And the flower started to burn

It's petals stretched into ash

The mind starts to learn

And change happens in a flash.

ANTHESIS (an·the·sis) (anˈTHēsis/ noun)

        1. the flowering period of a plant, from the opening of the flower bud.

        2.the time when a flower becomes sexually functional

Korali's Pov. (Core-uh-lye) (Coral-eye)

I was walking down the street on my way to college like I've always done. I wasn't expecting much because this is my boring life. Besides, everything happens for a reason and I couldn’t control the way life worked.

Life was like a flower; you're born, you bloom, you die. That was the cycle, and all we could do is flow with it.

I looked to my left when I heard a high pitch squeal. Nicole Andersen was waving her pale manicured hand in the air as her friends finally noticed her. I could hear their entire conversation because of my highly sensed ears.

"Yes, my mate! His name is Turner and he is to die for! You all are totally jealous of me." I zoned them out right after that too. I could care less about forcibly meeting my mate like all the other she-wolves around here. I know that when I do meet him, that's just it, it will be the time God thought we were meant to meet. I wasn't going to rush him out of that playboy style that all the male wolves seem to go through after puberty hits them.

I tried not to think too deeply about what my mate would be like. Because that would only set up expectations that he might be the complete opposite of. For all I know we could be a complete juxtaposition. One thing I could only hope was that he was ready for me.

I kept walking blissfully ignoring her babble to her friends.

The age for werewolves to find their mates was 18, and I was now 20; so it’s been a while for me especially since most of the weres in my pack were on their ‘time of travel’—a certain amount of time our school gives wolves off to go find their mates in other packs across the world. But I wasn’t going to force anything. If I was going to meet him, he would show up.

I lived in a town in California where half the population was werewolves, and it was so close to a major city that it kept us active enough to where no one really paid any mind to the differences—although they weren’t noticeable to plain eye.

I was looking for my best friend Kaliko, who was running late from her chemistry class. She was becoming a biochemical engineer—the little brainiac. Her long flowing dark hair fluttered around her as she ran to where I was.

“Did you hear?”

“What? About Nicole and some guy named Turner?” My response was drier than she would have liked, she being the ultimate drama queen.

“Well, aren’t you just the unromantic Debby-Downer?” She made a face and frowned at me. Kaliko had a flower crown made of Plumerias and she was wearing a simple white summer dress. Kaliko was a native Hawaiian, her name meaning ‘Beautiful Bud’. Although modernized, she stuck to many of her traditions.

The sun was out and it was a nice bright yellow, the clouds running by like bunnies across a blue garden. There was a peaceful chatter amongst the youth at the college and I could even hear a nearby stream flowing soundly.

“So do you want to go for a run later then, since you obviously don’t want to talk about mates?” She sighed dreamily, as if I was wrecking a talk that was supposed to happen.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a nearby bench, rolling my eyes I started to tell her that she could talk about mates but already sensing where my thoughts were going she spoke.

“Well as you know Nicole met her mate today, his name is Turner Nickels and he’s in my math class. He’s a little taller than her—so not tall at all. He’s an unconventional cute I guess, and he’s a warrior.”

“Is he in our pack?” Our pack was very big so not knowing someone was very common our town wasn’t that small—even if it wasn’t huge.

“Yeah, I think he’s a warrior’s son or something. Anyway, I can’t wait to meet my mate. I know he’s got to be cute.”

“Yeah well I’m starting to think I’ll never meet mine, and I’m not really tripping over the fact.”

“Shh! That’s kapu (Hawaiian: taboo; forbidden)! You’ll find him, and when you do you’ll be lovey-dovey and happy and he’ll slobber you in affection.” She leaned over and wrapped her arms around me looking into the clouds as if they would somehow act as a divination and display my future.

“That was a terrible way to explain it. Now get off me,” I laughed pushing out of her embrace. Though I doubted it, I knew she was right. My wolf has been very restless for the past week and a half, practically forcing me to go for runs in the middle of night even when I didn’t want to.

She was in some way whispering soon. It was a hushed murmur that I've been hearing for so long at this point it was annoying. 

Truthfully, as much as I tried to remain neutral on how I wanted my mate to be, I was a sometimes typical. I've had some thoughts on the topic. I've even had dreams, but those were relatively new. I could see his face, but then again I couldn't. It was like who he was, was only for my wolf's benefit at this time.

Although the susurrus of my wolf was becoming annoying, I could live with it because I wasn’t going to rush fate.

***

You have to keep up Kor!

Kaliko was having me run a full course to gain more agility and strength but in all honesty I wasn’t into it.

Even though we were out on a run right now, my wolf was bugging me. I had no idea what she wanted but I felt like I was moving in the wrong direction or that I needed to slow down.

