Werewolf

Leona's POV
Back home, I was still somewhat dazed. I didn't even react when my aunt called me twice while I was washing the dishes; I only remember her pushing me out of the kitchen, give me a milk and telling me to rest.
But she was right. As soon as I lay down on the bed, I drifted into a hazy dream, seemingly connected to last night's dream. So, unsurprisingly, the enormous white wolf reappeared before me.
This time, however, something felt different. When she looked at me, I felt her pull on my bones,as if an invisible thread tightened, coiled, and locked between us. Her heart pounded violently against mine. Her breath filled my lungs. When she moved, the whole world seemed to ripple through my muscles.
I wasn't just looking at her.
I was becoming her.
I couldn't tell if my rapid heartbeat was from fear or excitement.
But soon, the entire dream collapsed, just like always.
I sat bolt

Ariel's POV
Leona disappeared into the forest without hesitation, her silhouette swallowed by the darkening trees as if the woods had been waiting for her.
The moment she was gone, dread settled in my chest like a physical weight.
Atwood lunged forward instinctively.
“Leona!” he shouted, already crossing the line where the sand gave way to roots and shadow.
I caught his arm hard and yanked him back.
“Stop.” My grip tightened. “Don’t be stupid.”
He spun on me, eyes blazing. “She’s alone. Let go of me.”
“No.” My voice came out lower than I intended, rough with restraint. “You don’t just charge in after her.”
“She ran because of us,” he snapped. “Because of you.”
That hit closer than he knew.
“She ran,” I said evenly, “because you don’t know when to keep your distance.”
Atwood froze.
For a second, the only sound was the ocean behind us, waves crashing with relentless indifference.
“What did

