Chapter 51 Chapter 51: stronger than before

Chapter 51 Chapter 51: stronger than before


Sam POV

“Do you believe in werewolves?”

Silas’s question hit me like a slap. I stopped walking, my sneakers scraping against the pavement. My heart slammed hard against my ribs as I turned to stare at him. The words hung in the air between us, heavier than they had any right to be.

I forced a laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “What? Like… from movies and stuff? That’s just a myth, man. Why are you even asking that?”

Silas shrugged, but his eyes stayed sharp on my face. “I’ve been reading some stuff as of recent. Bro I think I am over thinking… I don’t know. It just popped into my head.”

I shook my head quickly, trying to play it off. “You watch too many horror shows. Come on, let’s get out of here before the bell rings again.”

We kept walking toward the school gate, but the easy mood from earlier had shifted. Silas kept glancing at me sideways, like he was waiting for me to say more. I stayed quiet, my hands shoved deep in my hoodie pockets.

The final bell had already rung, and most students were heading home. The courtyard was emptying fast. Silas and I were almost at the main gates when a group of five guys stepped in front of us. I recognized them immediately — the same bunch of jocks who liked to throw their weight around. Their leader, a tall guy named Brock with a permanent sneer, crossed his arms and looked straight at Silas.

“Look who it is,” Brock said loudly. “The freak and his little lapdog. Still following Sam around like a lost puppy, Silas?”

His friends laughed. One of them shoved Silas’s shoulder hard enough to make him stumble back a step.

“Leave him alone,” I said, my voice low.

Brock turned to me with a smirk. “Or what? You gonna cry to your rich uncle again?”

I didn’t answer with words. My body moved before my brain caught up. When the first guy swung at Silas, I stepped in fast, catching his wrist and twisting it just enough to make him yelp and drop to one knee. Another came at me from the side. I ducked the punch and drove my elbow into his stomach. He folded with a grunt.

The others rushed me. I moved through them like they were moving in slow motion. A fist came toward my face — I sidestepped and hit the guy square in the jaw. He spun and crashed into one of his friends. Another tried to tackle me. I shifted my weight and used his own momentum to slam him into the ground.

Silas stood frozen a few feet away, eyes wide.

Within seconds, three of them were on the ground groaning. The last two looked at each other, then charged me together. I dropped the first with a clean punch to the ribs. The second grabbed me from behind. I slammed my head back into his nose. Cartilage crunched. He let go with a howl.

They were all down now, breathing hard, staring up at me in disbelief.

Silas look at me in disbelief then something inside me shifted. I stopped fighting. I lowered my arms and let them come at me. The first kick landed in my side. I grunted but didn’t move. Another hit my back. I dropped to my knees, covering my face with my arms as the blows rained down.

Kick after kick slammed into my ribs, my legs, my shoulders. I stayed curled up, taking every hit without fighting back.

My mind drifted.

I wasn’t on the dirty pavement anymore.

I was sitting on a wooden bench by the beach. The sun was setting, painting the sky in soft oranges and pinks. Cool breeze brushed against my skin, carrying the salty smell of the ocean. Marcus sat beside me, quiet and solid. His hand rested over mine on the bench between us. Neither of us spoke. We didn’t need to. The bond hummed warmly between us, steady and comforting. For the first time in a long time, everything felt… right.

Then Silas’s voice cut through the fantasy.

“Sam, what the fuck is this?”

My eyes snapped open.

I was back on the ground. The bullies were exhausted, chests heaving, sweat dripping down their faces. They had stopped kicking. One of them wiped blood from his split lip, staring at me like I was a ghost.

I pushed myself up slowly. My clothes were dirty, but I felt almost nothing. No real pain. I brushed the dirt off my hoodie and looked at them calmly.

“Is that the best you can do?”

They backed away, eyes wide with horror. One by one, they turned and ran, stumbling over each other to get away.

Silas stood a few feet away, mouth open.

“Bro…” he breathed. “What the hell was that? You didn’t even have a scratch. No blood. Nothing.”

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice casual. “Just some old skills I learned from my uncle.”

Silas let out a disbelieving laugh. “No doubt your uncle is a badass.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Marcus’s name on the screen. My stomach tightened.

“I think I’m needed at home,” I said, slipping the phone back in.

Silas nodded slowly, still staring at me like he was seeing me for the first time.