Chapter 2 (Sanctuary)

“Sir, since it’s her first day and she has not brought her books, can I share mine with her?” a voice took all the attention.

I turned back and Ethan gave me a sweet smile and winked at me.

Did he sense that I was not comfortable with that question? Did he interrupt to save me? Did he help me? Because if he did, then that would be a record-breaking event of my life. No one has ever helped me without expecting anything in return except for one uncle whom I will forever be in debt to.

My adoptive parents kept me around them only because they were receiving money from an organization to help fulfil my expenses. I never saw a single penny of it myself. That was until the person in charge noticed that I wasn’t being treated right and so he sneaked in some money and gave them to me personally every time he made a visit. All thanks to him, I saved enough to run away from that hell and all thanks to his connections that I got admission in this school.

“Sure,” the teacher agreed.

Ethan got up from his seat and carried both his desk and chair and placed them beside my area. He kept his chair close to mine.

That close proximity and the scent of trees and mint that radiated him engulfed me wholly.

“I have brought my books,” I whispered as he placed his book in between the two desks.

“No problem, my book isn’t very bad to look at either.”

I laughed at his immediate response.

“Thank you for earlier,” I was glad for his interruption.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he started flipping the pages like what I said was not of much importance to him. He did not want to admit that he'd helped me.

But I was glad.

Soon the teacher started the lesson but I couldn’t concentrate much on what he was saying as I was occupied by someone else in that room. No, not Ethan, but the blond girl. I could feel a cold shiver even from afar.

She does not like me.

The class ended and during the break, as decided, Ethan guided me to the library.

The library was nothing like I’d seen before. A whole new school could be constructed in that large area. It was huge and it was peaceful.

“You like it?”

I nodded. "I could live here, like forever; undisturbed and peaceful."

He chuckled. “Good. Anything else you’d like to see in the school?” he raised his eyebrows.

I thought for a while and I knew my next destination. “What is your favorite place in the school?”

He pretended to think for a few seconds, “Promise you won’t be scared and won’t judge me?”

I unintentionally narrowed my forehead. His words could have multiple meanings.

Unsure, I still nodded my head.

Without letting a single second pass, he grabbed my hand and led the way.

That touch was a normal one, a friendly one, one with no different meanings attached. But who’d explain that to my heart? I fell for him, again, twice in just one day.

We exited the main school building and he guided me through the isolated back alley. I questioned myself if I did a wrong job trusting a guy I’d met just a few hours back. After all, I was not sure if anyone would notice my absence. I was not sure if anyone cared.

At the end of the alley, there was a black door.

“You sure you are ready?”

Unsure and curious, I nodded my head again.

He opened the door and my breath stopped upon seeing the scene.

There were cells like the ones for prisoners and chains in each of them. The lights weren’t so bright and claw marks were deep and evident on the walls.

“This?” I had no words to describe the place.

“This is my favorite place.” He assured my confusion.

“But this is-”

“Don’t be so quick to judge,” he interrupted. “This is that place where untamable monsters like us can be held down.”

I felt low hearing his choice of words. Monsters like us.

“Every time a werewolf feels like anger is overpowering his normal self, he comes here and ties himself so that he’s not able to harm anyone when in rage. This school was built so that we could be kept away from humans, the normal ones. It was built so that our secrets could be safe, so that we could control ourselves and prevent ourselves from making any mistakes that could cost an innocent's life.”

All his words made sense. The meaning of this place wasn't any close to its appearance. This was our own secret sanctuary.

“Have you done that too? I mean have you been here and chained yourself?”

He nodded.

Even though we only met today, I did not feel like he would be the kind to lose his calm so easily. But his words spoke otherwise.

“How often?”

“Very.”

I was frightened. His words reminded me of my adoptive father. He used to lose his calm often too and I was always the victim of it.

“So, whenever that happens, I come here. This place lets me calm myself down and restricts me from harming anyone, it refrains me from having to live a life with eternal regret."

I don’t know why, but in that instance, I squeezed his hand that was still holding mine. I was proud and happy that he didn’t look for people to vent his rage, that he chose to isolate himself whenever necessary, that he was not a monster, unlike the man I once called father.

End of flashback