I sat in my apartment dressed to the nines with no place to go. I had just called my date and cancelled. I put the phone on its stand and curled my legs up underneath me on the chair feeling sorry for myself. I knew from experience that Ethan would check his messages before he left to pick me up. I had just committed dating suicide. I had just cancelled on meeting his parents for the first time!
Sighing deeply, I curled myself into a tighter ball. I had done the stupid thing of falling in love with my boyfriend when all he felt for me was casual affection. Ethan wasn't the type for lasting commitment. Before me had worked his way through a succession of beautiful eligible blondes. Sometimes I thought maybe he was scraping the barrel with me – I was neither blonde nor beautiful. I certainly wasn't stunning and sculpted like his last girlfriend. The best I could be described as was cute, and I certainly wasn't rich!
We had fun together though. We had been diving with sharks, which was how we had met. Since then we had been on adventure weekends, gone climbing and taken long walks together. I comforted myself with the knowledge that none of his supermodel girlfriends would have gone on those dates much less enjoyed themselves. He didn't know it but I was the same as him, I was a Were! I accepted differences that had made other girlfriends whine – like no dates on the full moon. I had learnt to hide my differences at an early age. I had learnt those lessons so well I could pass for human even among my own kind!
I smiled cynically cancelling this date would probably be the end of things between us. Men like Ethan, in our society, didn't take no for an answer very well and they certainly didn't like being denied. I know Ethan had ended relationships with girls who had done less to annoy him. Tonight was going to have been a big night, I had bought a new dress and new underwear, well new knickers anyway I thought with a slight smile. I had taken ages to get ready before realising there was no way I could go to Ethan tonight.
I sighed again and stood. A glass of wine and a good movie may take distract me from what I wanted to be doing tonight! On my way to find a bottle of wine I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I shook my head – I looked good tonight, I decided, in the essential little black dress. The skirt was short enough that I had to be careful how I sat in public but it was loose swinging about the tops of my thighs as I walked. The best thing about the dress was the back or lack of it! The dress dropped to the small of my back, leaving my back bare almost to my ass, save for a few criss-crossing straps
With a wry smile I turned away from the mirror. I had been looking forward to tonight all week but it was not to be. It was the wrong time of year for me. Sometimes I hated what I was. Most women just had to worry about the time of month. I had to worry about the time of year too! Once a year I went into Heat. Sleeping with a male now would bind us together tying him to me for life! I couldn't do that to Ethan. I loved him enough not to want him to hate me, and hate me he would if I bound him to me.
There was a loud bang on the door and I jumped then froze. Glancing over at the door I checked it was locked and the safety latch was on.
"Alyssa, I know you're in there! I can smell you," I clenched my hands, wanting to let him in, but I couldn't for both our sakes! "Alyssa!" Ethan's tone was warning.
"Go away Ethan," I called back. "I don't want to see you!"
"The hell you don't," he exclaimed angrily. "Let me in now!" I could hear the anger and frustration in his tone. I hadn't counted on this. I hadn't thought he would come over and when I cancelled the date. I just assumed he would be angry but he would take someone else on our date. I sighed wearily
