•Mara's POV•

As we sit at the dinner table, Ryder next to me and Dad across from us, Mum brings in the mouthwatering smelling food and sits down, motioning for us to dig in.

As I fill my plate, dad puts down the newspaper he was reading.

"So Mara. Did you see the article in the newspaper today?" He asks, lifting up the page with the 'Monster Tiger' on it.

I stiffle a laugh and reply serious, "Yes I did."

Mum coughs, obviously to stop her from laughing.

Dad grins, "I thought that the hunters would give up trying to find the tiger, since it didn't really attack them."

I purse my lips and take more interest in my vegetarian lasagna, trying not to laugh.

My parents and I have always taken these things funny for some reason. Maybe it's because no one realises that they are standing right in front of the 'Monster Tiger' at times.

Ryder just stays silent, I think mum and dad notice too.

"So Ryder," Mum begins, "How long have you lived here for?"

He clears his throat before he begins, "All my life ma'am."

"Please, just call me Katrina. That makes me feel old." She laughs.

"Your family have never thought of moving?" Dad asks.

"Not really, we're quite comfortable here. I guess we feel somehow connected to this place." He smirks.

"That's how I hope to feel too," Mum smiles, "In a small town like this, it has a nice atmosphere."

"The forests that surround this town are very beautiful." I add.

Ryder smiles at me, "I think that's what I like most, the forests."

I drown the rest of the conversation out as I get lost in my thoughts.

Ryder just kissed me.

I look at him in the corner of my eye, laughing with my parents. I've only known him for two days and we kissed! But, I just feel this pull towards him that I can't explain, nor understand.

And boy, was that kiss something. I don't know if everyone says that about their first kiss, but I don't care. That had to be something different.

I just hope what he said was true, about me being different. I really don't want him to ditch me and watch my heart as it flys out of my chest and shatters to a million pieces on the ground.

Okay, maybe I'm overreacting.

But the scary thing is, I think I'm falling for him, after two days.

Two days!

Freaking forty-eight hours. And I haven't even talked to him for the whole time.

I get brought back by the heat that rises on the top of my knee, I look and see Ryder's hand there while he talks to my parents.

I look at him and he turns his head a little to smirk at me before going back to my parents.

Sneaky barstard.

'Two can play at that game.' Snow smirks.

'Oh yes, they can.' I grin back.

I move my hand and start lazily drawing circles on the back of his hand with my fingers. I notice him pause a little half way through his sentence.

I giggle and start working the circles onto his wrist and climbing up his arm. His grip on my knee tightens as I get even higher, still not above the table where mum and dad can see.

He suddenly slaps my knee and I let out a small gasp.

"Are you alright Mara?" Mum asks.

"Yep," I fake smile. I still feel the tingles from Ryder's hand, this time not the good ones though, "I'm fine, just banged my knee on the table." I aim my words at Ryder.

He bites his lip to restrain himself from laughing.

I can't help but think of how cute he looks by doing that.

"Thank you for the food, it was delicious." Ryder smiles.

"No problem, dear." Mum beams.

"I'm just going to get some ice for my knee." I say as I stand up and collect the plates before I take them to the kitchen.

"I'll help with them." Ryder says, standing up.

"Oh, no please. Mara has them." Mum says.

Thanks mum, Leave me all the dishes.

"I insist." Ryder says walking over to me. He pushes me to the kitchen gently with his hand on the small of my back.

When we get into the kitchen, I put the plates in the sink and run the water.

"Well, wasn't that just lovely." I sneer.

Ryder chuckles from beside me, holding a towel ready to dry the dishes.

I make the water nice and soapy so that a big mountain of bubbles floats on top.

"Oh yeah, you deserved that slap by the way." Ryder smirks.

I glare at him as I turn the tap off.

"You shouldn't of had your hand on my knee in the first place." I put my hands on my hip.

"You seemed to enjoy it." He winks.

I purse my lips and before I can think of what I'm doing, I cup a handful of bubbles and throw them at Ryder. Hitting him smack bang in his face.

I throw my hands in the air and dance around the kitchen, "Score for Mara!"

I stop when I feel something wet drip down my back.

"Agh! Ryder what did you put there!" I squeal as I try to pull out what ever he put down the back of my shirt. I grab it and pull out a soaking wet hand towel.

I glare at Ryder as he doubles over, laughing his head off.

I grab the first thing that is next to me, which happens to be the leftover jelly from dessert. I grin and tip it over his crouched position.

The jelly slips off his back, some into his hair and some onto his sides. He stops laughing and I think I heard him growl.

But I don't think about that, I just start laughing.

Next thing I know, I'm drenched from head to toe in water.

I gape at Ryder, who just smirks.

I see him holding something in his hand, when I get a better look at it, I realise it's a big pile of whipped cream he's taken off the top of the cake we had.

"Oh no you don't." I shake my head and slowly move backwards.

He just stands there smirking, and starts moving towards me. I turn around to run, but he's already captured my arm with his free hand. I wiggle to get out of his hold, ending with me losing my footing and taking Ryder to the ground too.

Ryder lifts a bit of his body off me, so that he is covering over the top of me. We just look into each others eyes and my hand lifts off the ground to touch his cheek.

