Chapter 3

I was staring at Kieran, my eyes wide with shock. His back was turned to me as one hand covered his face. What was happening to him? My first instinct was to run in fear, but something else was pushing for me to stay with him.

"Kieran? Are... are you okay?" I reached out to touch him.

"Don't touch me," he said icily. The coldness in his voice pierced my heart like thorns. He barely ever spoke to me, and when he did, it was never nice. Even then, his words seemed to be laced with a strong emotion directed at me.

Was it anger?

Why would he be angry at me? I hadn't done anything. Coming into his room was a mistake, but it was no reason for him to treat me so coldly.

With a renewed sense of boldness, I went around him and placed my hand on his arm.

"Did I do anything wrong?"

He shrugged off my hand and walked to the other end of the room, still refusing to face me.

"Get out." His words stung.

"What?"

"Leave. Now!"

His voice boomed at me, and I had no choice but to leave with nothing but his large hoodie on my back. I went into Esme's room this time and collapsed by the bed. Too much had happened too fast for me to process it.

One second, it seemed like my fantasies were coming true, and then the next, it was like Kieran truly hated me. I couldn't wrap my head around his behaviour. I ignored how cold he acted towards me most times. But I couldn't deny it any longer. He had no reason to act like he hated me. I'd never spent more than 15 minutes with him, and I'd spoken less than 100 words to him in the 2 years I'd known him.

His feelings towards me were completely unfounded. What I hated more was how my feelings for him only grew stronger. It had started out as a crush on some random guy in my school hallway, but it was so much more now, and I didn't know why.

I knew what I felt with him in that room. I could've sworn he was going to kiss me. He'd looked so much more different under the moonlight. Almost like he'd been taken over by someone else, and within a few moments, he snapped back to his old self, with renewed hatred for me.

I didn't realise when water started to drop from my eyes. As hot tears rolled down my cheeks, I cuddled myself on the floor. I didn't know why I was so affected by his attitude towards me. All I knew was it hurt, really bad.

I heard the door open. I didn't have the strength to look up.

"Oh my, Eva! What are you doing lying on the floor? What's wrong?"

Esme knelt beside me as she brushed my messy brown hair from my face.

"Why does he hate me?" The words flew out of my mouth.

"Who? Come on up, " Esme helped me onto the bed. She tucked me in and sat next to me. "Just give me a second. I'll send everyone home and be right back. "

I felt so empty, like there was a hole in my chest that could only be filled by the one person who seemed to hate me. I always felt so different around him. LNot having an explanation for it made me feel so helpless.

"Hey, I'm here," Esme returned with her gentle comforting voice. They were so different. Esme had been nothing but kind since we met but her brother... he was simply her polar opposite.

"Why do I feel this way? What did I ever do to him?"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Kieran. He hates me, and I don't know why."

"Oh, he doesn't hate you," Esme stroked my hair gently. "Kieran is just... different"

"Maybe he's just a bipolar jerk," I said from the depths of my own anger

I could tell Esme was struggling for words. Kieran was her brother, after all.

As she continued to stroke my hair, I fell closer and closer to sleep. Even with my emotions all over the place, Esme's presence calmed me down.

"You'll understand soon,"

I heard Esme's voice again. What did she mean? I wondered as I finally fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning with vague recollections of the night before. I rolled over, placing my legs on the floor and stretching. I was slightly sore, and my hair was a mess.

Oh yes, a wolf had tackled me to the ground.

At that thought, memories of yesterday came flooding back. Wolves, and Kieran, and his shapeshifting face. Anyone I tried to tell would think I was high on drugs or just plain crazy. It was probably the latter.

Something was seriously wrong with Kieran. It certainly wasn't a medical condition, and I intended to find out what.

After taking my bath and picking an outfit from Esme's wardrobe, I made my way downstairs. I heard voices as I neared the living room. I inched as close as I could to the wall without being spotted.

"You're not being fair to her, Kieran."

"She is not my business."

"We both know damn well that she is,"

Kieran leaned against a wall, his posture relaxed and nonchalant. He had on dark jeans and a grey hoodie paired with a flannel shirt. His eyes moved from Esme to the silver watch on his wrist. He clearly wasn't interested in what she was saying.

"I am not here by choice, and I want nothing to do with..." he paused. His stance straightened, and he seemed to be sniffing around.

"Speak of the devil." With that, he walked out

Esme sighed and shook her head. She walked towards the kitchen. I waited a few seconds before going to meet her.

"Good morning."

"Hey, how are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm fine... yesterday was really dumb and I feel stupid, I mean, I barely know him, and he's your brother–"

"Trust me, you're not in any way to blame. You don't need to feel that embarrassed"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, my brother is dumb is all," she tried deflecting. "So, breakfast?"

Something about what she'd said made me think there was more she wasn't telling me. Especially with the conversation, I'd overheard between her and Kieran. Not to mention that this boy had smelt me coming. That definitely wasn't weird at all

I just needed to find out what they were hiding.

"How's your mum?"

At the mention of my mother, every other worry I had disappeared and my throat went dry. I looked down at the plate of waffles before me.

"I really haven't seen her much this week."

My family was usually a very uncomfortable topic for me. It wasn't much of a family to begin with. There was just me and my mum, and she wasn't around much. I practically raised myself.

I hung around with Esme till noon before leaving for my place. She'd offered to drive me home, but I declined. I needed a walk to clear my head.

The walk from their mansion to my place was pretty quiet. Most people in town spent the weekends at home, only trooping out to the diners and other places in the evening for recreation.

I spotted James coming out of one of such diners which was only a few blocks from my place. I didn't make much of it, and I avoided eye contact, but he noticed me too and came over to say hi.

"Eva, hey, fancy meeting you here. I didn't see you at the party. Did you leave?"

"Yeah, I just returned late, and the party was already over,"

"So you really went into the woods on a full moon," he said with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Yeah... It was just so lovely out, I couldn't resist. What's the issue?"

"Uh, nothing. It's just... don't you know the things people say about that part of town?"

"What?" He'd piqued my interest.

"Nothing, never mind. It's just a bunch of folklore, nothing serious."

His reaction said otherwise. He'd grabbed my attention already. How could he just leave me hanging like that? Whatever he wanted to say would no doubt be related to Esme and Kieran.

"I love stories, let me hear it," I said casually. Maybe he'd tell me if I didn't seem too intrigued.

He laughed causally, brushing off what I had just asked him.

"So I was wondering if you'd like to go see a movie with me. My friend was gonna take his girl but he had to leave town so I just came here to get the tickets from him"

"The only movie theatre around is in the next town," I stated

"Yeah, it's not that far. I'll have you home before midnight."

"Why are you asking me though? I know we go to the same school, but we don't talk much and no offence, but we're not exactly friends."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that I know things at home can get lonely, and I thought it could be fun."

Things at home could get lonely? What was I? A charity case? Maybe this was some extra credit thing for college, 'help a lonely person have a social life outside her best friend and her toxic brother who she has an unhealthy crush on'

I was slightly offended, but I needed information from him, so I was willing to pretend to have fun with him.

"Time?"

His face perked up. "Tomorrow, I'll come pick you up by 6"

"Okay, I'll see you then." With that, I was on my way.

I would get my answers soon.