CHAPTER 5 The First Vision

　　Macy POV

　　My phone alarm goes off, but I don't need it to wake me up. I have been up all night thinking about the royal twins. They have been here for one day and have effectively ruined what little in my life I enjoyed.

　　Now, today is a school day. My Senior Year is almost over. I mostly go unnoticed by the other students these days. As we have gotten older, my old bullies have better things to do than to call me Crazy Macy, but I fear that with the arrival of the twins, everything is going to change.

　　Eventually, I drag myself out of bed. Bursts of anxiety keep popping in my chest, but I have learned to mask my emotions. If you were to look at me, you would never know my heart is pounding.

　　I slide on a pair of leggings and an oversized T-shirt. I pull my hair up into a messy bun and apply my dark eyeliner. Tying a sweatshirt around my waist, I head downstairs for breakfast.

　　Before I enter the kitchen, I sniff the air, but there is no sign of the twins. Letting out a sigh of relief I walk inside, grab a mug of coffee, and leave quickly. If I am lucky, I can get out of here without seeing either one of them.

　　Sneaking out of the front door, I pause on the porch and scream. Dad rushes out of the pack house, ready to fight. When he doesn't immediately see a threat, he turns to walk back inside, mumbling about hormonal teenagers.

　　"My tires are flat," I shout at him.

　　He turns around and stares at my car. Long gashes line the sides of each tire. "What the fuck? Who would do this?"

　　"They did it," I snarl.

　　"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Dad replies calmly.

　　"Whatever," I grind out. "Take their side. Just like everyone else."

　　I start walking down the driveway, ignoring my dad's calls. Nyx is walking silently beside me. We may not be sharing my mind at the moment, but I can tell she is deep in thought.

　　"If they aren't werewolves, what are they?" I ask quietly.

　　'Something ancient and evil,' Nyx whispers. 'Something the werewolf world has not seen in hundreds of years? Something that was cast out of this realm.'

　　"You've known all along, haven't you?" I challenge her.

　　'I saw them coming in another life,' she snarls. 'Is that what you are asking?'

　　"Which life?" I demand to know. "In Narah's?"

　　'My time with Narah was confusing and complicated. She never allowed me inside of her mind. We were constantly at battle,' Nyx avoids my question.

　　"Are you the one that saw me as their mate?" I ask.

　　'No,' Nyx sighs. 'That was the Golden Wolf.'

　　"So, the Luna Queen has always known we would be mates, but yet she chose to keep us apart?" I summarize. "I'm not buying it."

　　'Your mother made the choice to keep you separated,' Nyx fills in the blanks. 'The royal twins were cruel to you. She tried to protect you from them.'

　　"Well," I throw my hands dramatically into the air. "That worked out great for everyone."

　　The sound of laughter catches my attention, and I look up from the ground. I didn't realize that I was already at school. I check the time, and it is just before the first bell. If I hurry, I won't be late.

　　Nyx disappears from my side and settles in my mind as I walk through the doors. Just like every day, I keep my eyes on the ground. If I don't make eye contact, my bullies will leave me alone, but the sound of girls giggling forces me to look up.

　　My teeth grind together, and my jealousy rears its ugly head. Several of my tormentors are crowded around the royal twins. My least favorite person, Anita, is touching Winston on his bicep.

　　'I thought you didn't like them,' Nyx laughs knowingly.

　　'I don't,' I snap at her. 'It is just the stupid mate bond making me feel this way.'

　　Winston looks up from Anita and meets my gaze. Much to my surprise, he steps away from Anita. I do a really poor job of hiding my shock.

　　'Maybe they are different than we think?' Nyx tries to reason with me.

　　I roll my eyes and make my way to my first class. I refuse to give them any more of my energy.

　　Taking my usual seat beside Jacob, I turn to speak to him, but he gets up and moves to another desk. My mouth is hanging wide open. "What the fuck?"

　　"Trouble in paradise?" Anita taunts as she takes her seat.

　　I face the front of the class and try to ignore the comments that are coming from behind me.

　　"It really was only a matter of time," Anita says loudly. "You can only be friends with Crazy Macy for so long."

　　I breathe in deeply and let all of my sadness turn into anger. It bubbles and festers beneath my skin like a plague that threatens to take over my body.

　　I close my eyes to keep myself under control when strange visions flash behind my lids. Pictures of famine and destruction flood my mind, and in the middle of it all, the royal twins. The sounds of screams fill my ears, and my eyes fly open.

　　Sweat forms on my brow, and my mouth begins to water. I jump from my seat, racing to the bathroom without permission or a hall pass. I fling open the door to the stall and drop to my knees. Vomit rises in my throat and spills out of my mouth. I can't stop it from coming. Soon, all that is left is bile.

　　After what seems like hours, I sit back on my heels and wipe the vomit from my mouth.

　　'What the fuck was that?' I ask Nyx.

　　She is silent for a long time. 'You just had your first vision.'

　　'I got that,' I moan silently. 'What did it mean?'

　　'It means without you the royal twins will burn this world to the ground,' she replies.

　　'What do I have to do with anything?' I ask.

　　'You haven't been told the whole truth,' Nyx says quietly.

　　'Of course, I haven't,' I snarl.

　　Before Nyx can elaborate any further, my name comes across the loudspeaker. "Macy, please report to the principal's office immediately."

　　I pull myself off the ground and tiptoe down the halls. First block is over, and everyone is looking at me. Whispers follow me to the office. Crazy Macy is no longer flying under the radar.

　　Mom is waiting for me in the office, and she looks pissed. The principal gestures for me to take a seat, and Mom ascends on me.

　　"Explain yourself," she hisses at me.

　　I look around her at the principal, waiting for someone to explain what is going on.

　　"Macy," Principal Torres says gently. "Can you explain what happened in first period this morning?"

　　"I got sick and rushed out of the classroom before I puked," I tell half the story.

　　"Delta Matthew claimed you screamed as you rushed from the room," Principal Torres Explains.

　　I shake my head from side to side. I heard the screaming in my head. I wasn't the one screaming. "That's not what happened."

　　Mom is still pacing the floor. She is at war with herself. She doesn't know if she wants to be concerned or angry.

　　"What happened before you got sick?" He asks.

　　"I don't know," I lie.

　　Mom looks me up and down. She can see right through me. She knows I am lying.

　　"Perhaps it would be best if Macy went home to rest," Principal Torres suggests.

　　"Go get your things," Mom instructs me.

　　I don't need to be told twice. I rush back to first period to collect my things. Jacob is waiting for me just around the corner. I crash into his chest, and he holds me around the waist.

　　"I have to do this just once," he whispers.

　　"What are you talking about?" I ask, but he answers me with a kiss.

　　His lips are soft and inviting, just like I thought they would be. I have been waiting for years for him to make a move, and now that he has, it feels wrong.

　　Bracing my hands against his shoulders, I push him away. He just stole my first kiss, and the remnants of my smudged lipstick on his lips is the evidence. I rear back my hand and slap him across his cheek.

　　I turn on my heels, forgetting my things, and run to Mom's car. She is about to scold me, but the tears streaking down my cheeks stop her.

　　"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.

　　I wipe the tears away and stare straight ahead. "No."