Semua Bab Beneath the Wolf Moon: Bab 21 - Bab 27

The morning light filtered weakly through my bedroom window, casting pale, grayish shadows across the floor. I lay still beneath the covers, listening to the steady hum of the house waking up around me—muffled footsteps downstairs, the faint clink of dishes, and the low murmur of my parents’ voices carried up the hallway like distant echoes.But the weight in my chest was heavier than it had been in days, pulling me down beneath the suffocating silence and the coldness that filled every corner of the house. I knew if I stayed here, I would dissolve into the same dark thoughts I’d been fighting off since coming home from the hospital.So, after what felt like an eternity of staring at the ceiling, I made a choice.I didn’t go to school.Instead, I slipped quietly from my bed, careful not to wake anyone, and threw on my jacket. I stepped out the front door, the cool morning air biting at my skin, sharp and fresh like a promise of something different.The streets were empty, the world st

By the time Monday morning rolled around, I thought maybe I’d imagined it all.Maybe the way his hands had lingered against mine, the way his lips had brushed my cheek like he couldn’t help himself, the way his voice had lowered when he whispered my name—it was all just a dream I’d let myself believe in.Because now, he was gone.Not physically—he was still there. Still walking the halls with that quiet, commanding presence. Still sitting at the back of class, watching, waiting.But I could feel it.Something had changed.The air between us felt heavier now, but colder too. Like winter wind slipping through a crack in a window.I first noticed it at my locker.I was spinning the combination when I caught a whiff of him—a faint, smoky cedar scent I’d come to recognize instantly. My fingers froze on the dial, my whole body tightening as I glanced over my shoulder.And there he was.Leaning against the wall a few lockers down, arms folded over his chest. Watching me.For one agonizing se

I could feel it gnawing at me all day—the quiet tension of being watched, of pieces that didn’t fit together no matter how hard I tried to arrange them.It started in second period. Jaxon wasn’t in his seat. Neither was Lucas. And no one seemed to notice or care but me.I sat through the lecture pretending to take notes, but my mind was elsewhere. He hadn’t texted. He hadn’t even glanced at me this morning when he walked past me in the hall.It was strange that he could ignore me so easily when every time he touched me, his hands seemed to say something completely different.By lunch, I couldn’t stand it anymore.I found Lucas leaning against the wall just outside the cafeteria doors. He always did that—lurked just far enough from everyone else that you might not notice him if you weren’t looking. He was scrolling through his phone, head down, but his posture stiffened when I stopped in front of him.He didn’t look up right away.“What?” he asked, his tone casual in that way that was

The morning sun broke through the haze of another sleepless night, pale golden light spilling across my bedroom floor and washing the familiar shadows from the corners. I lay there for a long while, staring at the ceiling with heavy eyes and an even heavier heart, still feeling the quiet warmth of yesterday’s small victory mixed with the dull ache of everything that still lingered unresolved inside me.I could hear the faint clatter of dishes downstairs and the low hum of my mother’s voice, sharp as she spoke to my father, and for a moment, I considered staying in bed and letting the day pass me by unnoticed. But something in me, something small yet stubborn, whispered that if I wanted to keep proving I could stand my ground, I needed to do it again today.So I rose slowly, every movement measured and deliberate, pulling myself together piece by fragile piece before stepping into the hallway. The house smelled faintly of coffee and furniture polish, but the air felt thick and unwelcom