Chapter 8

Claire got down from the car hurriedly. She ran up the stairs and knocked on Blake's bedroom door.

“Come on in!" Blake called out.

“Blake, let's name us." Claire said, breathless.

Blake's lips formed into a smile and he rushed to hug her. His head nestled into her neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist and she returned the gesture.

“Oh my God, Claire. I was so scared I'd made a mistake yesterday." Blake said heavily, relief evident in his voice.

“Since when?" Claire asked.

“Huh?"

“Since when?"

“Oh, since Christmas 2012."

“Whoaa!" Claire exclaimed with excitement.

"I know, right?" Blake said as he let go, looking down at Claire, smiling, and then hugging her again.

Blake and Claire cuddled and talked about how it all began for two hours.

It was midnight, and Claire was yawning with fatigue. “I've gotta go to bed now, Blake." she said, getting up to leave.

“Goodnight, babe."

Claire felt flustered as she hurriedly left, not wanting Blake to see her flushed face.

---

Claire got to school the next morning and noticed something was off. She pondered for a while until she hit the bull’s eye.

"Lucas hasn't been around. That's what's off. I wonder how I didn't notice yesterday." she mused, her curiosity piqued.

Halfway into class, Claire felt uneasy. "Must be my cramps." she thought.

The pain was excruciating, and she tried to suppress her moans, clutching her stomach.

"Ma'am, I've gotta go to the bathroom." Claire said, barely audible.

She rushed out with her bag before the teacher could respond. Reaching the bathroom, she collapsed onto the dirty tiles.

Wincing in pain, she sucked her head into her shoulders. Gathering what little energy she had left, she managed to get up and enter a toilet stall.

"It wasn't the cramps." Claire whispered, fear and worry in her eyes as she noticed claw marks on her stomach.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no! What is this? Who do I tell? What should I do? How??, Dad mustn't see this!" She shivered in fear on the toilet seat.

Claire's eyes blinked rapidly, deep in thought and worry. She drummed her fingers, her nerves getting the best of her.

The pain didn't subside, and the marks kept appearing. Claire sat there, swimming in her valley of tears.

Finally, the pain and the marks stopped. Claire couldn't risk checking in the bathroom mirrors. She called in sick and went home.

As soon as she entered and saw her mom, Mrs. RavenWood noticed the uneasiness in her daughter's eyes and hugged her.

….

"Have some tea, my dear." Mrs. RavenWood offered as Claire lay on her bed under her blankets.

"Thank you, Mom, you're the best." Claire said, her voice cracked and distorted.

"Just rest, my dear. I'll bring some soup for you later." Mrs. RavenWood said before leaving the room.

Claire shot up from bed immediately after her mom left. She stood in front of her mirror, her mouth wide open.

It was a cosmic star, a Luna star. She knew what star it was because of her school project.

"What in the..." she gasped, speechless. She didn't know who to tell, nor did she understand anything.

Claire didn't feel the same anymore. She felt a surge of huge energy waiting to erupt.

"Why do I feel so high?" Claire exclaimed, amusement twinkling in her eye. "And dizz—" she said as her eyelids shut before she fell flat to the ground. She fainted.

Two hours passed, and Claire felt uncomfortable as she opened her eyes. Her body ached, and her eyes were sore.

"Oh my God, I had a really weird dream." she said to herself. Then she looked around and noticed she was still on the floor.

"So, not a dream. Got it." She sighed and went to bed to sleep.

Claire was too riled up about her relationships to worry much about this scar.

"Maybe I'm just sick and seeing things." she thought.

Claire told her parents she couldn't go to school as she felt pain all over. Her parents agreed, and she was left all alone in the house.

Claire slept in, making sure she wasn't tired anymore.

The thought of Lucas crossed her mind, and she worried about why he felt so distant.

"Maybe this is what unrequited love feels like." Claire said, disdain evident in her demeanour.

“Or maybe, we were just project partners anyways" She said, picking her finger's dirt, trying to distract her mind from her despair.

“I have Blake now and I'll call Luke, he might just be sick.” She decided.

Claire felt really joyous and her happiness was palpable with how her relationship with Blake had ended up.

At times, when she thinks or dreams about Blake, Lucas comes in as a distraction. Claire always felt a sting of regret but at what costs.

