Chapter 4

"Reviewing the results of your tests, I'm happy to say there is no issue with your heart," Dr. Johnson informed, her round face lighting with a smile. 

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Maybe you missed something?" 

I decided to make an appointment with a doctor to make sure I wasn't actually disregarding the signal about some serious heart disease my body was trying to make known as some eccentric black magician's doing. 

She laughed. "Yes, I'm sure, Ms. Miracle. But for your assurance, I'll recheck." The middle-aged woman of vanilla hair and glowing skin, skimmed her eyes over the reports for the second time and faced me again. "You're fine, darling. Your heart is healthy and functioning normally." 

My brows dipped in confusion. "But the pain..." 

"That's indeed strange. When did it start again?" she asked, keeping the report aside and resting her arms on the desk. 

"A couple weeks ago." My mind went back to that night, my heartbeat raising. "Since my encounter with the wolf-man—"

"What?" 

"W-wolf, I meant." I didn't want her to think I was crazier than what I already perhaps made her believe. 

"Okay." She nodded, thoughtfully. "It might be due to anxiety and stress. You encountered a wild animal, and you've been stressed ever since. This often gives a person panic attacks which can lead to discomfort in the chest."

I stared at her, mulling over her words. This could be it except... What about the man I saw? What about his color-changing eyes? What about the way the pain increased whenever I thought about him?

"I'll prescribe you some medication and stress-reducing exercises." Dr. Johnson pulled me out of my thoughts as she scribbled on the prescription pad. 

"Is—" I wetted my lips, "Is it possible to confuse a dream with reality, Doc?" I finally asked what I'd been fearing all this time. 

She stopped scribbling and paid her full attention back to me. "It's not my field of expertise, but yes, this is possible. Mostly after a person wakes up. But the confusion should clear once they're fully awake." She went back to writing and added, "Though it's a different factor if the person is under the influence of alcohol." 

Right...

I sighed, finally deciding. I had been going crazy over something that most definitely wasn't real. An eye-color-changing wolf-man? Did I even hear myself? And to say I had been accusing the professor wrongly. 

My mind drifted to our last and only conversation. 

"Have we met before?" I had asked. 

In response, he said, and quite rudely might I add, "Bold of you to assume I'd remember." before he strode away. 

My blood boiled at the reminder. How could someone be so full of themselves and still get to be a professor? Teachers were supposed to be gentle sweet-talkers. Right? Except the few Severus Snape candidates. But Professor Valerious was entirely on a different level.

Once I was out of the doctor's office, I called Talia. "I'm going to the party," I told her.

I had no idea what came over me, but my mind was going through the aftermath of the riot, and it needed a break. 

***

When they said Jaxon's throwing a party, I didn't expect it to be this big. It seemed as though he invited the whole young population of the town. People were inside the million-dollar house, on the tumblr-worth terrace, in the backyard pool. Some even gathered in the glass-roofed underground garage to get a first-class view of his supercar extravaganza. 

The place was great. 

But it wasn't something I felt comfortable in. 

So, halting my poor attempt at dancing by awkward hand movements, I glanced at the girls beside me dancing and drinking like it was the last day on earth. I thought I could enjoy it too for once. 

But now I knew what a mistake it had been. Looking around, all I could see was the flashing lights blinding my eyes, the strong odor of sweat mixed with male testosterone and alcohol burning my lungs, and the loud music being played by a dj was hurting my head. 

I didn't know if the girls felt that too, but my heightened senses were making it unbearable for me. I needed to get out of here soon, or I'd suffocate to death. 

"I'm going to get another soda. Do you need something?" I yelled over the music. 

"What?" Samara yelled back. 

"Nope," Talia raised her half bottle of beer, "I'm good." 

I nodded and turned to get out of the makeshift dance floor when Talia spoke again. "Do you want me to come with you?" 

I shook my head. "I can manage."

