Exposed (MSW book 3) [SAMPLE]

Chapter 7 - Dylan

This is a SAMPLE only.

MAY 2022 UPDATE: Go read "Lucy", a spinoff of the Masked SheWolf trilogy, now updating on Wattpad, and its "Behind the Scenes" companion book that includes character profiles and a complete recap of the trilogy, as told by the characters in interview format.

***

The nicest way that I remember ever waking up was when my cat Burns slept next to me for the first time. I opened my eyes to find his little furry form nuzzling in the crook of my neck, his purrs reverberating in my own torso, like one of those vibrating massage chairs. I have also had my fair share of rude awakenings, because of course, I have the sweetest big brothers in the world.

But when I open my eyes on my first day of class at Berklee, I see red. Literally. It's everywhere, even on the ceiling. It's a shock to my system, because I forget where I am for a moment. Then I remember, and I am reminded of how badly my room needs a paint job. Even though I've been living here for almost a week, I'm still not used to it, but the color of the walls is especially bad.

At first, I don't know exactly what woke me up. I recall dreaming of Burns waking up next to me, but I haven't seen him in weeks. I set him free, so to speak. Not that he was chained up before or anything, but I decided I'm not going to go look for him in case he left and never came back. He was never just a pet, and I think he only ever came back for me. It's crazy, but whenever I was in need, he somehow always found me. I think he understood my intentions, because he hasn't returned since I opened a window for him and told him to go out. He looked at me with a penetrating gaze, and let out a sad little meow. I pet his head, and he purred the way he always does. And then he was gone. I'm still hoping he'll just show up one day, but I understand if he doesn't. I'm trying not to need him anymore.

When I look to my right, I realize it was actually my phone that woke me up, and I press snooze on the alarm. The timing says 7am. My first class isn't until two hours, but I need to be able to shower before the guys. Last night, I set the alarm on vibrate, because ringtones just confuse me and make me think I'm under attack by one of my brothers, and I didn't want to wake up panicked on my first day of school. Our traditional War Day has seen more than a few loud wake-up calls.

Thinking about War Day brings me down a little. Yesterday was the first Sunday in years that I woke up peacefully, and I hated it. After spending more than half my life sharing with my brothers the wonderful tradition of annoying and humiliating each other every Sunday, War Day has finally come to an end. I knew this day would come, but I never thought Iwould be the reason why it happened. I certainly didn't think that I, the youngest in the family, would be the first to move out and end the family tradition. It probably would have ended sooner if my brothers hadn't stuck around at our parents' house longer than the average American, just for my sake. I'm really going to miss it.

This just makes me even more homesick than I already am.

When my phone vibrates for the second time, I come to a decision that I am not going to ruin my first day of college by being in a bad mood. Putting thoughts of home out of my head, I haul my ass out of bed, gather my stuff and head to the bathroom. I check the water temperature and step into the shower. My gaze falls on my new set of shampoos and soaps. I smile as I remember that my new life isn't so bad, and there areperks.

I've been using nice smelling shampoos since I started living my life as a girl. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite as wonderful as smelling like fruit all day. The first few days, it made me hungry, but then I got used to it. It's actually quite nice not to smell like men's deodorant all the time.