Chapter 10

Today, the Dims-wood High swimming team will compete against Moycott High.

Outside the school were swarmed with dozens of its rival students leaving their bus, who had come to support their swimming team.

The moment I walked into school, I began to search the hallway for Connor.

As I did, I came across a familiar face I remembered seeing in a picture album my mom frequently hugged after crying herself to sleep, and I immediately turned to stone, realizing it was my father. The one who abandoned me because I wasn't what he wanted.

With an aching heart, I watched him walk past me, unknowing of my presence, with a hand around the shoulder of a young male, around age 15.

Instantly, I knew the young male was the son he had wanted. He was splitting, and a younger image of him with brunette hair and green eyes.

Based on his wear, he was a part of his school swimming team, and our father was the coach. I spot the title on his jersey. Dad was so proud of him; he smiled widely and kept hugging him while they walked side by side.

Unable to handle what was happening, I fled from the hallway, passing Connor, and went to the back of the school.

I climbed over the fence and ran into the woods in tears.

I come to a stop at a huge old tree lying on the ground and climb to sit on it, staring at the foggy mountain and hills sadly.

For a short while, I was alone until I sensed someone behind me. I turned around to see Connor, and I spun my head back around, wiping away my tears.

Connor came to sit on the large trunk but at the end of it.

"Is he your father?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Unable to hide my tears from him, I lowered my head into my hands, weeping.

"He doesn't want me," I said.

"Good--" I heard him say, and immediately my tears stopped and my head raised to look at him.

What a cold monster you are. I was about to curse him out, but he stopped me by saying this.

"For I only deserved you."

Touched by his response, I don't know how long I stared at him, but it felt like hours that someone as beautiful and perfect as him would feel he deserved a nobody like me only.

Connor turned his head away from me and got up, walking closer to the view of the mountain and hills.

I stared at him from a distance, in doubt whether someone as glorious as he would find me worthy of having.

"My father doesn't want me because I'm not what he wanted, a son," I went on to explain.

"And my mom loathes me for being the cause of him leaving her. She doesn't even look at me when she talks to me." I put a hand over my heart, as the pain already there intensified.

I don't know why I was confiding all my problems with Connor, but it felt like I could tell him anything. I looked to Connor as not only my protector but also my counselor. He was my everything.

"I'm unwanted and not worthy of being loved by anyone," I then said.

"Don't ever say that about yourself," Connor flashed towards me, and his eyes glowed in his beast form angrily.

"You don't even want me as well." Tears ran down my cheeks.

"What you said earlier about deserving me only, you just said it out of pity and to stop me from feeling worse."

His bright, shining yellow eyes returned to his human midnight eyes.

"Of course, I want you," he said.

"I need you just as much as my heart needs the beat," he stared deeply into my eyes.

"But everything you said about having feelings for me was a mistake?"

"And it was the most hateful lie I've said," he interjected with a look of disgust on his face.

"I'm truly obsessively drawn to you, Amara Lively." He extended a hand to my face and gently moved a lock of hair, placing it behind my right ear.

He then spun around and turned his back towards me.

"I'm a werewolf, the deadliest predator. I'm not only to keep my existence from humans; also, I should naturally loathe your kind, but when I first walk the hallway and see you. My beast has never wanted to protect someone so bad, even more than the members of my pack."

I gently touched his back, and he spun back around and placed his hand against the right cheek of my face. I closed my eyes before reopening them to the warmth of his hand.

"I feel like I was created to be everything you lack, Amara. But I'm also afraid, which I've never been, that I may also be what will destroy you." He removed his hand from my face and began to walk away.

"Please don't leave me again after confessing your feelings for me," I begged.

It hurt so bad the first time he did it. I don't think I'll be able to survive if he does it again.

Connor looked at me from the side.

"I've never left your side."

"You've been following me?"

"Yes," he answered.

I smiled.

"I'm dangerous to be around. I don't want to hurt you, Amara," he then said, allowing my smile to disappear.

"You're already hurting me by being the one person who makes me feel wanted and then wants to leave me." I ran to him.

"We can work this out." I hugged him tight, not wanting him to go.

"You're stuck with me for the rest of your human life," he said softly, and his arms went around me, returning my hug.

I looked up to see him looking down at me with a smile.

"I'm glad," I smiled back at him.