Forever Mine

TWENTY TWO

Roxy couldn't deny that both herself and her wolf were on edge as they traipsed through the school hallways. Her eyes darted to every movement and her ears twitched with each sound; students making out against lockers, young wolves muttering with distaste about being put on the baby patrols, boys talking about the upcoming football game. Keep your wits about you. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the pungent smell of rogue to assault her senses, for the crowds of students to disperse or shift into the wolf forms amongst panicked screams. The creatures deemed to be the soulless of the werewolf community were after her and her sisters. No one knew why. No one knew when they were going to strike. A sitting duck, that's what she felt like.

How did she keep living a "normal" life when it was anything but?

Kayla continued chatting away to her. Something about making plans with Tobias. Roxy nodded along when she assumed she should. The voices around her were beginning to echo and grow louder. It felt like eyes were following her, causing her to look over her shoulder. But no one was looking at her. Students were too busy chatting to one another or rummaging in their lockers for books. But then she saw it. A yellow eye peaked through the throng of students. Scruffy black fur. Ribs. Long claws. Familiar. Roxy's heartrate sky rocketed and she looked around the crowd blindly. Why was no one panicking? There was a rogue – a rogue – standing right there in the hallway! Roxy's wolf moved about inside of her, preparing to defend themselves. She snapped her eyes over her shoulder again. She frowned. The rogue wolf was gone, disappearing into thin air. Had it ever been there at all?

Roxy gasped when she collided into something hard and warm. The books she'd been clutching to her chest like some kind of shield tumbled to the floor. The school around her shifted into reality. Students voices became sharper and she noticed a group of football jocks wearing letterman jackets were looking at her with wide and frightened eyes. It wasn't until one of the jocks fell to his knees and began saving the loose pages from being trampled by the moving crowds that Roxy joined him. Her hands trembled and she swiftly avoided her fingers being crushed. The boy in front of her seemed to notice, his eyes zeroed in on her trembling. Roxy briskly swept the last of her papers to her chest and shot to her feet, the boy mirroring her.

'I am so sorry, Luna.' The tall blonde boy held the messy stack of papers out to her which were now dirtied.

Roxy faltered when she took them from him to stuff back between her book. 'I'm not­–' She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Please just call me Roxy.'

The jock looked uncomfortable by the suggestion, his nervous eyes flicking to Kayla. 'I'm sorry but I've always been taught to refer to my superiors by their titles, Luna.'

'Oh.' Roxy shuffled the paperwork and swept her hair from her face. 'Well you have nothing to apologise for...'

'Lucas.'

She smiled weakly. 'Lucas. It's my own fault.' She glanced over her shoulder. 'I was... distracted.' Suddenly she felt uncomfortable when the football team's multiple eyes seemed to scrutinise her. 'Enjoy your next class.'

'Goodbye, Luna.' They all chorused as her and Kayla walked away.

Her friend reached out to give her arm a gentle squeeze, green eyes so alike to her brother's wide with concern. 'Are you okay? You completely zoned out back there.'

Roxy muttered an apology when she bumped shoulders with a passer-by. 'Yes, everything is fine.'

Kayla didn't look convinced but didn't pursue the matter further, making their way to Miss Octavia's class in silence. The room was dark, telling the students they'd be watching another projector presentation yet again. They took their seats at their assigned desks and opened their textbooks, Roxy having slightly more trouble now that her pages were jumbled. At the front of the dim classroom, sitting behind a desk together, she saw the curly silhouette of Levi's hair alongside Abigail's slim frame. Immediately, her body slouched with sadness. Gone were the days the four of them used to sit with each other. Abigail had requested that Sam and Renée switch places with them. Levi had told her that he was going to stand up to Abigail, to put her in her place for treating her close friends so poorly. But nothing had changed. Either Levi had lost his nerve or Abigail simply hadn't listened. Poor Levi. If a human begun dating a nasty person it was simpler for them to break things off, able to cut ties permanently. As for soulmates it obviously wasn't as simple.