Chapter 10 The Day After
Sleep didn’t come so much.
When I woke up, my body felt heavy, like I’d been carrying something far too big for far too long. My muscles ached in places I didn’t know existed, and there was a faint buzzing under my skin, it was not painful, just… there. Waiting.
Morning light filtered through my curtains, soft and innocent, as if nothing in the world had changed.
Everything had.
I sat up slowly, my heart thudding as memories rushed back... deep red eyes, wild wolves, and the forest whispering my name.
My hands flexed instinctively, and for half a second, I swore I saw a faint glow fade from my fingertips.
I sucked in a sharp breath and shoved my hands under the blanket.
No, not here and not now.
The house was quiet. I moved through my routine without thinking, shower, clothes, and my bag slung over my shoulder...pretending to be normal, so hard it almost felt real.
Outside, the air felt sharper. Louder. I could hear distant cars, birds on rooftops, and the hum of the town waking up. My senses refused to dial back.
By the time I reached school, my nerves were already worn out.
Lockers slammed. Laughter echoed. Sneakers scuffed against the hallway floor.
Ordinary sounds that used to blend together now hit me individually, each one was a tiny sudden shock.
I kept my head down.
“Hey, freak.”
I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Mara’s voice cut through the hallway like a blade, sweet and sharp all at once. Her friends flanked her, they were a bunch of loyal shadows with empty smiles and cruel eyes.
I tightened my grip on my bag and kept walking.
She stepped into my path abruptly, with her shoulder slamming into mine hard enough to make it sting. The impact sent a ripple through my body, not just physical, but something deeper.
Something that answered.
“Watch it,” she sneered.
“I did,” I said quietly, surprising even myself.
Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh? Found your voice now?”
Laughter erupted around us. Students slowed, turning the moment into a spectacle.
I felt it again... that twist in my chest, it was like fear twisting into something hot and dangerous. My fingers tingled.
Don’t falter.
I stepped around her. “I don’t want trouble.”
Mara leaned in close.
“Funny. Trouble seems to follow you.”
She brushed past me again, deliberately, harder this time. My shoulder burned, and for a split second, I had the terrifying urge to push back.
Instead, I walked away.
The stands in the courtyard were half full, students lounging like it was any other day. I took my usual seat at the far end, my backpack sat on my lap, and being alone wrapped around me like armor.
Except it didn’t fit the same anymore.
I felt eyes on me.
Not Mara’s.
My head lifted before I could stop myself.
Kai stood near the edge of the courtyard, leaning against a pillar, as he belonged there. He was putting on clean clothes, and he had a calm expression.
It was normal.
Our eyes met.
Something inside me stilled and then jolted violently back to life.
The bond pulsed, it was subtle but undeniable. My breath caught, and my chest was rising too fast. The noise around me faded, and was replaced by the steady awareness of him.
He looked… tired. There was a faint bruise near his jaw, mostly hidden. My stomach tightened.
He felt my gaze. I knew it the same way I knew when the forest had been watching.
Kai pushed off the pillar and walked toward me.
Each step sent a shock through me.
He stopped a careful distance away, like he wasn’t sure what I’d do if he got closer. “You okay?”
I nodded automatically.
“Yeah.”
Lie.
His eyes searched my face, lingering just a second too long. “You shouldn’t be here today.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I whispered. “Neither do you.”
A corner of his mouth twitched. “Fair.”
Mara’s laughter rang out nearby, sharp and deliberate. Kai’s gaze flicked toward her, then back to me, something dark passing through his eyes.
“Is she bothering you?” he asked.
“Always,” I said. “It’s nothing.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“It doesn’t feel like anything.”
Before I could answer, the warning bell echoed through the courtyard.
Kai straightened. “Stay close today.”
“I can’t,” I said quickly.
“People will notice.”
“They already are.”
I swallowed. “Just… be nearby.”
His eyes softened. “Always.”
He turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd like he hadn’t just unraveled me with a single look.
Classes blurred together.
Teachers droned. Pens scratched paper. My thoughts kept changing directions, to the forest, to the wolves, and to Kai’s bloodied arm. Every sudden sound made my muscles tense. Every brush of someone passing too close made my pulse spike.
By lunchtime, I was exhausted.
I barely noticed Mara approach until she dropped into the seat across from me, her tray slamming down.
“You’ve been acting weird,” she said casually, like we were friends. “Weirder than usual.”
I stared at my food. “Go away.”
She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. “Something happened last night?”
My heart skipped.
Too fast and too sharp.
“No,” I said. “Nothing.”
Her smile widened. “Liar.”
The word hit like a slap.
I felt it then... the power stirring, restless and angry. The air around me felt tight, like a storm building just under the surface.
Mara frowned, glancing around. “What’s that?”
I stood abruptly, the chair scraping loudly. “I need some air.”
I didn’t wait for permission.
The hallway was empty, and silent. I leaned against the wall, breathing hard, willing the feeling to calm down.
It didn’t.
Instead, I felt him.
Kai appeared at the end of the hall, with his eyes locking onto mine instantly.
“You felt that too,” I said.
“Yes,” he replied. “And that’s the problem.”
My chest tightened. “What problem?”
He walked closer, with his voice low. “Your power doesn’t turn off just because you’re in school.”
A chill slid down my spine.
“So what happens if I lose control?” I whispered.
Kai stopped in front of me, his expression was grave.
“Then everyone will know what you are.”
The bell rang again, sharp.
Students would be pouring into the halls any second.
I swallowed, fear and resolve tangling together.
“Then I guess,” I said quietly, “I’d better learn fast.”
Kai’s
gaze lingered on me, intense and protective.
“Or,” he said softly, “the school won’t survive your awakening.”
And somewhere deep inside me, something answered.
Ready, waiting, and hungry.