Truly yours

The university had that constant murmur that seemed to swallow anyone who walked with their head down. Selena liked it because all that noise covered its silences. She always chose to sit in the fourth row, next to the window, with a new, but ordinary, notebook from the kind they sell at the supermarket and a new, sharpened pencil. Going unnoticed was her passion: simple clothes, long black hair tied back in a ponytail that fell down her slender back, and a gaze that rarely met anyone else.

Selena didn't have any friends on campus, so she didn't receive invitations to parties that were announced last minute on chat rooms, and she didn't belong there either.

The most popular students were the Blackwells, a pair of triplets with white skin and light eyes, children of a very powerful and influential family.

Selena knew them from afar and avoided them; she didn't like them: the most handsome was Adrián, the one who ruled the roost; Luciano, the most rebellious, changed girlfriends every two months, and Elías, the kindest.

That Tuesday morning, the literature class smelled of coffee and damp earth. It was raining outside, and the windows were fogged up. Selena was copying down the professor's words when a murmur, thicker than the others, crossed the room. She didn't have to turn around to know the triplets had entered.

Selena continued writing without looking at them until a cold laugh forced her to look up. She saw them out of the corner of her eye, took a deep breath, and returned to her notebook.

"Miss Valen," the professor said, "do you want to read your analysis?"

Selena raised her head, not ready to speak. She never was. She read in a low, clear voice. As she spoke, a strange, electric sensation ran down her neck, as if she were being watched with special interest. She didn't look back.

When Selena finished reading, the professor nodded approvingly. She heard other students commenting in favor, but further back there was a male whisper that she couldn't decipher. When class ended, she hurriedly packed her things to leave before the hallway became a parade of egos.

There was a lot of noise in the corridor, and Selena pressed herself against the wall to let a group of perfumed girls pass by, talking about a party on Friday. She couldn't help but overhear one of them comment.

"If the Blackwells don't go, I'm not going."

The other replied,

"They always go."

Selena lowered her head and followed the path that led to the library, her territory. She felt comfortable among the tall bookshelves, the smell of ink, and the long tables where she didn't have to prove anything. She chose a cubicle next to a column and took out her notebook.

She opened her laptop and plugged in her headphones, muting all the sound just so no one would try to engage her in conversation, and began to write an essay. Every now and then someone would pass by and notice him because the shadow he cast shifted the light on his keyboard.

"Are you busy?" a man standing to her right asked.

Selena hadn't realized he was talking to her. When she looked up, it was Elías, holding a notebook, a pencil between his fingers, and his icy-blue gaze. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't imposing on her either.

"No," she said, putting away her backpack. "You can sit down."

Elías nodded and took the chair opposite her. Without saying anything else, he took out his notebook and began to write something restlessly, writing, erasing, and rewriting. Meanwhile, Selena tried to concentrate on her essay. She bit her lip and put it down, changing her task: reviewing her notes for the next class.

"I liked your contribution in class," Elías commented, breaking the silence.

Selena blinked, surprised.

"Thank you," she replied in a barely audible tone.

Elías scribbled at the corners of the paper.

The silence between them was comfortable until someone placed a hand on the back of Elias's chair. At that moment, the air tensed. Selena looked up and found herself met with a sharp smile.

"Shall we interrupt your date?" Luciano asked, leaning on it with both hands. He wore an open jacket, his hair damp from the rain, and the gleam in his eyes was somewhere between mockery and curiosity.

"No," Elias replied, not moving. "If you're not going to sit down, then go."

Luciano laughed softly and approached Selena, leaning in as if he wanted to know her secrets.

"I don't bite," he said. "He does, though," and he pointed with his chin back.

Selena didn't need to turn around to sense it; the third was there, filling the space without saying anything. He needed no introduction; he was the leader. There was a quality to Adrian's silence that made the others sit up straighter. Selena's unconscious reaction was to press her fingers against the edge of the notebook.

"It's late," Adrian commented, his voice low and warm.

"For you, it's always sooner or later," Luciano replied jokingly.

Elias lowered his gaze and calmly closed the notebook.

"See you later," he said goodbye. "Selena."

