The Finally Encounting

I thought I'd gone damn crazy! My mind was still floating, like it wasn't in my body. I didn't know where. The kiss the mysterious creature gave me the other day still lingered. I could feel his lips, which were so cold, frozen, like ice that slowly melted along with the bubbling inside me that I felt.

I didn't understand. Was this what love was?

But was it possible to love something invisible, something that I had hated and avoided since the beginning?

I knew it didn't make sense, but it wasn't much different from the feeling I got whenever I was near Uncle Ray. It was a feeling that was so domineering, so shackling, that I didn't realize I'd turned stupid and lost my mind.

It couldn't be love, right? How could I love my uncle and a supernatural being at the same time? If I did, really, this heart was very cheap.

"Miss Dawns, you're once again not paying attention to my explanation," said a man standing at the front of the class.

I wasn't paying attention, but there was no point in focusing on something about to end. I wanted the school term to end and to get out of here. Things were getting absurd, and a commotion broke out when the "hitz" gang came over.

I just nodded as a gesture of apology to the middle-aged man. About to get up someone stopped me. She came over as if undaunted by the man standing at his waist, but it was clear that his gaze was only on me.

Sure enough. The man flinched, doing nothing as the most wanted girl pulled me up and pinned me against the wall.

"Why are you still here, wolfless wolf? Do you want to embarrass the pack school with your incompetence? I heard what you did to Lyla. Just think, you can hurt your best friend in such a way. I wonder what will happen to us who were never even friends with you."

"Enough! Just tell me what you want?"

The bitch in front of me didn't answer but gave a code, and not long after, several she-wolves got up from their seats and approached me, who was still in the corner of the room.

Their gazes were fixed on me as if they were ready to tear my body apart.

That thing—the mysterious creature... yes, he promised to come whenever I was in danger and summoned him. However, I would become a witch if I did so.

PLOPP!

Something felt like it had broken on top of my head. Trembling, my hand grabbed the water-like object, and it turned out to be a raw egg they broke, followed by another.

This was too much! How long was it going to be like this? Meanwhile, my family and relatives began thinking of me just as they suspected and accused me.

I wasn't a witch, and even they could see, there was nothing I could do but cup my arms around my head to protect myself when they were punched and kicked me lying on the floor.

I would never call Uncle Ray by name again. Never. However, before they were done bullying me, I muttered a sentence, and in that instant, a puff of thick black smoke appeared, surrounding us, and when I woke up, I was in a place I didn't recognize.

***

"You're awake." asked a voice that made me gasp and scramble to my feet, adjusting my slightly revealing clothes. Something was stuck in my stomach and some parts of my body. "Sorry, I had to undress you a little. You were injured, so I gave you some potion."

"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked, focusing my attention on the man who, from the looks of it, seemed different from all the wolves I knew.

He was fully dressed in a neat casual suit. The bed I was in was so comfortable it made me feel like I was above the clouds. Was it okay to stay here so I didn't have to meet those who doubted my character?

"You don't remember?" The man smiled. "It's okay. You'll remember soon enough. Get up. Drink this potion before I send you back home."

"Home? No, I won't. I don't want to go home." I put the glass down on the nightstand, then lay back down, my back to the man who, I heard, was chuckling lightly.

"It's not time for you to be here, little wolf," he said, instantly making me get up, turn around and stare at him in disbelief.

Why didn't I recognize him? I had only sniffed a familiar scent but had no idea it was the scent of the strange creature who always came to visit and help me. And this man... didn't look much different from Uncle Ray.

"A-are you a wolf too? What pack did you come from? Why did you become a puff of smoke? Was it a magic trick?" I asked, getting no response other than an ear-splitting chuckle.

"Let's just say that the answer to all your questions is "yes". However, I apologize for not being able to let you stay here." The man approached the bed, sat down, and took my fingers. "I promised you that we would meet soon. However, it's not today; in a way, I've broken my promise."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because of you. I couldn't let you always go through that kind of thing. So..." The man put something on my wrist. "Hold on until the time comes."

"What time? I don't know what you mean."

"You'll find out soon enough, Ioris." Once again, he smiled at a face of a different shade to ours. Most of us had a tanned, amber, or dark complexion, while this man, I could say, was pale. Was he sick?

The grip of his hand was cold. It was almost freezing.

"This bracelet will protect you. At least, it will make you invisible to your bullies. Take care, and see you when I see you."

The man brought his face closer, so close that this time, I could feel the intoxicating scent of his breath while looking at that beautiful face with amber-colored irises.

His lips were the same, cold but so delicious that I went crazy, grabbing the back of his neck and deepening my kiss.

I didn't want to part if this kiss was the end. I wanted to do it forever. Only this man believed I wasn't what they accused me of being. Only he knew how I struggled and how they bullied me, but he said otherwise in front of Dad, Mum, and Isaiah—also Uncle Ray.

No one defended me as firmly as this man. No one believed in me except this strange man. And I didn't want to be separated from him.

He broke the kiss, looked at me for a long moment, and then landed his frozen lips back on my neck. I was going crazy, and all at once, something prickled there, making me gasp before convulsing. When I came to my senses and got up, another oddity struck me.

I was in my room, with Uncle Ray holding my hand and Mum's gaze, as well as Dad's worried-looking one, fixed on me.

What had just happened? Why did I feel so real if it was just a dream? When I touched the part of my neck that was still sore, I found something there.

I didn't know what, but I would check it out later when these people were no longer by my side.