With Wolves

Attraction

Professor Brown's lecture on Renaissance architecture dragged on longer than usual, or maybe it just felt that way because Nero kept catching himself staring out the window, searching for black hoodies in the crowd below. By the time Brown finally dismissed them, Nero's notebook had more sketches of wolves than actual notes he was packing up his stuff when a shadow fell across his desk. "Nero, right?" Nero looked up to find Norman Fischer looming over him—six-foot-four of pure muscle packed into a HavenClaw Football jersey. Norman was the kind of guy who looked like he'd been carved out of granite and then taught how to smile. Captain of the varsity team, campus celebrity, the works "Yeah," Nero said cautiously, slinging his bag over his shoulder "I've been watching you, man." Norman's grin widened "You've got the build, you've got the looks, and from what I hear, you've got speed too and we need guys like you on the team." Nero blinked "football?" "Varsity, I'm talking starting lineup by next season if you put in the work" Norman clapped him on the shoulder—hard enough that it would've hurt a normal person but Nero didn't even sway "what do you say? Tryouts are next week" "I appreciate it, but no thanks" Norman's expression shifted from confident to confused in about half a second "no thanks? Dude, do you know how many guys would kill for this opportunity?" "I'm sure," Nero said, heading for the door and Norman followed, apparently not used to people walking away from him "is it the time commitment? Because we can work around your schedule—" "It's not that" "then what? You don't like football?" Nero stopped at the classroom door and turned to face him "honestly? It's a little too violent for my taste, for everyone involved" Norman stared at him like he'd just spoken another language "too violent? It's football, not gladiator combat" "I know what it is," Nero said evenly "and I'm not interested. Sorry." A soft laugh came from somewhere to Nero's left, he glanced over to see a girl with auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail, gathering her books from a nearby desk. She had warm brown eyes and the kind of smile that suggested she'd just heard the funniest thing all day. "Something funny, Mara?" Norman asked, his tone slightly defensive "No, no," Mara said, still smiling as she walked past them both "I just think it's cute when guys actually care about not hurting people, novel concept" She shot Nero a quick look—approving, maybe even impressed—before disappearing into the hallway. Norman turned back to Nero, shaking his head "look, man, just think about it, okay? You've got natural talent going to waste—" "he said no, Norman." Kiran appeared in the doorway like some kind of perfectly-timed guardian angel, hoodie pulled up, backpack hanging off one shoulder "pretty sure that means no" Norman's jaw tightened, but he stepped back "fine. But I'm not giving up on you, Nero. You're exactly what this team needs, whether you see it or not." He pointed at him like a coach making a promise "I'll convince you eventually" "Good luck with that," Kiran muttered as Norman finally walked away. He turned to Nero with a grin "Dude, you just turned down Norman Fischer, do you know how many people on this campus would commit felonies for that guy's approval?" "Then they can have it," Nero said, heading down the hallway. "I'm not interested in getting tackled for fun" "fair point" Kiran fell into step beside him "so, speaking of things you might actually be interested in—how'd it go with Roxy?" Nero glanced at him "how do you even know about that?" "Bro, everyone knows about that" Kiran's grin widened "you and Roxy Ravensong exchanged numbers in the middle of the parking lot, that's like front-page news around here" "It was not a big deal" "oh, it absolutely was" Kiran pulled out his phone and started scrolling "look—there's already a post about it in the campus group chat 'Who's the guy with Roxy?' Someone's asking if you're a transfer student, someone else is asking if you're secretly rich" Nero groaned "this is ridiculous" "It's not ridiculous, it's legendary" Kiran pocketed his phone and looked at Nero seriously "do you have any idea what you just did? Roxy Ravensong has never—and I mean never—shown interest in a guy on campus, she shows up, she's friendly enough, but she keeps everyone at arm's length and then you roll up and suddenly she's giving you her number?" "She invited me to a party. That's it" "the party she's throwing," Kiran corrected "at the Ravensong estate, which by the way, is basically a mansion and she invited you personally" he