Chapter 55
Camila POV
When I got to school, I couldn’t help but brace myself. After everything that were down with Vanema, I hat whispers, stares, maybe even some snickers. But to my surprise, the halls were het eerily normal. Everyone wa doing their own thing. Talking about homework, laughing with friends, scrofting through their phones, fist a single glance in my direction.
what
I let out a long breath, the tension in my shoulders easing. Cuess they’re too embarrassed to let anyone to happened. Or maybe Vanessa decided to keep the whole fight a secret to save face. Either way, it was a win for me. It ext for now.
But even as I made my way to my locker, a weird feeling settled in my stomach. Vanessa wasn’t the type to let something like this slide. She was petty, vindictive, and had a flair for dramatic revenge. If she wasn’t spreading gossip about me, then what was she doing? The silence made me uneasy, like the calm before a storm.
As I twisted the combination on my locker, a chilling thought hit me out of nowhere: The three masked guys. The ones who tried to grab me the other night… Could they have been sent by Vanessa?
The idea made my skin crawl. I shook my head, trying to dismiss it. Vanessa was a lot of things- vindictive, sure, and a little unhinged- but hiring masked goons? That was next–level crazy. Even for her.
Right?
I slammed my locker shut a little harder than I meant to, the sound echoing down the hallway. A couple of students glanced my way, but I ignored them, focusing on steadying my breath. I couldn’t let my mind spiral.
I grabbed my books and headed toward class, trying to shove the unsettling thoughts aside. But as I stepped through the doorway, my unease only deepened. Vanessa wasn’t there.
Neither was her minions.
I froze for a second, scanning the room like maybe they’d show up late. But no. Their seats were empty, and the chatter in the room didn’t carry the usual edge of Vanessa’s snarky comments or her friends‘ obnoxious giggles.
What really caught my attention was Ethan’s absence. He wasn’t in his seat, and for some reason, that made my chest
feel lighter. The thought of seeing him after everything that happened after finding out what he really was- was enough
to make my stomach churn.
How was I supposed to look him in the eye? How was I supposed to act normal when I knew the truth?
I slumped into my seat, dropping my books on the desk with a thud. My life had gone from semi–normal to completely
insane in record time. From living a comfortable boring life to uncovering the fact that my stepbrother wasn’t just a
weirdo- he was a literal monster. A monster who had been hiding in plain sight.
I stared at the whiteboard at the front of the room, not really seeing it. How had my life come to this? A week ago, my biggest problem was figuring out how to finish highschool without having to deal with any scandal. Now? Now I was stuck living with the knowledge that monsters were real- and one of them was my stepbrother.
The door opened, and I tensed, half–expecting Vanessa to strut in like nothing had happened. But it was just our history teacher, juggling his briefcase and a stack of papers. I relaxed a little, slumping back in my chair.
1/3
Chapter 55
The morning dragged on, the minutes ticking by slower than ever. I tried to focus on the lecture, but my mind kept drifting back to Ethan’s empty seat.
By the time the bell rang, I felt like I had run a mental marathon. I packed up my things and headed to my next class, keeping my head down and trying not to think about all the ways Vanessa could ruin my life.
Lunch break was usually the one part of the day where I could unplug from all the chaos and just enjoy my food in relative peace. But today? My mind was a mess, and I barely even noticed the sandwich in my hand. I chewed mechanically, my thoughts completely elsewhere.
The masked men.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the memory of that night. The way they had cornered me, their voices cold and mocking. My chest tightened just thinking about it. If it hadn’t been for Ethan…
I bit down on my lip, my teeth catching on the already raw skin. What would’ve happened to me if he hadn’t shown up? The thought was chilling. Those men weren’t just trying to scare me; they were serious. And if Ethan hadn’t intervened- if he hadn’t turned into whatever the hell that thing was- I didn’t even want to imagine how that night
could’ve ended.
My stomach twisted at the memory, and I shoved the sandwich away. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore.
Did I handle it right? I wondered, resting my head in my hands. Ethan was… well, calling him a “psycho” felt pretty accurate most of the time. But he had never actually hurt me. If anything, he had been almost obsessively protective.
Like that night. He’d put himself between me and danger without hesitation.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling of the cafeteria. A sigh escaped my lips. This is insane. He was a monster. Literally. And yet, he hadn’t harmed me. He wasn’t the kind of “monster” you see in movies, tearing people apart without a second thought. He was… complicated.
And then there was that word.
Mate.
It echoed in my head like a bell ringing in an empty room, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. I didn’t know what it meant, but the way he had said it- it was almost reverent. Like it meant something deeper, something important.
Curiosity gnawed at me, and before I knew it, I was pulling my phone out of my bag. If I was going to figure out what the hell was going on, I needed answers.
Okay, I thought, opening my browser. Start with the basics. I hesitated for a moment, then typed: What do bears look like when they transform?
I scrolled through the results, scanning articles and forums, but nothing seemed to match what I had seen. Ethan hadn’t looked like any animal I had ever seen before, but if I had to describe him… A bear? I thought. He had those sharp claws, the kind of presence that made your instincts scream run.
But he was more than that, wasn’t he? He was faster, stronger, more… intense.
I sighed, erasing the search and trying something else, Bears mate meaning.
