Animalia: The Green Forest, Book 2

Prologue

The forest seemed quiet and peaceful. A soft breeze blew through the trees, making the leaves rustle with satisfying sounds.
Boots crunched through the floor. Tsuki Summers, a 16 year old girl, was running through the forest, her footsteps breaking the serene silence. Her blonde and white hair swayed as she moved. Her bangs poked into her green eyes, and she crossly tried to blow them away with her mouth.
One year ago, she had been to the same forest. It's residents and visitors-the people she had thought were her friends-had snapped and snarled at her, telling her to leave the forest and never return to it. They had turned their backs on her.
Jaxon's icy blue eyes had burned with pain as he rejected her. And Alex, oh Alex. Tsuki remembered her with a flash of anger. Alex had just finished murdering someone. How dare she act like a saint? Blood from her victim had still been caked on to Alex's skin. Her friends had supported her as she attacked Tsuki and told her off. How could they have been so blind to Alex's bloodthirsty cruelness? Were they as bad as she was?
Tsuki clutched a pocket knife close to her chest. Her father had given it to her after she came home the day Alex had attacked her. He had given it to her so that she could defend herself.
Tsuki felt comforted as the pocket knife brushed against her skin. She imagined sinking its blade into Alex. She would make that stupid cat girl pay for what she had done.
There was a rustling sound among the bushes. Tsuki stopped and slid the blade out of the pocket knife. Is it Alex? She wondered. But someone else slipped away from the bushes. Someone who wasn't Alex.
It was Luca, the young fox man. A scar ran through his right eye, leaving him half blind. He looked slightly disheveled, and he was trembling. But his good eye glowed as he stared at her. "Tsuki, what are you doing here?" He asked. He remembered her? They had only spoken to each other a few times in the past. A smirk tugged at Luca's lips. "The forest can be a dangerous place for young girls to be wandering about by themselves."
Tsuki lifted her chin defiantly. "I can take care of myself." She retorted. "I'm not a pretty princess that needs to be protected."
"That's cute," Luca was circling her now with a teasing glint in his good eye. "I love it when young girls act like adults. There's just something so alluring about it. . ."
"You think I'm cute?" Tsuki smirked back at Luca. She never exactly had feelings for him, but hey, here he was, sucking up to her. Might as well take advantage of the situation, right
Luca licked his lips. "Oh, I think you're adorable right now." His long fox tail snaked around her body. "Are you busy right now? You better not be, because I'm in the mood to have some fun right now. Come with me, we'll both give each other a little welcoming gift back into the forest."
Tsuki remembered why she had come here in the first place. Her fingers still tightly gripped her pocket knife. She had come here to punish Alex, but she had somehow wound up with Luca-the charming young fox man-offering something a bit more exciting.
Luca was pulling her closer to him. He pressed Tsuki against him, making her feel his strong body. "Well, are you busy right now or not?" He grunted.
Tsuki realized she hadn't answered him. Forget punishing Alex. She had something better to do now. She would come back to get Alex later. She looked up at Luca with shining eyes. "No Luca, I'm not busy right now," she cooed innocently. She placed both of her hands on his chest. "What did you have planned?"Luca chuckled when she made physical contact with him. He slung an arm around her shoulder and started to guide her deeper into the forest. "You're about to find out."