Chapter 4 The other me

I woke up feeling uncomfortable. Not again. Not today. My life is already a mess, but waking up naked in the woods? That just makes it worse.

This has been my reality for years now-falling asleep in my bed and waking up like this. Lucky for me, the woods are right behind our house, so it's not a long walk back. Still, every step feels like another reminder of how out of control my life has become.

I dusted myself off and ran to the back door, knocking gently. It's almost a routine at this point. In seconds, my mom opened it.

"My baby," she said softly, pulling me into a hug. Her face was a mix of sadness and pity, a look I've grown far too used to. "I hope no one saw you."

"No, Mom," I whispered, shaking my head.

Her hand reached up to wipe something off my face. Blood. I froze as she stared at her fingers, her expression shifting from worry to barely concealed fear.

"Mia," she said, her voice trembling, "there's blood on your mouth... and your body too."

I couldn't answer. My throat felt tight, and I could feel her fear pressing down on me like a weight.

"Go, go, go! Hurry up and get dressed for school before someone sees you," she said, ushering me toward my room.

"Okay, Mom. Sorry," I mumbled, rushing upstairs.

I stared at myself in the mirror, my reflection almost unrecognizable. Blood smeared across my lips and streaked on my arms. My mind raced. What did my wolf side do this time? Did she... kill someone? I didn't want to believe it, but whenever she took over, I blacked out. I never remembered anything, and that was the most terrifying part.

I quickly cleaned myself up, pulled on my school uniform, and grabbed my bag. As I rushed downstairs, my mom called after me.

"You haven't eaten, Mia."

"I'm not hungry, Mom," I said, dodging her worried gaze and heading out the door before she could persuade me otherwise.

The air at school was alive with energy. It was PE day, and as usual, the boys were playing basketball in the courtyard while everyone else cheered them on.

I headed straight to the changing room, slipping into my sportswear as quickly as possible. By the time I made it to the courtyard, the crowd was loud, the rhythmic pounding of the basketball blending with the excited chatter around me.

I spotted Alexa sitting on the bleachers, waving me over. Grateful for the familiarity, I rushed to sit beside her.

I stumbled amidst the crowd, my balance slipping. Before I hit the ground, Alexa caught my arm, steadying me.

"Watch it!" Alexa snapped, glaring over my shoulder.

Laila stood a few feet away, her lips curled into a smug smile. "Oh, sorry, Mia," she said in the most insincere voice imaginable, her tone dripping with fake sweetness.

"You're not sorry," Alexa fired back, her eyes narrowing. "Don't even pretend."

Laila folded her arms and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, please," Alexa scoffed, stepping forward. "You don't like Mia because she's prettier, better, and, let's be honest, way more likable than you. And you can't stand the fact that Jayden wants her and not you."

While Alexa and Laila exchanged sharp words, my mind was somewhere else entirely. I couldn't stop thinking about the paper I'd seen tucked into Laila's notebook yesterday. I never got the chance to read it because of everything that happened after school. But something about it had been... off.

Laila knew something. About me.

I mumbled under my breath, "It's okay. It was my fault. I didn't see her leg, and I stumbled-"

"That's not true," Alexa interrupted, her voice firm. "She stuck out her leg on purpose to make you fall. She's jealous, plain and simple."

"Alexa, it's fine," I said, trying to diffuse the tension. "Just let it go."

But Alexa wasn't done. "Let it go? She's just mad because Jayden doesn't want her and-"

"Enough, Alexa!" I hissed, cutting her off.

The argument had drawn a crowd. All eyes were on us now, the energy in the courtyard shifting from the basketball game to our brewing confrontation. The noise around me felt deafening-whispers, laughter, and gasps swirling together like a storm.

I clenched my fists, trying to drown it all out, but my mind kept circling back to Laila. Her smirk. Her words. Little wolf.

Why did she keep calling me that? And what did she know about me?

The voice in my head, growled in frustration. Can you just tell all of them to shut up?

I flinched, startled by the sudden clarity of her voice. It wasn't just my thoughts-it was her. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions in check. The last thing I needed right now was Maya taking over.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Maya's voice in my head. It was sharp, unexpected, and somehow, louder than ever.

I'd given her the name "Maya" after I'd told my mom about her. My mom had suggested I name her to make it easier to talk about, so that's what I did. But I didn't expect to hear from her now.

I couldn't communicate with her normally. She only became active when she sensed something toxic, something dangerous-and that's when she took control. This wasn't the first time she'd spoken to me, but it was the first time in a while.

Can you at least leave or let me take over? Maya's voice was condescending, filled with annoyance. You're just a weakling and a scaredy-cat.

My fists clenched. "I'm not a weakling," I muttered under my breath.

Oh really? she taunted, her words dripping with mockery. Then why don't you just let me take control and stop pretending you're in charge?

She was pacing inside my mind, and I could practically feel her sneer.

Can you just let me have some peace? I said, trying to block her off.

"You don't need to take it all out on me, Mia," Alexa said, even though her voice wasn't very loud I know she wasn't happy with what I said, I hadn't meant for her to hear that. I was talking to Maya, not her. But hearing Alexa's voice made me realize I said that out loud.

I wasn't talking to you, i replied sharply