December had come at last, and the town was dressed with the festive lights and the smell of chimney smoke that hinted at Christmas. However, the students of the I.E.S El Cerro could not enjoy it yet. The first term was coming to an end, and they had to sprint for the final stretch, the exams week.

The classroom was in absolute silence, broken only by the scratching of pens against paper and the occasional snort of frustration, fatigue or weariness. It was no wonder, the Stuck-up's exams were always hard, and this one was not going to be an exception just because Christmas was around the corner.

Even Sofia, who was good at the subject, was finding it harder than usual to solve the exercises. She already had about eighty percent of the exam finished, and she had calculated that if she got the execution right, she would get a six without too much trouble. If the results were also correct, it should not be difficult to get an eight, but if she got two exercises wrong, she would fail. Retaking the year was not an option so she had to solve the last problems any way she could, but the damned things did not want to collaborate.

After reading the statement again, the girl looked towards the window in search of inspiration. The clouds had turned the uniform pale gray color that threatened snow, and thick flakes were falling from the sky. In fact, it had been snowing all morning, but the teenagers, trapped by academic obligations, didn't even know if it had set.

“I got it!” Sofia blurted out, a little too loud.

The Stuck-up looked her way and twisted his lips, including that bushy Russian hussar mustache he always wore. Sofia put a hand over her mouth in apology and returned to her exercises. It took her only a few minutes to solve the two problems, which were still complex, but part of the difficulty lay in finding the correct solution. Once the logic was applied, the rest flowed by itself.

As soon as she finished the test, she put the pen down on the paper and leaned back against the back of her chair. The Stuck-up never picked the exams up before the hour ran out, so those who finished first had to wait in strict silence. With the paper still in front of them, they couldn't get anything out of their bags to entertain themselves, so the spare time could feel very long and boring. Lucky for her, it was never more than five or ten minutes.

With nothing better to do, Sofia sought out her friends to see how they were doing. Sara was struggling with her problems. She saw her write with hasty strokes on a scratch paper, cross out, rewrite, and cross out again before she settled on a solution. The big girl was proficient in math, a subject in which she got good grades, but physics was another matter. In fact, physics was another matter for pretty much the whole class. Even Lola, who was a covert nerd, had trouble with it. Sofia managed to solve the exercises because she liked logic games. That allowed her to look for patterns that others found more difficult.

When she turned to Dave, she saw that he was also struggling with his test. It was obvious from the frown that clouded the expression of concentration on his face, and also because of how often he licked his lips. He also kept moving his leg in rapid jerks, something she had never seen him do before. Sofia bit her lip. She was a little worried about him. Dave, like her, had a lot at stake and couldn't afford to retake the year. He had to pass everything to be able to go directly to the Civil Guard exams when the school year was over.

For the last two weeks they had hardly seen each other except at school. Dave had stayed at home to study, to the point that he had been losing the forest scent that attracted her attention so much when she first met him. The problem was that it was starting to affect him more than was reasonable. He was restless and he panted when he thought no one was looking. Sofia would have blamed it on the moon, but it was past the new moon and its influence was too weak. He had gotten worse and worse as it waned, which didn’t make any sense.

The bell rang, and the class’s response was almost automatic. Some dropped their pens, relieved that the torture had come to an end. Others looked at each other as if trying to figure out it they were still on the same plane of reality as before. There was no shortage of pleas for a few more minutes, and even though they knew it wasn't going to work, there was no harm in trying. Dave, huffing, put his pen down on the table and looked up at the ceiling as he ran his hands through his straight blond hair. They shook a little.

“Gentlemen, take your exam sheets and hand them to me,” said the Stuck-up.

“No, please, five more minutes, I've almost got it,” pleaded one of Lola's friends.

“Miss, stop writing and hand in your test or I won't pick it up.”

“Come on, teacher...” groaned the girl, who had no choice but to obey.

The students handed in their exams and went to their desks to collect all their things. That had been the last exam, so the ritual of asking each other how they had done was accompanied by the enthusiasm of knowing they were finally free. There were still a few school days left, although the only thing they were going to do was receive their exam grades and go over mistakes and questions.

