KENNA

I woke up early on Sunday. My first instinct was to pick up my phone and read until my growling stomach demanded I get off the bed, but something drove me outside. It was probably Cheysa's harassment and conviction that I'm going to die alone.

Maybe today I can befriend a rock in the forest or something.

I change into a sundress, planning on shifting after weeks of staying in my human form. The Ocean Pack has endless miles of woodlawn. There's a thrill to plowing through the woods, fighting the cool wind and your burning muscles to run further. Running gives me a high like none other. The only downfall comes at the end, when my exhausted body is forced to stop, pant, and give into my mind. I sit there among the lush nature and remember that my life is bleak. I'm all alone.

My parents are far away in my home pack, and I'm here. I've always found joy getting lost in the lives of fictional characters, but books aren't enough anymore. I need more.

I take off my dress and shift into my second form, erupting into claws, fangs, and brown fur. The world seems taller, tempting me to conquer it. So I try. I run through the trees and foliage, splashing past puddles and flocks of birds. When my body reaches its limit, I shift back and slide back into my sundress. I'm panting with exhaustion, but my mind keeps running. It's running laps around Kaden.

Laughter comes from the distance. There are people here, and I realize it's because I'm nearby the grand river that runs across our territory. A dip in the river sounds great right about now. I approach it slowly, struggling to catch my breath. There are five wolves here— one in their wolf form, the other four naked. I recognize them all. Their nakedness doesn't phase me, as nudity is normal among my kind.

"Hey Kenna!" a blonde yells. I think her name is Brielle.

She's perched atop a rock, her huge breasts dripping. The damaged tissue from her botched breast surgery is barely noticeable. I did a great job at taming the infection. They look nice. All the power to her for confidently bouncing them around.

"Hey." I greet.

She stands and skips to me. When she reaches me, she wraps her arms around my left arm. I look behind me, looking for who invited her into my personal space, because it sure as hell wasn't me.

"Why don't you join us?" she offers.

"No, thanks. I have some things to do at the clinic."

She tugs my arm. "Aww guys, she's shy."

Her friends laugh as if they never heard a joke before. Wow, I've crossed two mean girls back-to-back. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.

I should go. Nothing good is brewing here. For everyone's safety, I should return to my cave. Nothing good ever happens when my crazy comes out. Since I haven't had my daily dose of smut today, I'm highly volatile.

"Come on, don't be such a downer." She pulls my arm again.

I might be a downer, but she's about to be a drowner if she doesn't get off me.

"Can you let go of me, please? I've got things to do."

"Do what? Do Alpha Kaden?" She grins. "I saw how he looked at you last night at the bar. I never thought you had it in you to take your gloves off and get dirty, doctor."

This girl is dipping her nose where it doesn't belong. I'm mighty tempted to break it. That would be okay, right? I'm a doctor, so I'm perfectly qualified to crush her face and tape it back together.

Calm down, Kenna. Contain the crazy.

"Word of warning," I begin, pulling my arm away. "It's probably not a good idea to mess with the person who has screenshots that can ruin your life."

She blinks once, twice. "What... are you talking about?"

Oh, she knows what screenshots I'm talking about. According to Chaney's gossip mill archives, preppy, Brielle sent eyebrow-raising, ticket-to-hell-securing, Chaney's-chef-kiss-scandalous texts to her step-father.

I have receipts that can make her socially bankrupt. She should have left me in my peaceful darkness, because now I'm tempted to drag her into a bad light.

"Okay... okay. I'm sorry, Kenna." She takes a step back, her once narrowed eyes now wide with trepidation.

Annoyed, I spin my heel and return to the woods. This is what I get for stepping out into the world. I should have stayed reading in bed, because unlike people, books never irritate me.