𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘧 

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╰┈˚ · ° .  JULY, THE MONTH OF SUMMER. It was common for every Quileute kid during the season to hang out at First Beach from morning to late afternoon. Swimming, surfing, playing on the shore... There were many things to do. But the tradition here in La Push, one that was practiced by our parents and grandparents before us, was jumping off a cliff and down into the cool water of the sea below us.

There was one particular spot that we all knew, the cliff had the view of the bay and by swimming we could easily reach the shore of First Beach.

Higher above where the usual spot for summer cliff jumping was, Amelia had found her safe haven. The point of her hangout spot was at the higher extremity, wind blowing hard enough to mess up the hair even on the hottest days.

And it was that place that became the pack's favorite place during the summer— much to Amelia's annoyance.

Jumping from the low ends of the cliff didn't have the same impact on the shifter anymore, that was why the spot shifted to much higher ground.

The sun–– with its hot rays shower us in warmth that I hated and loved at the same time. A soft breeze was there to cool us down— well, not the shifter since their temperature was usually almost as the one of boiling. The waves below crashed against the rocks, the sound hearable even at that high.

It was a needed break after patrolling constantly for two entire weeks.

The guys laughed loudly as they joked between them, the sound carried away with the wind. It made my lips curl into a smile. It had been rare in the last weeks— after prom— to all of us being in the place at the same time for something that did not require any talk of the supernatural world.

"Come on Sam, we are waiting." Jared laughed, shoving my brother's shoulder jokingly.

The Alpha was peering at the sea below, already down to only his swimsuit.

It was very high.

"Shut up." Sam faked his annoyance, useless since his lips formed a half smile.

"Today Sam." Paul taunted, making Jared snicker under his breath. The two shifters were already wet from the few jumps that they had already done before the rest of us met them up here. Sam was the only wolf that still had to jump.

Rolling his eyes, Sam took a couple of steps back before he jogged to the edge and jumped directly down below into the water with an elegant dive.

We all crowded at the edge of the cliff, breath caught in our throat that we let out with cheers as he resurfaced.

"Yeah!! I fucking love this cliff!" Jered hollered, in his happiness, he wrapped his girlfriend in his arms. Kim shrieked as her feet left the ground, flinching back when the water that coated the skin of the second-in-command wolf landed on her.

"Jar, let me down! You are soaking me!" The girl screeched, swatting her boyfriend away with no success.

"Never!"

"They are sickeningly cute." Mia commented, taking her eyes off from the sky and lowering her cherry red sunglasses down to the tip of her nose with her finger. "I am judging."

Snorting at my friend, I replied, "When you are not?"

"Are you ready, Flower?" Jared said as Kim almost froze in his arms, widening her eyes at her boyfriend

"Ready for what, exactly?"

The answer was a sly grin like the one of a fox as he secured his arm tightly around the earth witch, he gave one last look of mischief at Paul— who was watching the interaction with amusement— and then, with Kim, he jumped in the water, the fearful shriek of the witch echoing through the air.

"Did he-?" Mouth open in surprise I whispered to Mia.

"Yes he did."

The laugh that came from both Kim and Jared— and the stern voice of Sam that scolded the wolf— followed soon after letting us know they were both safe.

I snapped my head to the last remaining wolf. I really did not like the look that he shared with Jared before the couple jumped.

When my eyes met his, I ignored the way my heart stuttered for a second.

"Don't you dare." I warned him.

Paul passed a hand through his hair, water glistening on his caramel skin under the sun. I would have thought that he was kinda hot at that moment if I weren't so cautious of his every move.

"Dare to do what, Little Arsonist?" His grin could have been easily compared to a wolvish one.

He took a step forward making me take one back. "You know what. Don't make me burn you to a crisp."

Paul hummend under his breath, another step forward. "I think I'm going to take that risk."

My gaze landed on my best friend, "Don't look at me. He is your problem, not mine." A quick scan of the wolf from head to toe she then added, "Fortunately."

"What does that even mean?" I said in a harsher tone, "Amelia!" She just ignored me, putting her earphones into her ears and laying down to sunbathe.

"It's just you and me, Little Arsonist." Paul chuckled, stalking forward with slow steps as a predator cornering his prey.

"I swear to god-"

"Too late."

In a swift motion I was encircled by strong arms that tugged me away from the safety of the ground. Wind blew through my hair as we plumbeled down in less than a couple of seconds. Keeping my arms tight around Paul was more instinctive than anything. I could feel his heartbeat, the soft intake of air when I placed my head on his chest, his warmth surrounding me.

I was feeling safe even if the situation was nothing but safe.

Paul didn't lose his grip on me even when our bodies hit the water, not even when we emerged from the surface, lungs gasping for air.

"You fucking asshole!" I slapped his arm, eyes narrowed into slits as the wolf laughed, shaking his head and sanding the water collected in his hair fly everywhere.

"It was good, admit it." He said.

It was fantastic. But I was not going to admit that.

His cocky smirk, though, told me that he knew already.

"I hate you." I said with as much heat as I could muster— which to him, there was not much to be found these days within me.

