Novel-novel oleh Stephanie

Elena’s POVAfter a long day of classes and acting normal, we still had to attend a meeting of the History Association. They spoke about an event the school was going to host, something held annually. It wasn’t long. Just a short, routine meeting. Michael and I remained vigilant and observant, careful not to give off the impression that we were tense.Later that evening, I had just taken a shower and changed into shorts and a baggy shirt. I found Michael reading something casually while sipping on juice. I decided to grab some and join him.That was until a knock came at the door.Michael and I exchanged a quick glance. We weren’t expecting anyone.He moved first, controlled and calm, while I stayed where I was.When he opened the door, Jameson stood there. Casual. Hands in his pockets. Expression neutral.“Evening,” he said.Not overly friendly. Not overly familiar. Just… present.“What do you want?” Michael asked, not rude, but not welcoming either.Jameson’s gaze shifted briefly pa

Elena’s POVThe next morning felt too normal.Sunlight filtered through the curtains, soft and steady, like nothing had shifted the night before. Michael was already awake, sitting at the small dining table with a stack of files open in front of him, flipping through printed copies from the Association’s records.I watched him for a moment before speaking.“Did you find anything new?”He shook his head slightly, sliding a page aside. “Same gaps. Same missing years. It’s deliberate.”Of course it was.I poured myself a glass of water and leaned against the counter. My thoughts drifted briefly to the balcony. To the quiet nod. To the way Jameson hadn’t tried to dominate the moment. I hated that I noticed it.I quietly set the glass down on the table and walked to the window instead. The courtyard looked completely ordinary in the morning light. Students crossed from one building to another, chatting without a care in the world. Some walked in small groups, their laughter carrying throug

Jameson’s POVThey didn’t move in that day.I noticed because I expected them to. Most students would have rushed it, eager to claim a new space, to make it theirs. But Elena and Michael weren’t impulsive people. They left the apartment untouched for two days.On the second afternoon, a cleaning crew arrived first. Professional. Efficient. In and out within hours. Windows opened, surfaces wiped, floors redone. It wasn’t excessive, but it was deliberate.They weren’t excited.They were careful.I watched from my balcony without drawing attention to myself, phone in hand, posture relaxed. Anyone looking would assume I was just another resident enjoying the view. I wasn’t staring. I was observing.When they finally arrived later that evening with boxes, the move was quiet. No crowd of friends. No loud laughter. Just the two of them working in sync.Elena stepped inside first. She paused just beyond the doorway, subtle enough that most people wouldn’t notice. But I did. She was assessing

Morning came quickly.It had been two days since the encounter with Jameson, and it still had not left my mind. The way he fixated on the name Widders lingered longer than I wanted to admit. After that day, Michael and I decided to slow down with the investigations and lay low for a while.Not because we were afraid.If anything, it was strategy.Staying visible meant control. Disappearing now would only raise questions, and questions attracted the wrong kind of attention. If someone was watching, we needed to stay within their line of sight, not outside it.My wolf had not rested since.She remained alert, restless, always listening, reacting to things I could not fully name yet. It was the kind of tension that came before something shifted.Michael arrived later than usual that morning. We did not have classes to attend that day, though even when we did, we rarely shared all of them. Still, we moved together more often than not. It had always been that way.And lately, it felt neces

JAMESON’S POVI couldn’t help but notice Elena and Michael leaving the classroom together after the meeting was adjourned.Most people drifted out in clusters, loud and careless, but they didn’t. They moved with purpose. Too measured. Too aware.So I watched.When their path angled toward the library, I stopped.The library was predictable. What wasn’t predictable was how quickly they disappeared into it, like they already knew where they were going. I lingered instead, forcing myself to look casual, striking up idle conversation with a few teammates. Laughing. Nodding. Pretending my thoughts weren’t elsewhere.They were.By the time I stepped into the library, the air had already shifted. I felt it immediately. The quiet there wasn’t normal. It was alert. Like something had just passed through and left its imprint behind.They were about to leave.Perfect timing.“I knew the name sounded familiar,” I said quietly, my voice steadier than I felt. My eyes never left Michael. “I knew it

Jameson gently shifted his gaze from Michael to me before saying once more,“Widders.”This time he said it slowly.“That name… I’ve heard it before.”Michael stood beside me wearing his usual blank expression, but I could see the discomfort beneath it. I felt it too.I didn’t react. Instead, I took a step forward and said calmly,“And where exactly did you hear it?” I asked, watching his expression closely, studying his demeanor.Surprisingly, it revealed very little.Jameson shrugged, dipping his hands into his pockets.“Old records. Places people don’t usually look at.”His eyes shifted back to Michael.“Didn’t expect to hear it here.”“It’s just a name,” Michael replied flatly, his tone giving nothing away.Jameson smiled, but it wasn’t the same smile he had given me earlier during the meeting. This one didn’t reach his eyes.“Names usually are.”I felt it then.Not fear.Not panic.Recognition.Recognition of something connected to us, but not exactly of us.“Armstrong,” he said