The morning light filtered through my curtains, weak but persistent, pulling me out of the restless sleep I’d managed to get. My alarm had gone off twice, but I ignored it. I wasn’t ready to face the day yet. My head was buzzing with too many thoughts, too many unanswered questions, most of them involving Stefan and his cryptic texts.I’d left his last message unread for hours, not knowing what to say. Every time I thought about responding, something stopped me. A mixture of fear and doubt. It was easier to avoid him, avoid the whole situation, pretend none of it was happening. But pretending only worked for so long.With a groan, I pushed myself out of bed, heading straight for the shower. The hot water didn’t do much to clear my mind, but at least it relaxed some of the tension in my muscles. Today, I’d focus on work. That was the plan. No Stefan, no wild thoughts about werewolves. Just teaching and grading papers. Back to normal.But normal didn’t seem to be in the cards for me.I
I watched her walk away from me, the scent of her still lingering in the air. Every muscle in my body tensed, the urge to follow her overwhelming. But I stayed rooted to the spot, my fingers curled into fists at my sides, fighting against the need to chase after her. She had pushed me away again. For the hundredth time. Maybe for the thousandth.I could sense her confusion. Her fear. She didn’t understand what was happening to her—what was happening to us. But how could she? She didn’t grow up in my world. The world of wolves and mates. A world she didn’t even believe in. Her rejection stung, cutting deep in a way I hadn’t expected. I wasn’t used to being refused, especially not by someone meant for me. But I couldn’t blame her for being scared. This bond between us—this pull—it was strong. Too strong to ignore, even for her, no matter how much she tried. And I wasn’t going to give up on her.I took a deep breath, trying to calm the wolf inside me that wanted to go after her. She ne
The wind howled outside, rattling the windows of my small house. I sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the cup of tea I’d made but never touched. My mind was still replaying the events of the past few days—Stefan’s words, his persistence, and the lingering sound of his voice in my head that haunted me even in my sleep.Mates. Wolves. None of it made sense, and yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was happening to me—something bigger than I could comprehend. But I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it."He's just playing some kind of twisted game," I muttered under my breath, pushing the cup away from me. "There’s no way this is real."But if it wasn’t real, then how could he speak into my mind? How did he know things about me that no one else could? And why did I feel this pull toward him—this strange connection that seemed to defy all logic?I stood up abruptly, pacing around the small kitchen. My feet moved in a restless rhythm, but my thoughts were ch
The next morning, I woke up feeling disoriented, like I had barely slept at all. My mind was a chaotic mess, still spinning from what had happened last night. The wolf. Stefan. Everything was colliding in my head, and no matter how much I tried to push it away, it all came crashing back with full force.I dragged myself out of bed, groaning as the sunlight streamed through the window. The world outside seemed so normal, so calm. It was hard to believe that my life was unraveling in ways I couldn’t have imagined just days ago.I needed coffee. Lots of it.As I made my way into the kitchen, I glanced at my phone, half-hoping for a message from Keisha. She was my grounding force, the one person I could talk to about anything. But right now, I couldn’t even explain this madness to myself, let alone her.I stood at the counter, pouring coffee into a mug, trying to shake off the lingering unease from the night before. My thoughts were heavy, and my chest felt tight, like something was press
The days after Stefan’s confession were a blur. I did everything in my power to avoid him, throwing myself into my work and clinging to any sense of normalcy. But no matter how much I tried, his words echoed in my mind.“You’re my mate.”It was insane. Ridiculous. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry whenever the memory resurfaced. I told myself, over and over, that it couldn’t be real. That none of this could be real. Werewolves? Mates? It sounded like a bad movie plot, not something that could actually be happening to me.Yet, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something about this was real. Too real. The pull I felt toward Stefan, the strange connection I couldn’t explain—it gnawed at me constantly, no matter how much I wanted to ignore it.I was sitting on the couch, curled up with a blanket and a cup of tea, trying to lose myself in the pages of a book, when I heard a knock at the door.Frowning, I glanced at the clock. It was late—too late for an
The quiet of the early morning was shattered by a sense of dread that had clung to me all night, making sleep impossible. It wasn’t just Rex’s surprise visit or Stefan’s unexpected promise from the night before that kept me awake. There was something more, something sinister in the air, like a storm on the horizon I couldn’t see but could feel deep in my bones.I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my eyes hollow and dark from lack of rest. Splashing water on my face didn’t do much to clear my mind. The weight of everything—Rex, Stefan, the looming uncertainty at work—pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket. I wished I could shake off the feeling, but it clung to me like a second skin.As I pulled on my jacket, preparing to head to the university, a loud knock reverberated through my small apartment. My heart leapt into my throat. For a second, I was frozen in place. A deep sense of foreboding washed over me. I hadn’t expected anyone, and after Rex’s visit last night