“How did it go, buddies? Well, I'm not going to ask you, mate, you're sure to pass no sweat dropped,” said Sara when she approached her two friends.

“I think it went well. It was a pretty tough exam, how about you? You didn't look so good,” said Sofia, turning to Dave.

The boy licked his lips and stuffed the things in his backpack in whatever way he could before closing it.

“To be honest, I have no idea. This subject is not my strong suit. I think I've got some exercises right, at least the execution, but I'm not so sure about the others, and I didn’t have time to finish the last one,” he said.

“What did you do in the third one? I've done it three times and each time I got a different result, what the fuck!” said Sara.

“I'd rather not talk about numbers. We won't match and I'll get more nervous than I already am, and that's the last thing I need,” said the boy, his voice a bit weaker.

“I'm not bad at it. Do you want me to give you a hand with this subject?” asked Sofia

“God, I'd really appreciate it. I'm doing fine in everything else, but this one...” he huffed. “It's a subject that's beyond me. I've spent the last few weeks cooped up at home studying physics, and I'm not sure if it's done any good to spend so much time on it.”

“Guys, look out the window!” Lola shouted to the whole class, at least to all those who hadn't already fled, which was a good handful of students.

Moved by curiosity, the students peered out of the window and the complaints about the exam's difficulty turned into comments full of excitement. Flakes as big as grapes were falling from the sky. Everything, from the parking lot to the street, the road and the park right in front of the school, was covered in a thick, white blanket. Sofia, grinning from ear to ear, turned to her friend, who wore an expression identical to hers.

“Guys, I propose a great plan to celebrate the end of the exams, why don't we all go to the park and have a snowball fight?” Lola commented.

The classroom erupted in a heap of voices all talking at once. The sound of chairs being dragged across the floor and the incessant pounding of dozens of feet moving down the corridor added to the cacophony. Sofia flinched slightly and returned to her desk to finish packing her things in her backpack. She didn't need to look at her friend to know he wasn't enjoying the noise either.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Well, I like the idea. Shall we join? I think we're going to have a blast,” said Sara.

“With her? No way,” said Sofia while she put on her coat.

“I'm up for it. It would do me good to get away from my studies. I've been doing just that for too long and I need a change,” said Dave as he slinge his backpack over his shoulder. “Come with us, it'll be fun.” He turned to Sofia with a smile so beautiful that she started to blush.

“I thought maybe we could… Oh, okay, but because you two are going. I don't want anything to do with that little brat.”

“You're so grumpy, mate.”

The whole class left the building and went to the park across the street. The snowfall was so heavy that the kids were ankle-deep in snow, and walking was a bit tricky. The white blanket crunched with every step they took, but the most audible sounds were the teenagers' laughter and conversations.

“How are you going to get your motorcycle out?” asked Sofia.

Dave looked down at his vehicle and shrugged. It was covered in so much snow it looked like a white mound.

“I don't know. I guess I'll call my godfather and ask him what to do. He'll probably come pick me up in the SUV and we'll leave the motorcycle here. It’s not like I’m going to be able to drive it around in this weather.”

“How are you going to get to class then?”

“Oh, I’ll… find a way, I guess.” Dave scratched the back of his head and licked his lips.

Rodrigo and Luis were walking right behind them. As usual, they were unaware of the nearby ears that were capable of hearing their hushed conversation. In recent weeks, the two hunters’ presence had been something Sofia had had to learn to live with, because every time she saw them her blood flared up and she lost control over her behavior. More than once she had to walk away as she felt the growl rise up her throat. Rodrigo didn't know how much she wanted to punch him in the face, and how hard she was fighting that urge.

“I haven't seen traces of that mutt again. I think he kicked the bucket from the bullet I put in him,” Rodrigo commented.

“Good, hopefully you'll get over this obsession once and for all,” Luis said.

Sofia’s blood flared. A growl rose to her throat and she wrinkled her lip to bare her fangs. She wanted so badly to confront that psychopath that she didn't know if she was going to be able to swallow it, and even though she knew she couldn't show her real behavior in front of humans, she was so furious that she didn't care. The only thing that kept her from turning around was the trembling hand that closed around hers.