I pushed through the sweaty drunk bodies and disrespectful boys trying for a chance at groping the lonely girl. Gosh, if my mother knew where I was, I'd be grounded for a month. 

A cool awareness swept over me, every hair on my body standing on end. I froze, my breathing slowing as the crowd parted, unveiling a shadow lurking in the dark corner.

And it stared right at me. 

The neon laser beams flickered across the room, catching those eyes for a fleeting second. 

I gasped, taking a step back. Cold, predatory, and dark green. 

A thick wave of artificial mist curled around the space, swallowing up the sinister presence. When it cleared, he was gone—like a figment of my imagination.

I blinked, shaking my head. I was overthinking again. I needed to clear my head. 

Stumbling out of the living room, I came across at least five couples making out and God knew doing what else in the darkness of the main corridor. Ignoring them, I ran to the kitchen and almost groaned. Even that space was packed with girls and guys competing on taking body shots. 

My eyes moved from the marble kitchen island occupying practically a naked girl and a guy hovering over her alcohol-filled belly button while the others cheered him to the cooler containing drinks at the corner. 

I stood awkwardly at the door for a full minute, torn between going in, grabbing a drink and bolting, or leaving without one and risking death by suffocation. 

But then I decided I really, badly needed one. So, tiptoeing as if they couldn't see me in the bright fifty decorative lights hanging from the ceiling, I reached the cooler, opened the door as softly as possible and stared at the labels on the bottles. The people in the background hollered at the table-guy adding fuel to my headache, and it made me want to try alcohol instead. 

But I was still suffering from the consequences of my last trip with alcohol. I couldn't stomach another. So, instead I reached for the bottle of cola when someone from behind slurred, "Babydoll, pass me a beer, will ya?" 

Shit. Caught. 

Grabbing a beer, I slowly turned around to find one of the guys from Blaze's group standing there, leering me from head to toe. He looked just as dangerous as the rest of the group with those dark tattoos, long hair, and scars. 

God, help me... 

Just as I extended him his drink, he grabbed my wrist. "Care to join us?" He gestured toward the crowd, all watching me now. 

Oh no.

Pulling at my hand, I shook my head. "No, please. Let me go." 

The guy cackled in a way that sent shivers down my spine as he took the bottle. The moment I was free, I snatched a drink in a rush and bolted out of the kitchen. After all I had gone through to get the drink, there was no way I was leaving without it. 

However, when I spotted the heated scene in the hallway, my heels turned on their own in the opposite direction. It was dark and silent, but I didn't care. I didn't stop until I was far enough away, and the air felt fresher. 

I took in my surroundings, finally realizing it was a wrong thing to do, yet for all the right reasons. I was on another part of the house, illuminated by moonlight filtering through the large sash windows. 

I could still hear the cacophony from the other side, but at least it wasn't piercing my ears anymore. With a sigh, I stopped by a window, gazing at the crescent moon glowing above the forestline that bordered the back of the property. I had always been fascinated by both the moon and the woods as if they were calling to me. 

Until the night of the campfire. 

I hadn't dared step foot into the woods after that. Although my eyes never stopped searching for those fiery red ones beyond the thick darkness. 

Like I was doing now...

With another sigh, I shook my head and peered back at the moon when I felt it again. 

The pull. 

The feeling of being watched. 

I frantically scanned the hallway, finding it completely deserted. Even when I glanced outside, and there was no one in sight, just emptiness all around.

And then they appeared. 

Those fiery eyes. 

That hulking silhouette. 

The wolf. 

I gasped, stumbling back from the window. What the hell!

Then I blinked, and it was gone. 

I blinked a couple more times, but only darkness met me. Yet, the tingling sensation of an unseen gaze burning in my skin refused to fade. 

My breathing deepened, and my pulse quickened. 

Uncapping the bottle, I took a quick sip only to cough from bitterness stinging my throat. I glanced down at the label, and oh no, I had grabbed alcohol instead of soda. 

