Chapter Five

AURORA’S POV:

   By the time I get to school, my nerves are shot. I spend the entire morning avoiding Jon, avoiding everything.

   But it doesn’t stop the whispers in my head.

You felt it. You know something’s wrong.

At lunch, Cali finally corners me.

   "Alright, spill," she says, plopping into the seat across from me. "You look like you saw a ghost."

I push my food around my tray, avoiding her gaze. "It’s nothing."

   Cali snorts. "Yeah, no. I don’t buy that for a second." She leans in. "This have anything to do with Jon? Or Arc?"

I tense. "What? No."

She narrows her eyes. "Aurora…"

Before I can respond, I feel it.

A shift in the air. Like a storm rolling in.

I don’t have to look to know he’s here.

Arc.

Sure enough, when I glance toward the entrance, he’s standing there, staring directly at me.

His expression is unreadable, but his icy blue eyes are locked onto mine.

     A shiver runs through me. I hate how he makes me feel. I should be running away from him right now. Especially now that he may truly be what he claims he is but why do I still fill a pull towards him...

   How one look from him makes my stomach twist, my heart pound. I tear my gaze away, pretending I don’t see him. But the second I do, I hear his voice... low and cold, right next to my ear.

"You’re avoiding me."

I nearly jump out of my skin. "What the hell-" I whip around. He’s standing right behind me.

I didn’t even see him move.

My stomach twists. "Back off, Arc."

His lips curl slightly. "I would, but there’s a problem."

I cross my arms. "Oh?"

Arc leans in, voice dropping to a whisper. "I can’t seem to stay away from you."

My breath catches.

I should be terrified.

I should run.

But my body betrays me, just like it did with Jon.

Heat coils in my stomach, and I hate myself for it.

   I shove past him, heading for the door. "Not my problem."

   Arc catches my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. His grip is firm, but not painful. Just… unrelenting.

"Aurora," he murmurs.

I meet his gaze, my pulse racing. "Let go."

He studies me for a long moment. Then, to my shock, he does.

But before I can take a breath, he says something that makes my blood run cold.

"You’re not human."

   The words slam into me like a wrecking ball.

I stare at him, heart pounding. "What?"

   Arc tilts his head. "Jon was right. You’re not human." 

   I shake my head, stumbling back. "You don’t know what you’re talking about."

Arc’s gaze darkens. "Then explain this."

   Before I can react, he lifts his hand and presses two fingers to my forehead.

  The second he touches me, a wave of something crashes over me.

   Memories that aren’t mine. Visions that flicker too fast to catch. A battlefield. A woman with glowing eyes. Blood. Fire. Power.

I scream.

Then everything goes black.

*****

I wake up in my bed, my body aching like I’ve been hit by a truck. My head is spinning, my chest tight, and the memory of Arc’s words lingers like a ghost.

"You’re not human."

My breath stutters as I sit up.

   It wasn’t just his words. It was what I saw. What I felt. The battlefield. The woman with glowing eyes. The power surging through me.

   I don’t know how I got home. I don’t remember leaving school. But none of that matters.

Because my life just turned into something I don’t understand.

A knock at my door makes me jump.

I already know who it is.

Jon.

My heart pounds as I stare at the door. My mind flashes back to last night-the way his body twisted, the sound of bones breaking, the golden eyes that locked onto mine right before I ran

I don’t want to see him.

But I also… do.

The knock comes again, softer this time.

"Aurora?" His voice is quiet, careful.

I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping my blanket like it’ll somehow ground me.

Then, before I can change my mind, I force the words out. "Come in."

The door creaks open, and Jon steps inside.

He looks… tired. His hair is messier than usual, dark circles shadowing his green eyes. He hesitates at the doorway like he’s afraid to come closer.

"How are you feeling?" he asks softly.

   I let out a short, humorless laugh. "Like my entire world just got turned upside down."

He nods, like he understands. Maybe he does.

I swallow hard, forcing myself to look at him. My stomach tightens.

"He’s still Jon," I remind myself.

But I can’t stop seeing the other version of him. The one with sharp teeth and his green eyes and something wild beneath his skin.

Jon seems to notice my hesitation because he doesn’t move any closer. His hands are in his pockets, his shoulders tense.

"I’m sorry," he says after a long pause. His voice is quiet, almost… guilty.

"For what?" I ask, my throat dry.

His gaze flickers. "For last night. For scaring you."

I wrap my arms around myself. "You didn’t mean to."

  "No, but that doesn’t change the fact that I did." His jaw tightens. "I never wanted you to see me like that. Not like that."

   Something about the way he says it makes my chest ache.

I exhale shakily, my mind still reeling. "I believe you now," I admit. "About being a werewolf."

Jon studies me carefully, as if he’s waiting for me to say something else.

"But," I continue, "I need space."

His expression falters.

"I just-" I shake my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. "I need time to wrap my head around everything. You being a werewolf. Arc saying I’m not human. The..." My voice breaks. "The visions."

Jon’s entire body stiffens. "Visions?"

I press my fingers to my temples, trying to block out the flashes still burning in my mind. "Arc… he touched me, and I saw things. Things that didn’t feel like mine, but they were. I don’t know what they mean, but I felt them, Jon. I felt them like they were real."

   His fists clench at his sides. "Did he hurt you?"

I shake my head. "No. But he messed with my head."

Jon exhales through his nose, like he’s barely keeping himself calm.

   I don’t know what I expect him to say. Maybe something comforting. Maybe some kind of explanation.

Instead, he says, "I’ll give you space."

I look up at him, surprised.

"But I’m not going anywhere," he adds. "No matter what you are, no matter what’s happening, you are not alone, Aurora."

My throat tightens.

Jon holds my gaze for a long moment before nodding once and turning to leave.

And even though I asked for space…

A part of me doesn’t want him to go.