Chapter 8 – The Gift
The days passed.
The cafeteria was full.
But the atmosphere… was different.
Not because of the noise.
Because of them.
—
The group was together.
The three girls sat side by side.
Eliza.
Paulina.
Lin Mei.
Watching him.
Without hiding it.
Without blinking.
Like she-wolves evaluating their prey… or their alpha.
—
On the other side, Mateo and Iván talked with Terry.
They laughed.
They tried to maintain something that was no longer normal.
Because nothing was.
The air smelled different.
The stares weighed more.
The floor creaked under steps that used to go unheard.
—
And then—
The door opened.
Not with force.
With presence.
—
Sebastián.
He entered as always.
As if nothing had happened.
As if he hadn't been thrown to the ground.
As if he hadn't bled.
As if he hadn't almost died.
His posture was the same.
Tall.
Confident.
Arrogant.
But something smelled different about him.
Something Terry couldn't name… but his body could.
—
He walked slowly.
Looking.
Searching.
Like a predator who already knows where his prey is… but enjoys the walk.
—
Terry felt him before he saw him.
The hair on his neck stood up.
His shoulders tensed.
His breath caught for a second.
He lowered his head.
Instinct.
Not fear.
Habit.
—
Mistake.
—
Sebastián had already found him.
He smiled.
And walked straight toward them.
Firm step.
Without hurry.
Without permission.
Like someone who believes the world belongs to him.
Like someone who just discovered he can claim it.
—
He stopped in front of the table.
Silence fell like a hammer.
Mateo stopped mid-sentence.
Iván stopped moving, as if the air had turned solid.
Lin Mei tensed her fingers on the table. Ready to scratch.
Paulina didn't blink.
Eliza… just watched.
But her eyes were no longer the same.
Now they were scenting danger.
—
Sebastián lifted his foot.
Placed it on the bench.
Invading space.
Marking territory.
Like a dog pissing where he shouldn't.
—
He leaned slightly toward Terry.
He smiled.
But it wasn't a kind smile.
It was the grimace of someone who has tasted blood and wants more.
—Thanks for the gift.
Pause.
He let the words sink in.
—Do you know how grateful I am?
His eyes gleamed.
But it wasn't mockery.
It was something worse.
Something hungry.
—I feel… incredible.
His voice dropped.
More intimate.
More dangerous.
As if he were sharing a secret no one else should hear.
—
Silence.
No one understood.
No one… except two.
—
Paulina.
And Eliza.
They had smelled it before he opened his mouth.
The change in his scent.
The tension in his muscles.
The way his eyes followed Terry as if he were a magnet.
—
Sebastián straightened up.
—We'll keep in touch.
As if it were a promise.
Or a threat.
Or both.
As if something had passed between them that no one else could see… but everyone could feel.
—
He turned around.
And left.
Without looking back.
Without needing to.
Predators don't look back. They only move forward.
—
The noise returned.
But not the same.
Lower.
Heavier.
As if everyone were breathing the same contaminated air.
—
—…What the hell was that? —murmured Mateo.
His voice trembled. Even if he didn't want it to.
—What gift? —added Iván.
He was blinking too fast.
—What is he talking about? —whispered someone nearby.
But no one answered.
—
Terry didn't respond.
Because he had no answer.
But something inside him… something that had been sleeping… stirred.
—
Beside him—
Eliza was no longer relaxed.
Her back was straight.
Her gaze followed the door.
Cold.
Calculating.
As if she were sizing up a rival who had just entered her territory.
—
Paulina crossed her hands on the table.
Slow.
Thinking.
Like a she-wolf hearing a distant howl and knowing something has changed in the pack.
—
And for the first time in days—
There was no jealousy.
There was no competition.
—
There was something worse.
—
Worry.
Not weak worry.
The other kind.
The one that is born when a predator recognizes that another predator has awakened.
—
Paulina spoke first.
—We need to talk.
Not with the group.
Only with him.
Her voice wasn't a request.
It was a warning wrapped in calm.
—
Eliza nodded.
Without hesitation.
Without arguing.
—Alone.
—
Lin Mei frowned.
Her fingers closed on the edge of the table.
—Talk about what?
Her tone was hard.
But her eyes…
Her eyes already knew the answer.
She just didn't want to hear it.
—
Silence.
The air grew denser.
Like before a storm.
—
Paulina looked Terry directly in the eyes.
—About what you gave him.
Pause.
She let the word fall.
Heavy.
Sharp.
—Even if you don't remember it.
—
And there…
Something broke.
—
Because Terry understood one thing—
They weren't asking him.
They weren't asking for permission.
They were telling him the truth.
And his body… his body already knew it.
The mark on his chest throbbed.
Once.
Twice.
Like a heart that wasn't his.
—
And in that instant—
He knew.
Not what he had given.
But that something had left him.
Something he should never have shared.
Something that now walked through the cafeteria with the smile of a new wolf.
---