Chapter 2

MEGAN’S POV

My phone buzzed quietly in my pocket, the screen lighting up with Victor’s name: Meet me in the woods behind the school after class. My heart skipped a beat. I quickly glanced around, trying to hide the flutter of nerves inside me. As soon as the bell rang, the classroom erupted into chatter, students grabbing their books and shuffling toward the door.

We moved quickly, gathering our things in a rush. The teacher, mid-sentence, looked frustrated. Her brow furrowed as she waved her hands dismissively. “Remember your homework!” she shouted above the noise, her voice echoing through the crowded room. But none of us paid her much mind.

I hurried over to Jemma, giving her a quick hug. “See you tomorrow,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart. She smiled softly, unaware of the storm of emotions swirling inside me, and nodded.

With one last glance back, I slipped out the door, my footsteps quickening as I headed toward the woods behind the school. The world outside was quiet, the trees casting long shadows in the late afternoon light. That’s where Victor waited. I could feel my pulse quicken just thinking about what this meeting could mean…what secrets we might share, what dangers might be lurking just beyond the leaves.

As I pushed through the thick canopy of leaves, the dappled sunlight filtering through, I felt a hush fall over the woods. The branches and leaves formed a natural curtain, hiding me from any prying eyes that might be watching from afar. My pulse quickened with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

Then I saw him….Victor, standing beneath our tree. That old oak, with its rough bark and the carved initials we had etched in its trunk…V & M—made it ours, a secret sanctuary just for us. His smile was gentle but carried an unspoken intensity, as if he was waiting for me to arrive.

Without a word, I closed the distance between us, and he reached out, pulling me into his arms. Our bodies pressed close, the world fading away as our lips met in a long, passionate kiss. It was a moment suspended in time. Electric and consuming, making my heart race and my breath catch in my throat.

His touch was both comforting and urgent, a silent promise of everything we risked for these stolen moments. As the kiss deepened, I felt myself losing control, the air growing thinner around us. For a fleeting second, I forgot about the world outside these woods…only feeling the heat of his lips, the strength of his embrace, and the longing that burned between us.

But even in that perfect moment, a whisper of reality lingered in the back of my mind. We were hiding, risking everything, and I knew this secret, our secret, was worth more than anything.

As we finally pulled apart, I looked into Victor’s eyes, searching for the warmth, the reassurance I had always felt. But instead, something else flickered there…something darker, more guarded. A glint that didn’t quite belong. A shadow passing behind his gaze, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

A strange chill ran down my spine. That same feeling I had in the cafeteria, the one I couldn’t quite shake resurfaced now, sharper, more urgent. It was as if I’d glimpsed a secret he was desperately trying to hide, something he didn’t want me to see.

My heart pounded harder, every instinct screaming that something was wrong. I braced myself, my mind racing with questions. What was he hiding? Why did that flicker in his eyes feel so familiar?

I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. Whatever it was, I knew I had to face it. I had to learn just how wrong things really were. And deep inside, I sensed that this moment, the stolen kiss, the secret place was only the beginning of something much bigger than either of us had imagined.

"What's wrong, just tell me," I whispered, my voice trembling with a mixture of anxiety and confusion. Victor hesitated, his eyes darting away before meeting mine again. For a moment, I thought he might tell me something that could change everything.

Then, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms trembling slightly. His voice was soft but strained when he spoke. "Don’t get mad," he said hurriedly. "I’m gonna work it out, I swear."

But the words hit me like a lightning bolt. My mind reeled as he finally revealed what I’d suspected but never wanted to believe.

"Our parents,  Emorie’s and mine…" he started, his voice catching in his throat. "They’re talking about… about us getting engaged. They’re planning for our wedding…" my breath hitched "to be a month after graduation."

The ground seemed to shift beneath my feet. All the warmth, all the hope I’d felt in that moment crumbled into a cold, aching realization. The dread I’d sensed, the feeling I’d ignored, everything was about to change forever.

Victor's arms around me felt both comforting and suffocating at the same time. I looked into his eyes, searching for something…an explanation, a reassurance, anything to hold on to.

I stepped out of his embrace, my heart pounding in my chest. Without looking back, I started to walk away, needing space to breathe, to think. But before I could get very far, Victor’s hand shot out and grasped mine, firm but gentle.

“I just need a minute to process things,” I whispered, my voice trembling. He nodded understandingly, releasing my hand slowly, giving me the space I desperately needed.

Inside, a storm was raging. I wanted to scream, to shout at the top of my lungs, to let all my frustration, confusion, and heartbreak spill out. But I held it in, trying to keep my composure. My mind was a whirlwind…my instincts screaming to transform and run free, to escape this suffocating human territory.

But I couldn’t. I was far from my pack land, in human territory where I had to stay hidden, stay human. Running now would mean risking everything…being seen, exposed, hunted. Instead, I clenched my fists and fought to keep my emotions in check, knowing that the only thing I could do was wait, hide, and hope I could find a way to navigate the chaos brewing inside me.