Chapter 5 – The Accident and the Awakening

Adrian

I had not planned on coming over. But the power at my villa cut off and I could see her struggling with her lights over at her villa.

I should not have gone over, but I was worried she'd be scared and alone. She was always scared of the dark as kids.

So when she turned around in her kitchen, her eyes wide open and her hair falling out of her red ribbon, she looked like she'd been caught stealing cookies.

I stared at the hedge of roses that I knew wasn't alive yesterday. I dragged my eyes back up to hers. I have always known that she was half Fae Witch and also a werewolf, but she didn't know that I knew.

Her lips parted. “Why are you here?”

I leaned by the door and nodded to her. “I live next door, and as a concerned neighbor, I saw your power went out like mine did and I thought maybe you might be a little….scared.”

She blinked. “Scared? Why would I be scared?” 

I dragged my hand through my hair. “Like when we were kids? You were always scared of the dark. I mean..” I sighed. She didn't remember me. “You know what, never mind.”

“I'm fine.” She replied looking away. I followed her eyes back to those roses and she stepped in front of them like she didn't want me to see. “You’re not supposed to be here,” she muttered.

 “Do you think I wanted to be? Trust me, princess, your little science project out there dragged me in.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “Don’t call me princess.”

“Then stop acting like one.”

Her head snapped toward me, “You hate me, Adrian. You’ve made that clear, so why care what’s outside my house?”

I shifted to my other foot and frowned at her. She wasn't wrong because I know I've been rude to her since she came back but that was because she'd got up and left without saying goodbye. Like I meant nothing.

But the truth was that my wolf reacted to her. It was hard to stay away.

“I don’t care,” I said flatly. “I care that if someone else saw this, you’d already be dead.”

She glanced at the roses and then back at me. “What does that mean?” She looked like she was trying to be on guard,

“Don't lie to me, Sutton. I know what you are.” I jabbed a finger toward the glass. “That's fae magic.”

She lifted her chin stubbornly. “Stop calling me that. My name's Audrey.” She sneered at me. “You know what? You should leave. Right now!” Then she practically pushed me out of the house and slammed the door in my face.

****

At school the next morning, Audrey avoided me like a plague. And somehow, it bothered me.

Lyra hooked her arm through mine as we stood by the pit wall, her perfume was so sweet it made my tooth ache. We were about to compete in an intrafriendly match that would boost our gpa for the semester.

“Why are you so tense, baby?” She asked brushjng my lower lip with her thumb.

“I'm fine.” I said to her but my attention was fixed on Sutton who was talking to one of the other student racer.

“Stop staring at the new girl.” Lyra punched my arm.

It hurt, but I didn't reply. Audrey was walking down to the racing pit, her pink helmet swinging in one arm with her rhinestone gloves. Every student turned back to look.

She was so dainty and delicately beautiful it was almost unreal. My wolf hissed inside me while Lyra pinched me. “She's nothing compared to me. Why won't you stop staring?” Lyra complained.

“Sure,” I muttered, pretending to agree, finally dragging my eyes away from Audrey. She was racing today and Luca was also racing with her. I will be racing later on. 

“Showtime.” Luca called out whistling. His stupid group of friends joined in to whistle, and they were all whistling at Audrey.

“Alright get in your cars students!” A teacher shouted. 

The engines of cars came alive. Audrey slid into her pink hellcat while Luca slid into his revving Porsche.

When the lights turned green, and the flag was waved, the cars took off. Lap after lap, Audrey stayed in front of everyone. She was so good.

Luca tried to knock her out but she always found a way to escape his car. “Luca is a reckless idiot.” I muttered out loud, and Lyra gave me a nasty look.

I turned back to the track. Audrey was still ahead although another driver in a Ferrari had almost overtaken her. Luca tried to box her in again as they neared the finish line.

The crowd of watching students starting chanting her name. By the final lap, they were neck to neck. That was when my wolf stirred inside me.

“Something is wrong…” my wolf said to me. I barely had time to process its words when Audrey's car swerved violently to the right.

She lost control her hellcat swinging out of the race track and hitting the barrier. I was out of Lyra's hands before she could say Jack.

Everyone started screaming as smoke started coming out of her car. I tried to rush to her but then a blinding light stopped me and the engines of cars turned off.

I shifted into a wolf right then, as it would get me to her quickly. When I reached her side she was halfway out of her car.

“Adrian…” she called out to me. Her face was filled with tiny cuts and forehead had a bruise. But that was not all.

“Oh moon goddess, Sutton.” I rushed to her side amazed by the sparks of fire dancing up her arms. Now everyone would know she was Fae.

Behind me, Lyra screamed. “Don't touch her? She's not just wolf!”

“Shut up, Lyra.” I shouted back, then I grabbed Sutton's hand ignoring Lyra. My wolf roared inside me, half mad and asking me to protect her.