Luke
The second I walk out of my car on the parking lot outside of campus, I get hit by a migraine. My head starts pounding. I stagger forward with a ringing sound in my ears - something I thought only happened in movies. I release a grunt and blink multiple times, which does...nothing.
“Luke!” Linda, one of the girls that I’ve been flirting with lately, grabs my right arm. “Are you going to Randy’s party on Friday?”
Cindy, her hot friend, grabs my left hand before glancing up at me with a shy smile. “Did you sleep well?”
Normally I would be chatting the day away with the two hot girls in my arms, but I freeze the second their delicious scents hit my sensitive nose because it’s not their perfumes I’m reacting to - it’s the scent of their flesh.
Shit-shit-shit! This wasn’t supposed ever to happen! What the heck do I do now?!
I might be frozen on the outside, but on the inside, I’m panicking. My parents told me I would never develop a hunger for human flesh despite having fairy blood in my veins - my fairy self has always been dormant. But now my hunger is so strong I can barely fight against it. My skin is burning, and it feels like I might pass out.
“Stay strong...” I whisper to myself, but it does nothing to stop my stomach from gurgling.
“Luke?” Linda smiles up at me. “Are you okay? You look a bit tired. Are you getting sick?”
“Oh no!” Cindy chimes in. “You’re not getting sick, are you? Do you want an aspirin? I keep plenty in my bag.”
“Yes, you should pop one into your mouth - Cindy is right. You need it,” Linda nods eagerly after speaking and looks at her friend, who holds up the pill for me to take.
“Here,” she says.
“Umm... I don’t want it,” I say and give them both a nervous smile and step away, suddenly feeling like I’m going to burst if I stay next to them any longer.
“Luke?” Linda asks. “Are you okay?”
“He doesn’t look okay...” Cindy comments. “I have a special tea in my bag that helps with headaches, and you look a bit pale - maybe it will help?”
“No, I don’t want any tea. I’m just...tired. Maybe I should head back home,” I say in a shaky voice. “I might be getting sick or something.”
The two girls nod and step away, giving me enough space to take off in the other direction. As I run away from them, I can feel their confused eyes following me. But that doesn’t stop me from running off into the forest.
I have to get the hell out of here before I hurt anyone, especially since it feels like I’m about to pop. My skin is burning, and the second the thick foliage of trees engulfs me, I immediately feel a wave of calmness wash over my body.
There is no scent of human blood out here. My headache starts to subside, and my hunger is lessening by the second - all thanks to being alone.
“Luke?”
No, not her!
With fear making my heart race, I turn around, eyes locking with a pair of familiar brown eyes that almost me to look at - it’s my stepsister, Jessica. She is someone I care a lot about, and I don’t want her to see me like this. I’m drenched in a cold sweat, goddamn it!
“Luke?” Jessica tries again and steps forward. “Are you okay? And sorry for asking this, but what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at school?”
I breathe a laugh. “I could ask you the same thing - what the heck are you doing out here? Don’t you have classes?” I’m surprised Jessica isn’t sitting inside the lecture hall and taking notes. She is a bit of a nerd and loves school.
Though, to my utter surprise, a guilty expression crosses her face. “I’m skipping my first class. I’ve already studied for the upcoming exam, and I needed some fresh air.”
I’m shocked, but I give her a nod as I try to hide the fact that I’m struggling to keep my hunger in check. “Yeah, me too. I just needed to clear my head. The forest is helping...a lot.”
Jessica looks skeptical. “Is it?”
“Y-yeah...” Why am I nervous? I’m lying to her, and it feels wrong, but ugh - I need to do it.
“I’m worried about you,” Jessica steps closer, noticing the beads of sweat on my forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re about to faint.”
“I’m fine,” I say quickly, but my stomach gurgles again, and I feel my eyes darken with hunger. I feel dizzy too, like a lot. It’s not normal. “Actually, I think I need to sit down for a moment.”
I lower myself to the ground, sitting cross-legged as my stepsister kneels beside me. I can’t help but notice how close she is, how her scent is filling my nostrils, and how her pulse is practically singing in my ears.
Fuck... I’m a monster - I shouldn’t want to eat my own goddamn stepsister. What is wrong with me?
I need to relax. I try to focus on breathing, trying to push the hunger away, but it’s like a flame that’s been fanned into a raging fire. The more I fight, the stronger the urge becomes.
“Luke?” Jessica’s voice is softer now, her hand reaching out to touch my arm. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my eyes pleading with her to leave. “I just need to be alone for a moment.”
I want Jessica to leave before it’s too late. But she doesn’t leave my side and takes my larger hands in her own. “Is this about this morning when I chose to let Syndey drive me to school? You’re not upset about that, are you?” there is a teasing tone in her voice now.
“No, Jess, of course not,” I say, trying to mask the hunger in my voice. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
She nods, her brown eyes boring into mine. “Well, if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you. You know that, right?”
I nod, barely hearing her over the sound of my own thundering heartbeat. I need to get out of here before I lose control. But then, before I can even move, Jessica leans in and stares into my eyes for a hot minute.
“Luke...your eyes...they are glowing...”
“Oh, that’s just...” I laugh awkwardly and cover my face before abruptly standing up. Jessica is looking at me oddly, and I flash her a smile. “It’s a fairy thing, okay? I think I might be awakening. Cool, right?”
Jessica’s eyes widen in awe, and she stands up beside me. “You’re awakening? Oh wow, that’s...wait, that’s a good thing, right? That you’re awakening?”
Truthfully, I’m not so sure. I’m hungry for human flesh, but I couldn’t possibly tell Jessica that - it would freak her out. No. I have to lie and tell her I’m fine while I try to figure this out on my own. Maybe I should speak to my dad?
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s fine. I just need some air and time alone...so umm...see you at home later?” I know I’m acting weird, and Jessica looks suspicious, but I don’t know what to do. All I know is that I need to be alone so that I don’t put my teeth into her, or worse: eat her.
Before Jessica can tell me I’m being weird, I rush out of the forest, my mind racing with a million thoughts. I can’t believe this is happening to me. How could I be turning into a monster? I need to find a way to control my hunger before it’s too late.
I run as fast as I can, my body moving on autopilot until I reach my car. I’m breathing heavily, and before I know it, I’m parked outside my home. Now all I need is to find my dad, and everything should be fine—
‘Hey, son?’ my dad’s voice comes over the mind-link. ‘I forgot to tell you, but your mom and I are going to celebrate our anniversary this weekend in Italy. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn’t risk you accidentally spilling the beans. I’m sorry for keeping that away from you. The good news, however, is that you and Jessica will have the house for yourselves this weekend, and you also get to act as the true Alpha while I’m gone. Cool, right? Anyway, we are on our way to the airport, and the mind-link won’t reach—”
His voice gets cut off, and I swear under my breath. Now that my dad is gone, who is going to help me figure out what is happening to me?!