To Want You

Chapter 2 : Static Between Us

The school hallway can’t get any more crowded than this. Bodies press in from every direction, voices overlapping into a dull roar. I tuck my elbows in and keep my eyes glued to my phone, weaving through the chaos on instinct alone.

My favorite artist just dropped a new song. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting all morning for this.

Some time after we pass through the school gates, Abel’s arm slips around my waist like it always does. Casual. Familiar. He pulls me closer, leaning in to peek over my shoulder. His silver hair brushes my cheek, soft and annoyingly distracting.

I ignore him.

The music video opens with a slow zoom on a handsome visual—soft chocolate eyes staring out over a field of flowers under a setting sun. The colors melt together like paint on wet paper. When the camera pulls back, a cherry blossom tree comes into view, petals drifting through warm light.

I’m already hooked.

The music is gentle, emotional without trying too hard. Not too loud. Not too soft. And the vocals—

Heavenly.

Abel’s arm slowly drops from my waist.

There’s a strange, unpleasant twist in his stomach. It’s been happening more often lately, that sharp little feeling he can’t quite name. Worse, he can’t figure out why.

Elka pops into his thoughts at the worst times—when he’s alone, when he’s with his parents, when he’s sitting across from girls his mother insists he “give a chance.” He’ll be mid-conversation and suddenly he’s wondering what she’s doing, who she’s texting, why she’s smiling at her phone like that.

It makes no sense.

He settles into his seat, fingers combing through his white-silver hair. His jaw tightens as he watches Elka, completely absorbed. At this point, it takes more than half his willpower not to grab her phone and toss it across the room.

He blinks, startled by the thought.

What the hell is wrong with him?

He’s never felt like this about Elka before. Never.

The classroom door opens, snapping him out of it. The teacher steps in, posture stiff, eyes sharp as blades. She scans the room like she’s hunting prey.

Elka slips her phone away just in time.

Axeyl glances at her, then back at the teacher.

Satisfied, the lesson begins.

By the end of the day, all I want is my bed.

My head’s pounding from the surprise calculus test, my nose feels stuffy, and my patience is officially gone. I’m the first one out of the classroom, breathing in the cooler air like it’s oxygen after drowning.

Abel catches up easily, grinning like a kid who just got handed free dessert.

“First the party, now class?” he laughs, bumping his shoulder into mine. “You’re really killing the vibe lately.”

I shoot him a look. “You’re missing the point.”

Loona was absent today. That’s why I stayed behind. Her parents are strict to the point of insanity, and if I want to see her outside of school, it takes planning. Strategy. Possibly a miracle.

“You look happy,” I say, glancing at him.

He shrugs. “Perfect score on the pop quiz. Obviously.”

My stomach twists. “If I didn’t know you were a werewolf, I’d think you cheated.”

It’s meant to be a joke.

He stops smiling.

Without a word, he walks ahead like I don’t exist.

I snort quietly. So he can tease me, but I can’t tease him back?

Fine.

We split at the corner. “See you tomorrow,” I call out, not bothering to turn around.

A low hum is his only response.

By the time I get home, exhaustion hits full force. I shower, letting the hot water pound against my skin until my thoughts slow down. I change into something comfortable and collapse onto the couch just as rain starts tapping against the windows.

Thunder follows.

Then a howl.

Even being friends with a wolf, I don’t think I’ll ever fully get used to that sound. The last time Abel tried shifting in front of me, I fainted on the spot. Maybe it was shock. Maybe it was instinct.

His wolf form—dark fur like night itself, crystal blue eyes glowing in the dark—still lingers in my memory.

He promised he wouldn’t do it in front of me again.

The doorbell rings.

I freeze.

Peeking through the peephole, I spot familiar silver hair.

…Seriously?

I open the door. Abel stands there in a gray sweatshirt and cargo shorts, rain clinging to him like static.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

He lifts the plastic bag in his hand. “Keeping you company. Thought you’d be lonely without me.”

I raise a brow, unimpressed.

Still, I step aside. With weather like this, I can’t exactly send him back out. Besides—do werewolves even get sick?

I’ll ask later.

He steps inside, shaking rain from his hair, and suddenly the house doesn’t feel so quiet anymore