The day had passed like a blur, the dread building within me like an invisible weight pressing against my chest. Stefan’s warning had rung in my ears all day, a constant, oppressive reminder of the lurking danger I couldn’t quite comprehend. Stay away from the woods. But why? And what was I supposed to do with that?When I got home, my apartment felt eerily quiet. Too quiet. I dropped my bag by the door, kicking off my shoes and pacing through the small living room. I was restless, my thoughts swirling like a storm in my head.The attacks. The wolves. The warning. I couldn’t stop thinking about Stefan’s face when he’d told me there were more wolves, more dangers. The way his voice had softened, as though he was revealing something he’d been carrying for far too long. But what really stuck with me was that fear in his eyes. Stefan was afraid, and if someone like him—someone who claimed to be a werewolf—was afraid, then what hope did I have?I sighed heavily, sinking onto the couch. I
I couldn’t sleep.The night was supposed to bring peace, a way to escape from the chaos swirling in my mind, but all it did was amplify my thoughts. I tossed and turned, each creak of the bed reminding me of Stefan’s words.“There’s power inside you… It’s waking up.”I sat up in bed, wrapping my arms around my knees. The darkness felt suffocating, pressing against me, trapping me in my thoughts. What did he mean? What kind of power could he possibly be talking about? I was just Elara—an ordinary woman who taught literature at a local college. I wasn’t… anything special. And yet, Stefan had said it with such certainty, such conviction, that I couldn’t shake it off.I groaned, rubbing my temples. “This is ridiculous.”The rational part of me wanted to dismiss everything. Werewolves? Mating bonds? And now, some hidden power inside me? It all sounded like the plot of one of those supernatural romance novels my students loved to read. But then there were the things I couldn’t explain away.
The next morning dawned with a heavy sense of dread weighing on me. As I lay in bed, the sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting warm golden patterns across my room. I should have felt comforted, but instead, I felt like I was on the edge of a precipice, teetering and waiting for the inevitable plunge. I forced myself to sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The wooden floor was cold against my bare feet, and I shivered slightly. I had avoided checking my phone all morning, fearing a text from Stefan or, worse, Rex. But as I took a deep breath and steeled myself, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand.No new messages. A mix of relief and disappointment washed over me. It was strange how much I had come to rely on the presence of Stefan in my life, even though he stirred up so much uncertainty. I shuffled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. I stared at my reflection, taking in the dark circles under my eyes and the way my hair stuck out in all dire
The lights of the city twinkled like stars as Keisha drove through the familiar streets, but the beauty of it all felt distant, as if I were watching a movie from behind a glass screen. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, a chaotic jumble of emotions that I couldn’t seem to sort out. “Are you okay?” Keisha asked, glancing over at me as we waited at a stoplight. Her concern was palpable, and I appreciated it, but it only added to the weight on my chest.“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, though my voice lacked conviction. The words felt heavy on my tongue, weighed down by the truth I was trying to deny. I wasn’t fine. I was a mess, caught between the reality of my life and the bizarre new world Stefan had introduced me to.“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she probed, her eyes steady on the road but her attention completely focused on me. “You’ve been quiet ever since we left your place.”I sighed, leaning my head back against the seat. “I don’t know, Keisha. I feel… I don’t know. C
The air outside felt thick, like a brewing storm ready to unleash itself, but I couldn’t focus on the weather. My mind raced with everything that had happened recently. The revelations, the strange connection with Stefan, and now the humiliation Rex had put me through—it was all too much. I could feel a heavy weight settling in my chest as I made my way to my car, my thoughts swirling like a hurricane.I tried to push it all down. Tried to tell myself that it wasn’t a big deal. But the truth was, things were changing, and I had no control over any of it.As I started the car, the engine’s low rumble did little to soothe my nerves. The memory of Stefan’s promise back in that dark closet echoed in my head. He’d said he would deal with Rex, that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. But I didn’t want him fighting my battles. I could handle Rex on my own. I *had* to.Yet, there was something about Stefan’s protective nature that unsettled me. It wasn’t just his promises; it was the way he look
