"Shit, what the hell was that? Am I going crazy?" I muttered, my voice shaking as the salt still stung my lips, the roar of the sea echoing like a reflection of my own confusion.
"I'm going home…"
I walked back, the scorching sun weighing down on my shoulders, sweat dripping down my forehead in hot drops that dripped onto the ground. The words from that voice wouldn't leave my head, sticking like sharp, poisonous thorns. Am I a cuckold? Have I lost the girl I love? "GRRRR," I growled low, anger rising like a wildfire in my veins, burning everything in its path. Damn, I'm starting to get mad…
I arrived home exhausted, my body drenched in sweat, my ragged breathing cutting through the oppressive silence. I collapsed onto my bed, exhaustion pulling me into a deep, restless sleep like an abyss. In the dream, he was there—my werewolf form, imposing and menacing, his green eyes glowing like embers in the darkness, staring at me with a contempt that cut to the bone.
"I AM BETTER THAN YOU…" he roared, his deep voice echoing in my mind like a deafening thunder. "STRONGER, MORE DETERMINED. I SHOULD BE THE ORIGINAL. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A PATHETIC EXISTENCE, WHO CAN'T EVEN HOLD A GIRL. YOU LOST HER TO A BOY, A CHILD! YOU ARE BEYOND PATHETIC, YOU ARE TRASH, A NOTHING WHO WILL NEVER BE NOTHING. EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ACHIEVED WAS BECAUSE OF ME. I AM THE REAL ONE, THE ALPHA. I WILL TAKE CONTROL AND BE WHO I REALLY SHOULD BE. NOBODY WILL STOP ME. MY EXISTENCE WILL NOT BE ERASED BY A WORM LIKE YOU!"
"AHHHH… ARF, ARF!" I woke up screaming, my heart racing, beating a million times a second, sweat dripping down as if I had run a marathon under a merciless sun. Panting, I ran my hand over my face, trying to shake off the nightmare that was still echoing, his words reverberating like a war drum in my soul. "The wolf part of me… is trying to take control of my body. He's not wrong… I'm pathetic and weak. I lost Tory to some random boy… Screw this shitty fate. This girl is mine, and NOBODY IS GOING TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!"
I staggered to my feet, my legs shaking under the weight of exhaustion and fury, and went to shower, the cold water washing away the heat and anger, but not the determination that pulsed through me like a scream caught in my throat. Only then did I realize—a few days had passed since I had passed out from sleep, lost in a daze I couldn't explain. I picked up my phone to check the time and saw several missed calls, all from Sam, each notification a reminder of the life I had put on hold.
I called her, my heart still racing, a mixture of guilt and relief washing over me like a wave.
Riiing, riiing.
"Clark!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and concern, like a ray of light cutting through the darkness that was suffocating me. "What happened to you?"
"Sorry, Sam," I replied, trying to sound light despite the weight on my chest. "I feel like I went into hibernation. I slept for a few days…"
"You were sleeping this whole time?" she asked incredulously, her tone tinged with a fondness that warmed something inside me that I thought was frozen.
"Yeah…" I confirmed, rubbing the back of my neck, the heat of embarrassment rising to my face. "And you, what's wrong?"
"What? I can't worry about my boyfriend?" she retorted, a note of tenderness softening her voice, as if each word was a hug I didn't deserve.
"Yeah, thanks for caring," he said, a shy smile escaping, the first ray of light in days. "Want to hang out later?"
"Yes, I do," she replied, relief palpable in every syllable, as if she had been holding her breath for days. "I thought something had happened to you… Thank God you're okay."
"Don't worry, I'm still here," I reassured her, feeling her warmth even through the line, a thread of hope that I held on tightly.
"I have to go now, love," she said, hurriedly, but with a sweetness that made my chest tighten. "Someone's here at the house… Bye!"
Meanwhile, Miguel walked to Samantha's house, the afternoon sun gilding the streets while he carried the weight of a regret he couldn't let go of. He had sent her a message saying he needed to talk to her, and now he was knocking on the door, nervousness tightening his chest like a rope about to snap.
"Samantha, hi…" he began, his voice hesitant, filled with remorse that shone through every syllable.
She turned, surprised, but responded with a gentle "Hi…", her curious eyes meeting his.
"Samantha, I came here to apologize," he said, his eyes downcast, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "I shouldn't have left you like that. I wanted to start a new chapter, to unravel my past, but I hadn't thought about you, or about us… Since graduation, I…"
"Miguel," she interrupted, firm but gentle, cutting through his flow of words like a sharp blade. "Listen, some things happened, and I got back together with Clark."
He froze, eyes wide, air trapped in his lungs as if the world had stopped spinning. "Wh… what did you say?" he asked, his voice shaking, barely above a whisper, his heart pounding in his chest.
