Chapter 118

My conversation with Lucas and James stayed on my mind for the rest of the week.

I couldn't get any of it out of my head, and I felt bad for acting strange around Lucas when he tried to hold my hand or keep me close to him.

A part of me just felt like he wasn't telling me the whole story with what the Professor had revealed to him. The timing around everything didn't seem right.

It had all happened so fast, and I could only ask myself why that was.

The one question that kept making its way into my mind was: Did Lucas only confess his feelings to me because he realized that my being wolfless meant that it would shorten our time together?

The thought made me tear up as I waited to watch the Dragons at hockey practice. Most of the boys were in the locker room, getting ready as I sat on the bleachers.

"Shana, hey!" I heard a voice call me.

I turned to see James approaching. I tried to blink away my sadness and gave him a tight, bright smile.

"Hey!"

But James could see right through my fake happiness. Immediately, he took the seat next to me with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked."

"Nothing's wrong," I answered quickly.

Obviously, he didn't believe me because he just sat there, staring at me silently, waiting for me to explain myself.

"I'm just getting a little emotional about my birthday this weekend," I lied with a shrug. "I'm just realizing that I'm getting older."

James gave me a small smile and bumped my shoulder with his. "Don't be upset about that, Shana. Getting older is a privilege. You're going to be eighteen! That's one of the most exciting years of your life."

"Is it?" I asked with a frown. "Why?"

"Because you're finally recognized as an adult," James reasoned. "People will treat you with more respect. You're slowly becoming your own person the more you age. It might suck getting older, but it should be celebrated."

"I guess you have a point," I wiped under my eyes. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just being a little dramatic."

"You're not being dramatic, Shana." James smiled wider. "You're just being human."

"Have you ever cried before your birthday?" I asked.

He snorted. "Of course not, I'm a man. I don't get emotional."

I shoved him playfully and he laughed loudly, his voice echoing around the hockey rink.

"Oh, guess what? There's something else for you to look forward to," James continued. "There's a blood moon that's supposed to appear on your birthday."

I froze at his words. "Is that supposed to be a good thing?"

"Yes, Shana," James deadpanned. "That's a great thing! In our ancient history, blood moods on a birthday signified new beginnings or new discoveries."

"Aren't blood moons rare?"

"Very rare, and that's why this is something to celebrate even more." James winked.

I felt grateful for his words of encouragement, even though I hadn't told him the truth about why I was really sad.

"Thanks, James."

"Anytime." He put his hand in my hair and ruffled it all up, making it stand up in different directions. "I gotta go get ready for practice now. No more tears!"

---

The day of my party had finally arrived, and we were holding it at Grandma Jo's house again. The only people here were Lucas, James, Victoria, Emily, Grandma Jo, and me. It was small, but it was all that I needed.

The cozy living room had been covered with colorful decorations and balloons. Grandma Jo, with her talented hands, had baked a cake that looked like a masterpiece, adorned with delicate roses that were edible.

"Happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang as I sat in front of the birthday cake with the eighteen candles lit. "Happy birthday to you!"

I couldn't help but smile as they all sang the familiar birthday song. When they finally came to a close, I shut my eyes.

"Make a wish!" I heard James urge, as I took a deep breath.

My wish was a simple one: that things would always stay this way, filled with family, friends, and the sense of belonging that had been missing for so long.

I tried to think about how happy my mother would be if she saw me now. I was the most content that I had been in a very long time, and the most happy.

I exhaled and blew out the candles, sending up a silent plea to the universe to make my wish come true.

The rest of the evening was a whirlwind of laughter and jokes. We danced to old songs, played board games, and shared stories that made us laugh until our sides ached. It was the kind of night that made me feel like I was part of a real family.

For a moment I thought about the wolfless boy who never got to experience a life like this because it was taken away from him.

My party had allowed me to forget about the recent struggles I'd been grappling with, but it still hung over me like a constant reminder.

As the hours ticked away, the party gradually wound down, and one by one, all my friends started to say their goodbyes.

"Still sad about turning eighteen?" James asked me before he left for the night.

"No." I shook my head with a smile. "I'm actually feeling pretty... grateful."

"Don't say I never taught you anything."

I rolled my eyes, waving him goodbye as he drove away.

Soon, it was just Lucas and me left in Grandma Jo's backyard, bathed in the soft glow of garden lights.

Lucas was holding my hand as we sat on the bench next to the rose bushes. The scent of blooming flowers and the gentle night breeze enveloped us.

Victoria and Emily had set up a string of lights outside for the party, and they twinkled around us as we sat side-by-side.

"How does it feel to be eighteen?" Lucas asked, playing with my fingers.

"It feels the same." I laughed. "It doesn't feel like anything has changed."

"Maybe in a few days, it will."

"Is that how it works?" I teased, raising my eyebrows.

He nodded. "Sometimes you don't realize you're older until later."

The moon began to emerge in the night sky, casting an eerie glow that Lucas couldn't help but remark on.

"Look! It's a blood moon," he said, his voice tinged with fascination. "On your birthday..."

I followed his gaze, watching as the moon took on a deep crimson hue, bathing the surroundings in an otherworldly light.

I remembered James telling me that tonight would be a blood moon.

"Blood moods on a birthday signified new beginnings or new discoveries..."

It was beautiful, but my attention began to wane as an odd sensation washed over me.

My head started to spin, and the world around me blurred.

Panic surged through me, and I clung tightly to Lucas, my fingers gripping his arm as if he were my lifeline.

"Shana, what's happening?" Lucas's voice was laced with fear, and his eyes bore into mine, searching for answers. "Shana? Do you feel faint?"

"I don't know," I whispered, my words shaky.

My vision swam, and it felt as though the world was tilting on its axis.

A strange disconnection settled in as if reality itself were slipping through my fingers.

And then, I screamed.