I could only gape at him. His confession clung to the air like a cold moist fog and it settled on me uncomfortably. A mark. A soul bite. My mother’s request. Me. The narrative made no sense the minute I'd brought myself into the mix.There was no way this was about me. Or so I wanted to believe but I couldn’t deny the oddities in my upbringing and the recent events occurring in my life so far.“Sit down,” Ethan said softly, gesturing to the bed. I followed through, watching him closely. His expression looked haunted in a way I couldn’t understand. “You need to hear this properly.”My skepticism lingered yet I moved and sat, locking my hands in my lap. He remained standing for a moment, as though gathering the courage to continue.“About twelve years ago, your mother brought you to me.” He began, before settling right beside me on the bed. “She came to my father actually,” he corrected himself and I frowned.“You were just a child, but your powers manifested from your original bloodlin
Turning away, I climbed into the bed and curled into a tight ball, feeling more lost than ever. My head throbbed with the weight of it all—my mother’s supposed actions, Ethan’s bond possibly overriding Higan’s rejection.Was it true? Could I afford to believe it?“No!” I exclaimed out loud, sharper than I’d intended. With a groan, I held my head. Thinking so much was hurting.Sleep claimed me before I could fight it, dragging me into an inky darkness. I tried not to groan again. I slept so soundly before I thought I was getting a break from the dreams.Opening my eyes, I figured out where I was immediately. Moonlight spilled through twisted branches, illuminating the familiar dream forest where shadows whispered secrets. The cold air pricked at my skin, and the mud stained my bare feet. I wondered if I could give myself a wardrobe change.I stood where I was the last time I talked to her and the white wolf so I slowly turned, waiting for either of them to show up.A figure emerged fro
Yet another thing to think about. I was collecting problems like infinity stones.I trudged toward the plane’s stairs, my limbs limp with exhaustion as I dragged my body to move. My thoughts were a tangled mess, replaying Ethan’s words and the unsettling encounter in my dream.Most of Ethan's pack had climbed down the plane, I was one of the two people left. Every step I took felt harder than the last because the weight of everything I’d learned seemed to have somehow doubled overnight. That and I hadn't slept well.The biting chill of the November air hit me as I stepped out. I shivered against the oversized coat draped around my shoulders. Caleb had handed me one before we landed. I quickly understood why as the cold settled In.I sighed. I missed Springville, I thought to myself letting my gaze fall on the horizon. But then, I froze. A fleet of luxury cars was lined up on the tarmac with their sleek black designs gleaming. It rivaled a scene right out of a billionaire's daydream.I
Shaking my head, I stepped out of the car and peered up at the towering structure. It didn’t feel real. It felt like I’d been dropped off into an alternate world where money was as abundant as air.“Come on,” Khalid urged. “Let’s get you inside. You’re gonna love the view from your room.”More cars settled on the outside pavement of the house yard. I hadn't seen Ethan since last night. I wondered when we'd get to settle and talk again.It could wait anyway. I followed Khalid into the mansion and he led me up the marble steps. He seemed quite in a hurry to have me in a room as he rushed ahead but I couldn't shake off my curiosity yet.I had a feeling the house, despite probably one of many, held more secrets than I could ever imagine. If not secrets then answers to my questions about Ethan and his people and possibly myself.The mansion continued to overwhelm me. My tired legs protested, but I forced myself to keep going, lost in thought. Before I could take another step, a figure rush
“What?” Caleb and I exclaimed together. “Who's Tyler?“ I asked Caleb right after. He simply grunted with a shrug before relaxing his body. “Him apparently,” he said with a sigh.He could just tell me! I resisted snapping. My fingers continued to itch as my irritation grew. What’s with these people evading questions?Khalid had frozen mid-motion, his glare darting to Abigail. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, pushing the white-haired man—Tyler off him with a shove. Tyler straightened, brushing imaginary dust off his rumpled clothes with a chuckle. “What? Thought I’d liven things up a bit.” Abigail rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Throw a party then, not a full-on brawl in the middle of the house.” I stared as I struggled to piece together what I’d just witnessed and heard. A shapeshifter? Does that mean he is not a werewolf? That explained nothing, rather, it raised a thousand more questions. Tyler’s pearly grin widened as his dark gaze flicked up to me, his e
The question caught me off guard. I hadn't really thought about it. A hum buzzed in my throat before I replied. “I'm not sure,” I admitted with a shrug. “Eat pizza? Stare at tall buildings? What do people do in New York?” “Depends on who you ask,” he tilted his head as he talked. “Some people chase dreams. Other just try to survive.” I raised an eyebrow. “And what do you do?” He tilted his head pretending to think. “Survive, mostly. But I do it with style.” I couldn’t help the laugh I let out following his response, though the humor didn’t fully mask my unease. “Seriously, though. What’s the plan here? Am I just supposed to sit around while you all… do whatever it is you do?” Khalid’s grin faltered for a moment. I tried not to guard up from the sudden change but then he quickly recovered. “We’ll figure it out as we go.” I stepped closer to him, narrowing my eyes to show my displeasure at his response. “Be honest with me, Khalid. What am I supposed to do here? Why am I here
