Awa sat in the familiar waiting room of Quinn International Estates, the sleek, modern furniture doing little to ease her growing anxiety. Her heart raced as she stared at the glossy white walls and stylish decor, her fingers tapping nervously on the armrest of her chair. The hum of low conversations filled the air, but her mind was elsewhere.
The last time she had been here, Kelsey's presence had filled her with dread. Now, though, she was sitting here for a different reason. Today, she wanted answers, and more importantly, she wanted to see Forrest. A peculiar combination of excitement and nervousness coursed through her, twisting her stomach into tight knots.
Forrest Quinn.
It was with him that everything had started. That strange pull, that undeniable attraction, it all began the moment he got too close to her. She had to know what it all meant. Why was she so drawn to him? Was it just animalistic instinct, like the way she had been with Kelsey? Or was there something deeper—something more dangerous—lurking beneath the surface?
Her thoughts drifted to the other werewolves she had encountered. Kelsey's scent had triggered something primal inside her, a hunger that she still didn't fully understand. What about Forrest? Would he smell just as intoxicating? The idea thrilled her more than she wanted to admit.
But there was another layer to her anxiety. Tina.
Forrest was dating her sister. The guilt gnawed at Awa as she thought about it. She couldn't shake the feeling that this attraction, this unspoken tension between her and Forrest, was wrong. But at the same time, she couldn't deny it. She needed to know why she felt this way, why everything in her body reacted to him the way it did.
Just as Awa was spiraling deeper into her thoughts, Keira's voice broke through. "Hey, you okay? You look like you're about to either puke or sprint out of here."
Awa blinked and turned to face her friend, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... nervous about the meeting."
Keira gave her a knowing look, her eyebrow arched. "Uh-huh. Sure."
Before Awa could respond, the office door opened, and Mark stepped out, waving them in. "Alright, let's do this," he said, sounding chipper as usual. He had no idea how tense Awa was feeling on the inside.
The three of them followed Mark into the conference room, where the meeting with Quinn International Estates was set to take place. Awa tried to calm herself down, focusing on the task at hand. They were here to present the latest numbers for their radio show and discuss potential future collaborations.
The meeting went smoothly. Mark and Keira presented their reports, and Awa chimed in when needed. They reviewed listener engagement, advertising metrics, and proposed new marketing strategies for the next quarter. The executives from Quinn International Estates nodded along, agreeing with most of the points. Everything was falling into place.
After an hour of discussion, the meeting came to a close, and one of the Quinn representatives smiled warmly at Awa. "Would you like to join us for lunch in the canteen? We've got a great menu today."
Awa hesitated for a split second but forced herself to accept the offer. "That sounds great. Thank you."
As they walked toward the company canteen, Awa's nerves returned in full force. This was it. She was going to see Forrest again. The anticipation made her heart race, her palms sweat. What if he ignored her? What if the strange tension between them was all in her head?
Entering the canteen, they were greeted by the smell of fresh food, and Awa's eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of Forrest. And then, she spotted them—Tina, sitting at a table with her team of five people. Forrest was among them.
He looked as composed as ever, his broad shoulders and serious expression making him stand out even in his plain office attire. But as Awa's gaze met his, her heart skipped a beat. Forrest didn't acknowledge her, didn't even glance in her direction. It was as if she didn't exist, as if he hadn't almost drowned her just days ago.
Seriously? Awa thought, feeling a spark of anger flicker inside her. He wasn't just ignoring her, he was acting like nothing had ever happened.
They all sat down at nearby tables, Awa trying her best to focus on the conversations happening around her, but her attention kept drifting to Forrest. He was sitting just across from her, so close yet so distant. Her anger simmered beneath the surface.
I can't let him get away with this, she thought.
Without thinking too much about it, Awa leaned back slightly and stretched her leg under the table. She aimed a well-timed kick at his shin, hoping to rattle him—just a little payback for pretending she didn't exist.
But instead of hitting his leg, her foot landed on something... softer.
Suddenly, Forrest gasped loudly, his face turning beet red, and he doubled over in pain, clutching the edge of the table for support. His breath came in shallow, ragged bursts, his face contorted in agony.
Awa blinked, completely taken aback by his reaction. What the hell just happened? She hadn't kicked him that hard, had she?
The entire table fell silent, all eyes on Forrest as he struggled to compose himself, but it was no use. He was in obvious pain, and his face was flushed red, his jaw clenched tight.
Tina, who was sitting next to him, looked concerned. "Forrest, are you okay? What's wrong?" She reached out to touch his arm, but he couldn't respond—his face was still twisted in silent agony.
Keira, sitting next to Awa, leaned over and whispered, "What did you do? Did you kick him?"
Awa's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her. Oh my God. She hadn't just kicked his leg. She had kicked him right in the balls.
Panic surged through her. Shit. He's a werewolf, and I just kicked him in the most sensitive spot. She had no idea how much pain that would cause, but judging by Forrest's reaction, it was a lot.
Forrest was still gasping, his hands clutching his midsection, his entire body rigid with pain. He looked like he was fighting to breathe, his chest rising and falling erratically. A few of the people around the table began whispering, trying to figure out what had happened, but Forrest couldn't even speak to explain.
Awa quickly stood up, her face flushing with embarrassment and fear. She couldn't stay there—not with everyone looking at her, not with Forrest struggling to catch his breath. She needed to get away before he could recover and figure out what had happened.
"I—uh, I think I'll grab some more water," Awa mumbled quickly, excusing herself from the table. She hurriedly moved to the far end of the canteen, trying to put as much distance between herself and Forrest as possible.
As she walked, her mind raced. I can't believe I just did that. I kicked a werewolf in the balls. Of all the things she could have done, that was probably the most reckless. But still... it was interesting to note that werewolves had the same weakness as human men in that area.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced back at the table, where Forrest was still slumped over, trying to regain his composure. A small part of her felt guilty for causing him so much pain, but another part of her—the part that was still angry about how he had ignored her—found it hard not to smirk.
I'll stay here, she decided. Where there are lots of people. That way, she could avoid any potential werewolf-related revenge. She wasn't sure how long it would take him to recover, but she wasn't going to risk sticking around to find out.
As she stood by the water cooler, Awa couldn't help but chuckle to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. Who would have thought that a simple kick would cause so much chaos? But still, she knew she couldn't let her guard down. Forrest was a werewolf, and she had no idea what kind of strength or power he might have, especially when provoked.
Interesting, she thought to herself. Even werewolves have a soft spot.