Beta's Bride (Shadow Pack II)

Chapter 1: The Town

Stella tossed and turned as she was trying to sleep but it never came to her. She sighed before she was sitting up from the bed as she was looking at the small local town that was hustling and bustling in the mid-morning.

She smiled to herself, reminding the town of Verona where she was an undergraduate there for 4 years, 3 months, and 5 days. Only just yesterday she was there and right now, she was on this little island that she has wanted to visit forever.

Her stomach growled before Stella moaned. She did not find joy when she was forced to eat the food on the airplane but she did it anyway since she paid for it. But right now, it was time for her to get some adventure going and maybe get some brunch for her hungry stomach.

Stella got out of bed before she went into the shower as she was feeling icky from all the sweat and the jetlag that she was having right now. It did not make her sleepy but energized by the new prospect of life. She sighed after getting a good shower before she was putting on her cotton summer dress and got out of the room to explore the town.

She locked the door of her suite before she was putting the keys into her handbag that she carried around as it was a present from her father. She missed him terribly as her father passed away when she was a junior in college. She sighed before she was walking down the stairs to get to the town square.

Father was right. He wanted me to explore the world and I will do it, no matter what Mum said, Stella, mused before she was walking out into the sunlight. It was refreshing as she can hear the people talking and battering but not in the usual language that she spoke but it was a nice change for her.

She looked at her cell signal and it has a very good reception down here. Whatever complaints she read on the internet about Paphos being a backward town, it was not true. Perhaps they just have the wrong service to get the reception in Cyprus.

Stella smiled before she pulled out her itinerary on the phone. She has been planning it for years and the first thing she wanted to do on the list was to taste a good brunch at this café which was known for its good hot chocolate.

Perhaps she will get that as well.

Stella had the directions from her hotel to the café on the phone as well and she was walking down the streets to get there. She saw the farmers market that was going on there as people chatted and bantered with the vendors to get a good price. She smiled as it reminded her of her town in Italy.

Then, Stella stopped at the sidewalk before she was about to cross the road. She turned to look at her left and right before she turned to look at the left again. Then, confident that there was no car approaching, she walked across the road to get to the famous café. But she did not hear the car that was honking at her as it was speeding toward her.

Stella turned to see and it was too late to prevent it.

*****

"I am telling you, that old man was tough but you're tougher," Zack said before he was smiling at Xavier who was smirking at the newcomer. Zack has been found surviving the attack of the rogue two weeks ago and they also discovered that Zack was Arthur's brother.

Half-brothers anyway but they're family nonetheless.

Xavier was smiling at his protégé before his wolf was sensing something. Something that smelled like summer and sunshine before he can register what was going on. Then, he was focusing on the moment that was playing in front of him in slow motion.

There was a car fast approaching the woman that was about to cross the streets. Xavier did not know what was coming over him as she was still smiling down at her phone when the vehicle was speeding toward her.