CHAPTER 4
1665 Words
ELARA ASHFORD
I look directly at his lips, remembering the challenge that still weighs on me.
If I don't do what Oliver and the group expect, I know the consequences won't be good.
"And what do you know about girls like me?", I ask, feeling a hint of provocation in my voice.
"Besides being annoying, obsessed with shopping, and full of hormones?", he raises an eyebrow, making me laugh.
"I think you're right, professor...", I whisper, feeling his hands firmly on my waist.
My body instinctively responds to his presence, a wild and uncontrollable energy pulsing between us.
"Don't look at me like that...", Rowan murmurs, his hands moving up to my chin.
"Like what?", I whisper back, my breath shaky.
"Like that. Like you're begging me to take off your clothes and lay you down on that sofa. I don't sleep with students.", he says in a low, husky voice.
My body responds immediately, and my eyes shine with surprise and excitement at hearing him talk like that.
"And why should I stop looking at you like that?", I tease, bold.
Rowan moves even closer, his lips dangerously near mine.
"Because I might lose control and show my more animalistic side. I could lay you down on this couch, lift that dress, devour every inch of you, Elara."
My heart races, and excitement mixes with fear and desire.
I know it would be easy to give in to the challenge. But he's my teacher.
"Maybe I want to be devoured...", I murmur, my lips just centimeters from his.
Rowan hesitates for a second before pulling away.
"I'm your teacher, and you're my student."
The confusing whirlwind of emotions I'm feeling is evident as I look at him.
"You didn't think of that when you kissed me...", I whisper back.
He takes a deep breath, slowly releasing my face.
"Let's go. If you really want to go to school, then we should go.", he says, moving away.
Rowan drives in silence while I watch the road ahead, my thoughts still confused and dazed by what happened the night before.
My body aches, especially my head.
The car glides smoothly down the road, but my heart feels heavy.
I was forced to leave my mom's car at the crime scene, and now everything seems like a blur of fear and uncertainty. As we approach the forest, my stomach tightens.
I know what I'm going to see, but still, I'm not prepared.
Blinking isn't enough to erase the terrifying sight of police officers moving at the scene.
The area is full of yellow caution tape and police cars with flashing lights.
Bodies are being removed from the forest, which is covered by dark tarps. My chest tightens as I sigh, trying to process the magnitude of the tragedy.
My friends... some of them are dead.
"Do you know how many students died?", I ask, turning my head to look at Rowan, who keeps his eyes focused on the road.
"Four students.", he replies, his voice firm but laden with something I can't quite identify.
I nod, but inside, my mind is screaming.
Chloe. Where's Chloe? Could she be among those bodies being taken from the forest? My heart pounds with uncertainty.
I frown when I spot a familiar car parked near the crime scene.
It's my dad's car.
"Stop the car, my parents are here.", I say urgently.
Rowan obeys without question, pulling the car over smoothly.
I barely wait for him to stop completely before opening the door and running out. My mom comes running toward me at the same time, arms outstretched, her face marked by fear and desperation.
"Oh my God, Elara!"
She pulls me into a tight hug, and I close my eyes tightly, letting the tears fall.
I feel the warmth and comfort of her embrace, but the panic still pulses in the back of my mind.
No words are needed as we cry on each other's shoulders.
I sense Rowan approaching, and I catch a glimpse of him talking to my dad, who's standing nearby with a grave expression on his face.
The tears in my dad's eyes affect me deeply. He's strong, works at the station, and is used to dealing with tragedies, but today is different.
Today, the pain is personal.
"Dad...", I murmur, pulling away from my mom for a moment to face him.
"I'm so sorry about your friends, Elara."
His voice is low, as if he's choosing his words carefully so as not to overwhelm me further.
"And Chloe?", I ask, afraid of the answer.
"She's in the hospital.", he replies, easing some weight on my chest.
I nod, trying to control the wave of emotions that wash over me.
I look around, seeing the police working tirelessly to try to understand what happened. The sound of sirens and hurried footsteps echoes in my ears as my mom continues to hold me.
