Amber Dusk | OLD Version

☼ Chapter V ☼

picture; Genevieve Seilyar

song; "Control" by Garbage

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My stomach twisted in on itself as a rush of nausea crashed through me. Lorelai took a tentative step forward as her gray eyes clouded over with concern. Her hands settled onto either of my arms as she steadied me and kept me upright.

A whooshing roar resounded in my ears and I felt an old, trenchant panic cascade over my entirety. The familiarity of it pushed through my chest and I stumbled away as I grew incredibly light-headed.

Lorelai hurriedly pulled me to the couch and moved next to me just as blackness settled over my vision.

What felt like instantly, my eyes snapped open and I sharply sucked in air. Lorelai squeezed my hand reassuringly as I took in her image. She allowed that intensely recognizable slow smile to birth itself onto her lips.

"You're insanely dramatic." She told me as I started to sit up. "The Awakening is not as horrible as you think, Sonny."

"Did I faint?" My voice was almost dismissive as I quizzed her, my eyes sliding around the quietness of my dormitory.

"Yeah, you did. Because you're insanely dramatic." Lorelai's own tone had also become dismissive. She shook her head as a short, small laugh fell passed her lips. "The Awakening is the best part of the Changing."

"How do you know? Lycans don't Awaken."

"No, the first Shift is actually pretty horrible. You start out with a fever so intense it makes your whole body convulse with chills and vomit until you're puking blood. And then it usually takes more than twelve hours for you to completely transform into your Lycan." Lorelai shook her head and her gray eyes seemed to grow dark with gloom.

"But the Awakening isn't anything like Shifting. Your true nature is only beginning to come to the surface, so that means all that happens is heightened emotions, senses, and you find more Gifts or Powers." Lorelai was still munching on bacon, and her voice now was too casual—way too calm.

I nodded slowly and let out a heavy sigh, almost as if I could breathe the stress and anxiety that had curdled into the very core of me away. My eyes slid over to check what time it was.

The green digital numbers on the wall clock read 5:12 pm, which meant I needed to start getting ready to go see Genevieve for our first meeting of the week.

Lorelai had needed me to reassure her at least twenty times that I was okay to be alone before she finally retired to her own dormitory to get ready for her classes. I dressed quickly in a simple pair of black jeans and a black long-sleeve top.

I paired it with my Academy issued combat boots since I knew I had a Combats lesson after I left Genevieve's office.

My hair was still wet from my shower so I brushed my kinky, voluminous curls into a slick ponytail, letting the ringlets remain free in the hair tie. I decided to forego any makeup simply because I wasn't in the mood to put any on.

Pulling on a denim jacket and tugging my lavender book bag from the hook beside the front door, I moved to leave my dorm when I felt a rush of relentless and undeniable warmth flow over me as soon as I moved to step into the hall.

Upon opening the door to leave, I came face-to-face with gorgeous cerulean-blue eyes. His eyes seemed to alight into a crystal ocean as he surveyed my appearance. "Derik," I breathed in surprise as a vivacious hunger slammed into me.

"What are you doing here?" My eyes narrowed suspiciously at him as a familiar wolfish grin slinked across his mouth.

"Friendly neighborhood watch." He waved grandly to the emptiness of the hall and I quirked a brow up at my soulmate. As Derik's eyes turned over to me once again, he cocked his head to the side in an inquisitive fashion.