Lowena stood there panting, her damp chest glistening in the moonlight from the run. She ran the entire way back to the house. For some reason, it felt freeing; it calmed her and relaxed her mind.
"There you are," Cade beamed upon approaching. He held a full plate of food within his grasp. " Are you hungry? I made you some dinner."
"You made this for me?" Lowena questioned, "Why?"
"Do I need a reason?" he debated.
"Sorry," she apologized, "I'm not sure why I'm so aggravated."
"Probably hungry." he gestured to a plate of the biggest T-bone steak Lowena had ever seen, along with a hefty size of mashed potatoes smothered in thick beef gravy.
Lowena took the plate with a smile. "Thank you."
"Come on," Cade smiled, guiding her to a massive stone gazebo in the backyard.
"Wow," Lowena gasped.
The gazebo was more significant than most, almost the size of a bedroom. A wide stone bench was connected to the wall, and a fireplace with a roaring fire inside was on the opposite side. The cold wind was cooling her down quicker than she had anticipated. The less angry she was, the colder she seemed to grow. Cade took her plate and helped her onto the thick fur rug covering the stone bench.
"This is surprisingly comfortable," Lowena commented.
"The wolf fur helps," he agreed.
The juicy red meat made Lowena's mouth excessively salivate, and hunger set in. Instead of cutting into it, she picked it up in her right hand and took a huge bite. The grease and fat made it that much more enjoyable. She opened her eyes, Cade looking in awe at the sight of her.
"Wow," Cade commented. "Hungry?"
Lowena felt her cheeks flush red with embarrassment. She gestured the steak to his lips, and he took a bite. They stopped moving and looked at one another. Cade's eyes were blue like glistening sapphires, so beautifully breathtaking. His emerald-green eyes lit up in the moonlight, paling her skin to make her look like a ghost.
"Do you know how beautiful you are?" Cade asked.
Lowena swallowed a mouthful of meat, dropping her head.
"You don't have to be shy around me," he reassured.
"Why not?" Lowena questioned.
"Exactly, why not?" Kieran repeated, standing in the doorway.
Both Lowena and Cade looked at Kieran.
"What were you going to say?" Kieran smugly asked while walking toward Cade.
Lowena swore she saw Kieran's eyes grow red, Cades, and even more intense blue. This couldn't be real. Lowena stood, backing away in fear, which Cade and Kieran detected. They both turned, their eyes glowing their respective colors.
"Lowena, what's wrong?" Cade asked.
"I'm her alpha!" Kieran growled, his voice deeper and animalistic.
"Please, you love Cara," Cade argued.
Lowena bolted from the stone gazebo and into the house. She wasn't sure how she got to her room so quickly, but she was grateful when she did. It made her feel safe. Crouching near the fireplace, she felt an aching pain growing in her chest. The pain grew more and more unbearable.
"Ahh!" she cried in pain.
"Lowena?!" Kieran hollered and barged into Lowena's room.
"Ahh!" she cried, tears of pain streaming down her cheeks.
It felt like her bones were breaking in on themselves, but soon, the pain eased, her body trembling in shock, dripping sweat.
"Lowena!" Eli shouted as he ran to the scene, "Are you alright?"
"I-I don't know, what's happening to me?" she whimpered.
"Shh, the full moon is coming, and your birthday is less than that," Eli sighed. We'll have a celebration tomorrow for all Lycans, vampires, elves, fairies, and witches alike. When your change happens, it must be celebrated both before and after."
Lowena's head was swirling in dizziness from the pain her body had just endured.
"You're all crazy," she croaked before falling over onto the fur rug in front of the fireplace.