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The car ride back t0 school was very awkward. Dominic said nothing to me, and I could feel the tension in the air. I was right in thinking he would stop his pursuit if I told him I have a boyfriend. However, for some reason I felt like lying about it was the biggest mistake I've ever made.

I rubbed the scar on my shoulder, remembering the pain that shot through me in Dominic's room.

As soon as my fingers grazed it, he looked over to me.

His eyes flashed that strange gold color again.

What the hell? I quickly darted my eyes down, not wanting to think about the delusions I was having.

Maybe the pain in my shoulder was also a delusion, but it did not explain why Dominic seemed to know why it was happening.

"What is your boyfriend's name?" Dominic asked.

I hesitated, unsure of how much I should reveal to him. The truth felt dangerous, yet lying seemed equally perilous. "His name is Thomas," I murmured, watching Dominic's jaw tense at my words. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white.

"Thomas," he repeated in a low voice, his icy blue eyes now fixed on the road ahead.

A heavy silence settled between us like a thick fog, suffocating and tense.

I swallowed hard, hoping he would believe the lie.

Dominic's reaction was intense, his aura swirling with a myriad of emotions that I couldn't decipher.

As we reached the school's entrance, Dominic parked the car but made no move to get out. The air inside the vehicle crackled with tension, suffocating me as I waited for him to speak. Finally, he turned to me with a steely gaze.

"You don't belong with him, Elaine," he stated firmly. His eyes looked angry, as if he were mad at me for having a boyfriend. He barely knew me, so I had no idea why he would be so upset.

There was no way in hell I was going to let this conversation continue. He clearly was going to keep pushing me on the subject, and I had no energy left to deal with him.

"Thank you for helping me when I passed out." I said quickly before darting out of the car.

My truck sat close to where he parked, so I didn't have to walk far until I was in the safety of my cab.

I quickly locked the door and took a deep breath.

I could still feel Dominic's intense gaze burning into my back as I drove away.

The way he pronounced Thomas' name echoed in my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.

Despite the relief of being in the safety of my truck, his words lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken truths and hidden meanings.

Once I was back home, I tried to shake off the unsettling encounter with Dominic. I busied myself with mundane tasks, hoping to distract my thoughts. But no matter how much I tried to push him out of my mind, his presence lingered like an ominous shadow, creeping into every corner of my thoughts.

That night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I couldn't escape the memory of his golden eyes and the way his voice had resonated with conviction despite the absurd declarations he was making.

What did he mean when he said he wasn't human?

A part of me feared what his words might imply, but another part was inexplicably drawn to the mystery that surrounded him.

However, I knew Dominic would only bring trouble into my life.