Chapter 5

• AURORA’S POV:
• By the time I get to school, my nerves are shot. I spend the entire morning avoiding Jon, avoiding everything.
• But it doesn’t stop the whispers in my head.
• You felt it. You know something’s wrong.
• At lunch, Cali finally corners me.
• “Alright, spill,” she says, plopping into the seat across from me. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
• I push my food around my tray, avoiding her gaze. “It’s nothing.”
• Cali snorts. “Yeah, no. I don’t buy that for a second.” She leans in. “This have anything to do with Jon? Or Arc?”
• I tense. “What? No.”
• She narrows her eyes. “Aurora…”
• Before I can respond, I feel it.
• A shift in the air.
• Like a storm rolling in.
• I don’t have to look to know he’s here.
• Arc.
• Sure enough, when I glance toward the entrance, he’s standing there, staring directly at me.
• His expression is unreadable, but his icy blue eyes are locked onto mine.
• A shiver runs through me. I hate how he makes me feel. I should be running away from him right now. Especially now that he may truly be what he claims he is but why do I still fill a pull towards him…
• How one look from him makes my stomach twist, my heart pound. I tear my gaze away, pretending I don’t see him. But the second I do, I hear his voice—low and cold, right next to my ear.
• “You’re avoiding me.”
• I nearly jump out of my skin. “What the hell-“ I whip around. He’s standing right behind me.
• I didn’t even see him move.
• My stomach twists. “Back off, Arc.”
• His lips curl slightly. “I would, but there’s a problem.”
• I cross my arms. “Oh?”
• Arc leans in, voice dropping to a whisper. “I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
• My breath catches.
• I should be terrified.
• I should run.
• But my body betrays me, just like it did with Jon.
• Heat coils in my stomach, and I hate myself for it.
• I shove past him, heading for the door. “Not my problem.”
• Arc catches my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. His grip is firm, but not painful. Just… unrelenting.
• “Aurora,” he murmurs.
• I meet his gaze, my pulse racing. “Let go.”
• He studies me for a long moment. Then, to my shock, he does.
• But before I can take a breath, he says something that makes my blood run cold.
• “You’re not human.”
• The words slam into me like a wrecking ball.
• I stare at him, heart pounding. “What?”
• Arc tilts his head. “Jon was right. You’re not human.”
• I shake my head, stumbling back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
• Arc’s gaze darkens. “Then explain this.”
• Before I can react, he lifts his hand and presses two fingers to my forehead.
• The second he touches me, a wave of something crashes over me.
• Memories that aren’t mine. Visions that flicker too fast to catch. A battlefield. A woman with glowing eyes. Blood. Fire. Power.
• I scream.
• Then everything goes black.
• I wake up in my bed, my body aching like I’ve been hit by a truck. My head is spinning, my chest tight, and the memory of Arc’s words lingers like a ghost.
• “You’re not human.”
• My breath stutters as I sit up.
• It wasn’t just his words. It was what I saw. What I felt. The battlefield. The woman with glowing eyes. The power surging through me.
• I don’t know how I got home. I don’t remember leaving school. But none of that matters.
• Because my life just turned into something I don’t understand.
• A knock at my door makes me jump.
• I already know who it is.
• Jon.
• My heart pounds as I stare at the door. My mind flashes back to last night-the way his body twisted, the sound of bones breaking, the golden eyes that locked onto mine right before I ran.
• I don’t want to see him.
• But I also… do.
• The knock comes again, softer this time.
• “Aurora?” His voice is quiet, careful.
• I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping my blanket like it’ll somehow ground me.
• Then, before I can change my mind, I force the words out. “Come in.”
• The door creaks open, and Jon steps inside.
• He looks… tired. His hair is messier than usual, dark circles shadowing his green eyes. He hesitates at the doorway like he’s afraid to come closer.
• “How are you feeling?” he asks softly.
• I let out a short, humorless laugh. “Like my entire world just got turned upside down.”
• He nods, like he understands. Maybe he does.
• I swallow hard, forcing myself to look at him. My stomach tightens.
• “He’s still Jon,” I remind myself.
• But I can’t stop seeing the other version of him. The one with sharp teeth and his green eyes and something wild beneath his skin.
• Jon seems to notice my hesitation because he doesn’t move any closer. His hands are in his pockets, his shoulders tense.
• “I’m sorry,” he says after a long pause. His voice is quiet, almost… guilty.
• “For what?” I ask, my throat dry.
• His gaze flickers. “For last night. For scaring you.”
• I wrap my arms around myself. “You didn’t mean to.”
• “No, but that doesn’t change the fact that I did.” His jaw tightens. “I never wanted you to see me like that. Not like that.”
• Something about the way he says it makes my chest ache.
• I exhale shakily, my mind still reeling. “I believe you now,” I admit. “About being a werewolf.”
• Jon studies me carefully, as if he’s waiting for me to say something else.
• “But,” I continue, “I need space.”
• His expression falters.
• “I just-“ I shake my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. “I need time to wrap my head around everything. You being a werewolf. Arc saying I’m not human. The…” My voice breaks. “The visions.”
• Jon’s entire body stiffens. “Visions?”
• I press my fingers to my temples, trying to block out the flashes still burning in my mind. “Arc… he touched me, and I saw things. Things that didn’t feel like mine, but they were. I don’t know what they mean, but I felt them, Jon. I felt them like they were real.”
• His fists clench at his sides. “Did he hurt you?”
• I shake my head. “No. But he messed with my head.”
• Jon exhales through his nose, like he’s barely keeping himself calm.
• I don’t know what I expect him to say. Maybe something comforting. Maybe some kind of explanation.
• Instead, he says, “I’ll give you space.”
• I look up at him, surprised.
• “But I’m not going anywhere,” he adds. “No matter what you are, no matter what’s happening, you are not alone, Aurora.”
• My throat tightens.
• Jon holds my gaze for a long moment before nodding once and turning to leave.
• And even though I asked for space…
• A part of me doesn’t want him to go.