35_ Guilt

The weight of his question hit me like a physical blow, and fresh tears streamed down my face. I wanted to explain, to tell him everything, but the words wouldn’t come. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a choked sob.

“Katrina,” he repeated, his tone firmer this time. He took a cautious step forward, his eyes never leaving mine.

“I didn’t mean to,” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible. “It wasn’t—it wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

He crouched down a few feet away, his expression a mix of concern and disbelief. “What do you mean? What happened?”

I gestured weakly to Claudia’s body, my hands shaking. “I couldn’t stop it. My wolf—she took over. I wasn’t in control, Dylan. I didn’t know it was her. I swear I didn’t know.”

I couldn’t stop shaking, my entire body trembling as tears streaming down my face. Dylan shifted close, and knelt beside me, trying to calm me, but the guilt was too overwhelming. It felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. How could I have done this? How could I have let my wolf take over and attack someone?

“Katrina, listen to me,” Dylan said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”

But it wasn’t okay. I had killed someone. The prophecy was coming true, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop myself.

“I can’t believe I did this,” I whispered, my voice breaking as I hugged myself tighter. “She’s dead, Dylan. I killed her.”

“Katrina, don’t do this to yourself,” he said, his voice firm but gentle. “You weren’t in control. We’ll figure this out.”

I wanted to believe him, but the crushing guilt wouldn’t let me. Claudia’s lifeless body was proof of my failure, of what I had become. Just as I was about to spiral deeper into that darkness, my wolf ears twitched. I heard something—faint, but unmistakable.

A heartbeat.

I gasped and whipped my head toward Claudia. “Dylan… she’s alive. I can hear her heartbeat.”

Dylan’s eyes widened, and without wasting a second, he knelt down next to Claudia. He checked for a pulse, his hands moving quickly but carefully. After a few tense moments, he nodded, confirming what I already knew.

“She’s still breathing,” he said, relief washing over his features. “But she’s weak.”

“What do we do?” I asked, my voice frantic. “We can’t just leave her here, but i cant...”

Dylan looked at me, his expression steady despite the chaos. “I’ll make an anonymous call to the hospital,” he said. “But we need to leave now.”

Before I could protest, Dylan stood up, pulling off his shirt and handing it to me. “Here, wear this,” he said, his tone gentle but urgent. “We don’t have much time.”

I took the shirt with shaking hands, grateful for the cover. As I slipped it on, I felt its warmth wrap around me, a small comfort in the midst of the turmoil.

Dylan’s eyes scanned the forest, making sure we were alone, then he gently grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”

We moved quickly through the woods, my heart pounding in my chest as we left Claudia behind. The guilt still gnawed at me, but knowing she was alive gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe things could still be made right.

When we finally got back to Dylan’s apartment, I collapsed onto the couch, emotionally drained. Dylan immediately grabbed his phone and made the call. I watched him, my mind spinning as I thought about Claudia. What if she didn’t make it? What if she did, and she remembered everything? What if people found out what I had done?

Dylan hung up the phone and turned to me, his expression calmer. “The call has been made. She’ll get the help she needs.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. “She’s in the hospital,” I said, my voice shaky. “What if they find out? What if they realize it was me?”

“No one will trace it back to you,” Dylan assured me, sitting beside me on the couch. “It was an anonymous call, and I didn’t mention anything about what happened. She’s going to be fine, and so are you.”

I wanted to believe him, but the fear still clawed at me. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Dylan,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t want to hurt her, but I couldn’t stop myself. I don’t understand what’s going on.”

Dylan frowned, worry creasing his brow as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m worried too,” he said softly. “This isn’t normal, Katrina. You’ve never lost control like this before, not even during a full moon.”

I could hear the frustration in his voice, the same frustration that was building inside me. Something was wrong, and we were both desperate for answers. He pulled out his phone again and dialed Sabina’s number, but after a few rings, he cursed under his breath.

“She’s still not answering,” he muttered angrily. “Why the hell is she ignoring us?”

My heart raced as I watched him, his temper barely contained. He paced the room, muttering curses under his breath as he redialed Sabina over and over again with no answer. I could feel his frustration, and it only made my own anxiety worse.

“What if she knew this would happen?” I said, realisation dawning on me. “What if she is behind the prophecy? What if I’m going to lose control completely again and hurt someone else? What if im the one who hurt the other nine werewolves?”

Dylan stopped pacing and looked at me, his expression serious. “We’re not going to let that happen.”

“How do you know that?” I snapped, the fear bubbling up into anger. “How can you be so sure?”

He didn’t have an answer. His silence said it all. And that terrified me even more.

As I sat back down, my head in my hands, Dylan suddenly stopped and looked at me, as if he had an idea. “Hannah.”

I blinked, confused. “What?”

“Hannah’s a witch too,” he said quickly. “Maybe she can help. If Sabina won’t answer, maybe Hannah can give us some answers. She might know what’s going on.”

I hesitated. Hannah wasn’t exactly someone I trusted. I mean, I barely knew her, but at this point, we didn’t have many options. “Do you really think she’ll help us?” I asked.

“She might,” Dylan said, already pulling out his phone to make another call. “It’s worth a shot.”

“Who are you calling?” I asked, watching Dylan as he quickly dialed numbers on his phone.

“My friends,” he replied, his voice tense with urgency. “I’m going to ask if anyone can get me Hannah’s phone number.”

I frowned, glancing at the clock. “But it’s late already,” I said. It was well past midnight, and most people were either asleep or about to be.

Dylan shook his head, his jaw set. “I know, but this can’t wait, Katrina. We need answers, and if Sabina isn’t going to give them to us, maybe Hannah will.”

I nodded, understanding but still feeling uneasy. He made a bunch of calls, pacing the room as he spoke to one friend after another. After what felt like forever, he returned, his expression frustrated.

“No one knows her,” he muttered. “No one has her phone number or even knows where she lives.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation settle over us once more.

Dylan ran a hand through his hair, his eyes serious. “I’ll have to go find her at school tomorrow morning.”

I nodded, though the knot of worry in my stomach tightened. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.