When Elías mentioned her name, she became more uncomfortable than the interruption. She hadn't said it to him, hadn't even spoken to him before. Maybe the teacher had said it out loud during class. Maybe. The triplets left as quickly as they'd arrived, and Selena was left trying to overcome the distraction.

She took a deep breath. Her heart was beating faster than usual, as if she'd been running. She found her reaction to the presence of the most popular kids amusing. She closed her laptop and got up to go to her shift at the cafeteria in the architecture building.

It had stopped raining, and the sun was faint between the clouds. The aroma of coffee and toast permeated the counter as she hung up her apron. The supervisor greeted her without comment other than a brief greeting and handed her the tray of sweets.

"We have a lot of people," he commented. "Be alert."

Selena knew how to do that; she wasn't distracted even by her thoughts; she was very good at her job.

After half an hour, the door opened and they entered. Elías entered first and nodded; Luciano followed, playing with his keys, and Adrián, last, sweeping the room with a look that everyone felt.

"What would you like to drink?" Selena asked when she had them in front of the counter.

Elías ordered black tea. Luciano a cappuccino, and Adrián, who hadn't been looking at the menu, looked up at that moment, and for the first time Selena's eyes met his.

Selena compared the color of those eyes to honey and felt like swallowing. A warning sign, a sign of caution.

"An Americano," he ordered. "No sugar."

His tone of voice registered in Selena's memory, and she busied herself pressing the button on the machine while the dark liquid filled the glass. As she placed the lids, she concentrated on her work routine and handed out the orders. "For the smile you denied me," Luciano commented, leaving a tip that was too high for what she was used to.

Adrián brushed his fingers against hers as he took her glass, and Selena pulled her hand away because of the spark. "See you."

Elías simply said, "Thank you."

When they left, the cafeteria regained its bustle, as if the volume had been lowered only by the presence of the three of them.

Selena breathed, resting her palms on the counter, and greeted the next person in line with a wide smile.

That night, when she returned to her dorm, the rain had returned. The window rattled with the pounding of the water, and Selena sank down onto her bed in the darkness. The silence of their shared room gave her space to think. She closed her eyes and soon let sleep take her. She dreamed she was in the woods.

The woods were damp and dark, the air smelling of freshly turned earth. She heard a distant howl, but couldn't determine which direction it was coming from. And through the trees, she saw a barely perceptible golden glow approaching her, then disappearing, without touching her.

Her heart was racing when she woke up, and she felt like someone had been watching her from very close. She placed her hand on her chest, her heartbeat stronger than usual.

Outside, it was still night, and the campus was asleep. In one of the buildings, three shadows crossed an empty hallway. A door was heard closing.

"It smells different," one of them said.

"You always bite," the other voice commented, laughing.

Nothing was heard from the third shadow.

Selena closed her eyes again, thinking about Friday's party, and although she didn't know it, her world had begun to change.

The music vibrated the floor like a second pulse. In the common room of the dorm where the party had been held, the hanging lights cast warm glows on the plastic cups everyone was carrying. The sound of the music, the laughter, and the bodies moved out of rhythm. Selena had stayed close to the wall, her back against the bricks, a non-alcoholic lemonade in her hands, and the certainty that she would leave before midnight.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," said Daniela, her roommate, shouting at her over the reggaeton. "But you promised at least for a while."

"A while," Selena repeated, and smiled so Daniela would stop worrying.

She tried to focus on the details that calmed her: the paper garlands, the snack table, the boy putting on a dance performance.

Until the air changed.

It was a faint but distinct sensation, like a breeze entering a room that's been closed for a while. A strange smell wafted through the living room, cutting through the sweet aroma of the drinks. Some turned in that direction on pure instinct. The music continued, but the sound of voices stopped.

They entered together.

It was the Blackwell triplets walking through the door. Each had a girl on their arm, yet they seemed to be alone.

"Great," Daniela murmured, her enthusiasm mingling with a sigh. "Now the party's really started."

Selena tried to make herself smaller so they wouldn't be seen. She raised the glass to her lips without drinking.

Then it happened.

Adrian, who was leaning forward, listening to someone whisper something in his ear, stopped. Barely a step, but enough to tense his shoulders. Luciano turned his head slightly, like an animal catching a slight movement. Elías blinked once, slowly, and his gaze rose above the crowd, as if searching the firmament for something.