"Sure." he mumbled back, mahogany eyes lighting up.

It was only when the others laughed around us that I became aware of our positions. On the way my nose was almost brushing against his, how my arms were wrapped around his shoulder and my legs around his waist as he pulled me to him.

"Fuck you both." I said after a second, the words directed at both Jared and Paul as I swam away from the dark silver-fur wolf.

"Yeah, fuck you both." Kim nodded vigorously, giggling through her words. "Was it necessary?"

"And why is Amelia still up there?"

"Because we already invaded her personal spot. And we are very attached to all of our limbs." Jared explained matter of factly. "We are not going to test Mia's wrath for the next few days."

"A week max." Paul agreed, fist bumping with the other guy.

"Best if we add another week to that." Sam chuckled, glancing up with a grimace at the edge of the far high cliff.

Jared then shrugged his shoulders, changing the subject. "I'm hungry now."

"When you are not?" I scoffed, starting to swim towards the shore.

"When you cook." He stated.

"Blasphemy." I gasped dramatically, "And also untrue since you eat when I cook."

"I do? Gross."

"Shut the fuck up." I slapped him behind his head. "Kim, keep your boyfriend away from me."

"No. Sam, keep your sister away from me."

"Are you two done?" The alpha asked rhetorically with a roll of his eyes, "Let's go eat, now."

══════ 🜂🜁🜃🜄 ══════

╰┈˚ · ° .  Night had fallen on the Reservation, the beaches all around la Push were lit with bonfire, and our group— like many others— had crowded around the fire.

We had chosen a space further away from the crowd of already drunken teenagers, keeping to ourselves between the edge of the beach and the beginning of the forest.

Maddison had joined us in the late afternoon after driving Bella to the hospital to clear off the last medical visit, bringing with her a surprising amount of food.

Burgers were passed between us— for once we acted as normal teenagers. That changed when the stronger drinks were brought out as the music got louder from the speakers of other groups reached even our corner.

Shifters couldn't get drunk, Maddison and us witches, though, we definitely could. Kim was the first to get intoxicated enough that with a single hiccup, colorful mushrooms, that I wasn't even sure they exist in nature, bloomed from the mix of earth and sand underneath our feet.

I was the second, and fortunately, I was in a good enough mood that opposite to incinerate everything in my path, fire figures resembling flame sprites from the mythology book that I had read the night before, appeared in the air.

"What the fuck are those now?" I snapped my head towards my brother who had been the one that had spoken.

"Flame sprites!" I exclaimed, eyes lighting up with excitement as I watched in awe the creatures of fire that sporadically appeared. "They are real!"

"Oh this is awesome." Jared snickered in amusement that I correlated to the fact that he too was thrilled of our new companions. But he was looking at me though.

"They are so cute!" Kim awed, hand reaching for one only to be slapped gentilly away from her boyfriend.

"I want one." I turned towards my brother, "Can we keep one? Please."

"Someone help me." He groaned, face buried in his hands.

"You are adorable when you are drunk, Little Arsonist." With a raspy voice deepened by the alcohol Paul talked, lip half curled into a smirk.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I dismissed him, focusing once again on the flame sprite.

"Sure." Without shame he wrapped his arm around my neck, bringing me closer to him. And for whatever reason, I didn't push him away.

"They are cute, admit it." I said, eyes locked on him. I had to tilt my head backwards, brushing the back of it against his arm to be able to have direct eye contact.

"You?"

"Them!" I exclaimed with a huff. "Come on say it!"

He laughed, sending tingles traveling down my spine. I must have been very drunk. "They are cute."

"I told you that they existed." With confidence I said to my brother.

"They do not." He said matter-of-factly. "You are drunk and created them, Trixy."

"Oh." Yeah he was right about me creating them. I could feel my magic in them. What he wasn't right about was the fact that they did not exist.

On the other side, Kim let out a shriek, flowers bloomed from the trees close to us, pink petals falling showering over us.

As much drunk as us, Maddison hollered, "Flower rain!"

Giggling at our friend, Amelia finally stood up from the deadwood she was sitting on. She twirled her hand making the falling petal spiral all around us before a small sphere of pure air floated to the fake flame spirits, joining my magic and merging until the creatures could easily play with them.

"I never saw you girls do this." Sam said, frown softening.

"It's gorgeous." Jared admitted.

A soft smile appeared on my lips as I rested my head against the arm still around me. "There is beauty in them. Protection and harm are not the only thing that our abilities are capable of."

The night passed quickly— too much for any of our liking.

But summer had just begun. Many things were bound to happen. Some sooner rather than later.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

First chapter of Act 3!!

I LOVE THIS.

I had so much fun writing this actually and hopefully it was a fun chapter for you guys to read before shit hits the fan, and trust me when I say that it will :)

First chapter down, hopefully we will see Trixy and Paul finally and officially together in this act. Who knows? (Me, I know. Actually not yet because I'm writing this author note after writing chapter 1. I still have to write the others) We will see!!

Do you like the new cover for this book? What about the new graphics?

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Thursday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