My Lycan Boyfriend's Dark Secret

a fist to my gut

PH Chapter 11

*Oceania Burns*

“Hey girl,” Stephanie greets me at the bottom of the stairs as I head out of the dorms to go to class. “How are you feeling?” Her face pulled into a frown of concern. Instinctively I touch my hand to the back of my head. Being werewolf my wound is already healed, as if it never existed. Of course she wasn’t referring to my head but to the traumatic event that caused the wound in the first place.

“I’m fine,” I tell her... a lie. I was far from fine. Of all the people on campus I was sure, painfully so, that I can only trust two people here, Steph and Avery. He had confided in me yesterday and the effects were only fully hitting me now. He was cursed to spend a life of torment, not being able to mark his mate... and I was cursed with the knowledge that he had already found her, and I know it isn’t me, or else he wouldn’t have ignored me for the past two days.

“Fine huh,” she snorts.

“Yes,” I lie again as my eyes scan the courtyard for his face. If he isn’t my mate, why am I so obsessed with him?

“Whatever you say.” She rolls her eyes. Of another thing I was sure... I didn’t belong here With a sigh I walk up the front steps of the large building where all our classes are held. Everyone turns to stare at me, some giggling, some laughing and a few girls just glare at me with disgust.

“Do I have something on my face?” I ask Steph in a quiet but desperate whisper. She shakes her head, looking around us at all the students who were openly staring. “Then what is this?”

“I don’t know,” her eyes are wide as she whispers her answer.

“Hey baby, care to spread some love this way?” a boy solicits me as I walk past him, making kissing faces at me.

“On fire!” another calls out.

“Pathetic, shameful...” a girl narrows her eyes at me.

“Ok what the hell...” Steph breathes as she links her arm into mine to propel me forward.

“Can I go next,” someone says as he grabs my bum. Tears start to well up in my eyes as Steph leads me to an empty class.

“Wait here... I am going to find out what’s going on.” I do as she says, my world spinning out of control. I take a seat in the front row, waiting for her return. I look up at the empty class and I am overwhelmed with a desire to hold my mom, and for her to wrap her arms around me. Tomorrow will be my birthday and I will be celebrating it like one celebrates the passing of a family pet. There is no joy in being alone on your birthday... on the biggest and most important one of my life... my eighteenth birthday. Tomorrow I receive the gift of knowing my mate when I see him... or smell him. The idea fills me with angst. What if he doesn’t like me... clearly i am not very likable, nobody here apart from Steph seems to really like me.

The doors swings open and I quickly wipe the tears from my face. “I found out what’s buzzing,” Steph says as she strides toward me. She pulls out the chair at the table next to mine before taking a seat to look at me.

“Tell me,” I ask, wiping at my wet cheeks.

“You went into the woods with Kurt?”

“Yes,” I answer wearily.

“He has been bragging about you, putting out for him,” she says, her tone telling me that she doesn’t know whether to believe it or not.

“It’s not true!” I exclaim, “I would never,” my voice cracks. I can’t believe this is happening... why? Why me?

“I believe you,” she says placing her hand on mine.

“How do I fix this?” I ask her, “I need to fix this.”

“You can’t... I’m sorry... keep your head low and it will pass.”

“How long will it take?”

“I don’t know,” she sighs.

The day passed slowly and painfully. Everyone stared and gossiped, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. I searched for his face in the hallways, in the cafeteria, in the classes before I took my seat, but there was no sight of him anywhere. It is the second day without a sight of him, without hearing from him... it was eating me up inside. The sickening feeling in my stomach spreading chills through my body.

“Steph, will you cover for me? I’m not feeling well. I am going to skip the last period and go and lie down.” I tell her as we walk out of biology class.

“Should I come with you,” she asks.

“No, it’s alright... I just need to rest,” I try to reassure her.

“Alright... but I will come see you after class.”

I walked out of the front door just as Avery attempted to walk in. My heart skips a beat as I look at him. “Hey,” I greet him with a smile as I pause on the steps. He doesn’t answer me, he doesn’t even look at me. “Avery... wait...” I beg him. He stops just as his hand touches the door behind me, avoiding looking at me. “it’s not true... what they are saying...” I plead with him, hoping that he understands. This must be the reason why he is being so distant, why he is ignoring me and avoiding me altogether.

“Do you really think I care?” He turns to look at me, his dark intimidating eyes making me stumble backward, almost losing my balance to fall down the steps. Avery reaches out and grabs my arm. “For god’s sake, will you start being more careful and stop hurting yourself so I can stop looking after you.” His words hit me like a fist to my gut and my breath leaves my lungs in a rush as he lets go of my arm and turns back to the building, pushing through the doors and disappearing. I run to our dorms as fast as my legs can carry me, through the heavy wooden doors, up the stairs, down the hall and through my door so that I fall onto my tiny little bed, sobbing uncontrollably into my pillow. I want to go home! 362 days can’t pass quick enough.