Beware the beauty of the Fae... Anastasia's life has been altered without her consent. Dragged into a world she never wanted to know, where beauty and deceit are common bedfellows, Anastasia is slipping too fast into the arms of an unlikely Fae. How...
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I looked over at the young man, standing in the corner of the sports hall, grinning at me.
I could remember the day I'd met him vividly - which is surprising, since I've purposefully tried to forget most of my memories from that time.
Before my parents were killed, I remember being a curious child. However, the suddenness of their deaths had made me scared of pretty much everything. Almost nine years ago, Aunt Jenna, worried about my reluctance to do anything, had chosen to enrol me in the only activity she could think of to make the world less intimidating - a jujitsu class. At the time, the very idea had terrified me.
I was nine years old when I'd been pushed through the doors of the sports hall. After stumbling around, I noticed that the other children in the class were putting their bags onto a bench next to a mint green wall. Once I'd walked awkwardly over to the far end of the bench, away from the other children, I pulled my jumper over my head. I had shrieked when I'd opened my eyes and seen him standing next to me.
"I'm Kalen," the boy had said, holding his hand out in such a strange and formal way that I didn't move to shake it. There had been an awkward pause, and then Kalen started to turn away.
"Anastasia," I'd blurted out. He turned back to me and smiled.
"Can I call you Ana?"
I had initially been surprised at his forwardness but then my face rearranged itself into an expression of irritation. "No. My name is Anastasia."
His smile had become even bigger and a cheeky gleam sparkled in his eyes. "Okay, Anastasia." He paused and looked at me carefully. "I think I'm going to like you."
As a child, I hadn't been sure how to reply so stood there simply staring at him. I couldn't believe that this handsome boy, with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes, was talking to me.
Nine years of friendship later, I wasn't much better at handling him. I rolled my eyes while I crossed the blue mats in the centre of the room. As I got nearer to Kalen, I swung a punch at his shoulder. He dodged it and pulled my arm past him, so I lurched forwards. When I stumbled a little closer, he threw his arm around my neck and trapped me in a headlock.
"Don't mess with the master, Ana," he gloated, pulling out my bobble and messing up my hair. I protested loudly and managed to squirm free. After glaring at him, I grabbed the bobble from the floor and scooped my black hair back into a high ponytail.
"Why do you always put me in a headlock?"
"Because I get a more satisfactory reaction if I'm messing up your hair, and the headlock makes it easier," he grinned at me.
"Well, you're a... idiot," I answered lamely, not even using correct grammar.
"Do you need a hug?" he teased. I rolled my eyes at him and completely ignored the thoughts running through my overenthusiastic brain.
