Chapter 1 Comic Book

Eryn POV The classroom is completely silent except for the continuous clicking of fingers against the keyboards. I have prepared myself for this midterm into the wee hours of the morning every night for a week. There is no way I am failing. I plan on getting a high enough score to earn a place in the Warriors Academy. I have been working my whole life for this. A laptop slams shut and it causes everyone to pause their typing. My friend, Emma, has decided she is done with the exam. It doesn't surprise me. She has never been the studious type. She kicks her feet up onto the desk in front of her and pulls a smutty comic book from her backpack. A couple of the other students chuckle to themselves before returning to their work. I let out a frustrated sigh before I return to my own exam, but Emma's constant giggles are driving me insane. I cock my head slightly to the side and glare in her direction. "Would you shut up?" I hiss through my teeth. Emma flashes me her award-winning smile and tucks her nose back into her book. I catch a glimpse of the picture on the page, and my eyes widen in shock. There is a very detailed drawing of a woman with a… a member in her mouth. Spit is sliding down her chin, and the man has his fingers tangled in her hair. "You have five minutes," Mr. Ingleton announces to the class. "Eyes on your own test." My face flushes with embarrassment, and I try to focus on the last five questions of the test. I hear Emma flip the page, and I can't help but look in her direction. This time, the woman is bent over the bed. The man is pinching her nipples with his overly large fingers, and her mouth is formed into a perfect O. I turn back to my computer and try to focus on the test but my mind is betraying me. I try to focus on the words on the screen, but they are morphing into two people having sex. Shaking the thoughts from my eyes, I try to focus on the test, but my laptop screen goes black. I didn't answer the last three questions. My score won't be perfect. I close my laptop and turn my harsh gaze to Emma. Her nose is still stuck in her comic, and she is giggling loudly. Angrily, I rip the book out of her hands and begin to flip through the pages. Instantly, the pictures fill my mind, and a deep red blush spreads across my face. I try to shove the book back in Emma's arms, but she is already halfway out the classroom door. "Emma," I shout after her. "Your book." "Keep it," she calls over her shoulder. "I was done with it anyway." At this point, I realize I am waving the book around in the air, causing a scene. I quickly tuck the book in my bag and shuffle out of the classroom with the other students. I keep my head down as I make my way through the halls. It is as if the racy comic in my bag is burning a hole in the bottom. I would die of embarrassment if anyone caught me with it. My bag is tucked safely under my arm when I hear my brother's voice from behind me. "Hey, Nerd." He ruffles my hair and tries to stick a finger in my ear. "Gross," I squeal. "Are you ever going to grow up?" "Dad wants you on the training grounds at seven tonight," Zach warns me. Zach continues down the hallway, not waiting for me to protest, but I chase after him anyway. "No way," I shout at his back. "I trained this morning. Tonight is my night off." "Not this time," Zach replies as he high-fives his best friend, Kyle. I stomp my foot in protest, and Kyle chuckles loudly. He tips my chin up with two of his fingers, and his hazel eyes swirl with that of his wolf. "You are so cute when you are flustered," he laughs. I roll my eyes at his words and slap his hand away. "Shut up, Kyle." Not waiting for a response, I storm out of the school and onto the waiting bus. While on the bus, I remember the book that is neatly tucked into my backpack, and I can't help but feel curious about the pictures that I saw on the pages. Emma is much more experienced when it comes to boys, but she also doesn't have an older brother watching over her every move. Of course, I know the ins and outs of what sex is, but what I saw on those pages was nothing practical. The bus crosses into Twilight Pack Territory and as soon as it comes to a stop, I am out of my seat and running toward my house. "Dad," I call out. "I am home." There is no response. It isn't like I expected one. As the Beta of the pack, he is always at work. I take the steps two at a time and lock myself in my bedroom. The comic is calling my name. I peek into my backpack and reach for it carefully like I am afraid it is going to bite me. The cover of the comic is a picture of a half-naked man pinning a woman up against a wall. She is in nothing but her panties and a bra. The picture stirs something within me that I have never felt before. I don't like it. Quickly, I drop the book in my wastebasket and pull a textbook from my bag. I settle on my bed to read the assigned chapters, but my eyes keep fluttering back to the comic. "Fuck it," I grumble. "Just one chapter." After retrieving the book from the wastebasket, I carefully open the cover. A giggle escapes my lips when I see the pictures inside the book. Picture after picture of naked bodies slammed together in various positions cover the pages. I find myself chewing on the edges of my fingernails while I read the story. One chapter turns into several, and I eventually lose track of time. I am focused on a particularly graphic picture of a woman tied to a bed with her hands above her head when there is a loud banging on my door. A yelp escapes from my lips as I try to find a place to hide the book. "Just a minute," I call out. Whoever is on the other side of the door jiggles my doorknob. "Eryn," my brother calls out. "Why is your door locked?" "I… uh… am naked," I stutter. "Since when do you care about that," Zach laughs. "We are werewolves. We are always nude." "Just give me a minute," I beg. "What are you doing in there, Nerd," Kyle's voice comes through the door. Of course, he is here too. "Nothing!" I snap. "Go away." Suddenly, the lock on my door clicks, and my door swings open. Zach and Kyle are standing there with smug looks on their faces. Kyle is twirling a bobby pin in his fingers. That asshole picked my lock. Both of their eyes dart to the book in my hands, and I quickly put it behind my back. "What do we have here?" Kyle taunts as he stalks his way into my bedroom. "Get out," I shout, but neither one of them has plans on leaving. "Let me see the book, and we will," Zach laughs. While Zach has my attention turned, Kyle reaches behind me and grabs the book from my hands. Instinctively, I jump on his back and try to wrestle it away. But Kyle remains unphased. He tosses the book to my brother and flips me over his shoulder onto my bed. He has my arms pinned above my head, and his body is between my legs. I am suddenly reminded of the picture in the comic and my breathing becomes labored. "Well, well, well, little sister," Zach laughs. "You have a kinky side. I am both disgusted and proud." "Shut up," I snap. Kyle's fingers run down the side of my face as I squirm to get free. "There is nothing wrong with a little kink."