CHAPTER 47
1314 Words
ADINNA’S POV
I wake up with a heaviness in my chest, like the night never really ended. The sun filters weakly through my curtains, but it doesn’t warm me. It just sits there, pale and distant, the same way everything has felt since the Solstice Ball. My body still hums with that strange, unexplainable energy like the echo of lightning trapped under my skin. Every breath feels too shallow, too aware. It’s been days, but the pull hasn’t faded.
Everyone around school has already moved on. The students talk about upcoming exams, weekend runs into town, anything but that night. It’s like the entire school collectively decided to forget. But I can’t. I feel it in my veins, in my pulse, in the way my wolf stirs whenever I close my eyes. No one knows what really happened except Riley and the four of them. Hunter. Jace. Salem. Dean. And I haven’t seen any of them since that night.
I should be grateful for that. I should be relieved that I can walk down the hallways without their eyes on me, without that overwhelming, magnetic awareness crawling over my skin. But relief isn’t what I feel. It’s more like a quiet ache that makes me restless. My wolf won’t stop whispering about them, and I keep telling her to shut up.
By the time I get to school, I already regret coming. My limbs feel heavy, like the air itself doesn’t want me here. The classrooms are loud, and filled with laughter and chatter, but it all sounds distant. I move through it like a ghost, smiling when I’m supposed to, nodding when someone greets me, pretending I’m fine.
Dean corners me after class.
He appears by the door just as I’m about to slip out, his broad frame blocking the light. His expression isn’t the usual calm mask. There’s tension and worry there. I try not to meet his eyes, because if I do, my wolf will stir again, and I’m not sure I can handle that in a crowded hallway.
“Adinna,” he says quietly, his voice low enough that no one else can hear. “You’ve been off since the ball.”
I give him a small shrug, trying to keep it casual. “Everyone’s been off. It was a long night.”
His jaw tightens. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
I sigh, brushing past him, but he follows. We walk down the hallway together, and I can feel the weight of his gaze. He’s not going to let this go.
“I’m fine, Dean,” I insist. “Just tired.”
He steps in front of me this time, forcing me to stop. “You’re lying.”
I blink up at him, startled by how serious he looks. His green eyes are intense, filled with something that makes my stomach twist. Concern. Guilt. Recognition. Maybe all three.
Finally, I exhale and say, “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
He softens, just a little. “It’s not just you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Dean looks away for a moment, running a hand through his hair. “Since that night… I feel it too. The pull. The connection. I tried to fight it, but it doesn’t stop. It’s like my body knows something my mind can’t accept.”
My heart stumbles. “So I’m not crazy.”
He meets my gaze again.
“No. You’re not.”
There’s a strange comfort in hearing him say it. Like maybe I’m not losing my mind after all. But comfort doesn’t erase fear.
“Then what do we do?” I ask quietly.
Dean hesitates, then steps closer, his voice gentle. “We try to understand it. Together.”
Something in the way he says it makes my chest ache. I nod before I can stop myself.
“Okay.”
We stand there for a moment, not speaking, just existing in this tense silence. I can feel the warmth radiating off him, the steady beat of his heart calling to mine.
My wolf hums, pleased, and I shove her back down.
“I should go,” I say quickly.
Dean nods, but I can see the worry hasn’t left his face. “You’re not alone in this, Adinna. Remember that.”
I walk away before I can respond, afraid my voice will betray me.
By the time I get back to my dorm, exhaustion clings to me like a second skin. My body aches, not from training or lack of sleep, but from the bond itself. It’s like my energy’s being pulled in four different directions at once. I collapse onto my bed, telling myself I’ll rest for just a few minutes. My wolf hums softly, her voice curling around my thoughts like smoke.
When I wake, the sun has shifted, painting the room in golden light. But instead of feeling rested, I feel wired. Every cell in my body vibrates with tension. My hands tremble. My chest feels too small, my skin too warm. It’s like something’s building inside me, clawing to get out. I don’t understand what it is or what it wants.
I splash cold water on my face and stare at my reflection. My eyes look different. My wolf is closer to the surface, restless.
I grip the sink, whispering, “Get it together.”
It doesn’t help. The energy won’t leave.
By lunchtime, I’ve convinced myself I can act normal. Dean’s waiting for me at the cafeteria, sitting at a corner table like always. When I slide into the seat across from him, he gives me a small, reassuring smile. But I can’t focus on him. My senses are heightened making every noise too loud, every scent too strong.
“Did you sleep?” Dean asks.
“Kind of,” I mutter, poking at my food. “Didn’t help much.”
He studies me quietly, as if trying to read my thoughts. I try to hold his gaze, but my eyes keep drifting toward the door. I don’t even realize I’m doing it until he notices.
“Who are you looking for?” he asks.
I freeze. “No one.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Before I can respond, the cafeteria doors swing open.
My breath catches. Hunter, Jace, and Salem walk in together, like a storm moving through sunlight. The world seems to tilt. My wolf howls inside me, the word echoing so loud I almost gasp.
Mate.
It’s not a whisper this time around. It’s a scream, raw and undeniable. My body reacts before my mind does, every nerve alive, every instinct burning.
Hunter’s eyes flicker toward me briefly, his expression unreadable. Salem doesn’t look up, but I feel him, his presence like a low hum against my skin. Jace’s jaw tightens when he spots me, and I swear the air between us crackles.
Dean notices my reaction instantly. His hand twitches like he wants to reach for me, to ground me, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t have to because my wolf already knows. She knows they’re close. She knows they’re hers.
I grip the edge of the table, my breath coming fast. The hum under my skin turns into a pulse, deep and wild. The bond that I’ve been trying so hard to ignore flares to life like it’s been waiting for this moment.
“Adinna,” Dean says softly, voice steady but strained. “Breathe.”
I try. I really do. But the world has narrowed down to the space between me and them. My heart is pounding so hard it hurts. Hunter turns slightly, his golden eyes meeting mine for a split second and the pull slams into me like a tidal wave.
My wolf screams again.
Mate.
- Writer
