chapter seven

Aurora's POV

By the time lunch rolled around, the tension in the cafeteria was palpable. Hayden sat at his usual table, flanked by his loyal entourage. Ciara was beside him, her attention flickering between her phone and the room around her.

I sat at my own table, alone but unbothered. The whispers had started again, but this time, they were different.

"Did you hear what she said to Hayden yesterday?"

"I can't believe she stood up to him."

"She's got guts, I'll give her that."

A sudden hush fell over the room, and I looked up to see Hayden standing. He walked toward me with deliberate slowness, his every movement oozing confidence and control. The cafeteria seemed to hold its breath.

He stopped in front of my table, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Aurora," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "Mind if I join you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You don't strike me as the type to ask permission."

His smile widened. "Touché." He pulled out a chair and sat across from me, ignoring the shocked gasps and whispers that erupted around us.

"What do you want, Hayden?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

"To talk," he said simply.

"About what?"

He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto mine. "About the fact that you're not playing the game like everyone else. And that makes you… interesting."

"Interesting," I repeated, narrowing my eyes. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Take it however you want," he said with a shrug.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "Let me guess. This is where you try to intimidate me into backing down."

He chuckled, the sound low and unsettling. "No, Aurora. This is where I tell you that you've caught my attention. And that's not always a good thing."

Before I could respond, Ciara appeared at his side, a strange look in her eyes. "Hayden," she said quietly, "leave her alone."

He glanced up at her, clearly surprised. "Since when do you care what I do?"

"Since now," she said firmly, her gaze flickering to me for a brief moment.

Something unspoken passed between them, and Hayden's smirk faltered. He stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with a screech. "Enjoy your lunch, Aurora," he said, his tone colder than before.

As he walked away, Ciara lingered for a moment, her expression unreadable. "Don't think this means I'm your friend," she said, her voice low. "But maybe… maybe I don't hate you as much as I thought."

And with that, she was gone.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, but one thing was clear: something had shifted. Ciara's sudden change in attitude was unexpected, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was just the beginning.

That evening, as I sat in my room, a message popped up on my phone from an unknown number.

You're playing a dangerous game, Aurora.

I stared at the screen, my heart racing. Who had sent it? Hayden? Ciara? Someone else entirely?

As I typed out a response, another message came through.

Be careful. Not everyone is who they seem to be.

The phone slipped from my hands, the ominous words searing into my mind.

I stared at the cryptic message on my phone, my thoughts racing. Not everyone is who they seem to be. The words felt heavy, like a warning I didn't yet understand. A chill crept up my spine, but I shook it off. Whoever was playing these mind games would have to try harder.

The next morning, something felt… off. The air seemed thicker, almost alive, and the distant howling of dogs echoed through the early hours. I brushed it off as nerves and prepared for school, determined to keep my focus on the group project and away from Hayden and his clique.

When I walked into the classroom, the energy was different. Whispers filled the room, more urgent and hushed than before.

"Did you hear about what happened near the woods last night?" one girl murmured to another.

"They say something tore through the fences… like it wasn't even trying," the other replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

I frowned, my curiosity piqued. Before I could ask what they were talking about, the teacher walked in, her usual booming voice silencing the chatter.

"Good morning, everyone. Let's get right into your group work," she announced. Her eyes scanned the room, pausing briefly on me before moving on.

I took my seat with Hayden, Ciara, and Alex, forcing myself to focus. The tension from yesterday still hung between us, but I wasn't about to let them intimidate me.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Hayden smirked. "The plan is for you to do the work since you're so eager to prove how smart you are."

"Typical," I muttered under my breath, pulling out my notebook.

"Careful, Aurora," Ciara said, her voice laced with warning. "You're already walking a fine line."

"Why? Because I won't roll over and let you all walk all over me?" I shot back, my patience wearing thin.

Alex leaned back in his chair, chuckling. "You've got some fire in you, I'll give you that. But let's not forget who you're dealing with."

"Let's not forget who I am," I snapped, surprising even myself with the force of my words.

The table went quiet for a moment, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, Hayden's smirk returned, colder this time. "You're going to learn, Aurora," he said softly. "One way or another."

The rest of the period passed in strained silence, but the unease in the room only grew. Every now and then, I caught Ciara glancing at me, her expression conflicted.

When the bell rang, I practically bolted from the classroom, desperate for a moment to breathe. But as I walked down the hallway, the whispers started again.

"Did you see it? The claw marks were massive."

"My dad said it wasn't an animal, but what else could it be?"

I stopped in my tracks, turning to a group of students huddled near their lockers. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

One of the girls glanced at me nervously. "The attack near the woods last night," she said. "Something tore through the fences and left claw marks on the trees. People are saying it wasn't normal."

A chill ran down my spine. "What do you mean, not normal?"

"They think it's some kind of wolf," she said, lowering her voice. "But bigger. Meaner."

The image sent a shiver through me, but I pushed it aside. "Wolves don't do that," I said firmly.

"Exactly," she replied, her eyes wide.

The rest of my classes went by quickly and when I was done, I went home.

That night, I couldn't sleep. The thought of massive claw marks and torn fences haunted me, and the cryptic messages from the night before replayed in my mind.

My parents were not at home. They were working day and night just to get back on our feet again. I miss the bond we used to share. I just want everything to go back to how it used to be.

I tossed and turned until I couldn't take it anymore. Throwing on a jacket, I decided to go for a walk to clear my head. The cool night air wrapped around me as I stepped outside, the distant sound of crickets filling the silence.

But as I reached the edge of the woods near my house, the air shifted. It was the same strange heaviness I'd felt that morning, but now it was stronger, more oppressive.

And then I heard it—a low, guttural growl that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

I froze, my heart pounding as I scanned the darkness. "Hello?" I called out, my voice trembling.

The growl came again, closer this time. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my feet wouldn't move.

Suddenly, a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the shadows, and a massive figure stepped forward. It wasn't a wolf. It was bigger, its muscles rippling under thick fur, its teeth bared in a snarl.

I stumbled back, my breath coming in shallow gasps. The creature took a step closer, and for a terrifying moment, I thought it was going to lunge.

But then, it stopped, sniffing the air. Its glowing eyes locked onto mine, and something flickered in its gaze—recognition?

Before I could process what was happening, the creature turned and disappeared into the woods, leaving me trembling and confused.

As I stumbled back toward my house, one thought echoed in my mind:

What the hell was that?

The encounter with the creature left me shaken to my core. Even as I reached the safety of my room, I couldn't stop trembling. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, replaying the glowing yellow eyes, the growl that vibrated through my chest, and the moment it… recognized me.

Recognized me.

That thought stuck like a splinter in my mind. It didn't make sense. How could something so monstrous know me? And why did it stop?

I didn't sleep that night, my mind racing with questions I couldn't answer. When morning came, I threw on my clothes, grabbed my bag, and walked to school, still on edge. Every shadow seemed darker, every sound sharper.