The Jealousy That Consumes

The rain fell in relentless sheets, turning the cobblestone paths of Blackthorn College into slick mirrors under the dim glow of the streetlamps. Lila pulled her coat tighter around her, the fabric soaked through, her breath coming in shallow puffs of mist. She shouldn't have come out tonight. Not with the way the shadows seemed to twist and writhe at the edges of her vision, not with the whispers that slithered through the wind like secrets too dark to speak aloud.

But she had seen *him* with *her* again.

Elias and that girl—Seraphina—laughing under the library's arched doorway, their fingers brushing as they exchanged hushed words. It shouldn't have mattered. Elias wasn't hers, no matter how many times her heart stuttered when he looked at her with those moonlit eyes.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, and Lila nearly screamed.

"You're going to catch your death out here," came Elias's voice, low and edged with concern.

She whirled on him, her chest heaving. "What do you care?"

His brow furrowed, rainwater dripping from his dark lashes. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," she lied, stepping back. The wind howled between them, carrying the scent of damp earth and something metallic—like blood. "I just needed air."

Elias's gaze flickered past her, toward the silhouette of the old clock tower, its face cracked and frozen at midnight. "You shouldn't be out here alone. Not with the disappearances."

Lila swallowed. Three students had vanished in as many weeks, their belongings left scattered like offerings to some unseen force. The campus buzzed with theories—a serial killer, a cult, something *worse*. But no one spoke of the way the shadows seemed to breathe when no one was looking.

"I can take care of myself," she muttered.

Elias stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You don't understand what's happening here, Lila. This place—it's not just a college. There are things in the dark that *hunger*."

A shiver raced down her spine. She wanted to ask him what he knew, why his hands trembled when he spoke of the disappearances, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she blurted, "Why were you with Seraphina?"

His expression darkened. "That's what this is about?"

"No," she said too quickly. "I just—"

"She's part of the student council," he interrupted. "We were finalizing the winter ball. That's all."

Lila bit her lip. She wanted to believe him, but the jealousy gnawing at her ribs refused to quiet. "You've been distant lately. Ever since…"

*Ever since the night you kissed me under the full moon and then pretended it never happened.*

Elias exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his wet hair. "I've had things to deal with."

"Things you can't tell me?"

"Things that would put you in danger."

The admission hung between them, heavy and suffocating. Lila's heart pounded. She had always sensed there was something different about Elias—the way he moved like a shadow, the way his touch sent sparks skittering across her skin. But this? This was confirmation.

Before she could press him further, a scream tore through the night.

They both stiffened. It came from the direction of the dormitories—raw, terrified.

Elias cursed under his breath. "Stay here."

"Like hell," Lila snapped, grabbing his arm. "I'm coming with you."

He hesitated, his jaw tightening, but the second scream decided it for him. They sprinted through the rain, the world blurring around them. The dorm loomed ahead, its windows flickering with erratic light. Students spilled onto the lawn, their faces pale with fear.

"What happened?" Elias demanded, gripping the shoulder of a trembling freshman.

"It's—it's *her*," the boy stammered. "Mira. She—she was just there, and then she *wasn't*."

Lila's blood turned to ice. Another disappearance.

Elias released the boy and turned to her, his eyes blazing with something primal. "Go back to your room. Lock the door. Don't open it for anyone."

"No," she insisted. "I'm not leaving you."

"Lila—"

A gust of wind howled between them, carrying a whisper that made her skin crawl.

*She's next.*

Elias went rigid, his head snapping toward the tree line. "*Run.*"

But it was too late.

The shadows surged forward, coalescing into a figure with too-long limbs and a smile that split its face like a wound. Lila's breath caught. This wasn't human. This wasn't *possible*.

Elias shoved her behind him, his voice dropping into a growl. "You don't touch her."

The creature laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Oh, but we've been waiting for *her*, little wolf. The moonlit heart. The key."

Lila's vision swam. *Key?*

Elias snarled, his body tensing—and then he *changed*.

His bones cracked, his form twisting, expanding, until a massive black wolf stood in his place, teeth bared. The creature hissed, lunging.

Lila stumbled back, her mind reeling. Elias was a *werewolf*?

The fight was a blur of snarls and snapping shadows. She should have run. She *knew* she should have run. But her feet were rooted to the spot, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Then, a hand clamped over her mouth from behind.

"Quiet," a voice murmured—Seraphina's. "Unless you want to die tonight."

Lila thrashed, but the girl's grip was iron.

"Relax," Seraphina hissed. "I'm trying to *save* you."

Before Lila could respond, the world tilted, and everything went black.

---

She woke to the scent of herbs and candle wax, her head pounding. The room was small, lined with shelves of jars filled with unidentifiable things. A witch's workshop.

Seraphina stood by the window, her arms crossed. "Finally. I was starting to think you'd sleep forever."

Lila sat up, wincing. "What the hell is going on?"

"You're in the middle of a war," Seraphina said simply. "And Elias has been keeping you in the dark."

Lila's stomach twisted. "He's a werewolf."

"And I'm a witch. And