"He will lose his humanity if we waste time."
Those words echoed in my head the whole journey.
"What if this is a trap?"
My mind drifted to Josephine's warning.
"But what if it's not,"
I whispered to myself.
The man sitting beside me turned his head.
"What if what?" he asked.
Oh God. I had said it out loud.
I didn't answer him.
I Just looked away.
Rude of me, maybe but he should mind his own business.
I finally got to the city. The noise hit me first,
cars honking, people shouting, footsteps everywhere. My heart pounded because I knew no one here. Not a single soul.
Wolves usually lived with their packs, tight and safe. But me? I was standing in a place I didn't understand, completely alone.
How was I even supposed to survive?
I dragged my bag behind me, worn from the long trip. I stopped in front of some stranger's house,
just staring like maybe answers would fall from the sky. That's when I noticed a girl walking past.
I froze.
I could smell her.
Wolf.
My heart leapt and I rushed toward her.
"Hey, you! You're a wolf, right?"
The girl stopped in her tracks, giving me this weird, confused look. Her face tightened, defensive.
"No oo. What are you even saying? Wolf? Do I look like an animal to you?"
I blinked, baffled. Why was she denying it? I wasn't crazy I could smell her.
"I can smell you,"
I said firmly.
"I know what you are. You're a were...."
Before I could finish, she rushed towards me and covered my mouth to stop me from talking any further.
"Shhh!"
she hissed, eyes wide.
"Are you stupid? I smell you too, wolf girl."
I blinked, muffled under her palm.
When she finally let go, I let out a small breath.
"So why did you deny it?"
"Because I don't know who the hell you are,"
she shot back, frowning.
"Don't go around shouting things like that. Are you okay?"
Her tone was rude, and my wolf bristled.
My lips parted, ready to snap back.
"Girl, I knew what you were even from a far distance. I'm not dumb. In my pack house, they send us to school, make sure we blend with humans. So don't you dare..."
I stopped myself mid-sentence. Oh my God. Was I really about to insult the only person who might help me survive here?
She folded her arms.
"What do you want?"
I bit my lip.
"Girl, long story. My boyfriend is trapped in his wolf form i....''
''what?''
She cut me short.
''How is that even possible?''
She asked shocked to the bone morrow.
''I don't know,but I'm looking for a witch,she promised to help me,while I'm here,I will need somewhere to crash for the meantime."
Her expression softened a little, but mostly she looked at me like I was about to dump a truckload of problems into her lap.
"So what was your plan when you came to this City?''
She asked,
I didn't even have an answer to that question.I just looked down.
''See girl, I'm in a tight spot right now. But… I'll introduce you to my co-worker and roommate.
Maybe she'll agree to let you stay with us."
My chest filled with relief.
"Thank you, thank you so much."
"Come on in." She waved me along.
That was how I stepped into her apartment.
It wasn't huge, but it was neat. A nice sitting room, two doors on either side leading to their bedrooms. It felt so… normal.
"Hey, Celine, who's she?" a voice called from the kitchen. A girl walked in, wiping her hands with a towel. She was calm, with kind eyes that immediately made me relax.
Celine, the rude girl, quickly answered. "Sophie, she's my cousin. She's stranded, needs to crash here for a while."
I blinked at the lie but stayed quiet.
Sophie didn't even hesitate. She smiled warmly.
"Yeah, sure. When will you be leaving?"
I laughed nervously, scratching my head.
"Well… I don't know yet. But hopefully within a month."
"Relax,"
Sophie said kindly.
"You can stay as long as you need. I just wanted to ask."
My heart melted. "Thank you. You're really kind."
We all shared a little smile, and I instantly liked her. Unlike her roommate, she wasn't snapping at me.
Celine led me to her room and cleared a little space in her wardrobe. "You can hang your clothes here."
"Thanks," I whispered, putting my bag down.
Later, when we were alone, curiosity got the best of me.
"So when the full moon comes, how do you cope?"
Celine gave me a look.
"It's not like I have a choice. I fucking turn, bitch."
I stared at her, speechless. What kind of answer was that?
She rolled her eyes.
"Relax. Sophie's human. I'm not dumb
I go to the woods. I just tell her I'm visiting my boyfriend."
"That's smart," I admitted, smiling. "I wonder what excuse I'll give her."
"Would you shut up already? I'm making some calls. If you're gonna stay here, then you need a job."
She wasn't wrong. I nodded. A job would give me cover and a chance to look around for the witch.
I couldn't just roam the city aimlessly.
That night, I lay awake thinking of Andrew. His laugh. His voice. The way he always shielded me during hunts. My chest tightened.
No matter what, I would find that witch. I will visit every restaurant if I had to.
The next morning, Sophie knocked and walked into the room with a big smile.
"Guess what? Celine's been asking around for you, and I got a call. A food company needs an assistant for their boss."
My eyes widened. That was perfect. Working in food company meant restaurants, kitchens, people one of them had to be the witch.
I smiled happily.
"So That's amazing! Yes, yes, of course, I would love to work there."
Sophie lifted her phone, still on the call. "She said yes."
On the other end, a man's voice barked so loud I could hear it from here.
"Well tell the bitch to bring her ass to work tomorrow, and pray she survives.
That's if he even gets the job.''
I was shocked.
"That was rude."
Sophie smiled a little.
"Wait till you meet your new boss. They say he eats assistants for breakfast."