"I got back together with Clark," she repeated, frowning at the pain that crossed his face, a pain she didn't want to cause but couldn't help.
"You're kidding, right?" he snapped, his voice rising with disbelief and raw hurt that burned in every word. "EVEN AFTER WHAT HE DID TO YOU? YOU GOT BACK WITH HIM? IS THIS WHO WE ARE, SAMANTHA?"
"It's over between us," she declared, her finality cutting like a blade, firm but with a hint of sadness she couldn't hide. "I'm with Clark now. That's all you need to know, Miguel."
"So that's it?" he muttered, anger bubbling up as he turned away, kicking a can hard on the ground, the metallic sound echoing in the silent street like a muffled scream. "Okay…" He stomped off, his eyes brimming, dropping a small box with a necklace, tears streaming down his face as the metal gleamed in the sun, abandoned like the love he still carried, a weight he didn't know how to let go of.
Sam called me after a while, asking me to cancel the trip because she wasn't feeling well. I agreed, the hollowness of her voice echoing in me like a dark omen, a shadow I couldn't shake.
Three days passed, each one heavier than the last. She asked me to go somewhere—a water park or something. Was that in the show? I don't remember this shit, it's been so long… Fuck it, I don't want to remember any of this, I thought, the anger that had been consuming me since waking up still boiling, a breeze that turned into a storm without warning. The fits of rage had become routine, the wolf inside me thrashing against the bars of my mind, a beast I no longer knew how to control.
Sam called again, giving the address and saying she was going with friends, asking me to come along. I agreed, her voice a ray of light in the darkness that swallowed me, a beacon that I followed even without knowing where to.
"SHE WILL BE THERE. WHY DON'T WE TAKE HER AND MAKE HER OURS?" The voice roared in my mind, low and savage, now a near-constant presence, scratching at my sanity like claws against stone. I'm going crazy...
I grabbed some light clothes, threw them in my backpack, got on my bike and set off, the hot wind whipping my face like an invisible whip, carrying the smell of asphalt and freedom. I arrived at the place, the smell of chlorine and laughter filling the air, the sun reflecting off the pools like broken mirrors that shone with promises of relief. "Hmph, it's kind of nice…" I muttered, taking a deep breath of the humid heat that weighed on my lungs.
I bought my ticket, and the attendant waved me away after a moment. I went to the locker room and took off my clothes, leaving me in just my swim trunks, the light fabric hugging my hot skin. When I walked out, the air changed—the women's gazes were lost in me, the heat of the day amplifying the pheromones that emanated from me like a wild, irresistible aura. My wolf part was euphoric, hungry for his girl, pulsing beneath my skin like a war drum. My hair slicked back, my classic sunglasses, my body sculpted in hard, defined lines—I certainly drew attention. But there was something strange: my eyes glowed green, a sign of the beast inside me fighting to get out, a flame I couldn't extinguish.
I walked over to Samantha, her scent guiding me like a beacon, mixed with other familiar scents dancing in the warm air. Miguel and Eli had just left where she was with her friends, leaving a trail of tension that I could feel.
"Oh my God… Girls, look at that guy coming over there!" Yasmine exclaimed, her eyes wide, her voice tinged with admiration and a hint of desire.
"Wow… Wait, that's not the…" Moon began, surprised, her face blushing as she tried to remember.
"Clark…" Sam murmured, biting his lip as he saw me, desire dancing in his brown eyes like stars in a dark sky. He stood up, waving with a smile that made my heart race like a wild drum, a sound I couldn't ignore.
"Clark!" Yasmine said, also biting her lips, her hungry gaze roaming my body as if I were prey she wanted to hunt.
"Baby…" Sam ran to me, wrapping me in a warm embrace, her lips meeting mine in a kiss that erased the world around me. Her warmth against me was like coming home, a refuge from the storm that consumed me, her arms squeezing me with a strength that said she didn't want to let go.
"Hey, babe," I said, my voice husky, my arms pulling her close, feeling her heartbeat against my chest. "Did you miss me?"
"You have no idea how much…" she replied, her eyes shining with longing, her hands tracing my chest as if she wanted to make sure I was real, that I wasn't going to disappear again.
I smirked, walking over to the other girls, Sam's presence still warming my skin. "Hey, girls…"
"Hi, Clark…" Moon said, her face red, almost stumbling over her words, her gaze shy but enchanted as she tried not to stare for too long.
"Hi, Clark…" Yasmine murmured, biting her lip as she devoured me with her eyes, a flame of desire she didn't try to hide, the air between us thick with a tension I could feel.
This girl is hungry , I thought, the wolf inside me growling in response. "ARE YOU GOING TO BE WEAK AND LET HER GET AWAY TOO WITHOUT TAKING HER FIRST?" the voice in my mind roared, its feral tone challenging me, testing the limits of my sanity.
