Chapter One

AURORA'S POV:

    My body temperature keeps increasing as the images blurs in front of me. 

    The blood dripping from sharp fangs, the blue eyes staring intensely at me in the darkness - cold and piercing.

   Then the green eyes. Forest green, burning like embers. I flinch as a snarl rips through the silence and claws reach out, wrapping around my neck. My chest tightens. I can't move. It's like my entire body is frozen. 

    The images start flickering, shifting too fast for me to grasp. 

   My body jerks up, drenched in cold sweat and I look around the room in fear, waiting for the creatures who keep showing up in dreams to jump on me in real life.

     I haven't had one of these in a while. It's probably because of the horror movie I watched last night. 

The first day of junior year should feel like any other. But it doesn’t.

     Maybe it’s the dream that woke me up in bad way; flashes of different eyes, a whisper I can’t make out. Or maybe it’s the fact that the Andersons are taking in an exchange student today, which means I won’t be the only one in this house anymore. Either way, something feels off.

     Picking up my phone from the bedside table, I check the time.

   "Shit! I forgot to set my alarm!" I scramble out of bed and quickly take my bath. I start putting on my clothes and packing my books for school. It's even weird that Ava has not come to my school to wake me up.

     "Are you ready, sweetheart?" Ava, my foster mom, peeks into my room. She’s always smiling, always gentle, and I don’t think she and Henry expected to take in a teenager when they signed up for fostering.

    But they try. And that’s more than I can say for the others before them.

    "Yeah, just grabbing my bag." I sling it over my shoulder and follow her downstairs, where Henry is reading the news on his tablet.

    "Where is the guest?" I asked them as I took my sit. I expected to already see him here considering today is the first day of school.

    "He’s arriving this afternoon," Henry says. "Jon Drago. He is from Australia. I must say, the boy has a pretty impressive profile."

Henry has a small smile on his face which means that this Jon is definitely impressive. 

     "Well, he will fit right into Clarence then." Ava serves me some pancakes with a knowing look on her face and a slight frown.

 "What?" I furrow my brows in confusion.

      "Nothing. I just think you need to make friends and this might be an opportunity." She shrugs. 

  "I don't even know the guy. And I have a lot of friends already."

     "Pfft. As if. Anyways, six months is more than enough time to get to know each other." My eyes widen at her statement.

 "What? Six months?" Shit!

"Yes. That's the duration for the exchange program."

  Worry seeps into my mind as I start overthinking. I feel a hand on mine and I look up to see Ava smiling at me.

    "I’m sure you two will get along just fine." I nod in response and continue eating.

    Doubt it. I’ve spent years bouncing from home to home, learning how to keep my distance. I have one friend, Cali, and that’s more than enough.

After eating, I head out and thankfully, I'm able to meet up with the bus. 

*****

At school, everything is the same. Girl, I cannot! I repeat! I cannot wait to graduate. I'm tired.

    Clarence High is a mix of brick walls, flickering hallway lights, and students who either pretend I don’t exist or glance my way like I’m some stray puppy. I don’t care. It’s easier this way.

    "Morning, loser." Cali slams her locker shut and loops her arm through mine. Her purple-streaked hair is tied into a messy bun, and she’s already got that wild energy that tells me she’s had at least two energy drinks.

"Morning, psycho," I reply.

She grins. "Did you hear? New guy’s coming today. Apparently, he’s Australian and hot. That accent? Instant heartbreaker."

  "And how is that my business, darling?" I ask her in a false British accent. 

  "Whatever. I'm gonna taste out of that Australian juice." I make a disgusted face at her.

 "Eww"

Cali gasps dramatically. "No. But seriously, Aurora, how can you not be excited? This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. A hot guy in our school that isn’t related to half the town."

  I snort, but before I can reply, the air shifts.

It’s subtle at first, like the temperature just dropped a few degrees. Then, the scent hits me- earthy, fresh, something almost electric in the air. The hallway quiets, heads turning toward the entrance.

   And there he is.

Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a fitted black t-shirt that does nothing to hide the lean muscle underneath. His dark hair is tousled, and his green eyes scan the hallway like he already owns the place.

Jon Drago.

My new housemate.

His gaze locks onto mine, and for a second, it’s like I forget how to breathe. His expression shifts, something like shock, confusion, and then something deeper, something primal.

  Those eyes... Those green eyes... They look familiar.

  The hallway is its usual chaotic mess; students laughing, lockers slamming, the faint scent of cheap cafeteria food clinging to the air. But something shifts, thickens, like the atmosphere itself has changed.

Then I see him.

He’s standing near the front office, listening to one of the school administrators while casually scanning the hallway.

    The moment stretches, too long, too intense for a glance between strangers. His expression flickers, something like surprise, confusion before his lips press into a firm line.

Then, without hesitation, he moves.

I tense as he strides through the crowd, students instinctively parting for him like they feel something I don’t. I dart a glance at Cali, expecting her to say something, but she’s watching him approach with open curiosity.

And then, he’s in front of me.

   Then, suddenly, he exhales and offers a lopsided smile. "Hey. You must be Aurora."

I blink. How does he know my name. "Uh… yeah?"

    He nods like that confirms something, then holds out his hand. "I’m Jon Drago. I just moved here from Australia. Don't be creeped out, Ava sent me your picture... For easy recognition."

    I hesitate, still thrown off by how intensely he’s watching me. But after a beat, I reach out, letting my hand slip into his.

The moment our palms touch-

A jolt.

    Not pain. Not quite a spark. But something. A strange, pulling sensation, deep and instinctive, like my body recognizes him before my mind does.

Jon stiffens. His grip on my hand tightens just slightly.

Then, before I can react, he leans in, just enough that only I can hear him.

His breath is warm against my ear as he whispers,

"Mate."