Chapter 5: Where is James

Aurora 

I had barely even touched him and he had thrown me down several feet. He stood there just staring down at me.

No reply.

Just silence.

But I could feel it, his hot gaze, watching from above.

This man wasn't normal.

Great. Of course I'd be the one to find the psycho in the entire school.

Without another word, I grabbed James's bag from the floor and turned on my heel.

I needed to get out of here. Fast.

This place wasn't just a lodge. It had to be an asylum. An asylum for a raving madman.

But he was injured. Badly.

The thought clawed at me even as I stormed away.

I was still gripping James's bag like my life depended on it. Then I felt it. A sting, sharp and sudden, slicing through the haze.

I looked down.

A thin red slash marked my thigh, shallow but bleeding.

Great. Just great. First night here, and I was nearly killed by a psychopath.

Still, I couldn't get those eyes out of my head.

Piercing. Bright. Unhinged.

I'd never seen anything like them. That intense. That alive. That... Beautiful. 

For a split second, I could've sworn something passed between us when I touched him. A jolt. Electric and instant, crackling when our eyes met.

What? I blinked hard, shaking my head.

What was I even thinking?

Electricity? No. That was fear. Pure terror. Goosebumps and adrenaline.

There was no way I was romanticizing my attempted murder.

Still.

Why was he bleeding like that?

Why didn't his body heal?

I slowed without meaning to, thoughts racing ahead.

None of this made sense.

One thing was clear. I hadn't stumbled into the male tryout lodge. This place belonged to someone else. Someone clearly not meant to be found.

The beautiful eyed lunatic, maybe. And if I was right, the blonde witch had sent me there on purpose, knowing exactly what I'd find.

As I neared the girls' lodge, my steps faltered.

They'd be waiting. Watching.

I could feel it already. That quiet anticipation.

Girls like that lived for scenes. For chaos. Things like this were a source of amusement.

And right now, I was their chosen source of entertainment.

Not if I could help it.

I wasn't about to give them the satisfaction.

As I approached the lodge doors, I straightened up, tugged my clothes into place, and forced myself to take slow, steady breaths. My legs still ached from the fall, but I wouldn't limp. Not in front of them.

The second I stepped into the hall, I felt it. Eyes. Scrutinizing, expectant.

The blonde witch was there, of course. Leaning casually against the wall, arms folded, watching me with thinly veiled interest. They were all watching. Half curious, half surprised.

She arched an eyebrow as I drew near, sweeping her gaze over me as if looking for cracks.

They didn't expect me to return. Especially not like this.

"Did you?" she started, voice sugary and mocking.

"Oh yes," I cut in smoothly, pasting on my sweetest smile. "I found exactly what I was looking for. And," I added with a pointed glance, "I made a rather interesting discovery while I was at it."

That you're a bitch, I added silently, still smiling wide and pleasant.

"Thank you," I said, polite and sugary, like I meant it.

She blinked, flustered, clearly thrown off by my calm. The look on her face said it all.

As I walked past, I heard the low murmur of whispers behind me.

"She knew about it all along."

I smirked, satisfied.

Let them spin their little theories.

I'd ruined their show.

Sorry, girls. You'll have to find another tragedy to spice up your boring night.

---

When I finally made it back to my room, it was empty.

I let out a long sigh, stripped off my clothes, and headed straight for the shower, the door clicking shut behind me.

Warm water rushed over me, but it did little to chase away the chill that clung to my skin. For some reason, those eyes kept flashing in my mind. Vivid, sharp, piercing. I couldn't shake the image or how intense they had felt.

Or the spark from that touch. 

What was wrong with me?

I didn't feel the urge to tell my roommates what had happened. Maybe I was still in shock. Or maybe I just didn't want to relive it.

Wrapped in a towel, I returned to the room to find something waiting.

A neatly arranged set of uniforms, folded with surprising care, placed on my bed.

I paused, then smiled.

A small, strange flicker of hope lit in my chest.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, a new life begins. It was best I put this all behind me.

And hopefully, James would keep his mouth shut if he'd stumbled across the bizarre contents of my bag.

Goddess help me if he hadn't.

