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Disclaimer: (sigh) We don't own the WOMF series. Credit goes to MS.

BROOKE

I don't know how long I was asleep before I woke up.

Sunlight shone through the clear window, which obviously meant that I'd at least slept the whole night. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, marveling at the soft touch of the comforter and sheets, at the warmth and peace it brought me. I hadn't felt the gentleness of a bed in a long time.

My nostrils suddenly flared, catching the rich deep scents of eggs, bacon, fruit, and sausages. I leapt from the mattress and winced as my muscles groaned in protest. I was still sore.

I sluggishly plodded out into the kitchen, where Will's mother, a pretty lady with long honey blond hair and hazel eyes, was cooking food.

"Hello, dear," she said, smiling politely at me. I could see she was wary, as if she thought me to be an animal. I stifled a giggle; she couldn't be too far off if she figured that much.

"Hi, Mrs.-"

"Summerstein, love. Will didn't tell you our surname?"

"No, ma'am. Thanks for letting me stay and all. It's extremely generous of you."

"Not a problem."

I watched as she scraped scrambled eggs out of a frying pan and onto a platter, doing the same to the breakfast meats. It took all of my self-control to not jump forward and snatch it away like I was in a prison.

"If I may, Brooke-" Mrs. Summerstein averted her eyes from me and I could sense her nerves. "What happened that made you so-so hurt?"

I licked my dry lips. "I was running through the forest and, um, a bunch of branches scratched at my skin. Then, I tripped and fell right next to this really icky deer carcass that was still all bloody and, oh Lord, it was drenched in blood. It was pooling all around it and then I slipped in it and that's how I got blood that wasn't mine."

"Oh. That's-" Mrs. Summerstein was looking green.

"I know, it's awful disgusting. I'm sorry, I just had to explain."

"Of course, Brooke. Do you want anything to eat?"

"Yes, please!"

I piled food onto a plate, grabbed a fork, and sat down, trying not to inhale the heavenly substances in front of me. Mrs. Summerstein poured me a glass of orange juice and set it down beside me. I crammed eggs into my mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

"Is it good, love?"

"Yup. You're a fantastic cook, Mrs. Summerstein."

She glowed at my genuine praise. "Why, thank you!"

Will came downstairs, hair rumpled and eyes sleepy. I laughed at his dopey expression.

"Save me some!" He charged over and began loading his plate.

"Now you're awake," I teased.

"Hey! I was tired." His expression suddenly grew serious. "Can you come here for a sec?"

I nodded, wondering what he wanted. He led me away from his mother and dropped his voice to a whisper. "You're a wolf."

I felt goose-bumps rise on my skin. "Yeah. You saw me shift last night?"

"Yes. Don't worry, I won't say a word. But how did you get that way?"

"They bit me. I was wandering around in the forest, and they grabbed me, tearing at my skin and pulling me down. They-they were hungry." I shuddered at the memory. "They were starving."

He raised a hand. "Don't say anything else. That's…grossing me out."

I sighed. "It's hard to understand, I know." I gripped his arm. "But if you tell anyone, they will hunt those wolves. The wolves are humans stuck in a dog's body. Their minds are turned over to the wild and they don't get what they're doing. Please, Will. That's my family!"

"I won't. Promise."

"God, I hope so."

Mrs. Summerstein cleared her throat awkwardly, and I jumped away from him.

"I'll be out of the house for about two hours today." Her eyes said, if you two try anything, you're dead. "Can I trust you?"

"Of course, Mrs. Summerstein." I spoke before Will could. "I'm still feeling bad, anyway. I'll be sleeping for most of the day."

That assured her. "OK."

Twenty minutes later, she reluctantly left. Mr. Summerstein was out all day in Mercy Falls, another town in Minnesota, for a business meeting. I turned to Will. The house was strangely open and felt much bigger with the two of us alone.

"Well," Will said softly. "Are you…all right?"

"Yes."

