Kara was seething two days later. She'd avoided the library so she hadn't encountered Destiny. She knew she needed answers but for some reason, she was scared of what she might find out. Besides, her plate was full, the new teacher seemed to make it his duty to single her out and torture her. Klaus treated her like a ticking time bomb and Liv seemed busy for some reason. To top it off, Adrian hadn't spoken to her in a while. It felt weird not having a voice in her head, even though he'd spoken just a few times. He was supposed to be her ally, yet he wasn't talking to her. Added to it, Mara kept taunting her about having a lover's spat.
"Kara!" Liv called and jogged up to her.
Kara rolled her eyes and continued stretching.
Adrian had been the one to manage to cut Mr Gate in a battle but even still, he'd had so many injuries. But that was in the last class. This class, the man was out for her blood. He told her to spar with Mara, the psycho.
"Remember, just wolf and don't overdo it." Liv whispered as she pretended to dust something off Kara's hair.
Kara stepped back. "I know. I don't need you to babysit me, I can handle myself."
She ignored her friend's hurt look and faced Mara. Her opponent had a smirk on her face.
"I finally get to mess up our one and only Kara." Mara snickered as they circled each other.
Kara launched at her but Mara deflected and tripped her.
"Oh come on, don't tell me that's all you've got." She taunted. "I don't know what Liv means, but I'm sure I can take on whatever isn't just wolf."
Kara clenched and released her fists. With the side of her right eye, she could see Mr Gates watching them. Her.
"All that drama you pulled of when the wolves attacked you and the supposed rumour that you beat Dimitri, if this is all it amounts to, then it's a huge disappointment. " the other girl kept talking. "Ofcourse you managed to scratch the shadow only because he let his guard down."
Kara sighed, she was getting pissed off and needed to calm down. "There are usually different reasons why a bully bullies. One, an event from the past. Considering I've never met you before Oakley, that can't be it."
Mara launched with her claws, aiming for Kara's eyes. Kara bent down fast and swiped her leg under Mara's. The brown haired fell but recovered immediately.
"Two, or rather, the only option left. Jealousy." Kara smirked and pushed Mara back with her raised leg.
Mara laughed and rolled her head. "Jealous of you? You wish princess. Everyone around you seems to be trying to protect you or did you think I didn't notice? Do I look like I want to be weak like you?"
People around them began to notice their jabs at each other and stopped to watch. The girls fought, holding nothing back.
"Someone has been stalking me." The white haired twisted her opponent's hand and held it behind her.
Mara slammed her head on Kara's nose and broke free. "Ofcourse I have, you are the only one whose full wolf no one has seen. Let me guess, you can't go wolf and all these body part changes are a farce? I mean, white ears and tail, that is quite unique."
Kara wiped the blood from her nose. She had been feeling something growing inside her, the need to scream. Her body was heavy and it took all in her not to let it out, she couldn't let the last time repeat itself.
"You know, I'm curious." Mara continued as she walked slowly towards her.
It felt like she was trying to keep herself sane, keep the lid on her powers. Her skin felt strained. Kara couldn't let this go on.
"Where were you when everyone cried wolf?" Her opponent paused with her eyes narrowed.
Kara ignored her and turned to Mr Gates. "I accept defeat. " She said to him and bowed.
Almost everyone had a look of surprise. It was hard to determine who was better from the looks of the fight. Each was spotting a couple bruises but none too serious.
"Why? You seem to be doing well against your opponent." Frederick asked as he walked towards her.
He could feel something radiating off her. The closer he got, the more he felt his wolf side. Was that why she was pulling out?
"It is taking everything in me. I'm afraid I'm not ready yet." She answered. It wasn't a lie.
He stopped in front of her. "If your life was on the line, do you think stopping yourself from fighting would save you?"
She grind her teeth to keep it together. "My life is not on the line sir and if it had been, maybe death is what I deserve."
She held her head high and kept his gaze. There was something about the way he looked at her that she couldn't say. Mara noticed it also.
"Class dismissed." Frederick announced and walked away.
Kara released her breath and turned to walk out of the class. Mara grabbed her shoulder.
"What was that about?" She snapped. "You and I both know you were far from your limit."
Kara sighed. "Well, you get to say you bested me. So."
She pulled away and hurried to her room. Mara stared at her with contempt as she moved out of her sight. She had felt it, the need to obey Kara. The power that had radiated off her, the authority. Mara's wolf side had recognised her as a leader. Something wasn't right.
Kara locked her door and her windows before slumping to the floor. She released her breath and felt the bust from her inside onto her environment. It was like a blizzard.
If she was honest with herself, nothing had felt right since she came back from the forest. The marks on her back felt like the prick from a lot of pins. Her mirror was directly in front of her but what she saw didn't feel like her. A girl with glowing white eyes and hair, her white ears and tail visible. She hated white. She hated the cold feeling under her skin that she couldn't run from. Hated how her limbs felt weak and her eyes felt watery. She hated that she wanted to curl up and cry the feelings away.
Most of all, she hated how she wished she had a family to run to. A father to tell her not to worry and a mother to hug her.
■■■■
Adrian Frost stared at her window. He had only touched the surface of her mind, yet he felt its turbulence like he was deep within. All he had to do was push a little and he would be able to talk to her. To keep her trust for his own selfish reasons. But that would mean becoming an enemy of a deadly person. Kara Cahill wasn't his to manipulate.
"Soon my dear, soon we shall unite." He whispered to himself before walking away.
He had sealed off every possible way of getting into her head. He would wait patiently, what was a few more months compared to the life time he could spend with her. The one he had always loved.