shook his head, laughing "man, you're drawing way more attention than you probably wanted" "yeah, no kidding" they pushed through the double doors and stepped out into the afternoon sun. The campus was alive with students—some heading to their next class, others sprawled out on the grass, soaking up the warmth. Nero scanned the crowd instinctively, looking for black hoodies, but there was nothing "you're still coming tonight, right?" Kiran asked as they walked toward the parking lot "please tell me you're coming. I've been talking you up all day" "you've been what?" "Relax, I didn't say anything weird, just that you're my boy and you're cool and people should get to know you" Kiran unlocked the Integra and slid into the driver's seat "come on, Nero. This could be good for you, when's the last time you actually went out and had fun?" Nero climbed into the passenger seat and didn't answer "Exactly," Kiran said, starting the engine "you need this. Plus, Roxy invited you, so you can't just ghost her after that" "I wasn't planning on ghosting her—" "then you're coming" Nero sighed, leaning back against the seat as they pulled out of the parking lot. Maybe Kiran was right. Maybe he did need to get out more and if he was being honest with himself, there was something about Roxy that intrigued him—something that made him want to know more. They were halfway home when Nero's phone buzzed, he pulled it out, frowning at the screen. Unknown Caller "you gonna get that?" Kiran asked, turning down the music. Nero hesitated, then swiped to answer "hello?" Silence, not even static—just pure, empty silence "hello?" Nero repeated, still nothing. He pulled the phone away from his ear, checked the screen to make sure the call was still connected, then brought it back "if this is a prank—" the line went dead "wrong number?" Kiran asked "maybe" Nero frowned, staring at the screen as the call log updated. Unknown Caller Duration: 0:43. That's when he saw it again, in the distance, just beyond the tree line near the edge of campus—a dark shape rising into the sky, wings spread wide, catching the light for just a second before it disappeared into the clouds "did you see that?" Nero asked, sitting up straighter "see what?" "That bird, or... whatever it was" Kiran glanced in the direction Nero was pointing but shook his head "didn't see anything, man. You good?" Before Nero could answer, his phone buzzed again. This time, the caller ID read: Marcus - Gifted Forum. Nero answered immediately "Marcus, hey—" "Nero, I'm really sorry about this," Marcus's voice came through rushed and apologetic "I have to cancel tonight's meeting, something came up on my end—family emergency. I'll send out a message to the group, but I wanted to call you directly since I know you never miss a session" "is everything okay?" "Yeah, it'll be , just... life, you know?" Marcus sighed "we'll reschedule for next week. Sorry again" "no problem, hope everything works out" the call ended, and Nero lowered the phone slowly "no meeting tonight?" Kiran asked, barely containing his excitement "no meeting tonight" "YES!" Kiran practically shouted, pounding the steering wheel "Dude, this is perfect! Now you have zero excuses. You're coming to the party" Nero opened his mouth to argue, but his phone buzzed again before he could get a word out. Roxy Ravensong. He stared at the name for a second, then swiped to answer "hello?" "Nero?" Roxy's voice was smooth, confident "just checking in, you coming tonight or are you going to leave me hanging?" Kiran was practically vibrating in the driver's seat, mouthing say yes say yes say yes like his life depended on it. Nero exhaled "Yeah, I'm coming" "Perfect" he could hear the smile in her voice "I'll send you the address, see you at eight" the call ended, and a moment later, a text came through with a pin drop and a short message: Don't be late. – R. Kiran let out a whoop of victory, nearly swerving into the next lane "I knew it! I knew you'd say yes!" Nero shook his head, but he was smiling despite himself "you're way too excited about this" "Because tonight's going to be legendary," Kiran said, grinning from ear to ear "trust me" Nero looked out the window as they drove, watching the trees blur past. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still thinking about the figure in the black hoodie, about the bird—or whatever it was—that kept appearing at the edge of his vision. But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside. Tonight, he'd go to the party. He'd meet new people. Maybe he'd even figure out what it was about Roxy Ravensong that made her so impossible to say no to.

