Magnus’s words struck me like a bolt of lightning, leaving my mind blank. His voice echoed in my head, repeating his suggestion over and over.
“Consider finding a boyfriend… why not consider me?”
Did he want to be my boyfriend?
It took me a moment to find my voice. “What did you say?” I asked, wondering if I had misheard him. My heart pounded like a drum, and my grip on the phone tightened. I was incredibly nervous.
“I said, Seraphina, if you really want to date someone, you can consider me. But don’t get involved with Kael. You need to protect yourself,” Magnus said, his tone as gentle as ever. He made it sound like a simple suggestion.
I relaxed slightly. “Don’t joke with me like that. A guy like you must have plenty of girls interested in you.”
“Seraphina, I’m serious. You can think about me as your boyfriend,” Magnus replied, his voice carrying a weight that made me question whether he was truly serious or just teasing.
Before I could respond, he added, “It’s getting late. I won’t keep you. I hope this doesn’t trouble you.”
“Okay,” I said.
After hanging up, I felt my cheeks burning. I glanced in the mirror and saw my face was flushed. My emotions were still unsettled. The events of the night had been like a rollercoaster-soaring highs and plunging lows, over and over.
I drank a glass of water and then collapsed onto my soft bed. “Stop overthinking, Seraphina,” I told myself. “You need to rest and face tomorrow’s battles.”
As for what Magnus had said… honestly, when he brought it up, I realized I didn’t feel the same unease or resistance I felt around Kael. Was it because, deep down, I thought Magnus might be the better fit for me? After all, he was kind, handsome, gentlemanly, and a doctor. He always treated me with respect, and every interaction with him was pleasant.
The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle anything. Before class, Evelyn tossed me a black dress.
“Seraph, wear this. It suits you.”
I looked at the dress-it had a low square neckline and showed a lot of leg. “This seems a bit too much.”
“Nothing’s too much, Seraph. You’re famous now. You need to dress up. You know Vivienne won’t let you off easy.”
Despite Evelyn’s advice, I stuck to my white T-shirt and jeans. “If she really won’t let me go, maybe I should dress comfortably for a fight.”
“Wow, I admit you’re clever,” Evelyn exclaimed. “Then I’ll dress comfortably too, so I can join your fight squad.”
“I don’t want to drag you into this, Evelyn,” I sighed. “We’re friends. If you keep saying things like that, I’ll think you don’t see me as a friend.”
“My bad,” I quickly conceded, raising my hands in surrender.
After we finished getting ready, Evelyn suddenly asked, “Aren’t you afraid of her?”
“I am, but I realized being afraid won’t stop her from causing trouble for me. So, I’m not as scared anymore,” I said, giving her a reassuring wink.
“That’s amazing, Seraph! You’re becoming stronger and more confident. I’m proud of you!” Evelyn patted my shoulder and handed me a thermos of coffee.
I felt ready for whatever came my way.
Today, I dressed casually, but as I walked across campus, I noticed more people looking at me. Some stared intently, while others whispered to their friends. I never expected that I, once invisible at school, would become the center of attention.
Though I had grown more confident recently, being surrounded by so many eyes still made me nervous. And then, the worst happened again.
Vivienne and her friends intercepted me on my way to class.
“You think Kael actually likes you? He’s just playing with you!” Her eyes were like daggers, ready to stab into me.
“He doesn’t even see you as a toy,” I replied calmly, pushing up my glasses.
My words clearly hit a nerve. “How dare you talk to me like that? Who do you think you are?” she snapped, grabbing my collar.
I pushed her away. “Face it, Kael isn’t even interested in you!”
“You bitch, I’ll kill you!” Vivienne swung her hand, lunging at me to scratch my face, but I dodged quickly.
A crowd had gathered, but no one dared to intervene. They were all afraid of Vivienne.
Her reaction made me wonder. Vivienne and Kael’s relationship didn’t seem as strong as the rumors suggested. Her anger confirmed that what I said was true-it had struck a nerve.
Did that mean I had misunderstood Kael?
After failing to intimidate me twice, Vivienne’s expression darkened, but then she calmed down. She tossed her golden hair and rolled her eyes.
“Kael and I grew up together. You can’t compare to me. You’re just another one of his toys, like all the others he’s discarded. Sooner or later, he’ll throw you away too.”
They grew up together?! I was stunned by her words.
Just then, the bell rang, and Evelyn and I hurried to class. Vivienne and her group left without further confrontation.
I turned to Evelyn, puzzled. “They grew up together?”
“I think I’ve heard that before. Vivienne’s father is Kael’s father’s assistant. They’re around the same age, so it makes sense they grew up together.”
So that was it! I knew Kael’s family was wealthy, but I hadn’t realized Vivienne’s father worked for his. Kael was a werewolf-was Vivienne one too?
Wait, werewolves had integrated into human society long ago. Kael’s family business showed no signs of being run by werewolves. They employed so many people-they couldn’t all be werewolves.
If Vivienne was one, then how many others at this school were? Her followers too? But if they were, they wouldn’t have been so easily defeated by me last time.
God, thinking about all this made my head spin.
I need to stay away from Kael. I swear it.