I stood there for a moment, and then started to head into the guest room. "I'll be-"
Will's hand clamped over mine and he spun back to face him. The breath whirled out of my lungs, and I swallowed hard. His black eyes were lit with some kind of passionate flame.

"Can you play any music?"

"Um…yeah. Mostly piano and drums. A little bit of guitar. I don't sing, but I write songs."

"Play."

"You don't have anything that I play!"

"Wanna bet?"

He led me into his basement, where an old drum set, keyboard, and acoustic guitar sat with all of their extra equipment. I lit up like a light-bulb.

"Oh, my God! This is amazing, Will. Where did it come from?"

"My dad was an old indie rock geek. Just don't tell him I said so."

I limped over to the drum set and sat down, plucking up the dusty drumsticks and tapping out a beat. I be-bopped my head back and forth, laughing as I got back into the rhythm.

"You're pretty good." Will's eyes warmed.

"Duh. I took this for eight years!"

He picked up the guitar and picked at the strings. "Let's become a band!"

"We'll be like your dad," I mocked him. "Indie rock geeks."

"'Course. We'll be the best rock band ever."

"We'll write the songs together."

"And you'll play the drums. And piano."

"How'll we space them out?"

"Some of our songs won't have drums or piano in 'em."

"What if we want both?"

"Simple." Will brandished his hands dramatically. "We bring my dad down here. I'm sure we can revive the old indie rocker in him!"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"And you can sing our songs, Will."

He looked at me softly. "You can too."

"You're much better."

"You're just as good."

I snorted. "Please."

He laughed. "Put some confidence in yourself."

I narrowed my eyes at him teasingly. "Give me that guitar."

"What?"

"I said, give me the stupid guitar!"

I trudged diligently over to him and snatched it from him, sitting down on a stool in the corner. I thanked my lucky stars it was heated down here; I could only imagine what would happen if I shifted.

I began strumming, trying to draw upon the few guitar lessons I'd had. My fingers ran lightly up and down the neck, pressing out different chords.

"Here." Will leaned down, his wavy dirty blond hair falling in his coal eyes. His hands brushed at mine, guiding them to the correct places on the instrument. Nerves hopped in my stomach again.

His body was pressed against mine as he helped me out. I swallowed, hearing the sweet music flowing up and filling the barren room.

"Beautiful," I murmured.

I tipped my head back to look at him. I was startled to see the intensity on his face.

Very slowly he leaned down and touched his lips to mine. The fear swelled in my body, and at the same time I felt a sense of serenity and peace that I'd never felt before.

WILL

When I kissed Brooke, I hadn't known it would happen.

I'd thought we'd just hang out. It wasn't planned.

But when I did…my senses opened up. I could smell the snow and sprouts of spring outside, the soft dust motes. I could taste the fruit I'd eaten earlier, and the orange juice Brooke had drunk for breakfast. I could hear the delicate winds that whispered over the grass, and the paw steps of the wolf in our backyard…

Wait.

Brooke snapped away from me too, and her nostrils flared. She inhaled deeply.

"Kylie!" she exclaimed joyously.

She took my hand and led me out of the basement and up to the back door. A sleek silver wolf-the one from the forest when Brooke had first shifted in front of me-stood there.

And then it fell, shaking and trembling. Lips curled back in agony, eyes wide, claws extended.

And then it was Kylie Max.

Brooke shrieked and unlocked the door, hobbling out and helping her weakened friend to her feet.

"Will," she told me urgently. "Get her some clothes."

I did as she asked, and soon Kylie was covered in a white t-shirt, light purple hoodie, jeans, and woolen socks.

Kylie and Brooke were rapidly chattering like chipmunks. All the while I had my arm around Brooke's neck, and hers was around my waist.

Kylie's eyes at last fell on me. "Who's this?"

"Will Summerstein." I introduced myself. "Glad to meet you."

"I see the googly eyes, so don't worry lovebirds." Her gaze came level with Brooke's. "You've gotta meet Colin."

Well, okay then. Now enters more drama!

Cheers,
Kylie Max