AthenaI soaked in the bath salts-infused water and the bubbles tickled my skin, making shower time a rare moment of relaxation. It was a rare moment where I could clear my mind.I closed my eyes, attempting to relax, but my mind wandered and I began to feel a deep and unexplainable longing for Cameron and how his gaze locked onto mine in the chemistry lab.It had been a while since I last saw him, and I wondered why. What bothered me more was that I was annoyed with myself for caring. I wondered if the ointment didn’t work on him or something else was keeping him away. “What is wrong with you, Athena? Stop obsessing over him,” I said out loud, but his face lingered in my mind.There was a huge obstacle standing between me and my desire, and I knew my dream would never come true. The sensible thing to do was to deny my feelings and desires. I didn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s death.Was I falling in love with him? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. The water began to l
Athena Caleb snatched his wrist away from my grip and stood up. He was too startled as the shock hit him full force.“What the fuck, Athena?”Now that the truth was out, my body and mind were restless, and time felt like it was slowing down. I crossed and uncrossed my arms, reminding myself that Caleb was my brother and he was never going to expose my secrets. If he could protect me and love me for being a witch, this was nothing, but I couldn’t help but fear because Caleb genuinely liked Cameron.He remained silent, and time felt like it was slowing down. Then he scratched his head.“Aren’t you supposed to never have a mate?” He asked, his voice fading to a hushed stillness. “Having one could endanger his life, you know.”Captain Obvious.“Caleb, you must never tell anyone, not even Mia and Alex.”Caleb was surprised that Mia had no idea. Then he looked past me.“She’s not going to forgive you for saying anything, and you must tell Mom and Dad. Something must be done as soon as pos
AthenaMy head pounded so hard that I felt dizzy, and fear was getting out of control. I felt too numb to move as I stood outside the principal’s office.This was all the Moon Goddess’s fault, and I was angry at her. Why couldn’t I just be normal like everyone else?Cameron wasn’t coming with me, which was a good thing because I didn’t know the outcome of this meeting. I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm my heart, but doubts swirled in my mind.This meeting was surely going to end on a bad note. I tried to put on a brave face, wondering what lie I was going to cook up, but the lie about not feeling my wolf was strong enough, and I was going to run with it.It was now or never.I pushed open the door to the principal’s office, and warm light spilled out. Cameron’s father was indeed the definition of royalty. He sat behind the desk, looking older—perhaps in his early 60s—much older than my parents.His hair was styled in a top knot with shaved sides, and a golden scepter rested
CameronI watched as Athena’s face went slack and soft. My hands caressed her chin.“What are you doing?” she asked with an unsteady voice.“You heard me the first time.”She released a sigh and looked away, then touched her neck. I noticed she liked to either fiddle with her hair or touch her neck whenever she was disturbed about something.She didn’t look angry, which was a good sign, so I became bolder.“I feel so breathless when I’m around you,” I said to her, my voice cracking with emotion. “We belong together, Athena. It’s written in the stars. The bond between us is enthralling and binding. We can’t keep denying this.”Her eyes grew glossy, and she parted her lips, holding me with her gaze. I felt a strong awareness of my heartbeat as I began stroking her arm. I was so full of pent-up desire that it caused an embarrassing bulge.“Cameron,” she whispered, her fingers tunneling into my hair. “We can’t.”“Yes, we can, and we will. I know it, but I don’t know what’s stopping you. I
AthenaMy heart sank with dread as I contemplated speaking with my dad. He had been calling me all morning, and I had been dodging his calls, using classes as an excuse. But I knew he was aware of our break period, and I couldn't avoid this conversation forever.With a grimace, I stood up from my seat in the crowded student lounge, grabbed my backpack, and sought out an empty classroom. I settled into room 214, a quiet space. Pacing back and forth between the rows of desks, I pressed the phone to my ear, listening intently to my dad's voice.He attempted to sound brave, but I imagined him sitting in his favorite leather armchair, gulping down his fear, his face pale and clammy with cold sweat."Honey, I need you to remain calm," he said, his voice trembling with worry. "I know you never envisioned this happening, but it has, and I'm sure there will be a solution.""I don't know,
AthenaJennifer was mad with hate, and it came off her in waves. Her eyes were cold and sharp, like a scalpel. Even though I knew I would never let her physically harm me, I couldn't help the shivers that ran down my spine, slowly eating away at me.If I had no powers, I would have been reduced to a gibbering wreck. Cameron remained nonchalant, regarding her with an emotionless stare. His expression seemed to say, "I couldn't care less about her."Jennifer stormed forward, and her shrill voice cut through the silence. I didn't want any trouble, knowing how aggressive she could be. "You little slut! How dare you think you can come to this school and steal my man from me? Who the hell are you?"She tried to jab her manicured finger at me, but I swatted it away from my face."Can you stop this, Jennifer?" Cameron said, sounding very calm, almost lethargic."Stay
CameronI slid into the seat beside Athena in class, feeling thrilled and satisfied, like a cat drunk on milk. Everything about her made me so happy, from her face to her scent, to her closeness, to the bond.It gave me a pleasurable satisfaction that I had never experienced before. A relaxed smile crossed my face, and my head tilted slightly to the side. I noticed that my enthusiasm was met with a cold response. She edged away and distanced herself from me.My heart sank like the Titanic, and I felt mocked so badly that my chest seized up. As I wondered when this would end, I chuckled to cover my annoyance, and I could tell that she sensed it."You need to stop sitting near me. I don't want any trouble.""What is wrong with you?" I said back, keeping my voice level. "Why are you so against us? Nothing is stopping us from being together."Her gaze darte
AthenaI gazed dreamily out of the airplane window, watching the vast clouds stretch towards the horizon. Seeing the clouds was both soothing and exhilarating. I always found myself amused by the idea of levitating up to the clouds from an airplane.The thought of the fear that would be registered on the pilot's face was enough to send the plane crashing.My smile disappeared when I noticed two friends speed-talking with each other like they were sharing exciting gossip.One of them burst into a throaty laugh, reminding me of Mia. She still wasn't talking to me, and even when I said goodbye to her, her response was nothing more than a non-committal hug.Alex tried to intervene, but Mia shut him out, and it grew exhausting to watch her ignore me.Dad's worry drove us to spend the midterm at home. Well, it wasn't officially midterm, but the pa