I shouldn’t have come to campus today. That was the thought swirling through my mind as I walked across the courtyard, my heart pounding in my chest. After everything that had happened—the shocking revelations, Stefan’s insane claim that he was a werewolf, and the terrifying fact that I believed him—I needed time to process. But instead, I was here, trying to pretend that everything was normal. But it wasn’t. Nothing felt normal anymore.The whispers followed me through the hallways. They had since Rex and his girlfriend, that snake Clarissa, had humiliated me in front of the entire faculty the other day. My feet dragged as I moved toward the faculty lounge, not because I was physically tired, but because I dreaded what would come next. Stefan had kept his distance since his dramatic reveal, something I was grateful for but also… unsettled by. Part of me wanted him to barge into my life again and force me to confront this madness. The other part of me wanted to run as far away as
The air was still, thick with tension as I sat in my living room, staring blankly at the walls. My mind had been spinning ever since Stefan’s ultimatum. It was as if the universe had tilted, and I was left clinging to the remnants of my old life, trying to make sense of it all. *Werewolves? Mates? Danger?*It was impossible. Completely absurd. I should’ve laughed in his face, but every time I tried to, something tugged at the back of my mind—his eyes. The way he looked at me, the raw emotion in his voice, it didn’t feel like a lie. But how could it be true? How could *any* of it be true?I groaned, rubbing my temples in frustration. Keisha had already called twice, sensing something was wrong, but I didn’t have the energy to explain. Not yet. Not until I could figure out what the hell was happening.The soft buzzing of my phone on the table pulled me out of my thoughts. For a second, I hesitated, hoping it wasn’t Stefan again. I didn’t think I could handle another intense conversation
The early morning light filtered through the trees, casting long shadows over the clearing as I paced back and forth, my mind racing. I had never been one for patience, especially when it came to matters this important, but I knew that pushing Elara too far, too fast, would only make things worse. And yet, time was running out.She had no idea the kind of danger she was in—none at all. The longer she stayed unaware, the more vulnerable she became. But every time I tried to explain, she shut me out. The fear in her eyes when I mentioned what we were, what *I* was, was like a knife to the gut. She thought I was just messing with her, playing some cruel game.I stopped pacing and raked a hand through my hair, letting out a low growl of frustration. She didn’t understand, and I couldn’t exactly blame her. How could a human begin to comprehend the weight of the bond that tied us together, or the threats lurking just beyond the veil of her reality?But she *had* to understand. She had to kn
By the time Friday night rolled around, I was more than ready for a distraction. Keisha had been hounding me all week about going out, insisting that I needed to get out of my own head for a while. She wasn’t wrong. Between Rex’s humiliation and Stefan’s confounding presence, my mind felt like it was constantly spinning. I needed a break.Keisha’s voice rang out from the hallway as she let herself into my apartment. “Elara! I swear, if you’re not ready, I’m dragging you out in whatever you’re wearing!”I smiled despite myself, smoothing out the dress I had thrown on at the last minute. It was a simple black dress, nothing too flashy, but it made me feel put together in a way I hadn’t for days. Maybe going out wasn’t such a bad idea after all.“I’m ready, I’m ready!” I called, walking out of my bedroom.Keisha’s eyes lit up when she saw me. “Girl, you look *good*!” She twirled a lock of her curly hair and grinned. “Tonight, we’re leaving all the drama behind and just having fun. Promis
I couldn’t sleep.The night was supposed to bring peace, a way to escape from the chaos swirling in my mind, but all it did was amplify my thoughts. I tossed and turned, each creak of the bed reminding me of Stefan’s words.“There’s power inside you… It’s waking up.”I sat up in bed, wrapping my arms around my knees. The darkness felt suffocating, pressing against me, trapping me in my thoughts. What did he mean? What kind of power could he possibly be talking about? I was just Elara—an ordinary woman who taught literature at a local college. I wasn’t… anything special. And yet, Stefan had said it with such certainty, such conviction, that I couldn’t shake it off.I groaned, rubbing my temples. “This is ridiculous.”The rational part of me wanted to dismiss everything. Werewolves? Mating bonds? And now, some hidden power inside me? It all sounded like the plot of one of those supernatural romance novels my students loved to read. But then there were the things I couldn’t explain away.
The day had passed like a blur, the dread building within me like an invisible weight pressing against my chest. Stefan’s warning had rung in my ears all day, a constant, oppressive reminder of the lurking danger I couldn’t quite comprehend. Stay away from the woods. But why? And what was I supposed to do with that?When I got home, my apartment felt eerily quiet. Too quiet. I dropped my bag by the door, kicking off my shoes and pacing through the small living room. I was restless, my thoughts swirling like a storm in my head.The attacks. The wolves. The warning. I couldn’t stop thinking about Stefan’s face when he’d told me there were more wolves, more dangers. The way his voice had softened, as though he was revealing something he’d been carrying for far too long. But what really stuck with me was that fear in his eyes. Stefan was afraid, and if someone like him—someone who claimed to be a werewolf—was afraid, then what hope did I have?I sighed heavily, sinking onto the couch. I