The beast on Celeste froze as if he had been struck by the lightning. The hungry fire died in his eyes when she twitched and screamed under him.
The weight on her left.
Celeste met his bluish eyes again and was greeted by something even stranger in the depth. Before she could look closer, the wolf jumped away from her and leaped out of the window.
The wolf's pad landed on the roof, and then the grass, making soft noises. The noises grew farther and farther until it was no longer audible. It happened so fast and abruptly that she wondered if she was dreaming all about this.
She stayed on the floor, studying her ceiling. Now her heartbeats were the only sounds knocking her eardrums. Her heart was coming down from its peak. But she could still feel the sensation of the beast's paws on her skin. His body heat lingered on her skin and trapped her on the floor.
Celeste heaved a long breath. She didn't know what to make of it.
She was certainly angry. And she was very much confused. She was confused by Jeremy's bizarre behavior. She was even more confused by what she felt. Was she … disappointed?
The room was suddenly too quiet for her. The noises in her brain turned louder and sharper.
She couldn't help but think about the way Jeremy had her on the floor. His scent ran back and forth on her neck, teasing her nose and making her shiver. Despite herself, she reached out and rubbed the place he had touched.
Did the bright moon drive him crazy? Why did he do this to her? Did he not recognize who she was? Did he mistake her for his prey? But why did he have to tear her shirt? Did he mistake her for his…?
"What the fuck is wrong?" she spoke loudly to herself and shook her head, stopping her brain from more guesses. It was not only weird. It was sick and forbidden. It gave her goosebumps. She hated her brain.
She shook her head even harder and snapped to her feet.
Automatically, she went to the window. She guessed she was just drawn by the moon. But when she went to the frame, she looked down first. To her relief and disappointment, the bushes and forest beyond were the only things in sight.
Another howl came from the forest, followed by waves of echoes. A smile curled on Celeste's lips.
She looked up at the starry sky and sighed. When would she shift? She guessed she would understand what it felt only after her wolf came out and told her.
***
The second morning.
Celeste lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She seemed to have a very blurry and weird dream. But she couldn't remember anything.
She didn't know when she had fallen asleep last night. Her eyes had been closed, but her brain wouldn't rest. She had stayed awake for a long while. She had never noticed how noisy the nights could be. She had heard the wind and the branches scraping the roof.
She had even heard the sounds when Jeremy came back and closed his door. She wanted to get up and talk, but her body was glued to the bed. And she didn't know what to say. She could probably figure it out the second day. So she listened to the tune of the wind and welcomed the dreams that finally came.
Lying on her back, she blinked the sleepiness away and grabbed her phone. After a few minutes of scrolling, she turned around and buried her face in the pillow.
She didn't want to get up.
Or… She didn't want to see Jeremy. After what happened last night, she didn't know how she should be facing her twin brother.
Yeah… Her twin brother. Who he was seemed to stand out even more in bright daylight. That was a weird realization.
Celeste struggled for a few more minutes and eventually pulled herself out of the bed. She opened the door in hesitation and was surprised to find Jeremy's room empty. Okay, she shouldn't have been surprised. She should be well used to this.
"Coward," she mumbled. She thought he would at least have the balls to stand right in front of her and explained everything. What exactly was his fear?
Half an hour later, she was even surprised to discover that he was not only avoiding her. He ran away this time.
"He left a note that he would be gone for a week?!" What the fuck? Suddenly, Celeste had the urge to punch the asshole in the face.
Jeff shrugged. "Good thing he has shifted last night. Or it would be very risky, especially when we have a hunter in the town."
That didn't relieve Nora, though. "I wonder what's on his mind. We saw him last night, but he ran so fast we couldn't catch up with him."
The father put his hand on the mother's shoulder. "Don't worry, babe. He's just being a brat again. He's probably going after his mate. You know boys at his age are all weird and horny."
Celeste's eyes twitched when she heard that.
The mother shook her head and turned to Celeste. "Has he talked to you, honey?"
"N-No!" The word came out of her mouth automatically.
Celeste didn't know why she was suddenly too timid to look her mother in the eye. "Uh… Why does he have to talk to me? I mean… I tried to talk to him, but that asshole just ignored me. And I… I never saw him again…"
Her mother frowned. Just as she was about to ask more, Celeste's phone chirped.
Celeste had never been gladder to hear that sound. She picked it up, and her face sank. It was a message from Raymond.