On the day Saffron got sold to a wolf pack, one witch changes STAWP history. Find out what happens to POW in this alternate reality short story starring Saffron, POW, Logan, the Moon Goddess, and JasmineVoosen.
She sat by the window and slowly scrolled through her phone. Her long, blond hair billowed around her, and she pushed it aside absently as she tilted her head up to the night sky. She looked surreal, almost magical, with the full moon reflected in her gray-blue eyes. A wistful expression flitted across her face, one that hinted at dreams of faraway lands, and the Moon Goddess could not resist. One moment, @JasmineVoosen was there, and the next, she was gone.
* * *
Saffron
I slam the truck door shut and break into a run to catch up to POW. His mansion looms over us and I feel a wave of nerves when he gestures for me to step inside. I'd have to be an idiot to do it—to willingly trap myself somewhere with the Pissed Off Wolf—but I do as he says. I'd be an even bigger idiot if I tried to defy or outrun him.
Once I step over the threshold, POW follows me in, slams the door shut and throws the deadbolt. My heart hammers in my chest and then... POW disappears. I don't mean leaves, turns a corner, runs off, or goes upstairs—no, he literally vanishes into thin air. One second, I have a Pissed Off Wolf scowling down at me, and the next, he's gone.
My panting breaths echo loudly through the deserted mansion. My heart races, and I look around in confusion. What just happened to POW makes zero sense, but like Mom used to say, "never look a gift wolf in the mouth." She'd giggle when she said wolf, and the memory makes me smile. It also reminds me that this is my cue to leave.
I fling the front door open, only to come face to face with a witch. I freeze, gape and rub my eyes to make sure I'm not seeing things. I know a witch shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, considering I'm a werewolf, but there's probably a scientific explanation for my kind. Witches, and magic, are a whole other matter.
For a second, I wonder if I could have gone crazy. Maybe I'm curled up in my room, hallucinating all this while Dad negotiates with the Pissed Off Wolf. That could be it, but I'd bet my money on a witch. Yup, all negative ten grand of it.
The witch looks around, her eyes wide as she takes in POW's mansion. She actually looks normal, except for the whole witch thing. Her clothes are distinctly human: washed out jeans, a long-sleeved tee, and running shoes. She's not wearing any witch jewelry, either, and she doesn't have any pentagram or Celtic triangle tattoos that I can see. I wouldn't even know she had magic, if it wasn't for three things—well, actually four.
To start off my list, there's a full moon. I don't mean tonight—those happen every month, and usually without witches. I mean right here, right now, smack dab in the middle of the day. The silver orb stares down at me from the brightly lit afternoon sky, as if the Moon Goddess herself is watching.
I glance at the witch, and she stares back at me with enchanted eyes. Her gray-blue irises glow with an ethereal silver, almost as if the moon itself is alive within their depths. What's weirder still is that some nonexistent force is whipping her long, blond hair against her arms and back. There isn't so much as a breeze, so she must be channeling it through magic.
It's those three things that lead me to one final conclusion: the witch must be responsible for what happened to POW. She probably used some sort of magic to make him vanish... not that I'm complaining. With POW gone, I can go back home, or better yet, make myself disappear. Not with magic, to Goddess only knows where—but by skipping town.
"Where am I?" the witch whispers. Her voice sounds distinctly human—not otherwordly, like I'd been expecting. The earth doesn't shake with every word, my ears don't bleed, and I don't fall on my knees and swear eternal devotion.
I think her question over, and realize that I don't quite know where she is. I could tell her it's POW's Place, but that probably wouldn't be all that helpful. I don't even know his real name. All I can really say is that we're in some small town I've never heard of. What was it called again? Oh yeah! "Mapleton."
"That sounds familiar." The witch purses her lips. Her non-existent wind storm slowly dies down, and her hair to settles around her like a curtain. The ethereal glow leaves her gray-blue eyes, and the moon slips away behind the cover of clouds.
"What are you doing here?" I ask her, feeling bolder now that she looks more normal.
"I... don't know? One second, I was at home, and the next, I was here."
"Does that happen often?"
"No." She looks at me like I'm crazy.
"Hey, for all I know, witches pop in and out of their bedrooms every other second."
"I'm not a witch." She frowns. "Are you?"
"Nope." I shake my head. "So, what are you? A sorceress? Goddess?" I pause to think. "Angel? Demon?"