However, as the warmth spread, sending an unexpected thrill through my veins, I couldn't stop myself from taking another gulp. I even stood frozen in place, knowing it was wrong, but somehow liking this unfathomable, chaotic attention, and it confused me. 

Something was really, very wrong with me. 

I couldn't decide if I should tell Talia about it, but she was already so protective of me, I didn't want her to start guarding me like my overprotective mother 24/7. It was because of the twins now that she let me free. 

I brought the bottle back to my mouth when a sound perked my ears. A male voice to be specific. 

"You can't do this to me, Mother, now that I am so close to my goal." 

It came from behind one of the closed doors in the corridor. 

"It has taken me years to get to this point. I won't let you ruin it now. Even if it means severing blood ties." 

Shit... This was probably the Blaze's private chambers. I shouldn't have been here. 

"They'll follow my lead, not yours."

Not wasting another second, I hurried back the same route I came here. 

But as I turned around the corner, the guy from the kitchen appeared out of nowhere, making me stop short on my heels, and wth my poor luck, the drink spilled over my white shirt. 

"The fuck were you doing here?" he yelled, coming at me, his eyes wide with suspicion. He didn't look creepy anymore but scary. 

My nerves shot as I quickly backed away. "I-I… N-Nothing." 

"You—"

"Danny, that's not how we treat our guest."

The voice from earlier spoke from behind, and I whipped around to find Jaxon walking toward me, his lips curving into a smile. Taking out a tissue from his jeans pocket, he paused before me. 

"My apologies for his behavior, princess. Allow me," he offered, leaning closer and reaching for me. 

I took a step back, watching him incredulously. Even though his approach was gentlemanly, I instinctively put my guard up. Maybe it was the vibe he and his friends gave off: dark and dangerous. And a little bit thuggish... okay, outright thuggish. 

Then there was the warning from Tyler knocking in the back of my mind. Señorita, stay away from the Blazes. They're not good people.

Jaxon's eyes rose to mine. They were black like the starless night sky. "Relax. I don't bite," he murmured. 

I stilled, swallowing, and let him dab my shirt with the tissue. 

"I’m so—" I flinched when the tingling sensation on the side of my neck intensified, and my eyes snapped to the window. 

Again, I found no one. 

"You were saying?" Jaxon brought my attention back to him. He straightened to his full height, towering over me by a whole foot. 

"Huh?" I stared at him, baffled, my mind elsewhere. Then I remembered. "Oh, yes. I—" I wetted my lips. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I'm just—" 

"Not a party person," he smoothly interrupted. 

"Yeah." 

"Me neither." 

“Oh?" I was taken aback by his admission. As much as I knew he was a party animal, always throwing parties on the weekends and making the clubs his forever home. "I thought you..." 

He chuckled. "People tend to make a lot of assumptions about me. What about you?" 

Dangerous? Perhaps a mafia heir? But one shouldn't be judged based on their appearance, right? He could be a good guy liking dark things. 

But...

"I don't know you. I can't tell."

His smile widened in amusement. "Who are you?" 

"I—" The ringing of my phone cut me off. "Sorry." Excusing myself, I took the call, and Talia's loud voice from the other side almost deafened me. 

"Where the hell are you? I have been looking for you all over the place. I swear to God if that Blaze is anywhere near you I'll rip his balls and—" 

"Tell her to give her location. I'll come get her," Tyler spoke from the background. 

"You guysss, let the girl have sum fum-fur-fun..." Then there was Samara. 

A laugh from Jaxon made me realize my phone was on loud speaker. Good God...

My eyes closed with embarrassment as my cheeks reddened. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. 

But then a hit of warm breath against my ear snapped my eyes open. Jaxon was leaning to my height again. 

"We'll continue this conversation when I'm back. Till then, stay away from trouble. Especially, Zeus Valerious. Appearances can be deceiving," he said, straightening up before walking away. "Goodbye, princess. For now."