When I woke up, Marek seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
“God, Seraphina, you had me worried sick. You were thrashing around like you were in pain, but I couldn’t wake you up.”
“Oh… I’m fine,” I gasped.
It was just a dream, so why did I feel so utterly drained? As if everything in the dream had actually happened.
For the first time, I’d experienced life through a werewolf’s eyes.
The sensation was so vivid-not like imagination but memory. I’d instinctively known how to use abilities I’d never possessed, and every move I took, I took it with a predator’s confidence.
And when I tore Vivienne and her friends apart… God, I hadn’t felt disgusted. Instead, the blood had thrilled me.
They say dreams show your true self. Was this darkness really inside me? Was I just a beast wearing human skin?
Marek let go of me and went to pour a glass of water for me.
I took the glass with shaking hands, gulping it down while trying to steady my breathing. But those images wouldn’t leave-the blood, the screams, the power.
In the dream, it had felt more than natural for me to be a werewolf. Now, back in my human body, however, I couldn’t stop trembling.
It was terrifying-far worse than any nightmare I’d ever had. Yet some twisted part of me had enjoyed it, like my body was whispering that becoming a werewolf would be a gift, not a curse.
But was it really?
“Hey,” Marek’s voice cut through my spiral. “Are you okay? Seraphina, you look like hell. Should we get you to a doctor?”
“I’m fine. I just had a nightmare,” I managed after a moment.
“Must’ve been one hell of a nightmare.”
“I dreamed I became a werewolf,” I admitted. “I could teleport, jump through trees like they were nothing, and I… I ripped people apart like paper.”
I’d never liked Vivienne, but murder? I was just a normal college student with decent grades who’d never hurt anyone. Yet in that dream, I’d torn her to pieces and loved every second.
Did my subconscious really want her dead?
“Look, you’ve been obsessing over this werewolf stuff,” Marek said. “Your brain’s just processing all that fear.”
“But shouldn’t I be dreaming about being hunted by werewolves then? That’s what usually happens.”
“Dreams don’t follow rules, Seraphina.” He gripped my shoulders, forcing me to meet his eyes. “It’s still early. Try to get some more sleep.”
“Okay, wait-” I suddenly pushed past him toward the window and yanked it open.
The room still smelled of incense.
The incense that had seemed so calming earlier now made my head pound and my stomach flip. As fresh air rushed in, the pressure behind my eyes eased.
It was strange. I used to like that scent, but now it gave me a headache.
Even the best scents shouldn’t be lingered in for too long.
Back at the bed, Marek watched me with curious eyes, “I can help you sleep better. Do you want to try?”
“How?” I asked. “Do werewolves have… powers or something?”
“Something like that,” he said quietly. Then his eyes shifted, darkening to deep crimson.
That red gaze stripped away his gentle facade, revealing the predator I’d glimpsed when we first met. Yet I felt no fear.
I stared into those inhuman eyes, and soon, my consciousness began to fade. The terror and unease melted away like ice in summer.
I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, it was morning.
I woke up at nine. Thankfully, there were no classes today.
My body felt recharged, and the nightmare that had left me trembling now seemed like a distant memory.
It was a warning, though-I needed to stop obsessing over werewolves. Somehow, I had to push them out of my mind.
But how do you forget something like that?
I was deeply troubled.
“Morning, Seraph.” Just then, Evelyn emerged from the other bedroom, stretching with a yawn.
“Hey, Evelyn.”
As soon as she saw me, her expression shifted. Her eyes widened as if she’d seen something horrifying.
She stepped closer, scrutinizing me, then sniffed the air.
“You reek of that… that animal that was in our apartment!” Her face drained of color. “Is it still stalking you?”
I hadn’t expected Evelyn’s senses to be so sharp. She must have picked up Marek’s scent from last night.
I had to explain. “No, Evelyn, he’s actually a good person.”
“A good person?” Evelyn took two steps back, pointing at me with a trembling finger.
“Seraph, you’re insane. You’re hanging out with that monster?”
“He’s not what you think. We’ve sort of become… friends.”
My journey from fearing Marek to accepting him had been gradual. And after last night, I felt grateful. Without him, I wouldn’t have woken from that nightmare.
“Friends?” Evelyn’s voice cracked. “They aren’t like us, Seraph! No matter how normal they seem, they’ll snap eventually! He’s a werewolf, right? When the full moon hits, he’ll turn into something that’ll rip you apart without a second thought!”
I hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from Evelyn.
I knew she understood these things better than I did, but from my interactions with Marek, he didn’t seem evil.
“I think every species has good and bad individuals. From what I’ve seen-”
“You’ve been brainwashed, Seraphina!” Evelyn shouted. “You can’t be friends with a monster, Seraphina! You just can’t!!”