The scent of vanilla reached them.

Selena hadn't known she smelled like that. But in a second, her presence had a name in their noses. And all three of them, at the same time, turned toward her.

Those present moved aside, and someone brushed her with an elbow. Selena's glass hit the wall, and lemonade splashed over her hands. She froze, her heart pounding.

"Don't faint," Daniela told him jokingly.

Luciano was the first to approach, carelessly dragging his companion along. He greeted those he saw in his path in a peculiar way. Elías followed a little further behind, his steps silent and firm. Adrián remained in the center as everyone moved away.

"Do you want to leave?" Daniela asked him, quite seriously.

Selena shook her head, her voice trembling.

"I feel fine."

The triplets arrived at the table, very close to Selena. Luciano let go of his partner and took a cookie. Adrian looked up and looked at her.

Selena felt her stomach flutter and the world become distant. There was a second when she thought they might come closer, say something.

Luciano arrived first.

"I don't bite. Well, sometimes," he burst out, laughing.

The girl who was already holding his hand let go with a look of annoyance. But his attention had been on Selena since he arrived.

"What's your name?" he asked without invading her space.

"Selena," she said.

"Luciano. That's Elias," she indicated with her chin. "And the one pretending not to look at us is Adrian."

Selena couldn't help but look at him, and he was looking at her too. "Do you want something to drink?" Elías intervened.

"No, thank you," he replied, clutching the empty glass.

"You're not okay," Luciano affirmed. "Your hands are shaking."

Selena placed the glass on the table.

Adrián walked over and stood next to Selena. She felt a tickle on the back of her neck, the same electricity from literature class, but more intense. It made her thirsty.

"Hi," he greeted.

Selena remained silent, and Daniela stepped in to help her.

"We're first semester students. Selena is studying Literature, and I'm studying Architecture."

"Very interesting," Elías commented honestly, looking at Daniela and giving her a smile.

Adrián didn't take his eyes off Selena.

"It smells like..." Adrián began.

Luciano laughed a little.

"Vanilla."

Selena swallowed hard; her perfume was the cheapest. They sold it at the supermarket. He knew he smelled vanilla on it; yet he hesitated.

"Dance with me," Luciano asked.

"No," Selena replied.

Luciano raised an eyebrow in delight.

"I like it."

"Leave her," Elías demanded.

Luciano responded with a grimace, taking a step back.

"I just wanted to be nice to her."

Adrian didn't smile; he turned his head as if listening to something no one else was. A second later, there was a void.

He knew her.

He knew her in a way he couldn't explain.

"No," Adrian shook his head.

Luciano glanced at him, laughing. Elías shifted his attention to the door, alert to something approaching.

"You shouldn't be here," he finally said.

Selena blinked, not understanding.

"You shouldn't be with us."

Not in a threatening tone, but as a warning. -Selena responded fearlessly.

"I'm not with you," he corrected. "I'm on my wall."

Luciano wanted to applaud; he was enchanted by Selena. Elías looked at Adrián, hoping he would choose his words carefully. Adrián took a breath, revealing his weakness for her.

"Let's go," he said, looking at his brothers.

"Shall we take your wall?" Luciano asked, mockingly.

"Luciano," Elías warned.

Adrián turned away without answering; they moved forward and left the room.

"Are you okay?" Daniela's curiosity sparked, as she had been distracted by a boy in her class.

"Yes," she barely managed to say.

The music increased, and everyone continued dancing.

She didn't understand what had happened. She only knew that when she saw him again, the world would seem to bow down to him.

The party had lost its luster, sweat and fatigue were noticeable on some faces. Meanwhile, another group continued to have fun like at the beginning. The common room was alive with people and artificial smoke when Selena decided she needed to go outside for some fresh air. Daniela wanted to join her, but she didn't want to. She shook her head and walked out onto the patio alone, a little pale.

Outside, the air was cool and humid; a few pieces of careless glasses and plates lay on the tables. The music was quieter, and she felt relieved. She leaned on the railing and let the breeze dry the sweat on her neck. She brushed her hair aside and closed her eyes, enjoying the night. She estimated that about fifteen minutes would be enough to feel comfortable entering again.

