Chapter 202
“Can’t catch me, Aubrey!” Max calls over his shoulder, zigzagging between flowerbeds.
A growl rumbles in my chest, the thrill of the chase singing in my veins. I’m closing in, my movements fluid and predatory. Just a little closer….
Suddenly, strong arms wrap around my waist, yanking me backward. I snarl, twisting in the iron grip.
“Aubrey, stop!” Soren’s voice cuts through the haze. “You need to calm down, now!”
I struggle against him, my eyes still fixed on Max’s retreating form. “Let me go! I have to–I need to-”
“Look at yourself!” Soren commands, spinning me to face him. His eyes are wide with alarm.
“What?” I snap, confusion momentarily overtaking the urge to chase. “Why are you-”
Soren raises a trembling hand to my face. “Your canines, Aubrey. And your claws.”
I freeze, lifting my hands. Where my nails should be, sharp claws extend from my fingertips. I run my tongue over my teeth, feeling the pointed edges of elongated canines.
“Oh god,” I whisper, the reality of what’s happening crashing
over me.
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I become aware of the silence around us. Turning slowly, I see a few staff members watching from the patio, their faces at mix of fear and fascination. Maribel stands at the front, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “You’re not playing that urge is hunting,” Soren clutches my face.
Max’s voice breaks the tense silence. “Aubrey? Why’d you stop playing?” He trots back towards us, his face a mixture of confusion and disappointment.
I swallow hard, trying to force my canines to retract. “I… I don’t feel well, Max,” I manage to say, my voice shaky. “I’m sorry, but I need to go inside.”
Without waiting for a response, I turn and sprint towards the castle. As I pass through the few staff members and now guard, they part like water, their eyes wide and wary. I catch a glimpse of Maribel reaching out to me.
“Aubrey, dear, wait-” she begins, her voice soft and concerned.
But I can’t bear to face her kindness right now. I shake my head and push past her, my feet carrying me swiftly through the place.
My mind races as I climb the stairs. Monster. I’m a monster. The image of my claws, the feeling of my sharp teeth, the primal urge to hunt Max–it all swirls in my head, making me feel sick.
I burst into my room, slamming the door behind me only for Soren to burst through it a moment later and I take him in. His hands lift in the same placating gesture as Maribel’s earlier.
“Don’t hate yourself. I thought I locked the door. I should have
Chapter 202
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waited to shower until you woke up properly.” He tells me when I feel his Calling rush out.
“I don’t want to go to sleep.” I blurt.
“I need you to calm down, you’re hurting yourself,” he tells me and I shake my head when he moves quickly clutching my arms, his hands slide down where my arms are crossed when he grips my hands prying them away from my chest only my claws are embedded in my arms. I stare at the bloody mess I made, panic overwhelming my senses as the scent of my blood reaches my nose.
“Calm down, you need to calm down or I won’t have a choice,” he warns only now that warning tone sounds different, and I‘ m suddenly more aware of his aura when he uses it which sends unexplainable rage boiling within me. Just as quick as it comes it goes and so does the light as his Calling erupts knocking me out.
