His claws weighed down into my shoulder, shooting pain traveling up them as they bore his brutish weight. I was paralyzed, seized by the sight of his long fangs and the deadly snarl of his lips above it. I could see the line of his gums, black and glistening in the dim light from the porch. He was a monster. “Trent, please,” I finally managed, closing my eyes and preparing for the worst. I suddenly doubted every sense that had led me to believe that this was Trent. How in the world was this beast supposed to be my best friend? How in the world did this mangy brown coat, the tangled fur, the sinuous, canine limbs belong to a human being? Then again, what the hell was a wolf doing at a house party in Orlando… “Get off of her!” I heard someone yell viciously in our direction. It sounded like Aamir, but it also sounded distant, like it came from another world. I turned my head against the cool grass; my skin bristled against the blades, damp with sweat and tears. I was crying and I hadn’t even realized it.