After they got home, Kiran tossed his keys on the kitchen counter and turned to Nero with a look that could only be described as dangerously enthusiastic "alright," he said, clapping his hands together "we've got a few hours before the party. I'm thinking we work on your look—maybe get you something that says 'mysterious but approachable' instead of 'I spend all my time drawing wolves in the dark'" Nero stared at him "you want to dress me?" "I want to help you look confident," Kiran corrected, grinning "there's a difference" Nero laughed—actually laughed—shaking his head as he headed toward the stairs "I'm good, man. I can dress myself" "can you though?" Kiran called after him "because I've seen your closet, bro, and it's a lot of black T-shirts and jeans!" "And that's a problem why?" "It's not a problem, it's just... predictable!" Kiran was still talking as Nero climbed the stairs "I'm ordering pizza, by the way! You want pepperoni or supreme?" "Either's fine!" Nero shouted back, still smiling as he reached the top of the stairs but the smile faded the moment he stepped into his room. Something was off, he stood in the doorway for a long moment, his newly enhanced vision sweeping across every detail, nothing was out of place—his sketchbooks were still stacked on the desk, his bed was unmade the way he'd left it, his closet door was half-open like always but there was something else, something he couldn't quite name. A presence, like someone had been here, recently. Nero stepped inside slowly, his senses sharpening, that's when he caught it—a faint scent, but unmistakable. It wasn't his, it wasn't Kiran's, it was something else entirely, a third smell lingering in the air, foreign and strange. The smell of wet dog and woods was all he could get as his eyes drifted to the window. It was closed, but not latched, he always locked it—always, he was careful about things like that, especially after the abilities started. But now, standing there, he realized he must have forgotten this morning when he'd opened it to look outside. Nero crossed the room and checked the window frame, there were no scratches, no forced entry, just an unlocked window on the first floor, which shouldn't have been a problem except that his room was a solid fifteen feet off the ground. There was no ledge, no drainpipe, nothing anyone could reasonably climb and yet, the scent was strongest here, near the glass. He ran his hand along the windowsill, then looked outside at the empty space below, nothing moved in the yard, no footprints in the grass, no sign that anyone had been there at all. Nero exhaled slowly and turned back to his room, scanning everything one more time, his sketchbooks—untouched, his phone charger—still plugged in by the bed, his wallet—sitting on the dresser exactly where he'd left it. Nothing was missing, nothing was moved but someone had been here, he was sure of it "Nero! Pizza's here!" Kiran's voice echoed up from downstairs, snapping him out of his thoughts. Nero locked the window—this time making sure it clicked into place—and headed back downstairs, the unease still sitting heavy in his chest.

Kiran had already set up in the living room, pizza box open on the coffee table, some action movie queued up on the TV. He looked up as Nero came down the stairs and grinned "There he is. I got supreme because I'm a generous human being" he tossed Nero a slice on a paper plate "you good? You look weird" "yeah," Nero said, taking the plate and sitting down on the couch "I'm fine." Kiran gave him a skeptical look but didn't push it. Instead, he hit play on the movie and they settled in, eating pizza and half-watching explosions on screen. It was easy, comfortable—the kind of thing they did at least twice a week and slowly, the tension in Nero's chest started to ease. Maybe he'd imagined it, maybe the smell was just something drifting in from outside, or maybe he was still adjusting to the new night vision and it was messing with his other senses. Yeah, that had to be it. By the time they finished eating, Nero was already feeling the weight of the day catching up to him. He glanced at the clock—5:47 PM plenty of time to rest before getting ready "I'm gonna crash for a bit," Nero said, standing and stretching "wake me up at like seven-thirty?" "You got it" Kiran was already pulling up another movie "dream of Roxy or whatever" Nero flipped him off as he headed back upstairs, and Kiran's laughter followed him all the way to his room. Back in his room, Nero glanced at his drawing table, the sketches from this morning were still there, half-finished, waiting for him to figure out what came next. Part of him wanted to sit down and try again—to capture that moment from the dream before it faded completely but he remembered what happened last time. The voices, the images, the pain splitting through his skull like something was trying to claw its way out "not tonight," he muttered, turning away from the table, he kicked off his shoes, flopped onto the bed, and closed his eyes and sleep came faster than he expected.

