William


    "This toast is for the new guy!"


    Some guy, whose name doesn''t matter, rises to stand at the kitchen table where the entire ser tearthered. All my team members are humans, and since I''ve learned to suppress my hybrid self, I fit in quite nicely. I only wish these people would stop trying to make friends with me. I haven''t read their minds-I''ve le


    I only love and trust my family, which I left behind in Lunaris. I moved to ck Howl City because I ne


    So now, I''m dedicated to pretending I''m an average ser-ying human for a few years. The jock life Life is easy.


    my lesson. People are bastards, and I don''t need any friends.


    Or it would be if my past wasn''t back to haunt me. I lost my nanny twelve years ago in the middle of tit.


    break from everyone''s expectations. I''m supposed to step up as the alpha one day, but I just... Hate people in general. mry. Womene easy, and I live at Jock Street with two roommates who don''t mind if I st music.


    I was eight when she vanished-I''m now twenty-two, and I swear to the moon goddess, she is a studere same university. It''s like some sort of cruel joke.


    My hand shakes when I set down my cup. I''ve been in constant pain for the past few hours. And Rebec The ser team is celebrating me, happy they have a new midfielder who can score.


    I should try to keep my attention on them, smash Reba out of my school and forget her.


    My goalkeeper roommate, Chuck, raises his ss in the air, shifting his body to beam down at me. "Ne winks at them. "But you''re pretty damn good on the field. So, in true narth fashion, we officially we "WELCOME!"


    "Ey, d to have you with us, man." "Finally, someone who can score!"


    th is the source of my current weakness. I can''t focus.


    we might have called you pretty boy and teased you for only getting your position on the team for flirting with the coach-" the other guysugh, and Chuck you to the team."


    y of these f*****g idiots, but appearances are everything.


    Everyone shouts and ps their hands, and I ster on a smile. I''m not interested in making friends It needs to look like I''m having fun and gives a s**t, or these assholes won''t pass me the ball on the fi Another dude, I don''t know his name, shoots me a grin. "I got your back on the field, Howler, don''t you.... You might be the best midfielder I''ve ever seen." Another dude, I don''t know his name, shoots me a grin. "I got your back on the field, Howler, don''t you worry. You might be the best midfielder I''ve ever seen." Someone snorts. "Dude, stop flirting with him! You''re feeding his ego too much now! Howler is still new!"


    Why the f**k do they call me "Howler" instead of William? What a bunch of freaking idiots...


    "Howler isn''t new after this dinner!"


    "Exactly, Howler hardly counts as new after he brought us to victory against Lexton''s team!"


    "Fine, Howler won''t be called new until he starts losing!"


    Chuck howlsughter and points at me. "He is right, son! If you lose us a game, we will kick your a*s home to Lunaris!"


    There is moreughter, and I try not to roll my eyes. These guys are supposedly professional athletes, but it''s not water in their cups. They are getting drunk, and I''m not enjoying myself. Didn''t they say they had invited girls over? Because I rather listen to music and y pool rather than keep pretending to like this pizza. I also want to eat actual dinner...


    I''m a part vampire-I crave blood, and I had hoped to find a human victim to drink from beforepelling them to forget I used them.


    The dinner goes on, andter, when night falls, I''m standing on the balcony and looking out on the street. Girls enter through the doors, and I''m sniffing the air for potentially tasty blood.


    I scan each of them and frown at their skimpy clothes and the stars in their eyes-gold-diggers. Girls wanting to getid by athletes and possibly get into a rtionship to be a WAG.


    "Have you seen the new ser yer?" A girl asks her friend andughs dreamingly. "He looks like a jerk and acts cold, but damn... Those tattoos and his weird eyes? I love him... I want his babies." Are they talking about me? Because I sure as hell don''t want to have babies with a total stranger. How can these girls just speak openly about s**t like that? Are they drunk? Probably.


    "I know, right! He has such f**k-me eyes, doesn''t he? I believe his name is William-it sounds so royal!"


    My nostrils re, and I stare into the street instead. I expect to be met by nothing of interest, but I end up seeing Reba. Uh, okay?


    What is she doing here?


    She walks out of one of the houses on Jock Street while holding a bag of trash. Is she living with an athlete?


    Reba is limping, and I tilt my head. Come to think of it, her face looked bruised and messed up when I saw her on the field.


    She didn''t seem to remember me, making me hesitant to ask where she had gotten her injuries.


    Not that it matters. Reba Smith left me in the middle of the f*****g night, and now it turns out she hasn''t aged?


    I''m so confused.


    And angry-which I''ve been for the past twelve years.


    I never understood why Reba left my family and me behind without a note. I spent twelve years visiting a grave, thinking she was dead, and now she is taking out the trash?! HOW DARE SHE NOT REMEMBER ME?!


    My eyes narrow.


    No one on earth has ever annoyed me as much as Reba Smith.


    No one has ever made me want to tease them as much as I want to y around with Reba Smith.


    No one has ever made me resent them as much as Reba Smith.


    What is her deal anyway?


    My mother always imed Reba was a lycan. She smells like one, but the woman must have some weird power. A time-traveler? It would make sense since we are suddenly close to the same age. Actually, I might even be older than Reba. She was twenty in the past, and she hasn''t changed much...


    "For f**k''s sake... This is so weird..." I mutter under my breath. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"


    I watch Reba, transfixed, until the door opens behind me, and some drunk woman waltzes out in flip-flops.


    "There you are-the hot new guy on the team! Your teammates said you were single... So... Here I am."


    Seriously?


    I lift an eyebrow at the woman and shake my head when she walks forward on shaky, drunk legs-only to puke over the railing. Perfect.


    My nose wrinkles in disgust, and my stomach wrenches like a rag.


    I''m better off finding food elsewhere. I don''t want to drink the blood from drunk bimbos. Not tonight.