Beginnings is an Otherworld novella about how Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers first fell in love. It was first published as an e-serial on Kelley Armstrong's website, with the cover art commissioned by the author. The novella was republished in Tales of the Otherworld.
Plot[]
Elena is a third-year journalism student at University of Toronto. As a former foster child, she is supporting herself through college and desperate to find a good part-time job. She thinks she's found it with Ms. Milken at a nearby small-town paper, but the woman just wants to take advantage of her writing for minimum wage.
Clay is a filling in for a professor on sabbatical, and none too patience with giggling female students who make up excuses to talk to him outside of class. Elena wanted to take his class as her single non-journalism course of the year, but it filled up before she could register. So she plans to audit the class until she gets off the waitlist, but "Professor Danvers" calls her out on not being on the roster.
After their brief, snappish conversation, Clay feels the overwhelming urge to get to know her. He uses an excuse about reading an anthropology essay she cited him in last semester. When he learns her need for a job, he invents a TA position just to have her around more.
As she acts as his TA, they slowly get to know one another. Clay is slow and careful, not wanting to push Elena into discomfort that might cause her to leave him. They begin dating soon after the quarter ends and she is no longer his student, although they don't talk about that part of it.
Elena recognizes that there are red flags in their relationship: Clay is possessive and wants to be around her almost all the time. He won't introduce her to his family or friends back home. He has fits of anger. Eventually Logan visits to see what has Clay acting weird, and he becomes fast friends with Elena.
At Valentine's Day, he proposes and she accepts.
Nick comes to visit next, and is horrified to learn of Elena's existence and their engagement. He orders Clay to tell Jeremy on the next visit home, or Nick will do it himself.
Clay takes Elena to Stonehaven, intending to tell her everything. Jeremy shuts him down hard, then asks to speak to Elena alone so he can figure out how to get rid of her. Clay panics, turns into a wolf in the kitchen, and by pure instinct bites Elena so that Jeremy will have to keep her with them. Jeremy banishes him from Stonehaven.
Characters[]
The Humans[]
- Elena Michaels - 3rd year journalism student at University of Toronto
- Ms. Milken - Penny-pinching newspaper owner
- Jason - Elena's obsessive ex-foster brother who has been stalking her.
- Trina/Penny - Elena's partying roomate
- Jody - Elena's college friend
The Pack[]
- Clayton Danvers - a visiting professor at University of Toronto
- Logan Jonsen - a third year pre-law student and Pack brother.
- Nicholas Sorrentino - Clay's best friend
- Jeremy Danvers - Pack Alpha
- Antonio Sorrentino - Nick's father, who fell in love with a human woman and tried to run away with her as a teenager
- Peter Myers, a Pack brother