“Control yourself,” Dave whispered, with a sidelong glance.

Swallowing the growl she felt in her throat, Sofia licked her lips and turned her head away to sniff the air to her right. There was nothing interesting, just the usual artificial village smells mixed with those coming down from the mountains, but it helped her to calm down. Either she cooled down, or that bastard was going to get the bite he had been asking for very loudly for months.

When the two hunters walked past him, Dave followed them with his eyes as they headed down the street. The short hair on the back of his head had bristled, and Sofia could hear a restrained growl rumbling in his throat. A growl that turned into a quiet moan as he twisted his face into a grimace of pain and released her to bring his hand to his chest.

“Dave, are you all right?”

“Yes, don't worry,” he said, and began to breathe in long, deep breaths of air.

“Calm down, man, it's not worth getting all worked up over those two jerks,” Sara told him in one of those few times when she was genuinely angry.

The girl knew what had happened that night because they had told her, and Sofia had never seen her so furious.

“I know, but that psycho almost hit her. If the dog hadn't pushed her away in time, he could have killed her,” he said, and a whimper of fear crept into his voice, one that matched the brief tremor that shook his body.

Sofia bit her lip and looked down at the floor. Yes, the cinanthrope had pushed her aside, and the bullet meant for her had hit him. Then he had disappeared into the night, and she had not seen any sign of him since. He was a cinanthrope and he healed very fast, but that didn't mean they were invulnerable. It had happened short after the moon rose, and it hadn’t set until after eight o'clock in the morning. Those were many hours to be with a projectile lodged inside. Too many.

“Sofia...” Dave brushed her hand with a soft caress. Sofia looked up and tilted her head to one side. “You're thinking of going into the woods again,” he said with a slight tremor in his voice.

“It's a good opportunity to see if he's still out there. To see if he's still…”

The words faltered on her lips and she was unable to continue. Feeling the sting of tears welling up in her eyes, Sofia turned her head sharply and let out a quiet whimper. Dave sighed and motioned for Sara to continue without them. Once alone, the boy stepped in front of her wiped her cheeks so gently that the touch of his fingers felt like a caress. Sofia looked up, her gaze a little blurred by her tears, and a warm shudder shook her body as she saw the smile on his lips.

“We've talked about this. I'm sure he's fine, but he's decided to stay away from this area, and you know it's better this way,” he let out a quiet sigh and looked away.

“Dave, we spent the whole day looking for him all over the forest and found no tracks, and since then it's like he has disappeared from the face of the earth. He was wounded, and alone!” Sofia whimpered, desperate.

“You said it yourself, Rodrigo only hit muscle. Many animals survive bullet impacts that hit muscle.”

“But he was alone. He could have had an infection, or maybe....”

“Shhhh” Dave put a finger against her lips, and when Sofia looked up again, she met a gaze so warm she shuddered. “Don't expect the worst, I'm sure he's fine. Besides, if that...” A growl crept into his voice, and he had to swallow before continuing. “If that psychopath thinks the dog is dead, he'll stop chasing him.”

“Maybe you're right. I just wish I knew for sure that he was okay...” Sofia commented, biting her lip.

“I'm sure he is, and I'm sure he's also grateful for how much you've helped him,” he said, softening his gaze. Then he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Come on, let's go play in the snow for a while. We could use the distraction.”

That sincere and spontaneous smile that she had only ever seen when he was with her appeared once again on his lips. The four fangs, small and discreet, came into view. Unable to tear her gaze away from those blue eyes, Sofia felt a warm sensation growing inside her, and a blush began to creep up her cheeks. For some reason, her body decided to move on its own and her lips curved into a shy smile without her being able to do anything about it.

“All right,” she told him, and she noticed a slight tremor of nervousness in her voice.

