WILLA

Elyse’s room was exactly how I had imagined it would be.

Spacious. Princess-like. And overwhelmingly pink.

The walls alone looked like something ripped straight out of a Barbie dream house, girly enough that I should have hated it instantly.

Yet somehow... I didn’t.

A king-sized bed rested against one wall, covered in layers of cream and blush bedding. Soft golden light spilled from the chandelier overhead, warming every corner of the room.

A white vanity sat near the windows, cluttered with makeup palettes, perfume bottles, jewelry trays, and scattered Polaroids.

I swallowed and glanced behind me. Whitney was gone. She must have left quietly while I was distracted.

Slowly, I walked farther into the room toward the vanity, my eyes settling on one of the framed pictures resting there.

I picked it up carefully.

For a moment, I stared at the girl smiling brightly in the photograph before my gaze shifted to the mirror beyond it.

Winter-grey eyes stared back at me. The same eyes.

I lifted a hand, brushing a loose strand of white hair away from my face before leaning slightly closer to the reflection.

My palm pressed lightly against my chest. The girl in the mirror copied the motion perfectly.

"You’re Elyse now," I whispered quietly to myself. "So act like it."

No fear. No shrinking back. No awkward silences.

Elyse was carefree. Confident. She knew her strength and could use it to her advantage. Naturally clever in a way that didn’t seem forced.

Meanwhile, I analyzed everything until it drove me insane.

Not because I lacked intelligence. I had always done well in school too. The Bakers had simply never cared enough to notice.

I dragged in a slow breath before letting it out quietly.

"Elyse Maddox," I whispered again.

The name still felt unfamiliar every time I heard it. But I could live with that. No one here knew otherwise. No Rachel or mom to expose me.

"It’s turning red."

I jumped.

The picture frame slipped from my hand, clattering loudly against the vanity. I spun around so fast my lower back hit the edge of the table.

Whitney stood near the doorway. I hadn’t even heard her come in.

"Do you need something?" I asked softly.

"Come here," she said, motioning me over.

I hesitated before walking toward her. Her hand lifted toward my neck.

I flinched instinctively, stepping back before she could touch me.

Whitney paused midair, confusion flickering across her face.

"I just want to check the injury."

My fingers moved to the side of my neck automatically. Another sharp sting shot through it.

"I..." The words died before I could finish them.

I swallowed. "Sorry."

The crease between Whitney’s brows remained, but she said nothing.

Instead, she guided me gently toward the bed and tilted my head slightly to the side. Her fingers brushed against the tender skin on my neck.

I sucked in a quiet breath, squeezing my eyes shut as pain flared through me again.

The more she touched it, the more it burned. I had been injured before. Too many times, actually.

However, those injuries usually faded quickly. This one hadn’t.

"Why aren’t you healing?" Whitney asked quietly.

My eyes snapped open. "What?"

"Your wolf, Lyla, Elyse. Why isn’t she healing you?" She asked.

My wolf? Was she talking about Nyra?

Whitney brought out a small tin can, opened it. I stared at the white solid inside, my nose wrinkling as a faint herbal scent filled the air instantly.

"Hold still," she murmured.

I tensed when her fingers brushed the side of my neck.

The pain flared immediately. Sharp. Burning. Like invisible fingers were tightening around my throat all over again.

"There," Whitney said softly, rubbing the ointment carefully into the bruised skin. The cooling sensation spread almost instantly.

Not cold enough to sting. Just... soothing. The burning eased first. Then the throbbing.

Even the strange tingling sensation beneath my skin slowly faded until all that remained was a dull warmth.

I blinked in surprise, my fingers brushing the spot carefully. It barely hurt anymore.

"What is that?" I asked.

Whitney’s hand paused briefly before she screwed the cap back on.

"Just something for the pain," she said quickly.

She looked away from me, avoiding my eyes completely. I couldn’t tell what was going through her mind, but I didn’t push.

"Thank you," I said before I could stop myself.

Whitney let out a soft scoff. "I’m your mother, Elyse. Of course you come first. Looking after you is my job."

Warmth spread through my chest at her words, and I nodded with a small smile. Whitney lowered herself onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath her weight.

"Elyse," she called in a soft voice.

I turned toward her, lifting a brow in silent question. For a moment, she said nothing. She only watched me.

I thought she had changed her mind about speaking altogether until her voice finally broke the silence.

"A monster attacked you, didn’t it?"

The question caught me completely off guard.

I looked at her. That wasn’t what I expected to hear. Not from Whitney.

She hadn’t been there when it happened. No one had. And since arriving at the academy, nobody had spoken about monsters or attacks. Sometimes it felt as though I alone had seen it.

Like I was the only person it wanted. The only person it meant to erase.

"I’m not talking about the night you disappeared," Whitney continued in a calm tone.

Before I could react, she leaned closer and gently moved my hair aside, exposing the bruised mark on my neck.

"From how fresh this looks," she murmured, her brows drawing together slightly, "I’d say it happened yesterday."

My throat tightened instantly. "How did you know?" I whispered.

Every single thing she said was right. Whitney’s gaze lifted to mine again.

"It doesn’t matter how I know," she answered. "Just tell me what happened, Elyse." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

I shook my head, biting down hard on my lower lip. It trembled anyway.

"Elyse," Whitney said softly.

She tilted my chin upward with her finger, forcing me to meet her eyes.

"You can tell me anything," she murmured. "I want to help you."

I shook my head again. Even if she had guessed correctly, I doubted she would truly understand.

The fear I had carried my entire life. For people here, monsters were normal. For me, they had always been nightmares.

"Is that why you tried to run earlier?" she pressed. "Because you were scared?"

I stayed silent. The longer the silence stretched, the softer her voice became. "If you don’t talk to us, how are we supposed to help you?"

"I didn’t ask for help," I snapped. The sharpness in my tone startled even me.

Whitney gazed at me, stunned. Instant regret twisted inside my chest. I looked away immediately, unable to face her expression.

I expected her to push harder. To question why I was acting differently. To remind me that Elyse wouldn’t behave this way.

But she didn’t. Instead, she rose quietly from the bed and turned toward the door.

"It’s okay," she said. "Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here."

She paused briefly before adding, "And I’ll do everything I can to help you understand what’s happening to you."

The words hit harder than they should have. It was simple. Yet somehow they slipped past every wall I had built around myself.

My chest constricted painfully. Before she could take another step, I reached out and grabbed her wrist.

I lifted my helpless gaze to hers, my body trembling beneath the weight of everything I was trying so hard to hold in.

"Help me," I whispered.