good ole Saylor all your worries.” The tone of voice she used reminded me all too much of those fake psychics who lured you into paying them for fortunes that were made up on the spot.

I downed a few shots and immediately felt the effects of the alcohol making it’s way into my system. It was all I needed to spill my guts about everything that had come to pass throughout my day, more specifically Beau. I told her how I wanted to throw myself into his arms and how when I was near him, I couldn’t think or breathe. He awakened something in me that I didn’t know was sleeping. Granted, he’s gorgeous, but there was something alluring about him and I just couldn’t figure out what.

Saylor sat across from me on the opposite side of the bar, never speaking a word. Her mouth hung open and I knew without a doubt that I’d surprised her. This behavior was unlike me and I knew it. Saylor was lucky if she could talk me into coming to the bar or out to a movie. I never drank and I most certainly didn’t pine after gorgeous men like they were a piece of meat.

I’m losing it.

“You know what I think this calls for?”

I groaned and knew exactly was Saylor was referring to. When things went wrong and neither of us could function without a breakdown, she’d turn on music and we’d dance out all of our emotions and feelings. Being in a nightclub only made it more convenient.

“Marco, I’m taking my break. The bar is yours.”

“You’ve already had your break, Say.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She winked at him as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the middle of the dance floor just as ‘I’m sexy and I know it’ came pounding from the speakers. “My JAM!” Saylor beamed, adrenalized by the pulsing music pouring throughout the room. She wiggled and shimmied through the crowd, only giving me a few seconds to follow suit.

I couldn’t stop laughing at the moves Saylor made and the hilarious facial expressions that flitted across her face.
Goodness, I love her.

The alcohol in my system helped ease my nerves and I let the music overtake me, guiding my body as it swayed along to the music. I let go of all my worries and inhibitions, just enjoying the moment of freedom—a time that doesn’t come often but lets me enjoy being me.

BEAU

I pulled up to the bar closest to home. I’m not normally a huge drinker but, after the draining day I’ve had, it was warranted.

Jules had been in the forefront of my mind since the minute I left
Ziggy’s
and no matter how many times I told myself it’s stupid to pine after a human girl, I couldn’t help myself. I knew I was trying to convince myself and failing epically in the process.

I don’t understand, I really don’t.

The place was ridden with alcohol and cigarette smoke, as most bars were, but my heightened senses only made it more obvious. I walked over and found a seat near the bartender, a male with black hair. He poured me a beer on tap and I chugged it, my mind running over the short time I’d spent at the diner.

The entire encounter with her literally took my breath away and made me question all I knew to be true. If wolves and humans don’t mix romantically, then why were werewolves—a mix of human and wolf—even created in the first place, and why did I have such a large desire for her?

It didn’t make sense.

My life as Alpha isn’t easy and, as confused as I was, I knew I couldn’t jeopardize that over a mere human woman, regardless of how beautiful and attracted to her I was. With one more chug of the beer and my mind suddenly clearer than it was seconds before, I stood and headed in the direction of the exit, glancing at the group of people gyrating to the music as I walked by.

My breath caught and stopped me in my tracks. The woman whose image had stayed in my mind was swaying and moving with the crowd. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she danced sensually, letting the music flow through her.

She was a vision of beauty and grace; her dress shimmering under the lights reminded me of a beautiful siren mermaid luring unsuspecting men to their doom. It only made me realize that this woman was doing the very same thing to me.

I felt a sort of protectiveness over her and I knew I had no right to be feeling that way but I did. I didn’t want her to be dancing in front of all these drunks, as they lust after her and grope her.

The only one who gets a show is me.

My feet closed the distance between us and I saw her shoulders tense almost as if she felt the electricity before she saw me. With a quick motion, she rotated her body and I found myself staring into her bright aqua eyes.

“It’s you.”

“It’s you.” I repeated her words back to her, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth. A small brunette girl came walking up to us, her hair bobbing with every move of her body.

“Jules…” Her words trailed off as she looked at me and I oddly felt amused. Women frequently have that reaction to me and I never understood it much but I choose not to question it. It is what it is. “Wanna tell me who this fella is, before I take it upon myself to do the introductions?” She winked, which only caused a small blush to disperse over the tops of Jules cheeks; it was absolutely adorable.

“Uh... Saylor, this is Beau,” she motioned. “Beau, this is my friend, Saylor.”

I nodded politely as I watched the brunette make a big ‘O’ with her mouth.
So Jules told her about me. Interesting.
I could see the mischievous glimmer in her eyes before she leaned over and whispered into Jules ear before leaving.

We stood there looking into each others’ eyes, a bit of panic and fear lying in hers. She didn’t move or speak; her body was rooted in place, each move as mechanical as the last. I didn’t fare much better, since I didn’t know what to say or how to act.

Everything in me told me to run, to get as far away from her as possible. But standing there and looking into her eyes, inhaling her aromatic scent, I couldn’t walk away. I may have been making a deal with the devil but I was going to enjoy this moment with her.

“Wanna dance?” I asked, my voice sounding more confident than I felt. She nodded.

As if the fates had a sense of humor, the second I took her hand, a slow song emerged from the club speakers. And though the lighting was dim, I noticed the flush of her cheeks and felt her hand shaking against mine. I placed her arms around my neck and, because of the small height difference between us, it brought our bodies closer together. I felt my body ache for hers and I instinctively wrapped my arms around her waist, closing the rest of the distance between us. We swayed back and forth to the pulsing music and, for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. I didn’t question anything, just enjoyed the moment.