CHAPTER 11.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me closer, tighter. I closed my eyes and let myself be swept away by the warmth, the soft, tender love I’d missed for the past two days. There was nothing like being in the arms of someone you loved, someone you just couldn’t do without.

That was how I felt about...

My eyes snapped open. Something was wrong. I remembered leaving Hartville with my father, remembered attending Moondew academy. So how could I be in bed with my boyfriend? My hands shook, my heart pounded, though I tried to act unfazed.

Enough to not alert my intruder.

Behind me, he groaned, pushing himself even closer to me, sniffing me. He breathed into my neck before slowly lowering himself so he could nibble my shoulders.

“Astra….”

The hot air on my skin was so sudden that I couldn’t stop myself from reacting. Next, his hands moved, trailing my arms until it stopped at my thigh. For a second, it felt like he was asking for permission to keep going, waiting to see if my body would allow him access.

“You’re mine,” he whispered, tapping him fingers softly, sending a bolt of electricity right through me

“How can I be yours if I don’t know who you are?” I responded, my voice too tiny to be heard across the room.

“But you do know me,” he simply said, before lifting his arm and dropping it between my legs.

Slowly, he parted them, reaching uncharted territory. I knew what this was, a dream. Or a nightmare. It was the same boy I’d seen for the past six years. He had grown with me, stalked my subconscious. He had gone from observing from a distance to slowly invading my personal life.

And now, he had finally gotten to my bed. Touching me in places he shouldn’t. The worse part was, I could feel myself enjoying it.

I relaxed, feeling unalarmed. Something in me found this satisfying, like I was somehow safe in the arms of this stranger.

“You smell amazing,” he said, kissing behind my ears.

I shut my eyes again, immersing myself in the moment, feeling his every touch, his every….

I gasped. My night gown was now sitting on top of my tummy, his fingers shifting the edge of my underwear. He was so close, and yet, I wanted more. I wanted all of him.

His fingers teased the outer part of my clit, before parting them slightly and sliding in. A voice escaped my lips, low and longing.

“Shhhhh,” he spoke into my ears, his strong arms holding onto me for dear life. His other hand found the strap of my dress and began to slip it down.

I shuddered, arching my hip backwards to give him better entrance. Soon, my dress was lowered, my breast exposed, and my nipples hard. He grabbed one with his free hand and squeezed softly, lining kisses down my back, his fingers now finding a rhythm inside of me.

I moaned as he moved, widening my legs to welcome him even better, grinding my back into him to feel his hardness against my ass. I tried to turn around, but he kept me in place. Every time.

“I want to kiss you,” I explained, barely able to control my breath.

“Not yet,” he said, still working his fingers and playing with the end of my nipple.

“When?” I persisted.

“Don’t ruin this.”

My breath hitched, his fingers moved quickly, faster. I heard myself growl, my fingers growing longer, shifting into something more sinister. Claws. I panicked, hurrying to hide them far away from his sight.

“You don’t need to hide any part of yourself from me,” he murmured, dropping a kiss on my jaw. “I want to see all of you. I want it all, my perfect she-wolf.”

His words echoed in the air, and suddenly, I saw myself flipping around to where he was laying. I adjusted, my hands feeling the empty bed before I could register his absence.

I frowned, still trying to catch my breath. There was nobody here, I was very alone. Had I always been alone?

I heard a sound behind me and turned around quickly, sitting up. The window was opened, wind furiously blowing, but what caught my attention was the shadow of a boy standing there, staring back at me.

I bit my lips, trembling, but the air gravitated towards me and I inhaled a familiar scent. “Levi?” I called out quietly, attempting to get up.

He seemed like he was in pain, like he needed help. I could smell something metallic. Blood? In the darkness, I could see his body shaking, his fingers curled into his palms like a fist. But he was not enraged, it was almost like he was trying to stay grounded.

“Astra,” he struggled to say, his eyes slowly changing into a red glow. Then, he turned around and jumped.

“Levi?” I screamed, hurrying to the spot he had been standing at just seconds ago.

But, when I looked down, there was no sign of him. He had disappeared, he was just gone. Tears started to roll down my face. I could feel pain, not physically.

“What’s happening to me?” I cried out, holding onto the wall to take a sitting position.

I couldn’t breathe, the air was getting thinner and the world was shaking. I was dizzy, nauseous, barely present.

“I’m here, Astra,” Lola’s voice came through, and a part of me was relieved. “I can feel it too.”

“What’s wrong with us?” I asked her, hugging myself, wiping the tears falling uncontrollably.

“I don’t know,” she whispered softly.

I believed her. We were both suffering, but it wasn’t ours. It felt like I was somehow projecting someone else’s pain, my body was vibrating, my head was on fire. I couldn’t move, couldn’t see straight. And yet, I knew that I was only experiencing half of the trauma.

Whoever was in pain was going through a lot worse. Hell is what I would call it.

I was suddenly feeling cold. I folded, reclining more and more into my body, trying to stay warm. Werewolves don’t feel cold, that was what Lola told me. So why did I feel like I was so close to death? I hung my head on the wall and felt my body shutting down, passing out abruptly.

The sun had set when I opened my eyes. I stretched, pulling the hem of my night gown. I rolled around in my bed for a couple of minutes before remembering I had school. The grown left my mouth before I could control it.

Another day in that hellhole.

Immediately I sat up straight, memories started to flood in. My eyes darted to the window. It was now closed with no sign of an intruder.

Had I dreamt it?

I was no longer in pain, but it still felt so real. Everything felt so damn real. Me on the bed, being kissed, his hands all over me. And then, there was Levi. Injured and not himself.

Why the hell was I dreaming about Levi?

“Lola?” I muttered, then waited.

No response.

Great, I finally need her and she’s decided this is the right time to go mute.

I shook the thought of last night away and got ready for school. Today would be different, I was already feeling different. I had a new car, a new approach. I was ready to be my best self.

“Did you come into my room and close the window this morning?” I asked Jerry during breakfast, a part of me still unsure the whole thing had been one big dream.

Jerry looked concerned. “No, why?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. I just thought I left it open.”

He nodded, still giving me a hard stare. “You look different today. Ready to drive yourself to school?”

I nodded, smiling brightly. “I’m ready to show them who Astra Finnegan really is.”

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting inside my car, in the school parking lot, terrified.

“I can’t do this,” I said to myself.

“Pussy,” Lola commented.

Now she makes an appearance.

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the word of confidence.”

When I was finally done sulking, I got out of the car and made my way into the school. As predicted, there were still whispers going on, and seeing as we all had enhanced hearing abilities if we focused them well enough, it wasn’t hard to find out what everyone was talking about.

I got to my locker and opened it, pretending to need a book. I wanted to know what everyone thought about me today.

But as I focused really hard, I noticed I was not the topic of discussion. They were all talking about a boy.

“Did you hear? It happened again. He was found in the woods, almost freezing to death.”

My ears caught the first gist. I took in a deep breath, trying to pay attention again. I wasn’t so good at forcing myself to use one of my wolf powers, so most of what I caught came in bits. I heard stuff like, “I hope he’s okay,” and “He must be too weak to show up at school today.”

It was a student, but I still didn’t know who exactly.

As I stood in place, trying to decipher the news, a gasp erupted all around me. There was utter silence. I looked up and saw everyone frozen, all eyes directed toward the school entrance. My eyes followed.

Standing at the doorway all void and pale, was Levi Parrish.

And he looked pissed.