She was truly happy with Blake, liking Lucas just happened.

“I'll swallow my sadness with ice cream and N*****x." She cheered, enthusiastically.

___

Lucas’s POV

“Darren!, this is a baseless accusation!” I said, not wanting to believe the trash Darren is bent on proving.

"Lucas, first of all. It's not an accusation, it's an honour. Second, it's not baseless!”

The blonde-haired dude in front of me, retorted.

Darren had been spewing nonsense for three days now. Darren had always been my closest friend, I take this dude as my brother.

Darren has earned his badge as the pack’s technician. Versatile in programming, hacking, tracking, making huge firewall programs. He is THE guy for the job.

“Lucas, you know I only deliver 100% accuracy. This is tested, approved and trustworthy!" Darren lamented yet again.

"It can't be, she doesn't look or act like that Lycans had prophesied” i said, backing up my claims.

“Her DNA contains wolf blood and we all know Lycans are just old dudes with baseless prophecies, only a few of them are actually true." Darren dropped as I shook with my body frozen in mid-air.

“What?!" I interjected quickly. Anger, pain, confusion spurred across my eyes.

"I took a bit of blood from your neck and I noticed you weren't wounded, then I saw the girl in your car that night so I figured she owned the bloodstain on your neck because she had a cut on her lip.

So I took it off and tested it. I didn't expect much but wanted to try out something at least and I surprisingly found out she had wolf DNA. I was unsure for days so I didn't tell you so I promise you, Lucas. I know my stuff. Try to understand and fathom this bro” Darren explained, patiently.

I didn't know what to say, I just stood there mid-air. There was no easy way to understand this.

"My bro, Get some sleep and we'll talk much lucid when you wake up. You haven't slept for days.” Darren reassured me and patted my back.

He left and I just stood there, my mind and body had been detached from reality. I managed to go up to my bed and laid there with my eyes wide open. I sighed for what seemed like eternity. “I hope I wake up from this nightmare."

I opened my eyes in hope that I had just woken up from the nightmare I just had. I don't understand why I can not just accept that Claire has been long lost mission.

She is the reason I'm here?, I probably wouldn't believe it even though she told me.

I had a lot of homework to do concerning this but first of all, I need to keep an eye on that lady.

I have so many questions. Does she know?, she really acts and looks like someone that doesn't have a real personality neither does she know she doesn't have one.

"She didn't even call me once these few days.” I said scrolling down my call log. I guess I wasn't really significant in her life.

I got up and went to the terrace. I sat beside Darren, handing him a glass of wine.

"I have to skip school for a while for us to fully work on this.” I told Darren. His eyes shot up at me in concern.

“Bro, you don't have to skip school. You can still continue with your cover-up" He said assuringly.

“As you just said ‘cover up’. It's just a cover-up, Darren. No-one will even notice me. It's not like anyone has for the past few days." I noted, casually.

"Not even Luna?”

"Hey!, it's rude and uncalled for to call her Luna without confirming.”

“Chill Alph, you'll see for yourself. Get me on her good side though." He teased.

“Anyways man, I'm hungry. Let's order dinner." I needed some food to actually digest this much info.

"I'll order ramyeon and pizza.” Darren said, he called the pizza place and ramyeon shop to order both.

I went in to take a shower and feel clean again, I love showers I feel like a new born after each one.

I got out of the shower and got into my pajamas. Yes, wolves wear pajamas too.

I heard the doorbell jingle.

“Must be the delivery man."

I went ahead to the dinning. Darren served us both the ramyeon on different plates and put the giant pizza box at the centre of the table.

“Mmhhmm, this hits the spot!" I said, relishing the wholesome taste of ramyeon and pizza all at once.

“Ikr, this tastes absolutely amazing!" Darren agreed.

"This would totally go with some soju!” I said, craving for some extra raspiness.

Darren pulled out six soju bottles from the polyethylene bag on the floor. I hadn't noticed that before. I high-fived him in amusement.

“Broooooo" we both said together.

“Arrchhhh, life's good"

“It sure is Darr. It sure is."

Even if we both don't know how to figure out a lot right now. We have each other and that is enough to fuel our happiness.

Just because we have lived today, doesn't mean we know everything about tomorrow.

We'll figure it out like we've always done.