Claws And Cartels Chapter 5

Title: The Wolf in the Mirror

Jerry’s POV

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I woke up to the smell of lavender. The room was dim, the curtains drawn, but I didn’t need light. My ears were sharper now, my skin prickling at things most people never noticed. Even the ticking of the wall clock was too loud. The scrape of a maid’s broom in the hallway. A dog barking from far outside.

So many sounds added up until I couldn’t separate one from another. All that was left was a piercing, irritating noise. The hair on my skin stood like needles, goosebumps spread across me. My chest tightened. All I wanted at that point was to scream.

I struggled to reach for my pocket, grabbed my earpods, and shoved them in my ears. Relief washed through me as my hearing settled back to normal.

I headed straight for my bathroom to wash up. I brushed my teeth, splashing water on my face, when my wolf’s tail tingled—danger.

I froze. My eyes lifted to the large mirror in front of me.

The atmosphere grew colder, heavier—like something unseen pressed down on the room. It felt like hands were reaching for my shoulders.

I gazed steadily at the mirror, surveying the whole room.

In an instant, my reflection morphed into a wolf man. I saw not myself but a massive beast with red, burning eyes. Its face was mine, yet older, fiercer, terrifying.

My knees buckled, and I hit the floor. Heart hammering. Hands shaking.

“What’s happening to me?” I whispered, voice breaking. Tears burned my eyes, but I caged the sound inside me. I couldn’t scream. I didn’t want Mom to hear. She had suffered enough. I didn’t want to be a burden.

But even as I lay there, shaking, my mind betrayed me—slipping into a memory that wasn’t mine.

Vasilias Lykaon.

The name thundered in my head. My vision blurred, and then I fell into a trance.

I saw a man seated on a throne carved from the stump of a huge tree still rooted deep into the ground. His clothes were made of animal skin. His crown was a wolf's face mask with two golden horns.

A knock on the door pulled me back to consciousness. It was the maid. Still in shock, I didn’t answer until she had walked away.

I washed up. The sound of cold water pouring down on my body was just what I needed: refreshing.

I sat on the bed, pondering what had just happened, but I was abruptly pulled back to reality.

Mom’s knock was soft: knock knock.

The door opened and Mom stepped in with a tray balanced gently in her hands. The smell of broth filled the air, its savory warmth making my stomach growl.

Mom chuckled softly. Her eyes were swollen, her hair messy, like she hadn’t slept in days. Yet her smile was gentle, the kind that made my heart skip a beat.

“Morning, baby,” she said, setting the tray down.

“Good morning, Mom,” I managed, sitting up straighter.

She brushed her fingers through my hair. “How was your night, my prince?”

Her hands were warm and steady, but her heartbeat raced too fast for someone so calm.

“Mom? Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine, handsome.” She waved it off with her tired smile.

I hesitated. “Mom… why is Dad always angry with me?”

Her hand froze for a second before tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “He isn’t angry, Jerry. He just… doesn’t understand you.”

I lowered my head. “I don’t understand me either. Sometimes I hear things… see things. Scary things.”

Her face paled, but her smile never faltered. “It’s nothing, sweetheart. Just dreams.”

“No,” I whispered. “It’s real.” But I swallowed the rest, too afraid of causing her more stress.

She kissed my forehead. Her lips were warm but trembling. She was scared of me. I could feel it—and that hurt worse than the visions.

A shadow darkened the doorway.

“Good morning,” Dad’s voice rumbled as he stepped in. His presence filled the room like a storm. He stood tall, shoulders broad, his aura pressing against mine. My wolf stirred under my skin, not in submission but in challenge.

I hated it. I hated that part of me wanted to bare its teeth at him.

“Levin,” Mom greeted softly. “How was your sleep?”

“Great,” he answered, eyes fixed on me. “Jerry.”

I tried to avoid his gaze, but his stare pulled me in. Fire rippled through my chest. Not hate—something deeper. Recognition. Like he was the father I had been waiting for my whole life, but also someone I wasn’t ready for.

“Good morning, Dad,” I whispered.

I leaned close to Mom. “Why is he looking at me like that?”

Mom laughed gently. “Maybe he’s trying to find a way to clone you, so he can have two of you.”

The tension broke into laughter. Even I smiled.

“Debby, Jerry—get dressed. We’re going out.” Dad’s tone was serious but carried a hint of playfulness.

“And where are we going?” Mom asked.

“You’ll find out,” he said, already walking out. “Be ready by 7:30.”

Not long after, Mom appeared in a beautiful dress, one I had never seen before.

“Baby, how do I look?” she said with a smile.

My jaw dropped.

“Wow, Mom—you look amazing. I’ve never seen you in this dress.”

“One of the maids brought it this morning,” she explained. “Apparently most of my wardrobe is missing. But if the new ones look like this, I can’t complain.”

“My clothes disappeared too, thanks for asking,” I mumbled to myself.

We climbed into the car. Dad shoved the door closed before sliding behind the wheel.

“Where are we going?” Mom pressed again.

“To check out Jerry’s new school,” Dad replied.

My head snapped up. “New school?”

“You didn’t tell me about this,” Mom said.

“That’s why I’m taking you now,” Dad said calmly.

We toured three schools, but none felt right. Finally, we stopped at one last place—Crescent High. The buildings weren’t as polished as the others. The principal felt… off.

While my parents talked with him, I slipped away, supposedly toward the bathroom. Instead, I wandered into a classroom.

A girl sat alone at her desk, so focused on her work that she didn’t notice me. I walked closer and placed my hand on her desk.

She jumped, nearly falling out of her chair. “Jeez! You scared me. OMG. You should’ve knocked!”

“Sorry,” I said quickly, trying not to laugh. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“But you did,” she said with a straight face.

“And I’m really sorry.” I smiled anyway, unable to help myself.

“Hi. I’m Jerry.”

She blinked, then smiled faintly. “I’m Sasha. Nice to meet you.”

“I think I’m lost,” I admitted. “Can you point me to the bathroom?”