I couldn’t believe I was actually going through with it.About half an hour ago, I’d decided I needed to see Ethan after waking from my exhausting nap. Luckily, I didn’t get any dreams from my doppelganger, so I rested well enough.But even with the rest, I woke up with the same questions running through my mind. I needed answers. I was sure Ethan wasn’t going to offer them willingly, so I planned to catch him off guard in his room.So there I was, sneaking through the longest hallway I've ever walked through, following the faintest trace of Ethan's scent to locate his bedroom.The house was eerily quiet, to the point I could hear someone breathing from a room downstairs. I was sure if someone listened closely enough, they could hear my every step. I continued anyway.Ethan's sandalwood scent pulled me closer to a black door at one end of the hallway in the second wing of the mansion. The minute I reached his door, my pulse quickened. Why? For one I hadn't really thought about what I
It hurts to consider the fact that he might be wrong about the bond. I suddenly felt him tense up. My brows knitted together as I set my gaze on him.He exhaled shakily. “I wasn’t here,” he admitted out of the blue. My eyes flickered around in surprise. “I didn’t come home with the others. I took a detour.” His voice dropped, a note of regret lacing his words. “And I regret it now.”I gasped, utterly flabbergasted.“Wait, how did you—”“Know what you were thinking?” he finished for me, finally lifting his head to meet my gaze again. His eyes were guarded but honest. “Not exactly. I can’t read your mind, but sometimes, pieces of what you’re feeling come through. Certain thoughts float with it.”My chest tightened as I stared at him, feeling both exposed and defensive. “That’s invasive,” I muttered, my cheeks flushing. “You shouldn’t do that.”“I know,” he interrupted, his voice quieter now, almost apologetic. “I try not to, but I can’t always help it. It’s not something I do on purpose.
She looked uncomfortable in the attention, but she didn’t shy from it either. Her expression was more distant yet a small cool grin rested on her lips. It seemed like she’d already decided how this day would go and was just going through the motions of playing nice.Higan followed her. His hand touched the small of her back, guiding her like she was something breakable. My stomach twisted at the scenery, and my right leg bounced on the ball of my feet but I kept my expression still. He smiled at people, greeted his friends, and nodded at the teacher. But his eyes didn’t settle too long on anyone in the room.Except me. I felt it and the subtle way Ethan’s aura shifted beside me in menacing waves. But that didn’t seem to deter the stubborn fool.However, I didn’t look away. Not from Becca. Not even when Higan’s gaze lingered. I watched her movements, the delicate way she removed her coat, and how she smiled too precisely at the people around her.Becca didn’t sit at the back as she lo
The morning light spilled into the halls of Springville High like it didn’t know any better. As though nothing had happened. As though the world hadn’t shifted beneath my feet under the glare of firelight and applause.Except it did. But I was still standing.The halls buzzed with that first-day-back tension—new boots squeaking against the waxed floors, lockers slamming too hard, too loud, laughter sharp and half-nervous. Everyone was trying to act like they weren’t wondering who had changed over break.I had. And not in ways I was necessarily happy about.Khalid and Abigail flanked me like shadow and flame as we moved past the entrance. Abigail carried her silence like a protective knife in her pocket. Khalid carried his like a banner of passive-aggression, barely speaking to me still.I’d long told myself to not be bothered by it.“First bell rings in five,” Abigail said, glancing at her phone. “Ethan will be with you first and third period, we’ll meet at the second and Khalid is at
“The barrier,” Ethan answered before either of them could. “Between here and… some other side where Melbringers reach for immense power.““Usually used when they're trying to commit massacres,” Khalid scoffed out, his shoulders squared defensively.My stomach turned. “I didn’t mean to.”“But you did do something,” Khalid said, voice lower. “Because what? Someone pissed you off again?“ He bit harshly, glaring at me.I flinched, his words sharper than they needed to be. My chest ached, my ears rang, and I felt Ethan step closer like a shield I hadn’t asked for but suddenly needed.Why was he being like that? I didn't mean to. All I knew was that I was angry, more than angry and I had every right to be angry given what I saw.“She didn’t do anything—” Tyler began, but Khalid cut across him with the heat of a snapping blade.“She did enough. She nearly destabilized a veil. You all know what that means. She opened something ancient and violent just because.”“Khalid,” Ethan growled a dange
