CHAPTER 49: 2 DAYS OF DARKNESS.

Bella knocked on her room door.

"Who’s there?" Elara called from within.

Her hands shook as she pushed open the room door. The hinges let out a sharp creak, announcing her presence. It made her flinch.

She hadn’t been inside this room for two whole days, and yet stepping in now felt like stepping into another life entirely.

It felt like like it’s been weeks.

Elara and Corrine were both seated in the room.

Elara’s head snapped up first as soon as she recognised Bella, her wide eyes going from shock to disbelief. She sprang to her feet.

"Bella?" She gasped.

Corinne, still perched on the edge of her desk, reacted more slowly. Her dark brows lifted a bit, showing her surprise at seeing Bella. She set down the book she’d been drawing in with deliberate calm, "the prodigal roommate finally returns back to her dorm."

For a long minute, none of them moved. The air thickened, straining with all the unsaid questions.

Then Elara closed the distance in two quick steps and threw her arms around Bella.

"Oh my gods, you’re alive," she whispered fiercely, her grip almost crushing her. "We thought... I thought—" She pulled back, eyes searching Bella’s face, her entire body. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

Bella narrowed her eyes under the weight of her friend’s scrutiny. Two days ago, this bitch had barely been able to look at me without hatred and malice. Dragging me through the dining hall with those wicked cohorts of hers. Now, look at her eyes shining with relief like she gives a damn about me.

She tilted her head to one side, "Are you genuinely concerned this time or should I be expecting your backstabbing knife soon?"

"Come on Bella—"

"Oh please," she held up her palm. "Spare me the theatrics."

"Bella, you have no idea how truly sorry I am. It was their fault, those girls—"

Corinne interrupted her. "So you finally decided to come back? Took you long enough.

She crossed her arms. "Where have you been Bella?"

Bella slumped down on her bed, suddenly aware of how hollow her body felt, how tired she was, how the past forty-eight hours had drained her. She sat up again on the edge of her bed, leaning against the wall.

"Staying away from you guys wasn’t intentional. A whole lot has happened within these two days and none of it I had planned," she said hoarsely. "I can’t even begin to describe right now. But I couldn’t come back, they just kept me with them."

Elara blinked. "Kept you? Who kept you?"

Bella’s throat tightened even more. Memories of the last 48 hours flooding in. She hadn’t even spoken about it yet, nor told anyone.

Not even to herself, seeing that the only set of people she had come to know, belief, trust—even Luca, were werewolves.

Should I tell them about Luca? Cassian, Killian, Rafe?

She sighed. No wonder everything felt so strange. This was never a normal school.

"Bella?" Corrine called. "We’re waiting for your response."

She turned back to look into their expectant faces, she knew she couldn’t keep it bottled anymore.

"You two—you at least deserve to know. But you have to promise not to repeat a word of this."

Elara nodded instantly. "Of course."

"Of course," she repeated. "But when the time comes, you’ll be the first to stab me in the back, sell me out." She hissed angrily.

Turning back to Corrine she said, "If you’re really interested to know what happened I can tell you, but first, you have to promise not to say a word of it to anyone, no matter what."

Corinne tilted her head. "Depends on what it is."

"Corinne! She said we can’t tell anyone." Elara hissed.

But Bella only shook her head. "No, she’s right. I don’t even think I should tell you anything," she said as she laid back on her bed. "Can I rest now?"

Elara sank down beside her, hands twisting in her lap. "Bella, Corrine didn’t mean that alright? We can’t tell anyone and we won’t." She stole a spiteful glance at Corrine. "We just want to understand everything you’ve been through. You can trust me... what happened?"

"Trust you? Trust you?? Have you forgotten what you did to me? Where did my trust for you land me? In the arms of those bitches you made friends to fight me. You were my friend! I even trusted you over Corrine. You were helping me stand up to Corrine. I took you as my sister and all for what? All for what Elara?"

"I’m sorry," Elara cried. "I’m truly sorry I don’t know what came over me. I got so envious of that portrait Luca drew of you. I was overwhelmed by jealousy and those girls made it worse. They convinced me you were keeping me close just to spite me with Luca, knowing fully well that I was after him too."

"How was I supposed to know you were after him? You told me to stay away from Luca, all the boys. You said it like they were good for nothing. So how is it now my fault that he chose to draw me and not you, not any of the other girls?"

"Are you both going to keep arguing about men all day like fools or you’re going to tell me what happened to you, Bella?"

"I’m not saying a word until I’m sure it won’t leave the confines of this room."

"You should have known I was joking earlier when I said it depends on what it is. You have my word, Bella. I’m not Elara. At least, you’ve always known what I’m capable of from the beginning. Your secrets are safe with me," she assured.

Bella exhaled. "It’s about the four boys," she whispered. "Luca. Killian. Cassian. Rafe."

Corinne arched her brow. "What about them?"

"They’re not just boys." She looked at them both, her expression trembling with disbelief. "They’re... werewolves."

The room went dead still.