---

The next morning, I slipped into my uniform. Today was planned. I had to find James. Orientation day meant someone had to know him.

As I opened the door, Sarah was waiting. One of the tryouts from yesterday.

"Hi! I heard the porter mention your room," she said, explaining how she found me. "Ready for your first day?"

"Yup," I muttered, still groggy.

Her gaze flicked to the bag I carried. "What's that?"

"Oh," I said, adjusting the strap. "I accidentally switched bags with a boy on the train. James. I need to find him before he finds things."

She gave me a curious look but didn't press. Instead, she introduced me to other tryouts as we headed to the main hall.

"Anyone know a James?" she asked.

Blank stares. Head shakes.

"Do you know his pack?" someone asked.

"No idea," I admitted.

So far, nothing.

The hall buzzed as we arrived. Students shifted nervously, murmuring, glancing around. Then it quieted. A tall, broad shouldered man stepped onto the platform.

"My name is Angelo," he said, voice commanding. "I head all defense classes and physical assessments. I'll be supervising your performance."

One of the girls whispered, "What a hunk."

I didn't argue. He did look good.

He scanned the room. "To qualify here, you must earn it. Being the best at your pack doesn't make you Twilight standard. Keep up with your team. Or drag no one down."

Brutal truth. The gap between us and the others was already huge. We'd have to work three times as hard.

After Angelo, other instructors stepped forward, each intense. The message was the same.

"This place doesn't keep the weak."

Physical combat was mandatory. Healing majors? Not excused. My stomach sank.

"You'll be trained all around," Angelo continued. "Your weakness could be someone else's death. Twilight doesn't pass half baked individuals."

Pin drop silence.

"We won't make shifting combat mandatory yet," he added, "but it will come soon."

Sarah muttered, "At least for now, minimal training. Most of us will shift soon."

I tried to relax, but what if my wolf took longer? Or never came? They wouldn't hesitate to kick anyone who couldn't meet the requirements.

Then a warm voice softened the tension. Lady Nora, Head of Potions.

"Rarely, healing majors are retained for exceptional ability, even if weak in combat. You must hold your own when it counts."

Rarely. Unless I was extraordinary, it wouldn't be enough.

So I'd have to be indispensable at what I was good at. Sharpen my strengths like weapons. Pray it balanced my weaknesses.

Rules, guidelines, and Twilight's point system followed. Even small acts counted. Trouble stripped points away.

Then came the Quest. A major event with the Lycan King present. The room buzzed. Make it and your life and future would be set for life.

I was so excited I barely noticed what came next.

"And one last thing," the Head of Etiquette said. "Certain behaviors may be tolerated from them, the elites. But not from you. You're on probation. Actions may cost you your place."

A reminder. Same uniforms, same halls, same dorms. But not the same. Some were entitled. Dangerous.

I shivered at the memory of last night. That prank? A warning in glitter and cruelty.

---

After the briefing, I moved through the tryouts, still lugging James's bag.

"Nope. Never heard of him," a guy said.

"You've gotta be kidding me," I groaned. "He's tall, chocolate brown hair. Like this." I waved a chocolate bar for comparison.

"No one by that name. Sorry," he shrugged.

One by one, they dispersed. Unhelpful.

Sarah frowned. "This is weird."

"Tell me about it!" I snapped. "Did he fall off the planet?"

"Maybe he left immediately after," she said, shrugging. "Let's check the administration office."

I hesitated. What if they contacted him first? Then he'd see everything.

"You don't have to tell them everything," she said. "Just say you need to return something."

I nodded. "Alright."

As we walked, a chill crawled up my neck. Eyes on me. I froze, scanning the courtyard. Nothing.

"Aurora? You coming?"

I blinked. "Yeah. Coming." I rushed to catch up.

---

At the office, a middle aged woman peered over her glasses.

"James? Last name?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "He's a fellow tryout. We switched bags."

"No pack either?"

"No."

She flipped through files. Minutes passed.

"There's no one wit h that name," she finally said.

I blinked. "What?"

"No James arrived on the train. No tryout by that name this session."

My lips parted.

That wasn't possible. I met him. Sat next to him. Arrived together.

Then. Who the hell did I switch bags with?