He starts to lean in, coming closer and closer.

My eyes flutter closed and I wait for his soft lips to capture mine.

But instead I'm hit with a heap of whipped cream on my cheek.

I gasp and open my eyes, Ryder laughs harder when he sees my hard glare I'm giving him.

And, this happens to be the time that mum and dad walk in.

"What is going on in-" Mum starts, but stops when she sees us.

Ryder has a green stain running down the back of his grey t-shirt and I'm dripping wet with whipped cream on my face. Not only that, but we've soaked the kitchen floor and are lying in it.

I'm waiting for mum and dads big 'this is irresponsible' speech, but they take me completely off guard when they start laughing in hysterics.

Ryder and I just look at each other before we start laughing again too.

Wow, I bet this looks weird.

Ryder controls himself and gets up before helping me up too.

"Well, I better get going. Thank you for the food." Ryder smiles as he looks to mum and dad.

"No problem at all sweetie." Mum smiles.

"Hope to see you again Ryder." Dad nods.

Ryder nods to and turns to me.

"Bye Mara." He smirks.

"Goodbye Ryder." I smile.

He is about to walk out of the door when I run up to him.

"Oh Ryder!" I say as I approach him.

He turns and gives me a questioning look.

"Yes?"

I go onto my tippy toes and rest my hands on his chest, leaning in to his ear.

"Watch your back." I whisper.

I purposely graze my lips along his cheek when I pull away for more effect.

He looks completely out of it, I don't miss the lust in his eyes.

I giggle and turn around, making my way to the stairs.

"See you tomorrow Ryder." I shout before I go into my room.

He is going to pay for the whipped cream.

He has no idea who he's dealing with.

••••*••••

"Morning chicka." Mandy says as I get in the car.

"Morning." I smile.

I notice the newspaper with the article on her console.

I grab it and take a better look at it, I haven't got to read it myself yet.

My eyes lock on the words 'James Kunder'.

Where have I heard that before?

James Kunder.

James Kunder.

Kunder.

Kunder.

Ryan Kunder!

That's right. Ryan Kunder, he's this guy that I used to go to school with. We talked a few times and apparently there was a rumour that he liked me, but I don't listen to those stupid things.

He was the star sportsman of the school and he had girls begging on their knees for him, but Ryan never slept around. I guess he was too busy focusing on his grades and sports.

I'm guessing that James Kunder is his dad. I think back to when I looked at the main hunter, the newspaper says that he is the lead hunter and he obviously looked into my eyes when I was in my tiger form.

Although Ryan doesn't really look simliar to his Dad, I still see some sort of resemblance.

"One hundred thousand dollars, that's insane." Mandy interrups my thoughts.

She must of noticed me looking at the article.

"I know." I reply.

'Who knew we were worth that much?' Snow giggles.

'With a body like this? Of course we are.' I laugh back.

"If I came across it, I don't think I could kill it. Even if it was worth that much." Mandy shakes her head.

"Really?" I question.

"Yeah, I mean, it's a beautiful tiger for crying out loud. It deserves to live, it didn't even do anything." She shrugs.

I laugh, "You haven't even seen it."

"Yeah, well. My point is I wouldn't do anything to it." She replies.

"That's nice." I smile.

"I'm a nice person." She laughs.

••••*••••

I rang Mandy and Bailey last night to ask them if it's okay to take me to school early and help me with a prank I have in mind for Ryder.

"Have you got the stuff?" I ask.

"Yep, all here." Mandy smirks, holding up a bag.

We enter the school and a few nerds and try-hards are scampering around the place, they give us questioning looks when we walk past.

"So this is his locker?" I ask, pointing to the one they had told me.

"We think so." Bailey smiles.

Fortunately, his locker doesn't have a lock so I just whip it open and our estimate is confirmed when there is a big 'Ryder Jackson' written on one of his folders.

"Okay, let's get to work." I grin.

•Ryder's POV•

I pull into the motorbike bay and see Josh leaning against his bike while talking to Trent and Layla.

"Hey Ryder." They say.

I smile and nod.

We start walking to the school.

I smell Mara's scent and I can tell she's here already. As I get to my locker, I smell her scent all around it. I shrug it off and look at my locker, which has a pink sticky note on it with a loveheart.

I can sense Josh, Trent, and Layla peeking over.

I open my locker and a frown makes it way to my face when I see inside.

It's completely pink. Pink pom-poms, pink glitter, pink fabric, even all my files have been replace with pink ones.

across the locker door, written in pink lipstick, are the words:

Whipped cream's good, but the colour pink is even better xx

I slam the door shut and turn around.

Josh, Trent, and Layla and a few other students that saw are trying not to laugh. My eyes focus on an approaching Mara, Mandy, and Bailey.

As Mara passes me, she leans in and whispers in my ear.

"Payback's a bitch."

Before walking to her next class.

I scoff and shake my head.

Oh, dear Mara. You haven't seen nothing yet.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Hello!

So I was thinking the other day and I really need a cast for my story, but I have no idea who should be who.

So, if you have any ideas of people to play any characters, please comment!

Thank you heaps for reading, love you all!