Chapter 4
1347 Words
Elena’s POV
Whispers buzzed as our Teacher Mr. Sam, introduced the new students, "This is Nathan Black and Lisa Thorne. They'll be joining us..."
My breath hitched when I saw him.
Nathan Black.
It was the boy from the forest. The one I’d bandaged. The person whose eyes caused me to lose sleep.
His eyes moved across the room until they found mine and my breathing stopped.
He didn’t sit with the new girl. Instead, he walked toward the row where I sat and slipped into the seat beside me. My hands trembled over my notebook.
“Nice job with the bandaging,” he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. “You saved me back there.”
I blinked, surprised that he knew it was me. “I… it was nothing.”
"It was everything. Thank you for saving me."
My cheeks warmed. I wasn’t used to being noticed, let alone complimented. His words echoed in my mind but somewhat died down when I felt someone glaring at me. It was the new girl he came with.
What’s her problem? Is she Nathan’s girlfriend?
I gulped, and looked away as I thought of the name our teacher called her. Lisa…
When the bell rang, I was one of the first to leave. I didn’t want problems. But just as I stepped into the hallway, she blocked my path with some of her new friends.
“Hey you!” she growled,“Why did Nathan sit with you?”
I stayed mute, crossing my arms. She was already giving me the Queen Bee vibe— like Jenna.
“Can’t you talk?” She stepped closer, her face twisting into a scorn “I asked about you and was told that you’re wolfless and a pathetic little orphan. So, you should know your place and stay away from my man!”
“I’m not interested in him,” I said quietly.
“Liar.” She snapped, suddenly slapping me hard across the cheek.
I gasped in horror, and before I could move, she tried to hit me again when a strong hand caught her wrist mid-air.
Nathan.
His voice was like thunder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“She was mouthing off…”
“I saw everything,” he barked. “Touch her again and you’ll answer to me.”
Lisa’s face turned red as she yanked her arm back before storming away with her minions.
I stood frozen, holding a palm to my cheek as my eyes glistened with tears. Jenna had never outrightly hit me, except at combat training, and then often picks at me with the others. But Lisa doing this on her first day in school… she is on a different level.
Nathan glanced at me, and I wanted to thank him but I just turned and ran out of school.
That night, as I laid in bed replaying everything. I remembered how his eyes softened at me. How his hands caught hers; him defending me… But I couldn’t trust it, or trust me.
Not after what Lisa had said. She might be cruel, but she wasn’t wrong about the fact that I wasn’t like him. We are different, and I don’t belong in his world.
The next day, I started avoiding him.
I took different hallways, ignored his gaze, and buried myself in silence. If he noticed, he didn’t show it. But I saw the confusion in his eyes when I spoke coldly to him. I hated that I cared too much.
My best friend was the only one who understood. I told Sophia everything, and although she was angry again about the fact that we had different classes, she helped to take my mind off Nathan by insisting that we celebrate my birthday.
My 18th birthday was approaching, and she wanted us to celebrate it at the bar where I work. “We’ll keep it small, with a few friends,” she said, “You deserve something good.”
I gave in, but I didn’t invite the one person I was liking too much. Nathan.
The night of the party arrived faster than I expected. The little bar glowed with warm lights, music floating in the air. Sophia brought cupcakes with pink frosting and stuck a candle in the middle of one.
“Make a wish,” she whispered.
I closed my eyes and wished for strength. The kind of strength my mom had. I needed to make my mom proud.
The party went on, and we danced, laughed… for a while, I forgot all the pain of being an orphan, and wolfless. I allowed the joy to fill my entire being.
Finally, I was 18. But then the drinks began to hit harder, and everything in the room began to spin in slow circles.
I stumbled toward the restroom with my head pounding. My thoughts were a blur of color and noise. I needed cold water and fresh air.
The moment I stepped inside, two older male customers slipped in behind me. I remember them to be the ones who sometimes throw me compliments whenever they see me cleaning in the bar.
“Hey, birthday girl,” one of them slurred. “Wanna have some real fun?”
I backed away, feeling my heart race. “Leave me alone.”
They stepped closer, their shadows stretching over the tiled floor. One grabbed my wrist. I screamed and struggled, “Let me go!”
The door burst open, and Nathan rushed in.
His eyes blazed as he struck the first man with a single punch that sent him crashing into the wall. The second man lunged, and Nathan caught him mid-attack before slamming him on the floor.
Then he turned to me, panting. “Are you okay?”
Tears spilled down my cheeks. I nodded.
His hand reached up to brush a strand of hair from my face. His touch was gentle, and I should’ve pulled away, but I didn’t.
Instead, I kissed him.
Quick and clumsy. It was my first kiss.
He kissed me passionately, and I matched his pace when someone broke the spell with a gasp.
I turned to see Lisa’s angry eyes.
She looked like she was going to cry, but folded her shaky hands and stormed off.
I stepped away from Nathan as panic clutched my chest. “I… I didn’t mean to. It was a mistake.”
“A mistake?” Nathan’s jaw clenched hard. He shook his head before disappearing into the night.
Pain bloomed inside my soul. I’d ruined everything, whatever we had…
I returned to the party and lied to Sophia that I was feeling sick. She suggested following me home, but I refused as I didn’t want to ruin the fun she was having with some of her classmates.
I strolled out of the bar, walking home when rough hands grabbed me. A cold needle pierced my neck, and the darkness swallowed me.
I woke up to chains around my body to a chair. “Finally, the weakling’s up!” a huge man muttered, peering into my face as he yanked my hair roughly.
The others jeered and moved closer. “You have angered some powerful people…” one of them said, “and we have been tasked to wreck you.”
One of them snapped his claws and used it to s***h my blouse open. My bra came into view, and the men smirked as I shivered in fear.
Who sent these men? Why are they trying to molest me?
I closed my eyes tightly to call out to my wolf, “Please, if you can hear me, save us…”
Suddenly something deep stirred… something old, and powerful.
Raw energy coursed through my veins, and a roar erupted from my chest. My bones cracked as my limbs elongated. The chains fell to the floor, and fangs stretched from my mouth…
My vision tinged red, and everything happened fast.
There were screams, and then pool of blood. I staggered after the corpses, before blacking out…
- Writer