"Sam, I'm going to go for a walk," I warned, trying to escape the tension that was building like a wave about to break, the wolf and the man in me fighting for control.
"Okay, love," she replied confidently, her smile a beacon I didn't want to extinguish, even as the chaos inside me threatened to swallow me.
I walked through the park, the women's gazes following me like thirsty shadows, the men frowning in envy or anger, the air thick with whispers and sighs. Blah, blah, blah… I ignored it all, the heat of the day weighing down on my skin, until I saw her—Tory, standing next to Roby. He kissed her, a simple gesture that made a low growl escape my chest, a guttural sound I couldn't contain. GRRRR.
Calm down, she won't escape that day… , I thought, trying to tame the storm that was growing inside me like an out-of-control fire. Accepting this duality—the wolf and me—was like living with a wild, impulsive, and obsessed animal, but there was something else there, something that went beyond anger or primal desire. It was love, a love that I never knew how to name properly, but that pulled me towards her like the moon pulls the waves, a call that echoed deep in my soul.
They were laughing, oblivious to my presence, until she looked over Roby's shoulder and saw me. Her eyes widened, shock crossing her face like a bolt of lightning that lit up the darkness. Clark… What is he doing here? she thought, her heart racing—I could feel her rapid pulse even from so far away, a sound that beat in tune with my own.
I slowly took off my sunglasses, letting her see the green glow in my eyes, a reflection of the beast that was struggling to break free, but also a sign of the man who still loved her. I winked at her with a soft but meaningful smile, a silent invitation that I knew she would understand. I turned, starting to walk away, each step a battle not to look back, not to give in to the urge to run to her, to take her in my arms and erase the space that fate insisted on putting between us.
"Tory, what's wrong?" Roby asked, turning but not seeing me, his voice a distant echo in my mind.
"Nothing, Roby. Come on, let's get out of here…" she replied, her voice shaky, almost a whisper that betrayed the turmoil inside her. But I knew—she felt my presence as I felt hers, an invisible thread that connected us, even when we tried to cut it.
Some time later, as I walked through the crowd, eyes following me like thirsty shadows, I saw her again. She was walking away, heading to a secluded corner of the park, away from prying eyes, her green bikini clinging to her body like a second skin, her blond hair dancing in the warm wind. My heart skipped a beat, and the voice in my mind—the wolf—growled, but this time I ignored it. It was the man in me who followed her now, driven by a longing that ached in my chest like an open wound, a need to touch her, to feel that she was still real, that what we had had not been just a dream that I had let slip away.
I quickened my pace, the sound of the grass beneath my feet drowned out by the pounding of my blood, the heat of the day amplifying every sensation. When I reached her, I touched her shoulder gently, my fingers trembling as I felt the heat of her skin under the sun, an electric current that shot through me like a bolt of lightning. "Hey…"
She stopped, turning slowly, but before I could answer, she gave me a little shove in the chest with the palm of her hand, a gesture light, almost playful, but full of meaning. "Hey, you!" she said, her voice low and husky, her brown eyes sparkling with a mixture of surprise, anger, and something deeper—an attempt to get my attention, to pull me back to her, as if her touch were a silent scream telling me not to let her go again. "What's wrong, Clark?"
Her touch, even so brief, lit a fire inside me, a flame that ran from my skin to the depths of my soul, warming the emptiness I had carried since I lost her. I smiled, unable to hide how much it affected me, how much she still moved me. "You look beautiful in that bikini," I murmured, my voice soft and sincere, my eyes tracing the soft curves that the fabric revealed, the vibrant green highlighting her tanned skin like a living painting. "And that hair…" I reached out, my fingers sliding through the blond strands that fell over her shoulders, soft as silk in the wind, and I stopped for a moment, just feeling her, my heart pounding with the memory of every touch we had ever shared. "It looks perfect on you. I always thought you shine like the sun… my light on dark days."
She blushed, the red rising in her cheeks like a shy flame she couldn't contain, her eyes lowering for a moment before returning to mine, hesitant and shining with something she was trying to bury. "Clark… I… I'm dating Roby," she said, but the words came out fragile, almost breaking under the weight of what she wasn't saying, as if she herself doubted what she was trying to say, as if that push had been a request for me to prove her wrong.
"Don't even think about it," I replied, my tone soft but firm, my eyes fixed on hers, searching for the truth she hid beneath layers of fear and pride. "When I see you, all I think about is that you should be mine… Only mine." My hand moved down from her hair to her cheek, my thumb tracing the delicate line of her face with a tenderness that contrasted with the fire that burned inside me, a fire that wasn't just desire, but a love I never knew how to properly express. "You've felt that, haven't you? That emptiness that you can't explain? That tug that won't let go?"