Dave released her and she felt as if something was missing. As they crossed the street towards the park, where all their classmates were already playing amidst shouts and laughter, Sofia bit her lip and looked at her friend sideways. The boy, feeling that he was being watched, looked at her and smiled again. It happened straight away. The moment she saw his smile, her stomach shuddered, her cheeks began to blush and she felt like butterflies inside. ‘What is wrong with me?’ she asked herself, puzzled, ‘every time I'm with him, I feel silly. this has never happened to me before’.

By the time they reached the park, the snow was so thick that it reached above their ankles and crept inside their shoes. It was a rather unpleasant feeling, but both Sofia and Dave were quick to catch their classmates' good mood as they watched them enjoying themselves. After dropping their backpacks on the pile that was on one of the benches, they joined the fray.

White balls flew back and forth. Young kids full of the endless energy of youth were running all around. Even Lola, dressed to the nines in tall leather boots, a beautiful dark dress and a warm beige coat, was having a great time throwing balls with her classmates. She threw one at Sara, and the huge girl let out one of her thunderous guffaws and started throwing balls back at the girl. Lola's friends rallied to help her, but Sara stoically withstood the projectiles and responded with her own.

While Dave was distracted watching his classmates play, Sofia grabbed a handful of snow from the bench, formed a small ball and threw it at him. The projectile hit the boy's shoulder and disintegrated into a bunch of little white pieces. Dave shook the snow off his coat and his lips curved into a mischievous smile, one that made it quite clear that he was about to commit do mischief and she wasn't going to like it. Slowly, without taking his eyes off hers, he bent down and picked up a handful of snow from the ground.

“No, no, no, no, no, no,” Sofia began to back away as he turned the handful into a ball.

“Oh, yes,” he replied.

Sofia started to run. Her friend threw the ball at her but missed. Laughing, he chased her around the battlefield, and from time to time he grabbed more snow to form projectiles which to throw at her. She did the same, stopping just long enough to grab a handful and throwing it at him as she resumed her run. Engaged in that fight that had become a dance without them realizing it, they ran, stopped, dodged when the other approached and started again.

They forgot about the snowballs, their classmates and everything else. For a moment there were only the two of them, with their gazes intertwined and laughter bursting from their smiling lips. They were no longer human except in appearance, for that erratic dance, those races through the snow had become games identical to those Kas played with other dogs. Elated, Sofia wanted to howl as she did that day in the woods, but a part of her reminded her that they were in front of all their classmates and she couldn't let herself get carried away to that point.

That didn't seem to be a deterrent to her friend, as he ended up pinning her against a tree trunk. Sofia looked at him defiantly and growled in a playful manner. Dave responded with a similar growl and gently nibbled her neck. She mimicked him, except her nips went to his jaw and up his chin, and stopped being playful to indicate affection in dog language. Then silence fell and they both looked into each other's eyes, confused and breathing heavily.

They were so close that she could feel his body trembling against her. His masculine musk, which she found specially intense this time, flooded her nose. The space between their lips was so small that she could feel the warm touch of his breath. A fleeting desire crossed her mind, one that fanned the flush on her cheeks and awakened a warm shudder in her belly.

“God, I'm so sorry!” Red as a tomato, Dave jerked away from her and made a full display of calming signals. “I...I shouldn't have done that....”

“No... it's okay...” Sofia replied, blushing too.

They both started panting, though she wasn't too sure if it was because of running around the park or because of what had just happened between them. The blush on their cheeks certainly seemed to indicate the latter. They exchanged a silent look, one that was full of questions, none of which had easy answers. Sofia bit her lip as she noticed the confusion on his face. She wondered what had him more confused, the fact that they had behaved like two dogs, or the moment when their lips had almost touched.

“Hey, bores! What are you doing there? Come and fight!” Lola shouted, throwing a snowball at them, which hit Dave.

It was no secret that Sofia disliked Lola, but she had to admit that she was grateful for her unwelcome presence. At least it was enough to get them both out of the awkward moment they had gotten themselves into. The two moved away from the tree and returned to the fray. However, they didn't come near each other again. Yes, they threw snowballs at each other, but at a safe distance and without the mad dashes from before. As they played, Sofia watched him discreetly and bit her lip.

‘I don't like you. We're just friends. Then... why did I just want to kiss you?’