1

Aria Spring;

Completely overwhelmed, I turned around in my room several times because I was looking for my keys, which I simply couldn't find.

"What a damn-!"

"Aria!" I heard Gloria call out from the kitchen and I was already rolling my eyes in frustration. I knew exactly what she wanted to say. "We don't curse"

"Sorry!", I called her towards the kitchen and could hardly believe my luck when I suddenly discovered my key in the chaos in front of me.

Yes, I was anything but tidy, and yet I always found my way around the system I had created myself. The system was very simple... there was none!

I quickly grabbed my key, then grabbed my brown backpack and casually slung it over my shoulder to run quickly into the kitchen.

"You're going to be late on your first day," Gloria admonished, raising an eyebrow, and handing me a cup of chamomile tea while I nervously chewed my bottom lip.

"No, I'll manage," I replied sheepishly and hurriedly emptied the cup while she stepped next to me and fiddled with my black, loose hair.

"Gloria!" I spoke to her slightly irritated and looked deep into her brown, warm eyes to briefly examine her short gray hair.

"It's okay," she smiled and luckily let go of me again. She really was the complete opposite of me and that's exactly why we got into each other's wool so often.

She, the woman who cared more about order than anything else, and I, the girl who was left outside her house...

She certainly had me to thank for her gray hair, after all, I often drove her to the brink of madness.

First my tongue piercing, after three weeks she probably only spoke to me about the most necessary things...

Then my driver's license for a scooter, after which she would wait nervously on the porch whenever I was late again...

And now my job, which was basically taking care of the animals in the wildlife park...

Yes, she definitely had me to thank for her gray hair...

"Please take care of yourself," she tore me out of my thoughts with her warm voice and kissed me on my forehead, after which I looked at her encouragingly and nodded in agreement.

"I always do."

I left the house, ran to my cute red scooter, and put on my helmet before I drove off and enjoyed the sun today.

As we drove, the thought came back to me that maybe I should just tell her what I was. If she knew I was a wolf, I'm sure she wouldn't worry anymore...

After all, my wounds healed faster than humans and even the biggest bear in the wildlife park couldn't have harmed me at all...

But I couldn't tell her because I didn't want to put her in danger and so I was completely alone with my secret.

When I finally arrived on the outskirts of our small town, I already saw Pasqua's Mercedes in the parking lot... my dream man and still unreachable...

I got off my scooter, pulled the helmet off my head, and tried to somehow fix my messy hair before I ran towards his car with sweaty hands and a good beating heart.

"Well," he greeted me and got out of the car at the same time and I literally felt the heat find its way into my cheeks.

"Hey," I replied shyly, biting back a shake of my head at my stupid way of dealing with him.

After all, in the summer when I had my period I often had to deal with strange wolves and put them in their place. In addition, I had already killed several vampires who had dared to venture too far into my territory, but with Pasqua, I was like a little girl who couldn't get out a decent sentence anymore...

Those beautiful blue eyes, the blond hair lying to one side, and he always wore those nice shirts that he always tucked neatly into his jeans.

"Aria?" he suddenly spoke to me louder and only then did I notice how close he was suddenly standing in front of me and eyeing me with irritation. "Are you doing well?"

Shit! I could almost feel myself drooling on him and quickly ran the sleeve of my dark denim jacket over my lips as he watched in amusement.

If only he looked at me like the other girls... But he looked at me like Aria... Aria, his best buddy...

Fuck!

"Can we then?"

I nodded to him and although it would probably never be more than a friendship between us, I was really happy not to have to worry about the wildlife park alone.

"Here you are at last," Robert, who was in charge here, greeted us and handed us both green vests that looked anything but fashionable. "We're only taking care of the inner part of the park today. We can't go into the forest until next week."

"Why?" Pasqua wanted to know immediately and my eyes locked on his for a moment until I pulled myself together and laid my denim jacket on a bench behind me.

"Because of the wolves. We saw some tonight and I certainly won't put you in danger on your first day."

Completely irritated by his statement, I paused for a moment and stuck my nose upwind, but there wasn't even the slightest pinch of other wolves in the air. That could hardly be possible.

"What are you doing there?" Pasqua whispered sideways into my ear and I immediately stopped sniffing and looked at him with hunched shoulders.

"Enjoy the fresh breeze."

He didn't seem to care and Robert also turned his back on us, while we then put on the vests and followed him through a large gate that seemed almost inconspicuous between the high wooden fence.

And then I smiled happily.

Far and wide only meadows, forests, and the beguiling scent of freedom! How many times have I run around here at night as a she-wolf, having fun annoying the night watch here. I loved it!

Robert and Pasqua, we then walked further ahead down the meadow and I let my gaze wander over to the forest while the wind blew hard through my hair ...

But then, all of a sudden, the smile vanished from my face as, completely unexpectedly, I was blown into my subconscious by a smell that made everything inside me yelp...

"Crap!"