The fire towers glowed brighter, crackling behind us. Laughter and footsteps surrounded us with the kind of joy people tried to bottle into New Year’s Eve like it was a perfume they could wear into January.I was delighted to an extent, enjoying swaying to the music with Ethan but my gaze kept darting sideways, past his shoulder.Why? Higan. He was still watching, still standing under the same flickering lamplight, but in a twisted way that made my stomach turn, he seemed a little closer.He hadn’t moved since we last made eye contact, but somehow the space between us felt thinner. Like the crowd could part at any moment and he’d be there, right in front of me staring me down with that same contemptuous look in his eyes.Ethan noticed my tension. “He's really riling you up.”I bit my bottom lip. Ethan could feel my emotions stirring. So I really hoped he wouldn't misunderstand what they meant. I just couldn't shake the sensation of Higan’s gaze crawling along my skin.“I'm sorry,” I w
“Have you ever done this before?” he asked, a hint of hesitation playing in his tone.I tilted my head. “Gone to a town party?“He shook his head slightly. “Dressed up. Gone out with someone.”My throat tightened. Not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I did. “No,” I said honestly. “Not really.”“From moving around a lot with my parents and settling here only to be rejected and forced to stay, I couldn't really find time to dress up and go out with anyone,” I went on doing my best to keep my tone light. I didn't want to sound pitiful.Ethan didn’t say anything right away. His thumb moved over my knuckles slowly, steady.“It’s not just a party,” he said eventually. “It’s the way people watch each other. The way they pretend their new year means something new when half of them are still dragging their old regrets behind them like a second shadow.”My brows knitted softly as I tried to understand what he meant. “Poetic,” I quipped.He turned slightly toward me, his expression s
“Here, this should do,” Abigail strutted into my bedroom with clacking heels, holding up a charcoal sleeveless drop-waist dress on a hanger.She was already dressed, of course, donned in a simple tailored maroon dress that sharpened her silhouette. Her raven black hair was swept into an elegant braid and adorned with white-jade clips.I was still barefoot in front of the mirror, hair curled and pinned halfway up, mascara wand in hand, and blinking at my own reflection like I didn’t quite recognize it.The room smelled faintly of my rose toner, flat iron smoke, and the lingering pomegranate scent from the lotion I borrowed from my mom. My nerves were a separate scent, sharp and cloying, like metal and something gone sour.I stared at the dress she brought like it had teeth. “You do realize it’s winter, right?”Abigail hummed resonantly and dropped it on the bed with a careful flourish. “I'm aware but you'll live,” she asserted, turning away.I reached for the fabric on my bed, caressin
I did. Once. Then again, till the air felt right in my lungs once more. My hand had stopped its throbbing but my heart was still plagued. The dark pull at my sanity loosened, inch by inch, fading like the most huffing out my mouth as I gasped. My wolf still hovered, tense and angry, but no longer foaming in the mouth. It was only after my body stopped trembling did Abigail let me go. She stared at me like she was trying to gauge if I was still in there. “That wasn’t just your wolf,” she said quietly. “Something else was pushing through.” I nodded. I couldn’t lie. Not about this. “The doppelganger in my dreams,” I muttered, pressing my fingers to my temples. “Me?” I corrected, confused about how exactly to address her. She was a part of me after all. No. She was me. “I wanted to kill her,” I confessed, hanging my head low as I held my chest. That was the ugly truth. My desires were mine, they were not separate from myself but somehow they managed to exist as an entity outside
Snickers trickled from some groups like a leaky faucet. The spectators around us perked up with thinly veiled curiosity, whispering behind their coffee mugs.“I told you it was her, she just looks different.““... thought she died in the attack.““... returning is so brave.““That's cruel, she's already an omega.“The chattering was incessant. My panic grew. I hadn't lived through any of these humiliating episodes in the months I'd been gone yet one encounter with Tess and I was here all over again. The subject of ridicule.My jaw clenched as I stared down at my thighs, my eyes shimmered with tears of frustration. I felt it. Those old stings behind my ribs, right under my lungs, right at my heart. The bruises pressed too many times.My hands curled around the rim of my mug, fingers tingling with desperation to do something. Why didn't she just leave? Why did she have to do this here?“You really should’ve stayed wherever you disappeared to,” Tess cooed. “But I guess trash always finds
I almost laughed. Almost. Because despite the comical manner in which she said it, there was some truth to it. I would have graver things to worry about. With that in mind, I shouldn't think so much about it.So in the meantime, I settled for enjoying my coffee in my favorite coffee shop like a normal teenager. With the way things were headed, I wouldn't be getting more of those moments anymore.The entrance bell above the door chimed sharply and my gaze darted to the spot out of habit. A gust of wind swept in with it, slicing the warm cinnamon air in two.And just like that, the atmosphere cracked open. Tessandra Harris. She struted in casually, wearing her pride boldly. With her usual entourage of seasonal clones in short skirts, cashmere, tights and jackets, she cut through the shop with her presence.Her gaze sliced the room like a blade looking for someone to gut while her lips were in that perfectly upturned grin that confessed to a false kindness I'd yet to witness.And then, a