Seraphina
It was a beautiful night.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Spending time with Magnus was always pleasant. But as we stepped out of the restaurant, I felt my heart racing, and a ringing sensation filled my ears. Instinctively, I began scanning my surroundings. Was Kael here again?
Usually, it was his presence that stirred such emotions in me. Not the fear I felt when encountering the red-eyed werewolf, but something closer to a fluttering sensation. Yet, after a quick glance around, I didn’t see him.
If I had run into him, I might have even asked him about what happened in the locker room earlier. The way he had suddenly appeared in front of me, only to vanish just as quickly-it was all so strange.
If werewolves truly possessed the immense power Magnus had described, and if Kael was one of them, then toying with me would be as easy as playing with an insect. I should have been terrified.
Perhaps his interest in me was nothing more than that of a human toy.
But my intuition told me Kael wasn’t that frightening. He wouldn’t hurt me. In fact, I wasn’t afraid of being near him at all. On the contrary, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him.
Every time I thought about our encounters, the physical reactions my body had to him were completely uncontrollable. Was it possible Kael had some kind of power that made me addicted to him, like a drug?
“Seraphina, are you listening?” Magnus’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I snapped back to reality and offered him an apologetic smile. “What did you say? Sorry, I was distracted.”
“I said I’d drive you home,” Magnus replied, holding up his car keys.
“Sure, thank you,” I agreed without hesitation this time.
I was worried the creature might appear again. It was late, and the streets were quieter. If he decided to attack me, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
Even though Magnus claimed werewolves rarely harmed humans, I wasn’t convinced. It all sounded too insane! That werewolf looked no different from a wild beast. Could he really control himself?
I knew I had to take precautions. Maybe I needed to carry a weapon-a Swiss army knife or even a gun. But I didn’t have a gun license, so that would be difficult to obtain. A knife, however, could serve as a temporary solution.
As we passed a store specializing in tactical gear, I asked Magnus to pull over. I decided to go inside and browse.
“Seraphina, are you planning to buy weapons to fight that werewolf?” Magnus asked, catching on to my intentions as I examined a sharp blade.
“Yes,” I replied, testing the weight of the dagger in my hand. It felt solid and sharp. But I’d probably need some training to use it effectively.
Magnus chuckled, and for a moment, it felt like he was laughing at a naive child. My expression must have made him realize this, as he quickly composed himself and rubbed his nose. “Werewolves aren’t afraid of blades. Their skin is too tough. You’d need a gun.”
“I don’t have a license.”
“But do you know how to shoot?”
“I’ve tried it a few times,” I admitted, though only at a shooting range.
Magnus pulled me back to the car and opened the glove compartment. He handed me a pistol.
“Seraphina, take this. It’s loaded.”
Magnus was lending me his gun!
I stared at him in shock. “But…”
“I know you’re feeling unsafe. This is for self-defense. If it tries to hurt you, shoot it.”
I took the gun, its cold metal heavy in my hand.
“But I don’t have a license. If something happens, you could get in trouble.”
“I trust you, Seraphina,” Magnus said calmly, adjusting his seat and fastening his seatbelt as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
He was giving me a gun!
My emotions were a tangled mess. This was a weapon capable of harming someone, and its presence made me uneasy. I hoped I’d never have to use it.
“Thank you… but…” My voice trembled. I knew the gun would only provide a false sense of security.
“Take it. I just want you to be safe,” he said sincerely. “But remember, it might just be curious about you. It doesn’t necessarily want to hurt you. Still, it’s better to be cautious.”
“Okay, I understand,” I replied.
But I wasn’t entirely convinced by Magnus’s words. Despite his confident demeanor, he was human. How could he possibly understand the mind of a werewolf?
Still, I was grateful for the gun.
Soon, we arrived at my apartment. Evelyn was already inside. The moment I walked in, she jumped up, startling me so much that I took a step back.
I knew it wasn’t her fault. My nerves had been on edge lately because of everything that had happened.
“Seraph, tomorrow night, I’m going to the Eagle Club with you!” she exclaimed.
“Why?” I asked, confused.
“Don’t you know? Every Friday, they have internal matches and a party!” Evelyn’s voice was brimming with excitement.
“Aren’t you excited to watch Kael compete?”
Excited?
I wasn’t as thrilled as Evelyn. My relationship with Kael was too complicated. I was even starting to doubt if he was human.
“You work at the club too, so it’s perfect. We can hang out together,” Evelyn said, pulling me closer. “I want to meet more handsome guys. And girls, if there are any.”
Most of the girls at school adored Kael. Since I worked part-time at the club, I had to be there to help clean up. Tomorrow was going to be a long night.
“Let’s talk about that later,” I said, peeling off the bandage on my cheek. “Look at my face. The wound’s gone.”
When Evelyn saw my face, her expression turned serious.
“Oh my God, your face!” she said, touching it gently as she examined it closely.