Nightmares at Everglade Falls

26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Ophelia

The first thing that hits me is the overwhelming scent of fear, thick and cloying in the air. My heart races as I try to make sense of what’s happening, but before I can even form a coherent thought, I realize something is very, very wrong.

I’m on top of Aurora, my body trembling with a primal energy I can’t control. Every time I try to speak, all that comes out is a low, guttural growl. Panic sets in as I look down at the hand—no, the paw—resting on Aurora’s neck. It’s not human. None of this is human.

I’m a wolf.

The realization hits me like a ton of bricks, sending a wave of terror crashing over me. I try to back away from Aurora, to apologize, to explain, but my body refuses to obey me. All I can do is watch in horror as she screams and struggles beneath me.

And then, just as I’m about to lose all hope, the door is torn open, and Owen bursts into the room. His scent is overpowering, filling my nostrils with the unmistakable tang of blood and death.

His eyes are fierce, almost predatory, as he looks at me and then Aurora. “Owen, help!” Aurora’s voice is a desperate plea.

I’m surprised by the ferocity in his stance as he looks at me, then at Aurora.

“How the fuck did it get out?” he screams.

Before I can even process what’s happening, he lunges at us, his fangs bared in a predatory snarl. Aurora’s screams fill the room as the two of us collide, rolling and thrashing in a violent frenzy.

I can feel the primal instinct to protect myself kicking in, my jaws snapping shut with a force I can’t control.

I try to sink my teeth into Owen’s flesh, anything to fend him off and keep myself safe. But deep down, I know it’s futile.

He lunges at me, and I meet him head-on, jaws snapping. We roll, teeth and claws clashing. Aurora’s cries mix with the sounds of our fight, desperate and heart-wrenching.

“Owen, no! It’s Ophelia! Please!” Aurora’s voice breaks through the frenzy.

I want to stop. I want to back away, to show her I’m still me, but the wolf inside me roars, refusing to yield. Owen’s strength is terrifying, but I fight with everything I have, trying to survive. I manage to sink my teeth into his arm, but he’s relentless, pushing me back with a snarl.

Suddenly, the room is filled with a blinding light. Principal Celestia stands in the doorway, her presence overwhelming. Her features are enhanced, glowing with an otherworldly power. She steps forward, her eyes locking onto mine. The urge to attack her surges through me, my growl deepening, but I can’t move. I’m frozen under her gaze.

“Enough,” Celestia commands, her voice resonating with authority.

I try to resist, to break free from the spell she’s weaving, but my limbs start to weaken. The strength drains from my body, my vision blurs and my movements become sluggish. I can hear Aurora sobbing, pleading with Celestia.

“Please, help her. She’s not in control.”

The principal’s spell intensifies, and I can feel it pulling me under. My body goes slack, and the darkness closes in. The last thing I hear is Aurora’s voice, filled with anguish, as everything fades away.

I wake up groggy, my head pounding with a dull, insistent throb. My surroundings are unfamiliar, a sterile room bathed in soft, artificial light. I try to sit up, but my body feels heavy and uncooperative.

“Take it easy,” a voice says gently. It’s Principal Celestia, her face filled with concern as she watches over me. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“What happened?” I manage to croak out, my throat dry and scratchy.

“You transformed,” she explains, her tone patient and soothing. “We had to sedate you to keep you from hurting yourself or anyone else.”

I struggle to process her words, memories of the night flooding back in a disjointed, chaotic jumble. The fear, the confusion, the primal rage—it all feels like a bad dream, but the reality of it is impossible to deny.

The last thing I remember is leaving class.

Gods!

“Is…is Aurora okay?”

I cannot bear the thought that I might have actually hurt her.

“ Yes. She put up a good fight. She is okay, but she will need a bit of time. We have a place for you to stay. It is a little secluded, but we can’t have you staying with the witches or in House Evergreen, when it is still the full moon out. For the safety of the others.”

“I’m... a wolf?” I ask, still trying to wrap my mind around the idea.

Celestia nods. “It appears so. We don’t fully understand why, but it’s something we’ll need to explore further.”

I feel a surge of emotions welling up inside me—fear, anger, confusion—but most of all, a deep sense of loss. My life, everything I thought I knew about myself, has been irrevocably changed. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to the way things were.

“Now what?”

“The first night is always the hardest. The second night, you are more in control of your body so you will be able to transform at will outside seclusion. Some wolves actually go to class and then close themselves off in their rooms for the night. What do you think?”

“This is all…it’s a lot. I thought I was a witch.”

Celestia has a look of sadness in her eyes. “I wish I had more answers for you, my dear. I thought I was bringing you here because you were a witch who needed a community. In the last few days, we have been able to find out about your mother and father. We know they were very strong witches and that they knew about the attack by the Nephilim. So what I don’t get is how two witches gave birth to a werewolf.”

“Me neither,” I say softly.

“But I am going to try to get you some answers. As for now, I am going to need you to lay low. I have gotten someone to take you back to the new rooms.”

“Who?”

And then in walks Gabriel, his hair disheveled, his eyes twinkling with exhaustion. “Hi, Ophelia.”