"I'm so relieved to see you safe, sweetheart. God, I was so scared...", my mom's voice is thick with tears.
"Dad, what happened here?", I ask, my mind searching for an explanation that makes sense.
"It was an animal attack, sweetheart.", he replies with a simplicity that makes me blink in surprise.
I know it wasn't just that. But I can't tell him what I really saw. Who would believe me?
I feel my mom gently pulling me away from the scene.
My gaze crosses with Rowan's, who is still talking to my dad.
"Who was that man?", my mom asks, frowning.
"He's the new teacher. He saved me.", my voice sounds small, almost unbelievable, but it's the truth.
A few hours pass, and I'm taken to the hospital to see Chloe.
When I arrive, I find out she's in critical condition.
An unbearable anguish settles in my chest as I see her lying in that bed, with tubes and machines monitoring her vital signs.
I should stay with her, but something inside me knows that Chloe would hate for me to miss the first day of school, especially the cheerleading tryouts. She always encouraged me to follow that dream.
"You're not in any condition to go today, Elara.", my mom tells me with concern as we arrive home.
I go to the mirror and see the bandage on my forehead.
My reflection looks strange, as if the girl in the mirror isn't me.
"Please, mom. Staying home will only make me feel worse. I need a distraction.", I say, my voice trembling as I organize my backpack.
Tears threaten to fall, but I hold them back, trying to focus on what I can control.
The cheerleading tryouts are today. That has to be my priority, no matter how absurd it seems.
When I finally get to school, everything feels different. The hallways are filled with whispers about what happened.
There are posters on the walls with pictures of the tragedy's victims. I walk among the students, feeling their eyes on me, and take a deep breath, trying to keep my composure.
I'm wearing the cheerleading uniform. It always gave me confidence, but today I feel exposed.
As I walk down the hall, I see Oliver talking to two guys. He spots me and walks over with a smug smile.
"Elara, don't forget what you have to do.", he says with that mocking tone that gets on my nerves.
"Your friends died, and you're still thinking about this stupid challenge?", I say, anger spilling into my words.
"It doesn't matter what happens, seduce the new teacher, or everyone will know about you, Elara."
"I have nothing to hide.", I respond, trying to keep my posture.
"We'll see, but I'm sure your dad wouldn't like to know that his good daughter tried to f**k the teacher. That would ruin his reputation..."
My hands tremble as I close my eyes for a moment, trying to push away the fear and humiliation.
Later, I head to reading class, and when it's over, I go straight to the cheerleading tryouts.
The girls are warming up around me, and the nervousness grows inside me.
When it's my turn to dance, I see that everyone is watching me. In the back of the bleachers, my eyes find Rowan, and the nervousness turns into something more intense.
I can't fail now.
The sound of the music echoes through the court, and I feel adrenaline rushing through my body.
I run to the center, positioning myself quickly, as the pom-poms shine in my hands.
The first steps of the choreography come naturally, as if my body is on autopilot, but the smile I try to force on my face just doesn't feel real.
My movements follow perfectly what I have rehearsed so many times, but my mind is elsewhere, lost in dark thoughts.
Other girls join me on the court, dancing with me, but I know I'm the center of attention and the focus of all eyes.
My feet move with precision, I leap into the air and lift my leg with perfection, while the cheers and applause from the crowd around me sound distant, almost unreal.
However, my gaze remains fixed on one point: Professor Rowan Langston.
He's there, watching me. His eyes seem locked on me, and that makes my heart race and sweat trickle down my back.
I try to focus on the present and on the next move, but it's hard.
The other girls lift me into the air, my arms extend with grace, and my leg rises, forming a balanced and impressive figure.
The crowd roars with the performance, but I barely hear any of it. My mind starts to drift back to that terrible night in the forest, to the glowing eyes of the werewolves... creatures that shouldn't exist.
I remember the rough, predatory voice of the werewolf calling my name in the darkness.
And then Rowan appeared, coming out of nowhere to save me.
There's something wrong with this—something that doesn't make sense.
- Writer
