a's

tion prickling at the back of my mind. I looked outside the windo

e cadet, w

annoying smirk, but I could see the concern behind his teasing eyes. Our driver already m

aphan. But no. it was something deeper, older, something painful that I coul

o morph into a wolf. But I morphed in an unnatural way. I had developed wings shaking my balance. I didn't realize i

igure myself then

pecially Michael...

ch twist rememb

ay. The cold authority in his words

at still makes me sick. It was supposed to lessen and suppress my powers. They bound me to a stone altar, and I remembered t

ut my

cre

them pulling away what made me... me. I had felt it down

refully, as if I might break into pieces. I remember laying on his shoulder drenched with tears, feeling like I had lost everything, everyone. He didn't bother

---

ce snapped me back

re soaked in tears. I quickly wiped

rse, h

" he said softly. "I know what you're th

voice catching. "I see mark every

nd through his messy hair

s hand. "It wasn't your fault. You were

is face. But was it obvious in his face he didn't believ

u had to go through

ak smile, "at least you took me out

ea! You said something like, 'If I'm going

ay lifting some of the weight o

now you're my mess. And speaking of which, it's my birthday, a

grateful for the distractio

ng me close. "Just so you know, am bigger in size than you now so if anyon

ays been my protector, even when he was powerless to stop the wo

-

I recognized and some I didn't, filled around the expansive room. Music

dn't want anything big?" I

rom a nearby table. "It's my 18th birthd

y people who cared about him. For a moment, the dark memories faded, r

mo

lt a familiar coldness washed over me, sending chills down my spine.

was

ne immediately, and despite the noise and the crowd, it felt like nothing was there any longer, lea

as he

tantly tensing around my shoulder

parting as if everyone instinctively knew to stay out of his way. When he reached us, he did

l growled, stepping in f

t time, and his lips curled into a mocking

" I demanded; my voice

a moment, before his usual cold demea

risive snort. "Fr

y enemies know about you now. They'll come for y