After returning to my apartment, I immediately rushed to take a shower. The wine Vivienne had splashed on me had long since dried, leaving my skin sticky and uncomfortable. The whole situation felt utterly miserable. Exhausted from the events of the past few days, I collapsed into bed as soon as I finished cleaning up and quickly fell asleep.
I had expected to sleep soundly given how tired I was, but instead, I found myself dreaming. In the dream, I was lying in a forest, surrounded by a primal atmosphere. I could feel the breeze and smell the fragrance of grass. Then, a snow-white wolf appeared before me. Unlike the wildness usually associated with wolves, this one approached me gently and licked my hand. The rest of the dream faded into obscurity.
When I woke up the next morning, the dream lingered in my mind, leaving me in a daze. I figured it must have been influenced by what Kael had said the night before. But why had I dreamed of a wolf-a snow-white one at that? It was unlike any wolf I had ever imagined. It seemed so beautiful, and I had an inexplicable intuition that it was female. Strangely, I wasn’t afraid of her; I even reached out to stroke her head. How odd.
I convinced myself that the dream was a result of Kael’s words messing with my mind. I was just an ordinary human, not some kind of monster. The strange things that had been happening were surely just illusions-my imagination running wild.
Surprisingly, I felt light and refreshed when I woke up, not as exhausted as I had expected. I got up earlier than Evelyn and prepared breakfast: coffee, toast, two poached eggs, and some sausages. When Evelyn finally woke up, yawning, she was surprised to see everything ready.
“Seraph, you’ve already done everything! Why are you up so early?” she asked.
I smiled and replied, “I couldn’t sleep. You know, with exams coming up, I’m a bit nervous.”
I didn’t tell her about everything that had happened. She only knew I was no longer working at the Eagle Club. For her, that was a mixed blessing. As she ate, she kept staring at me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, meeting her green eyes with a hint of unease.
“Seraph, I sense something complex in your aura,” she said.
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
My heart began to race, and I gripped my fork tighter.
“It’s similar to the energy around town lately. Have you come into contact with something-or someone-recently?”
I shook my head, denying it. Could it be that spending so much time with Kael had caused our auras to blend? Or was it as Kael had said-that I was a werewolf, and my body was beginning to show signs? No, that couldn’t be. I was human.
“Be careful, then. Something might be targeting you,” Evelyn said, furrowing her brow. “I could do a reading for you, but we’re running late for class.”
Indeed, we didn’t have much time left. We hurried to school, and I focused on preparing for an upcoming exam. I wanted to maintain excellent grades so I could secure a good job after graduation.
After class, I headed to the library to study. Evelyn declined to join me. “You go ahead. I’m meeting Judy to watch a movie,” she said. She wasn’t as driven academically, content with just passing her exams.
I found a quiet corner by the window in the library, spread out my books and notes, and began reviewing. The subject was animal genetics, and I needed to go over the key points from my professor’s lectures.
Now, after encountering werewolves and other supernatural beings, I found myself thinking more deeply about my studies. As I read about the relationship between heredity and variation, I couldn’t help but ponder. The book explained that heredity and variation coexist in biological reproduction, forming a dialectical relationship. Each generation inherits traits while also undergoing changes.
Was it the same for werewolves? If a human and a werewolf had a child, would the child be human or a werewolf? Or would it be something entirely different? I had searched for information but found no records of humans and werewolves intermingling. Werewolves typically married among themselves, guided by the moon goddess to find their destined partners. Yet Kael had chosen me, bypassing that guidance entirely.
How could I possibly be with Kael?
“Seraphina, what a coincidence running into you here.”
A voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Magnus. He was as I remembered him, his face adorned with a warm smile that resembled the morning sun. His deep blue eyes had a calming effect, easing my restless mind.
“Hi, Magnus,” I greeted him.
“Is this seat taken?” he asked, gesturing to the spot across from me.
I shook my head.
“Mind if I join you?”
He set his thick stack of textbooks on the table, a testament to the demanding life of a medical student.
“You’re really putting in the work, Magnus,” I remarked, shaking my head.
“It’s not too bad,” he said with a laugh. “I just haven’t been as diligent as I should have.”
I watched as he opened his books and began jotting notes on a sheet of paper. His focus inspired me to dive back into my own studies.
We worked until six in the evening, when Magnus finally closed his book. “Seraphina, how about we grab some dinner?” he suggested.
“Sure,” I replied, rubbing my tired eyes.
Since we were pressed for time, we decided to eat at the school cafeteria. It wasn’t crowded, so we quickly picked our meals and found a quiet corner to sit.
“Seraphina, I heard you quit the boxing club?” Magnus asked suddenly.