Chapter 86: Chapter 86

JONEA

"Why are you laughing?" I asked, startled and a bit in awe. It was the first time I saw Daran laugh, and honestly, it made him look twice as handsome.

Daran stopped laughing but still had that smile on his face.

"Watching you is fascinating!" he said casually. "One second you're happy, the next you're annoyed. One moment you're laughing, then you're frowning."

"What are you trying to say... that I can't control my emotions? Are you saying I'm like some moody little kid? That’s not funny!"

"That's not what I meant," he answered calmly. "I like you, Jonea," Daran said after a brief pause. "I've lived for a long time. When you've been alive for so long, everything starts to feel like seasons passing by. Everything feels pointless. But you… you're always so genuine with yourself. I admire your honesty and everything about you! I like all of it!"

"I like you too," I blurted out without thinking about the implications. "I think I’m falling for you, Daran. I don’t know how to describe this feeling… It's both soft and intense at the same time. It’s not overwhelming, but it's so addicting. It's like the feeling is trapped inside me, and I don’t know what to do with it."

RING!

My phone alarm went off, blaring loudly. I opened my eyes, and turns out I was still lying in my bed. I slapped my cheeks, trying to process what had just happened.

"Was I dreaming? Why did it feel so real?"

I grabbed my phone and turned off the alarm.

"Damn it, I’m late!"

I quickly jumped out of bed, rushed to the bathroom, and got ready for school.

When I arrived on campus, I hurried to class, but my mind kept drifting back to that dream, which felt way too real.

"That... wasn't just a dream, was it? Could it have been a memory? But I don’t recall having a conversation like that with Daran before. We were still arguing about my seal, which he hasn’t removed yet."

"JONEA!" Marilyn shouted as she ran up to me, out of breath. "What's going on? Huh? What are you thinking about? I’ve been calling you!"

"Nothing," I hesitated. "What about you? Are you feeling better now? Not mad anymore?"

She shrugged and sat down next to me. We were in an empty classroom.

"Yeah, the anger’s faded, and I’m not mad anymore. Honestly, I can’t stay mad at you for long. I’m sorry. I should’ve just been upfront with you from the start."

She had my full attention now. "What? About what? What haven’t you told me?"

She looked down, a bit shy. "Well, recently I saw you get into someone’s car."

"What?"

She flashed me a guilty smile. "Yeah, sorry. I was just annoyed that you didn’t tell me anything."

I sighed in relief. "So it’s just that? I thought it was something way worse that had you so mad at me yesterday."

"It still bugged me, though. Why’d you keep it from me? You’ve been keeping more and more secrets." She pouted. "By the way, the guy you were with—he’s the one you mentioned before, right?"

I nodded.

"How do you know him? Is he... handsome? I didn’t get a good look at his face."

"It just happened," I said, dodging the full truth. There’s no way I could tell Marilyn we were living together. She’d lose it.

"So, are you dating him?"

"I’m not dating him. Honestly, I’m not even sure. I know I shouldn’t, but I think I’m starting to like him."

"Why shouldn't you?"

I turned to her, surprised. "If I do, won’t I just be betraying Aland?"

Marilyn was quiet for a moment. "I know you’ve been holding on all this time to find Aland. But if along the way you find something else worth living for, why not change your goal?"

I stared at her, stunned. "How can you even suggest that to me?"

"If this guy," she said, "this new guy makes you fall for him, and he treats you well, why not go for it? Honestly, I’d be happy for you. As long as it’s not Hunter or Owen Rivers."

My eyes went wide. "Marilyn? What... how do you even... Owen Rivers? Hunter Abraham?"

She shrugged. "But if you’re not sure whether this guy is someone you should date or just someone passing through your life, my advice is: don’t get too attached. It’ll only hurt you."

I fell silent for a moment. If I think about it, I really don’t know how to define my relationship with Daran. He’s not just someone I know, but he’s not my boyfriend either. Maybe I’m just an unfortunate event in his life.

***

OWEN

I was in the library, looking for references to finish my thesis. In the quiet of the book aisles, I overheard a couple of guys whispering to each other. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but their words were annoying.

"Hey, I just made 500 bucks from Hunter, thanks to Jonea Rawling," one of them said, laughing.

I moved closer, listening. They know Jonea?

"Isn’t it wild? Hunter’s willing to fork out some good money just for a game. But I gotta say, I’m disappointed in him. He said anyone who could get Jonea to the dragon’s den would get a prize. Then he suddenly gave up and canceled the challenge. Even though he still gave me the 500 bucks. If he was gonna quit that easily, why start the bet in the first place?"

"What the hell?" I muttered, feeling my anger rise.

I ditched the books I was about to read and stormed over to them.

"You only got 500 bucks? I got 100,000, haha!" said another guy who just joined in. "Hunter said I’m not allowed near Jonea anymore because he’s gonna drag her to the dragon’s den himself."

Punch!

I landed a punch on them, hard. I didn’t stop, hitting each one of them in turn. They immediately got into defensive positions, their eyes glowing red, and their dragon fangs extending from their mouths.

"Who the hell are you, bastard? Why’d you just attack us out of nowhere?"

I almost let my lycan form show, but I held myself back.

"Tell me, is what you said true? Hunter’s paying people to bring Jonea to the dragon’s den?"

The three of them exchanged glances, then glared at me. One of them hissed, cursing at me. "Who the hell are you, bastard?"

I didn’t bother answering. I just kept punching and kicking them until they were battered and collapsed on the floor, completely beaten.

With bloody knuckles, I punched a nearby bookshelf and stormed out of the library, furious.

I searched the campus for Hunter Abraham, asking anyone who might have seen him until a student pointed me in one direction.

Walking towards me from the opposite side, Hunter was casually checking his phone. I couldn’t hold back my rage anymore. He had crossed a line.

At first, I walked slowly, then quicker, and finally, I sprinted toward him, fists clenched tightly.