Suddenly I Knew

Chapter Five.

Why do I get a voice that is horny? I’m a virgin, for crying out loud.

"Hey there, little spitfire," Caleb said.

"I have a name, you know," I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, but this is a nickname that suits you more," he told me, chuckling.

"Not to interrupt or anything, but you should get going if you both want to be on time for class."

"Fine, we’ll get going. Bye, Damien."

"Bye, Violette, and please try to keep him out of trouble," he said with a grin.

"I can try, but I’ll need his help too. And knowing him, like that’s going to happen."

"You both know I can hear you, right?"

"Yes, we do, but do we care?" I replied sassily. With that, Caleb and I walked toward our class. When we reached the classroom, I saw Rose sitting and waiting for us. Next to her was Logan, who also seemed to be waiting. What are those two doing together? I wondered to myself.

"Maybe they’re soulmates," said the voice. I felt a little bad just calling the voice "voice" in my head.

"Hey, do you have a name? Because I feel bad calling you ‘voice.’"

"Well, you can call me Melody."

"Nice to meet you, Melody," I said.

"Nice to meet you too, Violette," she replied.

"I do have a question for you if you don’t mind," I said.

"What is it?"

"Are you just a voice, or is there more to you than I know?"

When she answered, I wasn’t very happy.

"I can’t tell you just yet, but tomorrow it will make more sense. Please be patient—which I know is hard for you."

"It better be worth it," I said, and with that, I felt her withdrawing into my thoughts, probably waiting for the perfect moment to deliver another sassy comment. While I was talking to Melody, I walked over to Rose and Logan and gave them a questioning look. Rose noticed me, shrugged her shoulders, and turned back to Logan to continue their conversation. What struck me as odd was the way Logan was looking at Rose—like she was his whole world or something.

Melody’s voice suddenly chimed in again:

"They’re mates."

"Which means?"

"Oh yeah, right. You don’t know the concept of mates."

"No, I don’t, because someone refuses to tell me anything."

"Well, to be fair, I can’t tell you anything because I was told not to by the moon goddess, Nyx."

"So, if I understand you correctly, a goddess told you not to tell me anything?"

"Technically, it’s because Hecate told her not to tell you anything," Melody clarified.

"Wait, let me get this straight. Not only is the moon goddess Nyx involved, but also Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and magic, is talking about me?"

"Well, when you say it like that, you make it sound like I’m crazy."

"Let’s not talk about crazy, because I’m the one arguing with a voice in my head!"

"Hey, I thought you felt bad for calling me ‘voice,’" Melody growled, her fur bristling.

Wait. Why could I see her fur bristling in my mind? And why was she growling like a wolf?

"Well, someone’s about to figure it out. Midnight tonight," she said with a smirk.

"But back to the mate thing—Nyx created werewolves, and she made sure every werewolf has a soulmate, or as we wolves call it, a mate, to ensure the species doesn’t go extinct."

"So you’re telling me you’re not just a voice in my head, but also a werewolf spirit? And that I have a soulmate out there?"

"Maybe more than one," she said. "But we won’t know for sure until we’re 18."

"And who exactly is this supposed soulmate?"

"If you paid attention to who you’re talking to, you might figure it out," she said smugly.

"You can’t possibly mean them," I groaned, realizing who she was hinting at. I suddenly realized I had already sat down next to Caleb and unpacked my books on autopilot. When the teacher walked in, I was glad the lunch break was coming soon. After that, just two more classes, and the day would be over. Honestly, I think I’m going crazy with all this werewolf and soulmate talk.

"It’s not just talk—it’s going to be your reality, whether you like it or not," Melody chimed in. That moon goddess didn't think this through. I’d had Melody in my head for only five minutes, and I was already losing it. She could hear everything I was thinking, but I couldn’t hear her thoughts. How was that fair? And I wasn’t sure I wanted to be part dog.

"I am not a dog, and for you to think that says more about you than it does about me!" she yelled at me.

"First things first: if you ever yell at me again, I will find a way to get rid of you. Do you understand me? Second, how am I supposed to know what's offensive to you if you don't tell me anything?" I shot back. I could tell I'd hit a nerve when I saw her, in my mind, make herself smaller. I didn't know exactly how tall she could stand, but I had a feeling I'd find out soon—maybe sooner than I'd like. Before I knew it, the class was over. I hadn't taken any notes or paid attention at all. Looking around in panic, I heard someone chuckling. When I turned, I saw Caleb looking at me.

"I thought a nerd like you would at least pay attention to the lesson. But don't worry—I may have made some notes you could borrow," he said with a smirk. That smirk told me there would be a price for those notes, and it seemed like he was testing my limits.

"What do you want in exchange for letting me borrow those notes?" I asked, noticing his confused expression when I immediately guessed he'd want something in return.

"Hmm, didn't think you'd figure that out so quickly, little spitfire."

"Well, that's your fault for assuming I think at your speed," I replied sourly while collecting my books and other stuff.

Then he said something that shook me to my core.

"Ah, I think I know what I want: a kiss. And not on the cheek—I want a real kiss." I almost dropped my pencil case on the floor. Melody, of course, liked the idea of him kissing me. But what she didn't know was that I'd never kissed anyone before, and I'd been saving my first kiss for someone special. I didn't say anything to him as I walked past, but I could feel him realize something was off. I had nothing to be ashamed of—I was nearly 18, and I'd never been kissed. So what? Before lunch, I went to my locker to swap out my books. As I closed it, I found myself face-to-face with Caleb—and Damien.

"Hear this, brother: our little spitfire has never been kissed or kissed someone herself," Caleb announced to Damien. Damien's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He looked like he was about to say something, but I beat him to it.

"Yes, it's true. And no, I'm not giving my first kiss to you just so I can copy your notes." I glared at Caleb, annoyed by his suggestion, and glanced at Damien, my cheeks burning red. Turning toward the cafeteria, I could hear them following close behind me, but I was too mad to care. When I entered the cafeteria, I spotted Rose sitting with Logan and Musa. Suddenly, I lost my appetite. I turned to leave, but as I did, I crashed into Damien and Caleb. Expecting to hit the ground, I braced myself, but it didn't happen. When I opened my eyes, I saw that they'd both grabbed my arms to stop me from falling.

"Violette, we didn't mean anything by what we said," Caleb said.

I looked up at him. Compared to them, I felt so small. I couldn't help but chuckle as the anger left my body.

"It's okay. You didn't know," I said softly. Then I turned to Damien. "And Damien, you didn't do anything wrong. You couldn't have known I was saving my first kiss for someone special." I gave them a sad smile.

Turning back to the cafeteria, I realized I was hungry after all. As I walked to get food, I heard chuckles behind me. I immediately knew it was the boys. They seemed to find my mood swings hilarious, to say the least. When I reached the food line and grabbed a tray, Caleb snatched it from me.

"You know, one of these days, you're going to have to let me get my food," I said.

"Not anytime soon—not while my brother and I are here."

As we bickered, Damien took the tray from Caleb and started loading it with food. Way too much food for me.

"That's way too much! I'm not huge like you guys—you know that, right?"