"I have waited for this day forever, and I can’t believe you can finally see me." The voice echoed, fading like a distant whisper, yet the silhouette remained solid and unmoving. It took a slow step forward, steady and deliberate, closing the distance with eerie patience.
"You’re mine, Noah Evernight." The shock of hearing his real name hit Noah like a physical blow. He stumbled backward, glancing desperately at his friends, but they had vanished as if they had never been there.
"Stand back. I warn you." What the hell was this? Noah could barely handle four obsessive male leads, but a creepy ghost? There had been no mention of anything like this—not even the smallest heads-up.
"I can’t. This is the only way I can touch you, Noah. Don’t move away. You’re hurting me." The figure sounded genuinely pained, its voice cracking with real distress. The lemon scent intensified, wrapping around Noah like a heavy veil.
"This isn’t right. This can’t be real. You can’t be in here with me." Noah’s words tumbled out in panic, but the figure shook its head slowly.
"You have changed, and that’s proof that I’m real. This is the sign I’ve been waiting for so long. You’ve been normal for a long time—I thought you would never awaken. But now you have, though not fully. Soon you will awaken completely at the rise of the full moon tonight." The flood of information overwhelmed Noah.
Awaken what? He wasn’t getting any of this.
"You must have been seeing things. I’m powerless—they confirmed it. This is a mistake." Why was he even arguing with a ghost?
"I’m real, but time is running out. Just search for my name and you’ll see. I am Ken." Before the figure could finish, a gasp tore from Noah’s throat. He found himself sprawled on the cold floor of the detention room, breathing hard. His friends had gathered around him, and Eugene’s mouth was pressed against his own.
Noah let out a howling scream.
"Okay, that was rude. I just fucking saved your life and here you are screaming at me," Eugene snapped.
Noah gaped at him, still processing. Saved whose life? What was this psycho talking about? Why was he even on the floor?
"Save what? Are you alright? Because you just kissed me! He stole my first kiss—that isn’t fair." He looked to Rose and Lamia for support, but they stayed silent. Lamia spoke first.
"You started jerking, Ashton. You stared right at the door, screamed, and then fell down while still convulsing. It looked like you couldn’t breathe." Killian’s face remained mostly unreadable, but a brief flicker of relief crossed his features.
Killian was relieved he was okay? Noah’s mind raced as fragments of the encounter flooded back.
"Did you guys see anyone here in a black cloak with a lemon scent?" He searched their faces one by one, but they all shook their heads. No one had seen anything like that. It was almost as if he had imagined the entire thing.
"Are you sure you didn’t mistake the cloaked figure for one of us? Nobody entered the room this whole time," Rose said gently.
A chilling realization settled over Noah—he had been dreaming, or something close to it. Eugene approached and draped his jacket over Noah’s shoulders.
"You’re cold. Use this." The warmth brought Eugene’s scent with it, a rich scented oil Noah couldn’t quite name but recognized instantly. It lingered on the fabric, comforting yet confusing.
For a moment Noah felt numb. Then the implications hit him. "Wait, why the fuck are you giving me this jacket?" His eyes locked onto Eugene, who stood up and stepped back.
"I saved your life, gave you the jacket because you were cold, and that’s your thank you? Well, you’re welcome," Eugene replied coldly before walking away to keep his distance.
Noah dropped the jacket. He didn’t need fake concern. Turning to the other alpha, he confronted Killian directly. "Tell me you didn’t infiltrate my dreams?" The accusation was clear—Killian controlled nightmares, after all. How else could this happen while he sat there looking completely normal?
Killian looked like he was fighting back laughter before turning serious. "Are you serious with these accusations? Oh fuck, you are. Well, I didn’t do anything. I was far away with Eugene." Noah didn’t buy the explanation.
"You were far away but still listening to us. If you weren’t, you would’ve been surprised. I know your powers, but you’re not reacting because someone already told you. You overheard it." Killian’s smile froze. He moved closer, threateningly near.
"Don’t come near him," Rose warned, looking ready to attack. Noah still didn’t fully know what powers his friends possessed, but that conversation could wait. Right now, fear gripped him to the bone. The daytime encounter made his stomach knot with dread.
"Relax, I won’t hurt him. It’s just a few steps—no one gets hurt by this." Killian pulled Noah by the waist, dragging him close and gently slamming him against the wall. The others grimaced but held back. Attacking one of the future kings of the empire could mean death for all of them.
"Ashton Lane, I don’t know what that was, but what did you see that rattled you so badly? Or do you want me to apply pressure before you talk?" Killian’s nose hovered near Noah’s neck, his hands tightening around his waist. "The change in your scent is driving me nuts. How can you be so addictive and crazy at the same time?"
At that moment, Eugene walked up again, his earlier anger seemingly gone. He looked anxious, almost desperate to get closer and inhale Noah’s scent.
"Can I get a turn? I’m being anxious right now, and I think his scent can calm me down." The request was outrageous, even for Noah.
"Didn’t he have a mate? Sylvia could help him plenty." Noah thought bitterly.
"You horny men should step aside. Let’s question our friend. In case your heads are now filled with hormones, let me remind you that he almost fell unconscious under mysterious circumstances, and here you are trying to milk him. How shameless," Rose cut in sharply.
Lamia hid his embarrassment at her raw words. "Rose, I think you should let them—"
Rose poked his head. "We aren’t here to watch a show or some BL movie. Tell us what you saw so we can figure out what to do. Nothing in this school is ordinary. Have you forgotten we’re in a freaking supernatural academy? Let’s handle this properly. By the way, I’m starving. We’ll each take a bite from whatever’s in Killian’s bag of questionable origin while we discuss what you saw."
Noah nodded. Rose’s ridiculous support somehow brightened his mood despite everything.
"Can I sit?" Eugene asked surprisingly politely.
"As long as you don’t act like a beast, we’re fine," Rose replied, her words unfiltered. Noah chuckled but fell silent when Eugene glared. It was time to talk.
"Does anyone know when the full moon is?" Noah asked, his voice steadier than he felt.