Selene's chest heaved as she mustered every ounce of courage she could. "Please, Lykos," she said with her voice trembling. "I can't… I can't deal with this right now. Just leave. Please."
Lykos's expression softened slightly, and for a moment, she thought he might argue. But instead, he gave her a small nod. "As you wish," he said, "But remember, Selene, you can't run from what's already part of you."
With that cryptic remark, he walked to the door and left without another word.
Selene stood there, the silence of the apartment pressing in on her like a weight. She exhaled shakily and collapsed onto the couch, her thoughts a tangled mess of fear, confusion, and frustration.
Her first instinct was to call Kael. He was the only other person who might understand… but then, a darker thought crept in. He hid his magic from me. He's just as much a liar as Lykos. She couldn't bring herself to fully trust him either.
"I'm a grown-ass woman," she muttered to herself, gripping the couch cushion like it was her lifeline. "I can stay alone. There's nothing to be scared of."
She repeated the words like a mantra, forcing herself to calm down.
Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she stumbled to her bed, falling into a fitful sleep almost immediately.
And then she began to dream.
She was in the lush, vibrant garden she had started to recognize from her dreams. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the warm sunlight bathed everything in a golden glow.
In the dream, she was once again a baby, cradled in the arms of the beautiful red-haired woman. Her voice was soft and melodic as she sang a lullaby, her emerald-green eyes filled with love and warmth.
Selene couldn't do much in her baby form except giggle at the sound of the woman's voice. The soft tune was so wonderful, soothing her in a way she couldn't explain.
The woman smiled and began to laugh. Her laughter was so light and carefree, as though she was the happiest woman in the world. "You like that, don't you, my little star?" she murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to Selene's forehead.
Then, the woman turned, holding Selene up to face an unusual creature nearby. Selene's baby eyes widened in awe. The creature was unlike anything she had ever seen… like a cross between a lion and a tiger, but with a sleek, white coat that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Its massive paws seemed almost delicate as it lounged lazily in the grass and its piercing blue eyes fixed on her.
As if sensing their attention, the creature stood and padded over to them. It let out a soft, rumbling growl that sounded oddly affectionate, then rubbed its massive head against the woman's side.
"RaRa, leave her alone," the woman said with a laugh, gently patting the creature's head.
Selene, even as a baby, couldn't help but think, Wait… this strange thing is a pet?
Oh lord, save me.
The creature…. RaRa…. settled beside them, its tail flicking lazily as it watched her with raw curiousity. Despite its imposing size, there was something protective and gentle about the way it acted.
The woman continued to hum and sing beautiful songs, her voice weaving through the dream like a thread of light. RaRa stayed close, its powerful body curled protectively around them, its head resting on its paws as it watched Selene's every baby expression.
It felt… safe.
*************************************************
The next morning, Selene woke up feeling disoriented. The dream lingered in her mind, vivid and unsettling. She could still hear the woman's voice, the melody of her lullaby echoing faintly in her thoughts. And RaRa… the strange creature's piercing blue eyes felt etched into her memory.
Her hand absently went to her forehead as she sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly ahead. Why do I keep having these dreams? she wondered. What does it mean?
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. "It's just a dream," she muttered aloud. "Don't overthink it."
Brushing off the lingering unease, she got ready for the day and headed to campus, determined to immerse herself in her work.
Her classes went smoothly, and she fell into the comforting rhythm of lecturing, answering questions, and reviewing papers. By mid-afternoon, she had almost convinced herself that everything was normal, that there wasn't a werewolf with a mating bond claiming her, and that her dreams weren't getting increasingly weird.
She was sitting at her desk in her office, skimming through her students' assignments, when a soft knock on the door pulled her attention.
"Come in," she called, not looking up.
The door opened, and she heard the quiet creak of it swinging shut. "Selene," a familiar voice said.
She froze, recognizing it instantly. Kael.
She looked up to see him standing there, his usual confident demeanor replaced with a hint of unease. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his coat, and his gaze was uncertain, almost apologetic.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone harsher than she intended.
Kael winced but stepped closer. "I came to apologize," he said simply.
Selene raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. "For what, exactly?"
"For keeping my magic a secret from you," he admitted, "You didn't deserve that."
Selene crossed her arms, "You think that's all it takes? Just an apology?"
"No," Kael said quickly, stepping closer to her desk. "I know I broke your trust, and I don't expect you to forgive me easily. But I had my reasons, Selene. It wasn't because I didn't trust you. It was because I… I didn't know how to explain it."
Her eyes narrowed. "Explain what?"
Kael hesitated, his jaw tightening as if he were waging an internal battle. Finally, he sighed and said, "There's more to me than just being someone with magic. There's a lot you don't know, and I didn't want to drag you into it."
Selene's frustration flared. "That's the thing, Kael. You did drag me into it, whether you meant to or not. You can't just hide things from me and expect me to be fine with it when the truth comes out."
Kael ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I know. And you're right. I should have told you sooner. But you're… you're been dealing with so much already. I don't want to add to it."
Selene let out a bitter laugh. "Well, congratulations. You failed at that."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Kael said softly, "I'm not asking for forgiveness, Selene. I just… I wanted you to know that I regret keeping it from you. And when the time is right, if you're willing, I'll tell you everything."
"I'll think about it," she said finally.
Kael nodded, accepting her response without protest. "That's all I can ask."
He lingered for a moment longer, as if he wanted to say more, but then he turned and left her office, leaving Selene alone with her thoughts.
As the door clicked shut behind him, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. First Lykos, now Kael. It felt like her entire world was unraveling, and she didn't know who she could trust anymore.