Chapter 112: 112

~ZAYNE~

Something was wrong.

I was in my Advanced Calculus, staring at the problem on my worksheet, but the numbers wouldn't make sense. Nothing made sense lately.

Nessa was beside me, her hand resting on my arm like always. Her touch should have been comforting and made me feel better. Instead, I felt trapped.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

But I wasn't fine. Something kept pulling at the edges of my mind, trying to break through the cloud that had settled over my thoughts for weeks.

Class ended and I packed up my things. Nessa was talking about getting coffee, studying together, and plans for the weekend. I nodded along without really listening.

Outside, the quad was crowded with students heading to their next classes.

And there, walking across the grass with Selene, was Arlina.

My chest seized. She looked awful. Thin, pale, like she'd been sick for weeks. Her hair was pulled back messily and she was wearing an oversized hoodie that swallowed her frame.

Every instinct I had screamed at me to go to her. To check if she was okay, to apologize for whatever I'd done, to fix whatever was broken between us.

I took a step forward.

"Zayne?" Nessa's voice. "Where are you going?"

"I need to—" The words stuck in my throat. What did I need to do? "I need to talk to Arlina."

"Why? She rejected you, remember? She doesn't want anything to do with you."

"Something's not right," I said, more to myself than to Nessa. "I need to—"

My head exploded in pain. Sudden, sharp, like someone had driven a spike through my skull.

I stumbled and Nessa caught me.

"Headache again?" Her hand was on my forehead, cool and soothing. "You're pushing yourself too hard."

The pain eased immediately and the urge to go to Arlina faded with it.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Come on. Let's get you some coffee. You'll feel better."

She guided me away from the quad, away from Arlina. And with each step, the moment of clarity slipped further away.

By the time we reached the coffee shop, I couldn't remember why I'd wanted to talk to Arlina in the first place.

It happened again two days later.

I was walking through the library when I caught a scent. Familiar, and comforting like home. Speaking about home, I have not been there since the whole incident. I have been crashing at a course mate’s place. It was like I kept isolating myself.

Arlina.

My wolf jerked up inside my head. For the first time in weeks, he was alert instead of drowsy and sedated.

I followed the scent to one of the study rooms. Through the window, I could see her sitting alone with books spread out in front of her.

She looked up and our eyes met.

For a second,omething clicked into place. Like a puzzle piece finding its spot.

She was my mate. My person. The only one who'd ever mattered.

Why had I left her? Why was I with Nessa when Arlina was right here, looking at me like I'd destroyed her world?

Because I had destroyed her world. I'd asked another girl out in front of everyone. I'd kissed Nessa. I'd—

The thoughts came rushing back. Clear and horrifying.

What had I done?

I reached for the door handle.

"There you are."

Nessa appeared immediately beside me, her hand sliding into mine. The moment she touched me, the clarity shattered.

The library came back into focus but duller somehow. Like someone had turned down the contrast on reality.

"What are you doing?" Nessa asked.

"I was—" What was I doing? "Looking for a study room."

"This one's taken. Come on, there's an empty one upstairs."

She pulled me away. I looked back at the study room, at Arlina still sitting there with her books.

She was watching me leave. The expression on her face was something else.

Then Nessa's hand tightened on mine and I forgot why it mattered.

The wolf was getting louder.

At night, when I tried to sleep, I could hear him pacing in my mind. Growling. Fighting against something I couldn't see.

He didn't like Nessa. That much was clear. Every time she touched me, every time she spoke, he snarled.

But during the day, with her hand in mine or her fingers on my arm, the wolf went quiet. Subdued. Like he couldn't fight whatever was keeping him down.

I was sitting in my room when it hit me.

What if Stefan was right? What if Nessa was doing something to me?

The thought should have been ridiculous. Magic didn't work like that. People didn't just—

My head started pounding again. But this time, Nessa wasn't here to make it stop.

I pressed my hands to my temples, trying to think through the pain.

The past few weeks were a blur. I could remember spending time with Nessa, remember asking her to be my girlfriend. But I couldn't remember deciding to do any of it.

It was like watching someone else live my life. Someone who looked like me, sounded like me, but wasn't me.

My wolf howled in rage.

He knew. He'd known all along that something was wrong.

And he was trying to break free.

I closed my eyes and reached for him. For the connection that had always been there between human and wolf.

He surged forward, stronger than he'd been in weeks. And for a moment, I could feel him clearly.

“Fight it,” he seemed to say. F”ght her.”

But fighting what? Fighting Nessa? Fighting the relationship?

Fighting the magic.

Wait—hokd on…

Magic. Nessa was using magic on me.

My phone buzzed. A text from her.

“Missing you. Can you come over?”

The headache intensified. My wolf retreated, pushed back by whatever force was keeping him subdued.

No. I needed to stay clear before—

Another text. “Please? I really need to see you.”

My hands moved without my permission, typing back. “On my way.”

I stood up. Grabbed my keys and walked to the door.

The whole time, my wolf was screaming. And some part of me, the part that was still actually me, was screaming too.

But my body kept moving. Out the door, down the stairs, to my car.

I was going to Nessa.

And I didn't know how to stop it.