"I think I'm dreaming." The witch claiming not to be a witch looks around, her gray-blue eyes wide. "Last thing I remember, I was on Wattpad. I was up all night reading Bessa by Whiskeyqueenn, then Crave by Daydream1011, and then... I don't remember, but... maybe I fell asleep?"
For a second, I think she's casting some convoluted spell that causes cravings and whiskey daydreams. Then, as her words register, I realize she sounds like Anna and Jen do whenever they're on their phones. If I had one, maybe I'd sound just like them.
The witch, who may not be a witch, pinches herself and mutters something about all this being a dream. While she's distracted, I slowly step forward. Maybe if I can get a whiff of her scent, I'll get a better idea of what she might be.
"I'm Jasmine. Jazz or Jazzie for short," she says.
"Saffron, but everyone calls me Sofie," I reply, moving closer. She doesn't do anything crazy, like make me disappear right along with POW, so I allow myself another cautious step. I feel like a wolf stalking her pray, which isn't far from the truth.
"Wait, like from STOP?!" Jazz shouts.
I instantly freeze and lift my arms up to show her I mean no harm.
"No." She shakes her head. "I didn't mean stop, stop. I meant stop."
"I'm not moving, I swear." I lift my hands higher.
"That's not what I meant." Jazz shakes her head. "It's STOP. S-T-A-W-P. Sold to a Wolf Pack. STAWP."
"Wait, what?"
"Never mind. Is Logan here? What about POW?"
"Are you reading my mind?" I growl. There's no other way for her to know about everything that happened this morning. "You made him disappear, didn't you? Not that I care. You can keep him! But how do you know Dad sold me to POW?"
"Who disappeared?" Jazz shakes her head. "Never mind. Look, I read it. On Wattpad!"
"Wattpad?" I shudder. "There's some magic pad out there that lets you read about people's lives?"
"It's not a magic pad." She giggles. "It's a website."
"Seriously?" I shake my head. I guess even witches are on the Internet now. Guess it's just me and dad who are stuck in the middle ages. "How much do you know?"
She takes a few seconds to think it over, which must mean it's a lot.
"Do you know that I'm a..." I start to ask, then hesitate.
"Werewolf? Yeah."
"And that my dad..." I trail off again, this time because I've never admitted to anyone that Dad beats me—not even to Anna and Jen.
"Is an abusive ass who sold you to a wolf pack? Yeah. I'm sorry, Saf. I know that things haven't been all that great, but you have to know you're special."
"I am? Did your Wattpad tell you that?"
"Sort of." She chuckles. "Hey, can you show me around? I want to see your room, and the library, and POW's office!"
She grabs my hand and starts pulling me up the front steps, but I dig in my heels. Surprisingly, Jazz stops right along with me and I get a whiff of her scent. Even though she's a witch claiming not to be a witch, she smells human.
"I don't know what your Wattpad told you, but it's not safe in there. We have to go. Now!"
"Not happening." She shakes her head. "You are not running away. You're staying here, with Logan."
"Who's Logan?" I ask, just as the front door opens.
"Me." A gorgeous guy steps onto the front porch and for a second, I forget to breathe. His caramel brown eyes lock on mine, and I feel myself getting lost in them. Some part of me—a part that has been buried for far too long—calls out to him. Then, my wolf howls. I try to fight her—to keep her in the cage I've built inside myself—but Jazz's words distract me.
"You treat Saffron right, Logan Patton, or you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"I swear," Logan whispers without taking his eyes off mine. Then, he breaks into a run and wraps me in his arms.
Jazz squeals, but I hardly pay attention. I'm too busy drowning in Logan's lips.
* * *
The Pissed Off Wolf glared at the phone he'd discovered by the window. It was open to something called Wattpad, and a book cover for Unconditionally—Shadowed Hearts by mAy_justimagine stared back at him. The Pissed Off Wolf scratched his head. He remembered looking down at Saffron and thinking of all the tortures he'd like to inflict on her Father. Then, next thing he knew, he was here. He wasn't sure where here was, and with a growl, he got to his feet. He would find out, and then there would be hell to pay.
Rate this story on a scale of ♥ (1) to ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (10). What did you like? What did you hate?
1. How long do you think it'll take before someone notices POW's gone?
2. Anyone else dying to know what POW will do at JasmineVoosen's house? We'd have to ask her!
3. Can I just say I did not plan the STAWP-STOP joke? That just sort of happened and then I almost died laughing.
4. Should I write another reader into STAWP? Do you guys enjoy reading these?
5. If you disappeared while you were on Wattpad, what story would be on your screen?