Page 21

I was definitely the kind of person to run away from things. To block painful memories from entering my mind. My daydreams were always better than reality. I started to daydream about going to college far away and starting my life over.

Thinking back on last night, everything Dominic said was completely unreal.

Though the connection I felt to him was definitely real, he was still clearly delusional.

He truly believed he was a werewolf. I knew that couldn't possibly be true.

And he thought we were mates? Was he just trying to manipulate me so I would be under his thumb?

But then I thought about the scar on my shoulder, and the real sensations I felt in it.

But was it really real? Then there were Dominic's glowing eyes.

He seemed to understand why it was happening, but it could just be another trick.

I decided that it all was my mind playing tricks on me.

Maybe my situation at home has caused so much stress that I started hallucinating. Are we both turning schizophrenic?

I am going to drop out. Tomorrow. I will fill out the paperwork tomorrow. Maybe my parents would let me take classes online. Maybe I could move in with my sister to get as far away from Oakwood as possible. Maybe I could escape that situation I was in.

My Latin class finally began, and I let my teacher's voice drown out all of the thoughts in my head. Latin was safe, predictable. Words and their meanings didn't change; they stayed the same, constant. Definitions. Nominatives. A break from the chaos outside of this classroom.

The bell rang, startling me out of my Latin-induced trance. I gathered my things slowly, still shaken from the decision I'd just made... to leave everything behind.

As I walked down the hall, students rushing past me in a blur of colors and chatter, Dominic appeared before me. His imposing presence and icy blue eyes were suddenly the only things visible in my entire universe. He leaned against a locker casually but his tense muscles gave away his unease.

"Elaine," he said in his usual authoritative tone, his gaze softening only slightly as it met mine.

Nope. Not doing this. I ran. I ran through the hallways to get to my next class.

I could hear Dominic following behind me, and I realized I needed to find a better escape plan.

I ducked into the girl's bathroom, the one place Dominic was not allowed to go.

I went to the far side of the bathroom and sat on the ground.

"Elaine!" I could hear Dominic calling out to me in an upset tone.

How long is he going to stay out there? There was no way I was leaving that bathroom. I would have to miss statistics, but it didn't really matter since I would be dropping out. I tried to think of a plan for the rest of the day. I couldn't hide in the bathroom forever.

Before I could form a coherent plan, I felt a sudden wave of emotions that weren't my own.

Frustration, concern... and was that... fear?

I realized with a start that they were Dominic's.

I wasn't sure how or why, but I felt his emotions as if they were mine.

At that point, I didn't care how or why. All I cared about was getting away.

"Elaine," he pleaded from outside the door, his voice strained. "Please, we need to talk."

His words echoed in my head, matching the pulse of anxiety I could feel from him. But my decision was made. As long as he believed he was a werewolf and we were meant to be together forever because we are... mates? No. I couldn't deal with that.

I rummaged through my backpack until I found my headphones and plugged them into my phone. Heavy metal filled my ears, drowning out his voice and pulling me away from the turmoil of his feelings. The constant screaming numbed my mind and put me into a trance.

Hours passed or maybe it was just minutes—I wasn't sure. I looked at my watch and saw it was the end of the school day. I opened up the Uber app on my phone. The driver could take me to my truck, and then I would finally be free.

If Dominic was still waiting outside of the bathroom, I could try to run again. However, it wasn't a foolproof method. He was definitely more fit than me, and could probably out run me pretty quickly.

I peeked outside of the bathroom, and saw that he was no longer standing there. I took a sigh of relief, and quickly headed outside to catch my Uber

Why did I run away? It felt like a never ending cycle.

Why did I want so desperately the things Dominic said to be true?

A fated mate. Something stable, pre-decided.

A decision I didn't make, Because if I made the decision, I wouldn't trust it.

But, if we were actually mates, would I trust that decision as well.

My head spins with all these questions, and I start feeling that I am going to pass out.

I pull my truck over to the side of the road, and I rest my head on the steering wheel.

There seemed to be no good solution for any of my problems. Staying meant being stalked by a hot lunatic and listening to my parents' screaming matches. Leaving meant starting all over in a new place... and leaving Amelia. I covered my face with my hands and began to cry.

I'm not someone to cry often. I usually let the emotions stay inside, believing that letting them out would cause them to become more real.

But, ever since the school year started, crying became an almost daily occurrence.

Everything was becoming too real... even my own delusions.

I didn't know what was real anymore. I couldn't trust anyone or anything.

What could I do to end all this suffering?