Chapter 1

Chloe’s Point of View The moon is high in the sky tonight, casting a soft glow into my room. Usually, I love looking at the moon, but tonight it feels like it is mocking me as I lie wide-awake. I haven't slept a wink, sleep has been flitting just beyond my reach all night. I have been tossing and turning in my bed, the sheets that feel to warm are tangled around my legs. A perfect comparison to my restless thoughts. I sigh and turn onto my side again, staring away from the window and the moon. I squeeze my eyes shut, and try to force myself to drift off to sleep, but it is no use. Sleep still won't come to me. I can't seem to get my mind to quite down. My mind feels like a whirlwind, my thoughts and emotions are a tangled mess, but every thought, every emotion leads me back to one person. Tonight, as always, it is Zayde who is keeping my mind occupied. Zayde... My Alpha, my best friend’s older brother, and the boy I have loved from the moment I turned fourteen, whose presence still sends my heart racing. My mind keeps going over all of our memories. Every laugh we have shared, the way his eyes sparkle with mischief, and the way he always seemed to know when I needed comfort. All our memories make my heart flutter and ache all at once. Everything between us changed around my sixteenth birthday. I told him I loved him and, ever since, he has distanced himself from me. Every time I close my eyes, I can see him. Zayde, with his dark curly hair. His serious face, that can easily change into a sweet smile. Zayde, with his smoldering golden brown eyes, that draw you in. Zayde, with his woodsy scent of wild lavender, black pepper and a hint of rugged leather that clings to him. A scent that I would know anywhere, a scent that makes my heart race. I grab my phone from my nightstand, checking the time. 2:37 am. With a frustrated sigh, I kick the covers off and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Clearly, I won't be getting any sleep tonight. My eyes wander the room, and they catch my reading seat. Maybe reading for a bit will help quiet down my mind. The wooden floors are cold, sending a shiver up my spine, but after feeling hot in bed, tangled in my sheet, I welcome the slight chill. I quickly make my way over to my window seat and pick up my book, a dog-eared copy of a classic romance, one of my favorites, The Great Gatsby. I sit down, and snuggle in to get comfortable before I start to read. But after a while I sigh and decide to give up, as I struggle to keep my focus on the story, the words keep blurring infront of my eyes. Tonight, not even Jay's blind love for Diasy or his extravagant parties can keep my mind thoughts from going all over the place. “Ugh!” I groan frustrated, and toss the book aside. It falls with a soft thud, landing on the thick carpet infront of my window. I glance out of my window. My thoughts of Zayde continuing to swirl through my mind like an autumn leave caught in a breeze. How can I lose myself in a fictional love story when my own is hanging over me like a heavy blanket? Feeling even more restless now, I decide to go searching for Zayde. I know he battles with his own demons at night, which makes sleep rare for him as well. Maybe, just maybe, I can find him hold up somewhere and we can share a coffee and talk. Times like these are the only chances I get to be alone with him. During the day he keeps me at a distance. Avoiding me at all cost, but at night his walls come down just a little, and he allows me into his world, just for a little while. No matter how hard I try, Zayde keeps pushing me away, denying the pull that is between us. I know he feels it too. I often catch him looking at me when he thinks I don't notice. Gathering my courage, I put on a soft sweater and slip on my shoes before making my way downstairs, the old wooden floors groan softly as I try to quietly walk downstairs. I decide to check Zayde's office first, but it is empty, the only thing in there is the soft glow of moonlight. I step out, continuing my way down the stairs to see if maybe he is in the kitchen. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, I see Zayde heading to the front door. He doesn't notice me as he steps out into the cool night air and quickly makes his way over to the treeline. I watch him in silence as he takes off his clothes, placing them down in a pile on the ground, his movements are fluid, purposeful. In a heartbeat, he shifts, transforming into his majestic wolf. His wolf's silver fur shimmers faintly under the moonlight, and my heart swells at the sight. Someone shifting is a primal, amazing sight, even though I've seen it countless of times before, it still manages to mesmerizes me. Especially when I get to watch Zayde transforming into his beautiful wolf. As soon as the shift is over, the silver wolf takes off into the trees, his muscles ripples beneath his fur as he disappears into the trees and he is soon swallowed up into the darkness of the night. I shiver, not only from the cold, but from the raw power I just saw. I wait a little bit longer, letting the image of Zayde's wolf fade before moving closer to the treeline. Determination to get him to speak to me tonight rushes through me as I quickly pick up his clothes. His scent instantly fills my senses, calming some of my restlessness. I carefully fold the worn t-shirt and the faded shorts, each item holding a small piece of him. I know where he'll go at the end of his run. His sanctuary, the clearing. With his clothes neatly folded in my arms, I make my way into the woods, the way to the clearing is familiar. I walk with a purpose, driven to be near him and see him, even if he is not there yet. Finally, I reach the clearing. As usual, the clearings beauty takes my breath away. With the silver moonlight shining down, the open space feeling sacred and untouched. This is Zayde’s place, our place, even though he has never brought me here. I sit down at the bottom of a tree, a bit further down the tree line, where he won't notice me and I place his clothes down on the ground next to me. As I settle onto the soft grass, waiting for him I feel the cool earth beneath my fingertips. I pull my legs up and hug my knees to my chest, my gaze fixed on the trees as I wait for Zayde. I lean back against the trees, my head resting against the bark as I stare up at the twinkling stars. The silence surrounding me is comforting, filled only with the soft rustling of leaves and my quiet breaths. Still each passing moment that I wait feels like an eternity, until finally, I can hear the distant sound of paws on the forest floor, the rustle of leaves as Zayde runs. It doesn't take much longer before the silver wolf comes through the trees, his fur once again shimmering majestically under the moonlight. I hold my breath as I watch him. He quickly shifts back, his human form silhouetted against the moonlight, his powerful frame tight with energy. He leans against a tree before he turns his gaze up towards the stars, as if he is expecting answers from them. I continue to stare at him, my thoughts a jumbled mess. Would he ever admit to seeing me as more than just his little sister’s friend? Would he ever understand the depths of my feelings for him? Will he ever let me in? Gathering my courage, I stand up, grab his clothes and quietly make my way over to where he is standing. I take a deep breath before I softly call out his name.