The forest was its usual green color even though it was becoming late fall and the forest creatures were maneuvering in full effect not applicable to the time of day. It was about 6 o'clock and getting later in the day causing the sun to start to set. The sky was blanketed in pink-ish yellow hues and even had traces of some oranges and silhouettes of blue.

A dark brown wolf with light brown tipped paws trotted towards me, a sneer on her face. I rolled my eyes as she sat by me and openly glared.

What's the holdup Kor? What if you get an Alpha as a mate? You'll need this training. Suddenly our mind-linking ability was serving as an annoyance to me.

God wouldn't be so cruel as to put me with an Alpha. But I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right about that direction. I replied feeling really uneasy, being overwhelmed to the point where I felt I needed to throw up. Whatever was coming reeked in dominance and it was hitting me in waves--they were coming fast.

On second thought, let's go home. I don't feel too good. Plus the woods is no different than the real world, two young unmated females alone in a public place when its getting dark, isn't smart. I knew I was running from the feeling, but I didn't like how uncomfortable it made me; how vulnerable.

She quickly agreed with after the last comment and we started running north towards our dorms. When the lining of the forest broke and our campus was coming into view Kaliko and I dashed behind a couple of bushes quickly changed and were making our way back up onto our hall.

"Did you feel that back there?" Kaliko asked her face forming into a frown. She brushed a couple stray pieces of hair behind her ear and fumbled with the key before opening the door.

I played stupid even though I felt it loud and clear. "Felt what?" I shuffled inside placing my shoes at the door and walking into the living room section of our apartment-styled dorm.

“Korali, I can tell when you’re lying remember? We've been best friends since Kindergarden. You felt that strong aura back there? Like an Alpha was near us—almost like he was running toward our direction? Were you scared?”

My eyes narrowed and I pulled my hair to the front tying it in bun before answering my friend who was lounging on the couch by now.

“No, I’m not scared of an Alpha. But I was worried on what he’d be doing in our land seeing as it didn’t feel like our Alpha.”

She popped her head over the top of the sofa and her eyebrows crunched down in concern. “We can’t feel if an Alpha is our Alpha Kor. We can only see or smell them. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I snipped hoping down from the kitchen counter and heading to my room. “I’m going to sleep, I’ll catch ya later.”

“Night!” I knew she knew that something was up, but she was going to let me have some time to myself.

I tried to lay down and sleep and I accomplished that for a couple of hours but that same overwhelming feeling took over my wolf again in the middle of the night and she was practically screaming for me to get out of bed and go to the forest—which I refused to do.

I squirmed so hard to not let my wolf take over that I fell right out of my bed. Momentarily disoriented I panted breaths not understanding what was going on. I wasn’t sweating but somehow I felt like I had just run a marathon.

I’ve learned a lot about mating and what happens when a wolf meets theirs and none of this was every said. I was always told that it would be a force of nature when you are in the same area, you could sense them, smell them, and actually see them.

“Korali?” I heard Kaliko’s voice call from behind the door. She opened it when she got no answer and raised her eyebrow at my body lying on the floor. “You sure don’t seem alright.”

I wasn’t. Something was definitely wrong but I wasn’t going to worry her. Kaliko was also known for being a worry-wart, that and a drama queen was not a good mix.

She helped me into the bed and felt my head saying something about a ‘fever’ but I blanked out and went to sleep again.

I woke up the next day feeling completely normal, as if last night didn’t happen. Kaliko didn’t bug me on it although I could tell she was curious mixed with worry. She busied herself in the kitchen by fixing us breakfast and smoothies.

It was about 8 am and our earliest class was English and I was looking frumpy as I usually did in the morning because I didn’t really care to fix myself up. Although I felt normal at the start of the morning, the exhaustion quickly caught up with me. Apparently I didn’t look as good as I felt.

I had dark bags under my eyes and my lips were super chapped. I didn’t have the time to do anything with my hair so I merely pulled it to a bun at the top of my head.

Kaliko begged me to stay home and rest because she could obviously see that I didn’t look too well, but I promised her I was fine because if I didn’t get outside my wolf would have an epidemic and cause another one of those episodes and I didn’t want to feel that ever again.

The overwhelming feeling hit me again and knocked me off my feet. My hands were firmly planted in front  Kaliko was quickly at my side trying to see if I was okay, but my wolf suddenly took control and forced my head up to look across the schoolyard.

There he was standing across the field my University had, flanked by two other guys. His figure was large and intimidating and his hair was placed shaggily over his head. His black tee hugged him perfectly showing that he was well built but no overly so. 

It was a face I would never forget and a set of green eyes that would loom over the rest of my days. I didn’t know if that would be a good thing or not, but by the look on his face for him it wasn’t.

THIS WILL BE WRITTEN AFTER THE BUSINESSMAN's SURROGATE! But, I wanted at least a teaser chapter up first. What do you think? Do you like it? COMMENT, VOTE, SHARE!