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"Pizza? "I asked, looking at Kayler, who was in front of me. The waiter had brought us a large pizza just for the two of us.

He nodded.

“It’s your favorite, isn’t it?”

It was, but right now I didn’t really want it. However, he might be right. I needed to eat, as my appetite was craving other things. I had to fill up on pizza, even if I didn’t want to, to stop the hunger.

Kayler started eating, so I followed his lead. When I tasted the pizza, it felt strange; it was obvious it didn’t taste the same. But with all my willpower, I managed to swallow it.

I heard Kayler laugh.

“You should see your face; anyone would think you’re suffering.”

I raised my eyebrows and pressed my lips into a thin line.

“Kayler, have you ever… eaten… humans?” I murmured quietly. I looked at him intently. He gave me a strange look and set his pizza back on his plate.

“Never,” he replied firmly. “Eating humans is forbidden for us. At least for our pack.”

I lowered my gaze to my plate. Kayler couldn’t know this. He’d want us to go back.

“And when you needed to eat them, what did you do?” I began playing with the straw in my juice.

I noticed his jaw drop and tense up at that moment.

“We use animals, deer and such. They quench our thirst. They’re our food,” he said. “Carolina, do you have that need?”

He looked at me intently.

“Pff, no,” I responded obviously. “I was just curious.”

He squinted his eyes for a moment.

“The phase doesn’t last,” he added. “It’s temporary, it usually happens once a year. That’s why, when it’s our time, we have the prey in a secure place.”

I nodded. Too bad there were no prey of that kind here; they stayed in the village. And now I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to kill people. I continued eating the pizza.

“Carolina, you know you can tell me anything. I’m here to help you. I love you and I’ll never leave you alone.” He took my hand.

I smiled at him.

“I love you too, silly.”

He leaned in to give me a kiss on the lips.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the restaurant, talking or laughing about anything. Sometimes I noticed he seemed distant, and his eyes would turn black, which surprised me because he wasn’t angry or anything. It was like he couldn’t control it. I tried to ask him, but he said it was just the blue moon that would happen this year. And he would have to ascend.

When we got back to the residence, I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. Kayler had gone to buy some things at the supermarket and was filling the fridge. When he finished, he sat down next to me.

“Hey, what will happen when you ascend?”

He didn’t look at me.

“My father said I’d be stronger.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Did you get your schedule?” he asked, changing the subject.

“No, I’ll go tomorrow morning. Classes start in the afternoon.”

“They sent mine by mail. I have classes in the morning. But if you want me to stay with you…”

“Kayler, you know you can’t do that; it’s the first day.”

He laughed. He made a quick move, and I ended up sitting on his lap. I smiled.

“You know that doesn’t bother me. You’d be surprised to know it might be like when we were in high school.”

He kissed me.

“Popular and skipping classes?” I looked at him.

“Uh-huh,” he started kissing my neck. It was already dark outside.

“I wonder how you managed to graduate,” I moaned.

“Do you remember what I told you when we went to Johnson High?”

“No.”

“That we weren’t the only ones with connections in our high school.”

He looked at me.

“One day you’ll tell me what you do.”

“Another day, right now I have other things on my mind.”

He kissed me, and I put my hands around his neck, caressing his hair. He moved his hands up and down my back. He stood up, carrying me, and began walking toward the bedroom. Our lips never parted. I started unbuttoning his shirt. I noticed he opened the bedroom door and then closed it once we were inside. He gently laid me down on the bed, releasing me, and then took off his shirt in front of me, revealing his toned abdomen. I removed mine, leaving only my bra. He lunged at me, kissing me, and caressing my thighs and back.

Kayler is amazing.


When I opened my eyes, I felt heavy and tired. I noticed Kayler wasn’t in bed, and then I heard the shower. I assumed he was in there. It wasn’t time to go to the university yet, which was in the back. I felt full, too full. I touched my stomach, feeling it was a bit bigger.

I threw off the blanket and suddenly got up, holding my head. What had happened? Had I eaten? Could I have been sleepwalking last night and eaten something? I ran to the kitchen, opening the fridge and was surprised to find all the food and meat still there. Intact. So? When I swallowed, I tasted something strange in my mouth, but it didn’t disgust me or anything; on the contrary, I liked it.

