Chapter 4 Who Is He?

• Luna
• I know I shouldn't be so hung up on it, like I am now. I'd never stare at a stranger anywhere, but that one specifically sparks my curiosity. And that's fueling me to not even realize I'm solely focused on his gaze and everything it conceals, because it's the only one I can't seem to understand, not even read his thoughts, though I doubt I can really do that.
• When he stood up irritated, I knew it was because of me. I was so curious, as I didn't even know his name. I seized that moment when my new chatty friend was by my side to at least ask his name. I turn to her and inquire,
• "Who's that?"
• I try not to point to be so blatant. Mary Ann widens her eyes, lowers her head, and almost whispering, she says,
• "That's Adrian, the son of the most powerful man in the city. I'd say in the country too, but I don't want to exaggerate."
• That name echoed in my mind, Adrian, Adrian, incessantly, until I tried to understand why I was doing this. Why did it matter so much to me? She continued,
• "The Bolton family is very peculiar. They're powerful and wealthy, they love to flaunt, but most importantly, they're secretive. No one really knows who they are, how they live, and Adrian, he's exactly like his father. All the girls in school want to sleep with him. But he remains a mystery, not even giving anyone the time of day, except for his lacrosse game. He loves it, he's the team leader. That's all I know."
• This only makes me even more intrigued by this strange boy who won't let me into his mind.
• ***
• When I finally got to be alone inside that huge castle, without Mary Anne, rambling on about things I didn't care about, and not even listening to what she was saying, I could breathe deep, close my eyes, and in that moment, in that empty hallway, where probably no one would find me, I paced from one end to the other, trying to relax.
• I knew it would be tough having so many new people staring at me, finding my ways odd. I wasn't like this all the time, I used to be okay, it's just that over time, things in me changed. I felt things, heard things, and it made me quieter because my head was so muddled that I couldn't string together interesting sentences. To be someone so different from who I already am.
• All I wanted was to be alone because when that happened, the voices in my head quieted down. Pacing from one end to the other, I hardly noticed the time passing. I was nervous, anxious. But that hallway was quite close to the lacrosse field.
• There were gaps where I could see the field, albeit with some difficulty. I then heard someone there, playing or training. Curious, I stopped and approached one of these gaps, peering and trying to see who it was, and my eyes landed on Adrian, the only one there.
• He wasn't wearing his helmet, so I recognized his athletic build; he was quite attractive, just like his well-defined face, dark hair, and most interestingly, Adrian had a mystery that bewildered me. He threw the balls so forcefully against the goal net that he could create a huge hole right in the middle of it. At that moment, I clung to the wall and the gaps, still staring at Adrian. I don't know anymore, I focused so much that I forgot the world around me. It was as if I were trying to get into his mind, even though I couldn't. I just stared at him so intently that I believe he felt my presence. So much so that he became uncomfortable, looking around, confused. When I noticed that, I backed away, startled. What was I doing? This is absurd! So, I left, even though that was a safer refuge. I headed towards the corridors above, where students were chatting or heading to their classes. I opened the locker that was in the hallway, grabbed my sketchbook, and dashed away from there, not knowing where to go.
• ***
• Adrian came home with his head full. That day was a drag, as if his morning hadn't been enough. When he stepped into school, everything seemed different, even though everything was in its right place. The only thing out of the ordinary was the arrival of the new student. That girl was really strange, and she managed to get under his skin unlike any other girl there.
• Many of those girls had tried to get with him. However, with all his family issues and even those with himself, he limited himself to choosing his lovers carefully. He didn't have a good reputation, not for being a player, but for being moody and always furious. And that rage was escalating all the time. The game he loved the most, lacrosse, was at risk.
• With his imminent complete transformation at 18, during the full moon, he would be unbeatable compared to his peers. Luckily, he would already be graduated. But all Adrian wanted was to be a lacrosse player, go to college, and be like all the other guys. But that damned curse wouldn't allow it. The coach was already keeping an eye on him, thinking that those strength and speed abilities were necessary for the game.
• Used without proper training, they could inadvertently hurt his teammates or opponents. Especially with the rage growing stronger, Adrian could simply transform, lose his human consciousness, and even attack his friends. The face of his new schoolmate wouldn't leave him alone. At that moment, at home, at the dinner table, he tapped his feet frantically on the floor, staring fixedly at a point on the table, his mind wandering.
• He didn't speak to the girl, nor did he spend more than 20 minutes in her presence, but her face was etched in his mind. She looked at him so deeply that she could see his secret, something he hid even from his own shadow. She made him feel insecure and furious. She tried to get into his mind; he couldn't say how, but he was convinced that she could really read his mind.