Leona's POV
"Leona," Aunt Elysia's voice was the first thing to pull me out of last night's dream.
I quickly adjusted my breathing, pretending to have just woken up, rubbing my eyes and mumbling a "Good morning."
Aunt Elysia was as indifferent as ever? In short, she didn't seem to care how I woke up, much less kiss my forehead like my mother would, asking if I had a good dream, because I do have a bad dream, again.
"Good morning, but I'm not the first person I wanted to see this morning," Aunt Elysia's voice interrupted my rambling thoughts. I followed her gaze to the window.
The white curtains softened the bright morning sunlight, and two faces, more beautiful than the sun itself, came into view.
Ariel and Atwood.
They stood on the path in front of the door, sunlight falling on their shoulders, like figures in a gymnasium poster.
Oh my god, why are they here? My heart started pounding. I grabbed a hoodie I'd casually taken off yesterday, but pulled it off halfway through because it smelled a little off.
Aunt Elysia handed me a new shirt. I took it and started buttoning it up furiously, because I figured I needed an extra 30 seconds to see what I looked like in the mirror.
“Honey, you know how beautiful you are, right?” Aunt Elysia’s voice was laced with laughter, but I couldn’t quite manage a smile. I didn’t want to be so obvious. Now, almost everyone standing next to me would realize I was having a crazy crush on the twins!
But I shouldn’t be like this, my last shred of sanity seemed to scream:
Stay away from them.
They’ll bring trouble.
Since arriving here, all the problems seem to be related to them.
But my body involuntarily leaned in another direction, restless, pacing back and forth, urging me on.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I opened the door.
Atwood's smile instantly blossomed. "Good morning! We...uh...want to apologize. For yesterday. We didn't mean to embarrass you like that."
Ariel nodded. "We should be aware of the situation. The teammates, the crowd, and the way Atwood pulled you over…"
"I didn't pull her."
Ariel ignored him. "Anyway, we're sorry."
Their sincerity was touching. From the heart.
The walls around my heart began to crumble, because I knew everything—the stares, the girls' whispers, yesterday's conflict—seemed to have started because of them.
But they weren't the source of the hostility; in fact, they were one of the few who protected me. They were just too dazzling, and some people don't like me blocking the light that should have been shining on them.
But, anyway, it wasn't their fault.
Ariel tilted her bicycle slightly. "We're on our way to school. Maybe we can give you a ride. If you'd like."
My heart skipped a beat. The longing within me grew stronger, burning and irresistible. This time, my hesitation was almost instantaneous.
“Okay,” I whispered.
As I jumped into the back seat, Ariel's car inevitably lurched. To maintain my balance, I lightly brushed my hand against his shoulder, a slight shiver running through me—instinctive, untimely, yet intoxicating.
Ariel pretended not to notice.
We drove along the road, a cool breeze blowing. For the first time since arriving in this unfamiliar town, the tension in my chest dissipated. The houses we passed blurred in the morning mist, the air filled with the faint scent of melting frost and a wild fragrance, a scent that soothed my lungs.
Spring.
The air was filled with the scent of spring.
Everything revived, everything began anew.
I immersed myself in this feeling, savoring it for a few minutes. The world seemed lighter, as if all worries had vanished with the night.
When we got to school, I braced myself for the stares, whispers, and disapproval of my classmates.
But when I got off my bike none of that happened.
Instead, people excitedly whispered as I passed by.
“It’s her.”
“The record breaker.”
“She’s amazing—did you see her times?”
“The coach said he wants her to train with the team.”
I blinked, completely bewildered.
Ariel gave me a knowing smile. “I told you this would pass.”
Atwood nudged me lightly with his elbow. “You should see their faces when they hear the news.”
I tried to hide the warm feeling welling up inside me from their nonchalance—they made it all seem so normal—and followed them down the hallway.
Before class, I saw Coach Miles and agreed to try hockey lessons after school. He was practically trembling with excitement, muttering things like “talent” and “potential.” I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I left his office. That feeling of being recognized and valued gave me a strange surge of excitement.
When the school bell rang, I was exhausted, but almost…happy.
I walked towards the school gate, intending to ride my bike home alone, to think about how to avoid disappointing Aunt Elizabeth again. Maybe I could even persuade her to let me adjust my curfew—
Suddenly, a shoulder slammed into mine.
I fell heavily to the ground, my palms scraping painfully from the pavement, and I gasped.
A girl stood before me. She was tall, pale-skinned, and her jet-black hair shimmered with a faint blue light. Her eyes were cold and dark, making me tense.
Another suitor of the twins? I frowned, but instinctively raised my hand to show my stance; I didn't want to ruin a happy day. "Hey, I..."
But she seemed unconcerned by what I said, her gaze remaining icy. "You don't belong here," she said.
"What did you say?"
"You've come to the wrong place. Your home should be in the northern forests, not this chaotic place."
"The northern forests?" Memories struck me again.My parents mentioned that place at the hospital that day. How did she know?
"Wait!" I tried to grab her as I got up, but she slipped past me like a gust of wind.
I ran after her, but her figure quickly disappeared into the mist, as if she had never been there.
I stood there, my mind churning.
At last, I took out my phone and dialed my mother's number. I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on my skin.
"I'm not your child, am I? Tell me the truth." My voice was cold and harsh, surprising even myself. Silence fell on the other end of the phone. About half a minute later, my father's voice came through, "Leona, you're a very special child. Your mother and I will always love you, but we can't tell you the truth, at least not now."
Although I had expected this outcome, my heart still ached uncontrollably. "Then why didn't you send me to the northern forest?"
"You...you knew? I...we couldn't do this to you, but perhaps one day this is something you have to face. Your mother and I can't help you."
After hanging up, I stared at the address flashing across my phone screen. Was this my way home?

Leona's POV
Back home, I was still somewhat dazed. I didn't even react when my aunt called me twice while I was washing the dishes; I only remember her pushing me out of the kitchen, give me a milk and telling me to rest.
But she was right. As soon as I lay down on the bed, I drifted into a hazy dream, seemingly connected to last night's dream. So, unsurprisingly, the enormous white wolf reappeared before me.
This time, however, something felt different. When she looked at me, I felt her pull on my bones,as if an invisible thread tightened, coiled, and locked between us. Her heart pounded violently against mine. Her breath filled my lungs. When she moved, the whole world seemed to ripple through my muscles.
I wasn't just looking at her.
I was becoming her.
I couldn't tell if my rapid heartbeat was from fear or excitement.
But soon, the entire dream collapsed, just like always.
I sat bolt upright, my throat aching from the effort of breathing. The room was pitch black, with only a slive

Chapter 7 Am I a werewolf?