"Nero. Nero! Dude, wake up!" Kiran's voice cut through the darkness, and Nero jolted awake, blinking hard against the light streaming in from the hallway. "What time is it?" "Seven twenty-eight," Kiran said, standing in the doorway with a grin. He was already dressed—dark jeans, a fitted black button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and boots that looked way too clean to be practical, he looked good, really good. Nero sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes "You look like you're going to a fashion show" "and you look like you just woke up," Kiran shot back "which is why I'm here" he stepped into the room and tossed a bundle of clothes onto the bed "put these on" Nero stared at the clothes, then at Kiran "What is this?" "It's called help," Kiran said, crossing his arms "dark jeans—fitted, not baggy—a grey Henley because it brings out your eyes, and a black jacket because you can't just show up looking like you rolled out of bed" "I was literally asleep two seconds ago" "exactly my point" Kiran gestured at the clothes "come on, man, trust me" Nero picked up the Henley and held it up, it was nice—he'd give Kiran that, simple, but well-made, it’s he kind of thing that looked effortless but probably cost more than Nero wanted to think about "Where did you even get this?" "I have my ways" Kiran grinned "now get dressed, we're leaving in twenty minutes" Nero shook his head, but he was smiling despite himself "you're taking this way too personally, you know that?" "Of course I am," Kiran said, heading for the door "you're my bro, you deserve to be treated as such" he disappeared into the hallway before Nero could argue, and for a moment, Nero just sat there, holding the clothes and staring after him. Kiran was weird, enthusiastic to the point of exhausting but he cared and that meant something. Nero stood up and started getting dressed.

Twenty minutes later, they were in the Integra, pulling out of the driveway as the sun dipped below the horizon, Kiran had the music loud—something upbeat that Nero didn't recognize but didn't mind—and he was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel like he couldn't contain his energy "you ready for this?" Kiran asked, glancing over at him "I guess," Nero said, adjusting the jacket, it fit perfectly, of course it did "you guess," Kiran repeated, laughing "dude, you're about to walk into a Ravensong party, do you know how exclusive these things are? Half the campus would kill to get an invite" "you keep saying that" "because it's true!" Kiran turned onto the main road, heading toward the outskirts of town "just... try to have fun tonight, okay? You deserve it." Nero didn't answer, but he nodded. The drive took about fifteen minutes, and with every passing mile, the houses got bigger, wider lawns, taller gates, the kind of neighborhood where people didn't just have money—they had legacy and then they turned onto Ravensong Drive "Holy s**t," Kiran breathed, the Ravensong estate wasn't just a house, it was a mansion—maybe even beyond that. Three stories of sleek, modern architecture mixed with old-world elegance, all glass and stone and perfectly manicured gardens, lights glowed from nearly every window, and the driveway was already packed with cars that cost more than most people's yearly salary. Music thumped faintly from inside, and people were scattered across the lawn, laughing and drinking, moving between the house and the massive patio out back. Kiran pulled into a spot near the edge of the driveway and killed the engine, for a moment, neither of them moved "oh my God," Nero finally said, staring up at the mansion. Kiran turned to him, grinning "yeah, welcome to how the other half lives" Nero shook his head slowly, still taking it all in "this is insane" "this is legendary," Kiran corrected. He opened his door and stepped out, straightening his shirt "come on, let's go make an entrance" Nero climbed out of the car, his eyes still locked on the mansion ahead, somewhere inside, Roxy was waiting and for reasons he couldn't fully explain, that thought made his heart beat just a little bit faster as he closed the door and followed Kiran toward the house. Whatever tonight was going to be, he had a feeling it was going to change everything.