“Carolina?” I heard Kayler’s voice, then saw him coming down the hallway, drying his hair with a towel and also wearing one around his waist.

Uh, he looks super sexy. Focus, Carolina.

“I’m here,” I said, leaning on the kitchen counter to seem casual.

He crossed the threshold and looked at me with a frown.

“Are you okay? You got up early, which is unusual for you,” he approached. Damn, his wet hair makes him look so hot. It’s like one of those magazine models. And he’s my boyfriend.

“Yes, I just wanted to… make you breakfast,” I lied, and I could tell I didn’t even believe it myself from my expression.

He raised an amused eyebrow.

“That’s new,” he kissed me. I returned the kiss. “I’d prefer coffee, love.” He looked at me.

I hugged him.

“Okay.”


Two hours after Kayler had left, I had showered and dressed to go to the administration office to get my schedule. I tried not to think about the morning. I decided to ignore it and think that the fierce hunger had passed. I left the residence in search of the classrooms. I took the elevator down, walked toward the campus, which was enormous. Further ahead, I could see the university. It was huge. There were students outside, and I assumed the rest were in class.

Behind the university, there was only forest, as Kayler had told me, and that was fine. I walked through the university doors, climbed the stairs to the top floor. I passed by classrooms, hearing the murmurs of students and professors giving their lectures. At the end of the hall was a door labeled "Administration." I knocked twice.

“Come in,” I heard someone say. I opened the door and walked in. For some reason, this scene seemed very familiar to me.

There was a woman sitting at her computer, typing away. She looked up at me.

“Hello, I’m Carolina Lane, a first-year hospitality student. My schedule wasn’t sent to my email, so I decided to come in person.”

“They didn’t send it?” she asked while searching through some folders.

“No.”

“We apologize,” she said, pulling out some papers and laying one of them out. “Lucky for you, we had some printed out.” She handed me the sheet.

I took it.

“Thank you.”

I immediately left, checking my schedule. The first class was at two, and the next one at four. It seemed that today we only had two classes. The end of the day would be at six. I went down the stairs to return to my residence. Outside, on the campus, a girl's words caught my attention.

“They found him dead behind the university. All the students from the class are there right now. Yes, I’ll go see.” The girl was talking on the phone, and after saying that last part, she hung up.

Who did they find dead?

She hurried off to the designated spot. I followed her without thinking. When I arrived, I saw a group of people surrounding a body. I moved closer, but before I could get too close, arms wrapped around my waist. I turned to him, startled. My heart was racing.

“Kayler,” I said, placing a hand on my chest. “You scared me.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I came for my schedule,” I turned back to the crowd, needing to see who it was. “What happened?” I asked without looking at him.

“Something attacked him,” he replied softly. “Don’t look, it’s deformed, well, just the body because the face is intact. It’s like he was eaten. It must have been a very hungry animal.”

I felt my skin crawl at that moment. The crowd began to disperse until I could see the body clearly. I was scared, my pulse was racing. I was afraid.

I opened my eyes in shock when I saw the face of the boy; it was the same one I had been watching yesterday. The same one I had wanted to eat. Shit. It can’t be. He’s dead. Half of his body is missing. I mean, it’s there but empty. As if an animal had been eating him.

“Carolina?” Kayler was next to me. I guess the shock on my face was evident.

“We found something!” someone shouted, appearing where we were. Everyone turned in his direction. The boy had torn clothes in his hands.

It can’t be.

“This was behind some bushes. I guess this guy was with a girl,” he told a professor.

I looked at Kayler, horrified. He looked at me, surprised, attentive, and serious. Without saying anything. I gave him a sad look.

Those clothes were the same ones I was wearing yesterday. And he noticed.

What the hell did I do last night?

“But the question is,” the professor continued, “who is that girl?”

Kayler’s look was one of disappointment, and it broke my heart. But what was worse was that I had become a murderer, and the worst part was that I didn’t even remember anything.

And this will bring me a lot of problems, especially with Kayler.

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