• Seeing that his son was completely distracted, not hearing what he was saying, Adrian's father decided to speak up, startling him, causing Adrian to raise his eyes and fix them on the man in front of him. "You're quite distracted today," said the man, with a deep and terrifying voice. Even though he was his father, Adrian feared him. He was the most powerful man in town, with allies and followers on both sides, human and wolf. Adrian's father was much older than he appeared. The age for a cursed wolf was different from others. They lived longer, and their transformations were much more drastic. In the past, many simply called them werewolves, but their blood was different. The Boltons and their pack transformed completely into a wolf, but much larger than a regular wolf. The Mr. Bolton in front of him was not just another member of the pack. He was the alpha. They came from a family of alphas, so they were respected, and few dared to challenge them for power and leadership. "Does it have anything to do with your earlier transformation?"
• Adrian swallowed hard. He wished he had answers about what happened. As for the new girl, he refused to admit that she had gotten to him in such a short time. He glanced at his mother, who was staring at the wine glass in front of her, then back at his father. The man was huge, with a bearded face, wavy hair, eyes as dark as night, but when he transformed, they gleamed like sapphires. Even in his human form, he was intimidating. Their relationship was more than that of a father and son. Being the alpha, Adrian respected him and obeyed his requests. If he called, he was obliged to go, out of loyalty. Lying wasn't an option. He wasn't a good liar, and his father always knew when one of them was lying.
• "That's all of it," he finally spoke. "I don't know how this works. I... I don't remember." He lowered his head, ashamed of himself.
• With his voice softened, Nathan said, "That's normal," focusing back on his plate, which displayed a beautifully rare steak, mashed potatoes, and peas. In fact, the meat was the main dish. The canine instinct spoke louder. "When you don't have control over yourself, not even during your transformation, memory loss happens."
• "What if I hurt someone and don't know?" That was what Adrian feared the most. He wasn't a bad person, and he didn't wish to be. Luckily, his pack was righteous and chose the path of good, limiting themselves to business and hunting other creatures.
• "You'll control it," Nathan said confidently. "It was difficult for me too, but I learned quickly."
• "I don't think we're the same, father," he chuckled bitterly. When he lifted his gaze, he felt those emerald eyes staring at him. "You had great training, you're stronger, and I... Even with your help, I don't think I can control myself."
• "You'll control it," the deep sound sent shivers down everyone's spine. "You just need to focus."
• "I'm not focused?" He raised an eyebrow.
• "First, the anger. You can't control it. Second, focus. There's too much going on, and you seem distracted. Third, desire. I don't see you caring about your origin."
• "I don't care?" Adrian frowned, upset. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't even try."
• "Your thoughts are distant; I bet you think more about lacrosse than about your destiny."
• "I didn't ask for this destiny," the words slipped out of his mouth without him even realizing it.
• Nathan became even more upset. He felt that his son wasn't putting in effort, didn't understand the purpose, and what would happen in the future.
• "Do you think I chose this?" He slammed his enormous hands on the table, causing everything on top of it to shake. Melissa stared at him, knowing her husband was agitated. When this happened, everything went wrong. "I was your age once, boy." Adrian knew it was useless to open his mouth. When the alpha spoke, nothing but his voice was heard. "I had dreams, I wanted to be different, and I got nothing of what I wanted back then." Adrian felt his heart race, his hands sweat, and his anger rise. He focused on that voice, which instigated him to become even angrier. "You have the blood of an alpha, just like I did. It'll be my success, and no matter how much you fight, nothing will reverse this curse. We're bound to this city, to this fate, and the best thing you can do is focus. Train your anger, stay away from the mundanes, and accept your destiny."
• "That's not my destiny," he said. Adrian was losing consciousness with each beat of his heart. His mother and father noticed. Melissa reached out her hand, hoping to reach his, but he pulled away. "This is what you want for me."
• "Adrian, control yourself," Nathan ordered. "You can't let..."
• "My instincts take over?" His eyes focused on his father, who didn't change his posture. He wasn't afraid of his son, who hadn't even fully transformed yet. But Melissa thought Adrian wouldn't understand things this way.
• "Enough, Adrian," she spoke up. Listening to his mother's soft voice, he noticed his sharp nails, fangs showing, and the bones in his arm changing shape. "You're upset. We've all been through this. We know it's hard for you. For now, just take deep breaths, control your heart rate, and return to normal."
• Slowly, he noticed what was happening. He focused on his breathing, closed his eyes, and thought: control yourself. Control yourself. You can't transform.
• "Until you can control your anger, you're out of lacrosse."
• Then Adrian opened his eyes, already back to normal, and stared at his father.
• "What?" He couldn't believe what he heard.
• "Nathan," Melissa stared at him, frightened.
• "Look at what happened." He reached out to Adrian. "Lacrosse is a dangerous game for a young wolf who can't control his anger." This was pretty obvious. Adrian was paralyzed by what he heard from his father. "We'll increase the training. You'll have to control yourself, or next full moon, you might go out of control and go far away. You might even hurt someone."
• Against that, Adrian had no argument. He really lost his senses when his wolf instinct appeared. But to be without lacrosse, especially during the championship?
• "But..."
• "No!" Here, it wasn't just Adrian's father speaking, but also his leader. "We're not taking that risk."