Chapter 61
Ellie's POV
Jackson's hand had frozen on his coffee cup, his knuckles bone-white with pressure. I heard—actually heard with my too-sharp werewolf hearing—the faint creak of ceramic threatening to crack. His eyes, those amber eyes I'd been noticing more and more, caught the candlelight and for just a split second, they flashed gold.
Bright, unmistakable, definitely-not-human gold.
I blinked, and the color was gone, replaced by his normal warm brown. Had I imagined it? Was it just the candlelight? But my wolf instinct was howling now, screaming at me to pay attention, to see what was right in front of me.
My father's words echoed in my memory: "You need to learn to sense who's... different. Who's like us."
That moment at the lake. Dad shaking Jackson's hand, that long, assessing look. The slight change in his expression afterward, something between relief and concern.
Oh God.
"Ellie?" Megan's voice seemed to come from very far away. "You okay? You look pale."
I forced myself to breathe, to smile, to act normal even though my entire world was tilting sideways. "Yeah, sorry. Just—that's intense."
"Called it!" Lily's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts, her previous tension forgotten in the excitement of potential gossip. "I knew you and Jackson had something going on. I mean, look at your costumes—you literally dressed as bride and groom corpses. If that's not destiny..."
My face burned. I wanted to deny it, to laugh it off, but my voice had stopped working. Because Jackson had gone completely rigid beside me, his breathing slightly elevated in a way only my enhanced hearing would notice.
"Well?" Jake prompted, waggling his eyebrows. "Someone's face is getting awfully red. Care to comment on the cards' wisdom?"
"It could mean anyone," I managed, my voice sounding strange even to my own ears. "Future someone, I mean."
But even as I said it, every instinct I possessed was pointing like a compass toward the man sitting inches from me. Same kind. Essential similarity. Soul-level recognition.
"Sure," Ryan said with a knowing smirk. "Future someone who just happens to coordinate Halloween costumes with you."
"Okay, okay, enough teasing," Megan said, though her eyes were still moving between Jackson and me with unsettling perception. "There's one more person who hasn't drawn."
All eyes turned to Jackson.
He'd gone very still, the way a predator goes still before deciding whether to fight or flee. I could feel the tension radiating from him, could see the minute calculations happening behind his eyes.
"Jackson," Lily said, leaning forward eagerly. "Your turn! Let's see what the cards say about your love life."
"Come on, don't be shy," Jake added. "We need to know if you're Ellie's destiny or if the universe is just messing with us."
"I'll pass." Jackson's voice was calm, controlled, but I caught the steel underneath. "Thank you, but I prefer to create my own destiny rather than let cards dictate it. No offense, Megan."
"None taken," Megan said carefully, though she was studying him with new intensity. "Everyone has the right to choose."
But I saw the flicker of surprise in her eyes, the way her fingers absently traced the edge of her deck. This was the first refusal of the night, and it clearly meant something to her.
"Boring," Jake groaned. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"I have plenty of adventure," Jackson replied evenly. "I just prefer to write my future through action, not prophecy."
"Fair enough." Megan began gathering her cards, her movements slightly hurried now, as if she too had sensed something she wasn't prepared to address. "Like I said, tarot is just a tool. A way to reflect on possibilities. The real future is what you make it."
She paused while placing the cards back in their velvet pouch, her expression thoughtful. Then she looked around the table, her gaze touching each of us in turn.
"Though I will say—" Her voice dropped slightly, taking on that otherworldly quality again. "—Halloween night is special. The veil between worlds really is thinner. Sometimes the cards see more clearly on nights like this. Sometimes they show us truths we've been avoiding."
Her eyes lingered on me for just a heartbeat longer than the others, then flicked to Jackson, and I swear I saw understanding dawn in her expression.
"On that mysterious note," Jackson said, standing abruptly, "it's getting late. We all have class tomorrow, and I think we've had enough excitement for one night." He pulled out his wallet, leaving bills on the table. "This should cover everyone's orders. I'll walk you all back."
"Such a gentleman," Lily teased, but she was already gathering her things.
We filed out into the cool night air, the bar's warmth giving way to autumn chill. The walk back to campus felt surreal, everyone chatting about the readings while I walked in a daze, hyperaware of Jackson's presence beside me.
He kept glancing up at the sky. Following his gaze, I saw the moon—not quite full.
Does he do the same thing? I wondered, watching him from the corner of my eye. Does he have the same battle every month?
We reached the girls' dorm too quickly. Lily and the others headed inside with waves and goodnight calls, but I lingered, turning back to look at Jackson.
He stood in the lamplight, tall and solid and somehow both familiar and mysterious. "Get some rest," he said softly. "Don't let tonight's drama get under your skin."
"Thanks," I managed. "For everything. For—" I gestured vaguely. "All of it."
His smile was gentle, almost sad. "Anytime, Ellie."
I turned to head inside, but something made me look back one more time.
Jackson stood exactly where I'd left him, watching me. The lamplight caught his eyes, making them gleam amber-gold in the darkness.
I whirled back around, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. Thalia was going absolutely wild inside me, recognition singing through my blood like electricity.
Somehow I made it to my room, though I couldn't remember climbing the stairs. Lily and Megan's voices were distant, asking if I was okay. I mumbled something about being tired, about needing sleep.
But once the lights were off and my roommates' breathing had evened into sleep, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my mind racing.
Same kind. Soul-level resonance. Two of the same kind.