Chapter 16

I thought seeing Blake and Margot together would be a one-time thing, but apparently, I was wrong. She's here every morning and every afternoon after school is over. Oh, sometimes she's also here during lunch, which makes me wonder if she even goes to school because it doesn't seem like it.

I've been putting some distances between Blake and I for it. Nonetheless, the few times we end up having a conversation, it pisses me off how normal he is. He's acting as if nothing happened.

I even blocked him on Valorant, which is the game where we started getting close. Why? I don't know! He invited me for a game yesterday, and I just blocked him!

Tomorrow is also Trevor's birthday party, and I hope I won't be seeing him there. I hope he stays at home with Margot. That way, my eyes won't get to see their tongue visibly intertwined. It's enough for me seeing them make out first thing in the morning.

Ugh, just thinking about it makes me shudder. And to make things worse, I haven't seen Theo all week because of the damn fever he has.

It's fucking ridiculous, really.

Today didn't change a fucking thing. The first thing I catch as I'm walking toward school is the couple making out as a 'see you later' sign. Can't they just hug or, you know, see each other directly after school?!

"I don't know Cat, you seem off, even more than yesterday. I've never seen a werecat furious, but I don't want to find it out now, so find a way to calm your temper," Bella says, exhausted that she had to witness my bad mood for the past week.

I groan at her. "I can't even deny it, today I feel angrier than yesterday. It doesn't make any sense! You know what? I think I'm going to see Theo today after school. Maybe he'll be able to bring back some positive thoughts in my mind."

"So you can wake up with a fever the next day? Hell no. We have a party tomorrow, so let that boy rest, and-," she snatches my phone from my hands, "-stop texting him. He's clearly sleeping. It's 8 am idiot."

She's right. I need to calm down. I don't know what's been happening to me lately. My little panther has been off, and her crazy emotions are dominating mine.

For the rest of the day, I focus so much in classes that I start to calm down. I can feel my body relax once again, and my head is void of negative emotions.

But he just had to ruin everything.

On my way to my art class, I bumped into someone. I was looking down on my phone for less than ten seconds, so I didn't even need to guess who purposely slammed into me. Looking down at my phone has been the perfect excuse to avoid Blake.

"Cat," he calls, his voice deeper than usual.

I lift my head, looking at him. We stare at each other for a few seconds. I show the fakest smile I've been doing for the past week as I take a step back, putting some distance between us. "Hey, how are you doing?"

He glares down at me. "Why did you block me on Valorant? Did I do something to offend you?"

I watch as he crosses his arms across his chest and can't help but notice the way his biceps flex at the action. I've always known that Blake was a handsome guy, but I've never actually looked at him like that. When I was a freshman, I admired him from afar, appreciating his eyes on me when I caught them. What is happening, right now, is different, though.

So yeah, noticing his fucking biceps is a first. I mean, who does that? I suddenly feel like a freak for ogling at them, so I lower my eyes to my boots.

"I was just in a bad mood, and you popped up right at that moment, and you know, it just happened. I'm sorry, it's not your fault," I reply, mentally applauding myself for the great excuse I came up with.

I hear Blake sigh. "Well, unblock me tonight, alright? I miss playing with you."

Please, don't bring her into this. Please, please!

"Plus, I think Margot is into it too."

There it is. Margot is not his mate, but she sure feels like it for the number of times he brought her up in literally everything.

For example, a few days ago, Blake and I decided to eat lunch outside of the cafeteria because I didn't want to be around his friends, and he wanted to talk to me. Everything was going well. We were making small talk, going from the upcoming summer to debating about ketchup and mayonnaise.

Then I don't know how, and I don't know why, he brought up Margot in the conversation, and I just sat there listening to him blab about her like she was a Goddess. I mean, if you need to talk to me about your girlfriend, can't you do it when you're having, I don't know, problems? So I can advise you, at least?

I guess not, since he would rather bring her up out of nowhere, and talk about how good of a kisser she is, and how many things in common they have, and other nonsense I wish I didn't have to hear.

So here I am, listening to her name coming out of his mouth once again, my negative mood arriving in a flash. I guess I just miss the single Blake who would talk to me about us and have that nanosecond blush when I compliment him. Now, he's just sad.

He's a sad person.

A sad Alpha.

"Cat? Did you zone out on me again?"

I snap out of my thoughts, my eyes looking up at him. I notice the way he always passes a hand through his thick dark brown hair, his defined eyebrows furrowing at me, and his shining blue eyes-

Fuck.

What is wrong with me?

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks.

I blink. "Did I say that out loud?"

He simply nods, a faint smile appearing on his lips as the bell rings, signaling us that the third period is about to start. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Totally. I better go," I answer, walking away from Blake.

Something is off.

I eagerly wait for lunch to come around before texting Bella and Taylor. I tell them that I won't stay at the cafeteria today, reassuring them that Blake isn't the cause of it.

Of course, he is.

I sit cross-legged under the usual tree and close my eyes, breathing everything in.

Mom always said that talking directly to my feline side - who's not ready to speak to me yet - should be done in case of an emergency, and now it felt like it.

I take deep breaths in and out, relaxing my body, and adjust myself to nature. The grass I'm sitting on makes me want to scratch my legs from how itchy it is. But I quite like the wind blowing on my dark curls. After a moment of letting myself go, I call her out.

Panthera.

Panthera, I'm calling you because I think you've done something to me, and you know it too, so do not hide from me.

I wait a few seconds, that turns into minutes but eventually, she comes out. I feel my body passing out, but I'm still conscious. Good. It's working.

Think of it as an astral projection and dream crossover. Astral projection can be intentional, and it's an out-of-body experience where your astral body detaches itself from the physical one. I've only done it twice in my whole life, and it's a strange feeling I don't think you can get used to.

I open my eyes, seeing my black panther in a sitting position, looking down on me with glowing emerald eyes. Her black fur looks soft, with her ears perked up.

"What is it, Catherine Heartfilia?" She asks, her tail is slowly moving side to side. Her voice is booming in my mind, and it's the breathy sensual tone that Blake managed to pull out of me that one time.

I glare at her, sitting up. "Drop the act Panthera. What did you do to me?"

She squints her glowing eyes at me. "What about you? Replacing my love for meat for fish? Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

I laugh. "Yes, well. We'll have to agree to disagree. Plus, I don't get why you're so offended since I let you kill all those animals in the woods for you to eat!"

"Well, it's not the same thing. I can still remember the smell of that delicious beef mom made the night Blake came over."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, let's talk about Blake. Something is off, and I think you have something to do with it."

She starts licking the front of her paw. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Panthera. Do not hide from me," I say, slowly losing my temper at the stubborn cat in front of me.

"Well... I don't like that Margot girl, alright. And I might have mixed my emotions with yours because of it..."

"Get to the point."

She looks up at me with narrowed eyes. "I don't know, alright. I just don't like seeing Blake with another person, and I need you to be with him during the full moon. We might get all of our answers."

And just like that, she disappears, and I lose conscience in a matter of seconds.

I blink my eyes, seeing a familiar pair of blue eyes a little bit too close to me.

Way too close.

I gasp, pushing Blake off of me. "What the fuck are you doing?!" I almost shout as I sit up.

His eyes are wide and alarmed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I-"

I quickly get on my feet. "Save it. I don't want to hear it," I say, turning around.

"Wait! Cat!"

I ignore him, taking off in a run. I hear his footsteps close by.

Is he really following me?

I glance back, seeing him indeed running after me.

Shit.