Chapter 1: Blood and Pain PT 1
Sasha’s POV:
I cannot fathom what is going on, but here I am in the middle of the woods with my back against a tree, and my leg feels like it’s on fire. I have blood pooling around me that feels like ice. I am staring at an abnormally large wolf, like none I have ever seen before. Its eyes are golden amber, and they look as if they are questioning all things, just as I am.
How did I get here? Well, let me start from the beginning.
My name is Sasha Antonov. I just turned nineteen last month, and I live with my roommate, Aiden. I was orphaned at seven and was bounced around from home to home until I turned eighteen. Aiden was kicked out of his home at sixteen when he told his parents he was gay. He is twenty-one now and has not seen them since. One of the homes I lived in told me Aiden was looking for a roommate. I figured it would work out since I prefer women. Yep, I am a lesbian.
Aiden tells me all the time how cute I am but that I have no fashion sense. I am of average height for a girl, at five foot four inches. My hair is a little longer than shoulder length, very thick, and a dark auburn. I have bright green eyes, with specks of light brown. I am a little curvier than most girls, which is probably why I have no fashion sense. I like to wear baggy sweaters and leggings to hide all my “delicious” curves. Or at least that is what Aiden says they are.
I do not see it. I have always thought that I could afford to lose a few pounds. I am not fat by any means; I just think I would be cuter with a few less pounds. I do not let that thought rule my life anymore, but if I am thinking about going on a date, it definitely runs through my mind. Aiden is the total opposite of me. He is really tall and thin. He also has platinum blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. However, we are both pretty muscular. Our looks are the only thing that sets us apart; other than that, we have very similar interests.
I love working out with him at the gym, hence, the muscular build. It doesn’t matter if I work out multiple times a week; I stay at my current form. It can be frustrating, but I let it go most days. We both love to read. He likes to read more historical books, whereas I love supernatural books. We appreciate anything to do outside: hiking, camping, horseback riding, etc. I like to take pictures but never thought of myself as a photographer.
I am a librarian at our local library and consider myself to be above-average intelligence. Sometimes Aiden tells me to stop talking because I tend to talk over his head sometimes. I can hide there, and nobody pays much attention to the librarian wearing baggy clothes. I work on computer coding as a side hustle during my downtime at the library. I get a great internet connection, and the speed allows me to work on coding without interruptions.
We live in Conway, New Hampshire. Conway has a smaller populace but an abundance of forests surrounding our little town. We live about ten minutes from the library in a small loft on the third floor of a refurbished factory. The library is about five minutes from the conservation center in Albany. I go there after work so that I can hike around the center.
Today was no different. Or so I thought…
I got up at seven in the morning and jumped in the shower. By the time I got out and got dressed, Aiden had breakfast ready for us. I wore my Victoria Secret Pink leggings in black and a second-hand baggy gray sweater from the thrift shop. The little bit of makeup that I wear includes some black mascara and a minimal foundation. Aiden had made us eggs and bacon. I grabbed a glass of OJ before sitting down to eat.
“You should wear some tighter clothes, Sasha,” Aiden told me while shoveling food into his mouth. Ugh, I hate it when he talks with food in his mouth. “Number one, do not talk with food in your mouth. Number two, I like what I am wearing,” I replied.
I finished my food as he continued to grumble about me calling him out for talking with his mouth full. Having a gay roommate is great, but sometimes his ass can be a bit dramatic. Not saying that I’m not because I definitely have my moments, but he hates it when I call him out.
I grabbed my laptop and glasses and headed to my car. I do not need them to read. I tend to get migraines from staring at the computer for too long, so I wear blue light filter glasses. I also have both of my daiths pierced to help. It does most of the time, but occasionally it still bothers me.
Speaking of visible piercings, I also have my lip, nose, and several ear piercings. I have debated getting my eyebrow done, but I am sure it would draw even more attention to myself. I tend to be very shy, and when guys give me attention at the library, it makes me highly uncomfortable. I wish they would stare at my assistant, Leann, instead.
As I am driving down the road, my thoughts move to LeAnn. LeAnn is slightly taller than me, with hair to the middle of her back that is a caramel brown. She has big, beautiful chocolate eyes. She is thinner than me, but not a skinny mini. She is of average intelligence and does a decent job helping at the library.
We are supposed to inventory the supernatural section of the library today. I hate counting inventory but love this genre, so I am looking forward to it a little more than usual. I pull into the parking lot and park in the back to allow room for our patrons to park in the sections closer to the front door.
As I am walking in, I see LeAnn pulling in. I give her a little wave ducking my head a bit. LeAnn is straight and has a boyfriend, but I still find her absolutely gorgeous. She has to know that I find her attractive because she has caught me absent-mindedly staring at her. I try not to, but I cannot help it.
The day moves along very nicely, accounting for all of the books we can. We are only missing two books; one is Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The other one is an Anita Blake novel, Incubus Dreams, by Laurell K. Hamilton. They are both great books. I have read the entire Anita Blake series and fell in love with her character.