"Clark…" She stared at me, her eyes watering, her heart beating so loudly I could hear it, a drum that echoed my own, a rhythm that connected us even when we tried to pull away. There was fear there, yes, but also a longing she fought to stifle, a flame that flickered with every breath, with every look she tried to avert. The push had been a silent scream—a way of saying that she still wanted me around, even if it hurt to admit it, even if she didn't know how to deal with it.
I couldn't resist any longer. I moved closer, the inches between us evaporating like mist in the sun, and kissed her. My lips touched hers with a soft urgency, as if I needed to prove that she was still mine, but with a care that said how precious she was to me, a treasure that I had let slip away and now fought to get back. My tongue found hers, dancing in a slow and passionate rhythm, exploring every corner with a reverence that spoke more than any words, as if I could write my love in every touch. I hugged her, pulling her against me, the heat of her body molding to mine as if time had never separated us, as if each day we spent apart was just a pause in an eternal rhythm.
She hesitated for a moment, her body tense, but then her arms came up, wrapping around my neck with a gentleness that disarmed me, her fingers digging into the back of my neck as if she feared I would disappear. She kissed me back with an intensity that made my heart stop, her soft lips yielding to mine, her tongue dancing with me in a rhythm that was both desperate and eternal. The taste of her—sweet as strawberries, salty as repressed tears—engulfed me like a living memory, rekindling every part of me that still screamed for her, every part I had tried to bury. My chest tightened, not with anger or raw desire, but with a love I had never known how to express properly, a love that hurt and healed at the same time, a love that made me want to be more for her.
I moved my hands down to her waist, tracing the soft curve with my fingers, feeling her skin warm under the sun, before sliding them to her ass, squeezing firmly, but with a gentleness that said she was more than just a passing fancy—she was my home, my guiding star, the light I followed even on the darkest nights. "You know I love you, right?" I whispered against her lips, the words escaping husky and full of a vulnerability I rarely showed, my hot breath mingling with hers, my heart beating so fast I could swear she felt it. "I've always loved you… Even when I was an idiot who didn't know how to show it."
"Clark…" she whispered, her eyes shining with tears that trembled at the edges, conflict dancing there like shadows on a moonless night, a battle between what she wanted and what she thought she should do. "It… it doesn't change anything. I'm with him…" But her voice trailed off, and the small push she'd given me before felt like a plea now—a request for me to stay, to fight for her, even if she couldn't say it, even if she tried to convince herself that this was the end.
"I know," I said, my voice almost breaking, but the smile I gave was sad and sincere, filled with a pain I couldn't hide, a pain that came from loving her so much and not knowing how to bring her back. "But your heart still trembles for me… I feel it, Tory. Even if you fight it." I touched her face once more, my thumb stroking her damp cheek, tracing a tear that had finally escaped, a drop that carried everything she hadn't said. I kissed her again, a light kiss, almost a goodbye, but full of a promise I couldn't keep—not yet. I stepped back a step, the emptiness between us cutting like a sharp knife, but the warmth of her touch lingered on my skin like a mark I would never forget, an invisible tattoo I would carry forever.
"Hey, has anyone seen Tory around?" Roby asked, her voice echoing in the distance, oblivious to the whirlwind that had just happened, oblivious to the fact that her heart still beat for me at that moment.
"Nothing, man…" someone replied, the answer distant as an empty echo.
I broke the kiss, a thin line of saliva connecting our mouths as we pulled apart, the air between us heavy with a sweet silence, like the last breath of a day that didn't want to end. My chest rose and fell, desire fighting against reason, but love—true love—spoke louder, a love that made me want to be better, even if it hurt. "I think we should stop here… Someone is looking for you."
She opened her eyes slowly, still burning with passion, her face red and her lips swollen from my touch, her cheeks damp from the tears she couldn't hold back. "Okay…" he whispered, his voice trembling, and walked away with hesitant steps, as if every meter was a battle against what he felt for me, against what we still were to each other. But before she turned the corner, she looked back, her brown eyes shining with a love that she denied with words, but that pulsed in every heartbeat that I could still feel, even from so far away, an echo that would haunt me for days.
"Hey, where were you? I was looking for you," Roby said, smiling when he found her, his innocence cutting through the air like an off-key note, a cruel contrast to what had just happened.
"Sorry, I was in the bathroom," she lied, her voice weak, almost breaking under the weight of that secret she carried on her shoulders like a shadow.
"Oh, okay, I get it," he replied, unconcerned, his lightness a painful contrast to the turmoil she hid. "Come on, let's go swimming."
"Okay…" She took his hand, but before she followed, she looked back once more, her brown eyes shining with a love that she denied with words, but that pulsed in every heartbeat that I could still feel, even though we were so far away, a love that burned me and gave me life at the same time.