It didn't take a minute.

The patio gate opened, and the three of them entered, as if the night had just begun. Luciano with his mischievous smile, Elías with his characteristic calm, and between them, Adrián, whose mere presence made his way without needing to say anything.

"Are you running away? What are you doing here alone?" Luciano asked her, getting close enough for his perfume to brush her skin.

"I'm just getting some fresh air, I'm not running away from anything or anyone," Selena replied, still holding the railing.

Elías remained attentive, observing nature, and Adrián stopped in front of her. He barely glanced at her without saying anything, and she felt the space between them shrink. However, he held on without moving.

Selena grew nervous, swallowed, and avoided his gaze. Feeling uneasy and safe at the same time. A very strange contradiction for her.

"You shouldn't be with us," Adrián repeated. "I think I've already told you that."

Selena lifted her chin.

"And yet, you're here. I got here first."

Luciano let out a soft laugh. Elias looked down after seeing her.

Adrian leaned a little closer and inhaled.

"Mate," he said. The word wasn't for her, but for himself.

Selena frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Luciano snapped his fingers. Elias tried to step between them to avoid a confrontation.

Adrian held her gaze, and for a moment, Selena saw his hesitation.

"It means there's a bond between us. But it's a mistake. It can't be. Nothing can exist between us."

"A mistake? I'm not a mistake."

"Of course, you're barely human. You can't be my Mate. Don't you understand?"

"A joke of the universe," Luciano joked.

Elias clenched his jaw.

Adrian didn't take his eyes off Selena.

"It would hurt you to be around me, it's another world," Adrián added.

Anger seized Selena.

"You don't decide which world I belong to," she yelled at him.

"Fate decides, but this time she was wrong."

Selena remembered all the times she had been ignored in her life.

The silence lasted a few minutes. Adrián breathed through his nose as if her scent were a provocation.

"You can't hang out with us, don't mix."

"You can't forbid me from using the common areas."

"It's just advice. I recommend you listen."

"Okay, don't worry, I won't mix with you."

She walked between the three of them, brushing Adrián's arm without even looking at him. Without asking permission or apologies. She reached the patio door and reentered the party.

Luciano chuckled softly.

"She's a sweetheart," he commented, savoring himself.

"It's not for you," Adrian told her tersely.

"Not for you, bro," he retorted, looking for a fight.

Selena crossed the living room looking for the exit. Daniela caught up with her near the stairs.

"What happened? Where are you going? It's early."

"Nothing, I'm going home. I don't want to be here."

"Okay, I'll walk you."

"No, stay, I'll text you when I get there, don't worry."

Daniela thought for a moment, but didn't want to contradict her.

She ran toward the hallway of the dorm. She had the impression that someone was watching her and quickly closed her bedroom door, locking it. She leaned against the wood and took as many breaths as necessary to calm herself.

She was upset; she didn't feel like crying.

She washed her face with cold water and stood in front of the mirror. She looked at herself and remembered Adrian's words.

"I'm not a mistake."

She turned off the light and got into bed, and like the night before, she dreamed of the forest. The howl and the light felt closer, as if it were watching her. She walked barefoot on the cold, damp earth and watched her feet sink in. It smelled of rain and vanilla, and the wind whipped through her loose hair.

"You're not for us, you don't belong here," a voice said in the distance.

"I'm not, I didn't say that. Enough with that."

The moment she denied it, the image shattered, and she woke up.

*

At the party, the triplets were still in the courtyard.

Luciano was checking his messages without much interest. Elías was walking, kicking glasses on the floor. Adrián leaned right where Selena had been holding her hands a few minutes before.

"You were cruel to her," Elías complained.

"I was clear, not cruel," Adrián replied.

-Sometimes saying things that way is cruel.

The night continued as if nothing had happened. Selena, in her bed, opened her eyes, feeling a strange heartbeat that didn't seem to be hers.

She clutched the sheet, feeling sick about the way she'd been rejected.

And without knowing why, she decided to start over, because behind that rejection lay fear, she could feel it. It was just the beginning.