WEREWOLF SYSTEM

Kyle's POV

I woke up to the sound of my own breathing. Heavy. Uneven. My body ached like I'd been thrown through a wall.

Sunlight bled through the blinds, casting slanted lines across my bedroom. My head throbbed as I struggled to sit up. What the hell happened last night?

Flashes of memory hit me like a broken reel of film—Aaron's glowing eyes, the growl vibrating in my chest, and then… nothing.

My fingers gripped the sheets as I tried to focus. I was in Aaron's apartment. He was warning me—no, threatening me. And then… someone else. Someone stronger. A fight. And after that, nothing but darkness.

I ran a hand over my face, only to freeze when I felt something strange. My skin was warm—too warm. My muscles felt tighter, stronger. The faintest scents drifted through the air—the smell of my old books, the coffee downstairs, even the faint trace of Elena's perfume from yesterday.

How am I noticing all of this?

I swung my legs off the bed, and the moment my feet touched the floor, I felt it—a jolt of energy rushing through my veins. I stood up too fast, my vision sharpening, my ears picking up the distant sound of traffic from several streets away. This isn't normal.

A sharp knock on my door startled me. My heart hammered against my ribs, far louder than it should.

"Elena?" I called out, but the moment the name left my lips, I frowned. Why was she the first person I thought of?

I pushed myself up, ignoring the odd sensation in my body, and made my way to the door. When I opened it, there was no one there. Only a folded piece of paper on the floor.

I bent down and picked it up, my fingers brushing against the rough texture. The words inside were scrawled in rushed, almost frantic handwriting:

"Stay out of the shadows, or they'll consume you."

A chill ran down my spine.

Elena's POV

Kyle looked different today.

I watched him from across the library as he absentmindedly flipped through a book without reading a single word. He was tense—his jaw locked, his hands gripping the edges of the pages like they might shatter in his fingers.

I bit my lip. Does he remember anything?

He hadn't said a word about last night, and I didn't dare bring it up. I wasn't even supposed to be there, but when I saw him heading to Aaron's apartment, I knew something was wrong.

I told myself I followed him out of curiosity. But that wasn't the truth, was it?

I cared. Maybe more than I should.

My fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of the book in front of me. I had stayed with him last night, making sure he was okay, but he didn't know that. He didn't know that I—

"Hey."

I nearly jumped as Kyle dropped into the seat beside me.

He studied me, his dark eyes sharp but guarded. "Were you… following me last night?"

My breath hitched. "What? No. Why would you think that?"

He narrowed his gaze, like he was trying to read me. The intensity of it made my stomach twist.

"Forget it," he muttered after a pause, rubbing his temple. "I just—" He let out a sharp exhale. "Something happened."

I swallowed. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated before answering. "I don't know. But I feel different. And I think… someone else was there last night."

I stiffened. He's starting to piece it together.

"Just—be careful, okay?" I said softly.

Kyle frowned. "Why do you sound like you know more than you're saying?"

I forced a smile. "You're just being paranoid."

I could tell he didn't believe me. But I also knew he wouldn't push.

At least, not yet.

Kyle's POV

I left the library feeling even more on edge than before.

Elena was hiding something. I could feel it. The way she looked at me, the slight hesitation in her voice—it wasn't just concern. It was guilt or felt like.

I didn't have the energy to confront her, not when my own body felt like it was betraying me.

I took the long way home, hoping the fresh air would clear my mind. But as I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The streets weren't crowded, but every shadow, every flicker of movement in my peripheral vision sent my nerves on edge.

By the time I reached my apartment, I felt like I was suffocating.

The air inside felt… wrong.

Like someone had been here.

I shut the door behind me, listening. The silence was thick, pressing against my ears like static. My eyes darted around the apartment, scanning for anything out of place. Nothing looked different.

But then, I smelled it.

Something raw. Metallic.

Blood.

My stomach twisted as I followed the scent, my pulse quickening. My body was reacting before my mind could catch up, every nerve hyperaware. Was someone hurt?

I reached my bedroom, and that's when I saw it.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Three deep claw marks streaked across my bedroom window.

My heart pounded. I knew those weren't there last night before I left for Aaron's apartment.

I took slow, measured steps toward the window, reaching out with a trembling hand. The marks were deep, cutting through the glass with a precision that sent a shiver down my spine. Whatever did this wasn't human.

Then, a memory surfaced.

Seems someone is stalking.

Watching.

Waiting.

I sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back.

Then, the sound of something shifting in the corner of the room made my blood turn to ice.

I wasn't alone and I knew that for sure.