NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Another Bonefire
When she returned, she wore an apologetic smile. “It was really nice meeting all of you, but I have to go now,” she said, gathering her things. “Thanks for everything, Jayden.”
He watched her leave, feeling a strange mix of happiness and sadness. The day had flown by, and he realized he wasn’t quite ready for it to end.
Later that evening, as Jayden returned home, the warmth of his time with Rose lingered, but it was soon overshadowed.
When Jayden walked into the room, he instantly recognized the familiar scene. His mother sat on the couch, her hands wrapped tightly around a steaming mug of coffee. Her posture, the way her fingers wrapped around the handle, and the heaviness in her eyes all told him one thing: she had bad news. It was always like this when she struggled to say something difficult.
“Mom?” Jayden began cautiously, stepping closer. “What’s going on?”
She didn’t answer right away, her gaze fixed on the dark liquid in her cup. It wasn’t until he asked once again, his voice filled with worry, that she finally broke the silence.
“When you were at school today… a man came to the house,” she said, her voice soft but strained.
Jayden felt a jolt of unease. “What kind of man?” he asked, already bracing himself for whatever she was about to reveal.
“He said he’s a supernatural hunter.” Her words hung in the air, heavy and warning. She took a slow sip from her mug before continuing. “Under different circumstances, I’d have laughed at him. But he wasn’t joking, Jayden. He said if I ever noticed anything… suspicious, I needed to let him know.” She still wasn’t looking at him, her gaze glued to the cup in her hands.
Jayden’s heart thudded in his chest. “Mom,” he stammered, his thoughts racing, “I think… I think there’s another wolf in town. I mean… another werewolf.” He rubbed his temples, his words tumbling out as he tried to piece it all together. “I can feel it. I don’t know how, but I *know* it’s here.”
At that, his mother set her coffee aside and moved to sit beside him. Her hands found his, their warmth grounding him in the moment. “If there’s another wolf, Jayden, you have to find it before anyone else does,” she said, her tone firm but gentle. “I’m sure it’s just as helpless as you were when you first turned. Maybe it doesn’t even know what’s happening, or how dangerous it could be.”
Her words struck a chord. She was right. If another werewolf was out there, confused and vulnerable, it would be hunted mercilessly. In the wrong hands, it could be used as a weapon, or worse—captured and experimented on until it was destroyed. Jayden shuddered at the thought.
“Maybe it’s already hurt someone,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “And it doesn’t even realize what it’s done.”
His mother’s grip on his hands tightened. “Then you need to find it, Jayden. Before anyone else does.” She repeated
A responsibility-like sense settled over him. He couldn’t let history repeat itself—not for someone who might be just as lost and scared as he had been. An idea began forming in his mind, one that could help him draw out the other wolf without drawing attention from the hunter.
After going the internet for hours, he landed on a plan: a bonfire. It would be the perfect opportunity to gather people, and set his plan into motion. If the wolf was out there, Jayden would find it. And he would do everything in his power to protect it.Jayden knew exactly who was. He’d carefully planned the bonfire, from the playlist to the guest list. He even knew roughly how many students would show up, give or take a few. But when he spotted Rose arriving, a wave of relief washed over him. Something about her presence made the chaos of the evening feel a little more manageable.
As the night unfolded, people gravitated toward the fire, the music, and the makeshift dance floor. Rose, however, seemed to stay away from the crowd, her gaze flickering between the stars and the glowing embers. Jayden, always drawn to her quietness, found himself breaking away from the crowd to join her.
“So, what’s your family like?” Rose asked suddenly, her voice soft but curious.
Jayden hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “Well, my dad’s out of the country for work most of the time, so it’s just me and my mom holding down the fort.”
She nodded, her lips curling into a faint smile. “That sounds… nice.”
“What about you?” he asked gently, hoping to keep the conversation going.
Rose’s expression shifted. She tilted her head back to look at the night sky, her gaze far away. “My family…” she began, her voice trailing off. Her eyes blinked rapidly as if holding back a flood of emotions. She stared upward for what felt like an eternity, the silence between them heavy and telling.
Jayden didn’t need her to say anything more. He’d seen that look before—the kind of pain that words couldn’t easily explain. Deciding not to push her, he quickly shifted the conversation. “Hey, I just realized, I haven’t embarrassed myself in front of everyone yet tonight. Excuse me while I fix that.”
Rose chuckled softly as Jayden bounded toward the crowd, jumping onto a makeshift platform near the bonfire. He raised his arms dramatically, silencing the group as he prepared to deliver his grand announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” he began, his voice dripping with mock seriousness. “I present to you the newest, most dangerous drink of the century! I call it *Blue Rocket!*” He held up a bright blue bottle that glowed faintly in the firelight. “It has the most illegal drug called wolf's bane in it! Legend says it’ll get you higher than any other drink—so consume at your own risk!”
The crowd erupted into laughter. But Jayden wasn’t laughing. Beneath the playful demeanor, he was studying every face.
The drink was a lie—a harmless concoction that he labeled as wolf’s bane. It wouldn't hurt anyone but serve its purpose. Wolf’s bane, he’d learned, was a poison to werewolves. If one of them was here tonight, they’d instinctively avoid the drink.
Jayden scanned the crowd, his heart pounding as he looked for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. But no one stood out. Instead, the students laughed and cheered, clinking bottles as they downed the harmless blue liquid.
His plan, however, took an unexpected turn when he realized something else. The one person he truly wanted to spend the night with—Rose—was nowhere to be found. She had slipped away, unnoticed and silent, leaving him with an aching sense of disappointment and understanding.
Jayden realized why she avoided to talk about her family. He didn’t know the specifics of her family situation, but he could guess. Maybe they had turned their backs on her. Maybe they couldn’t handle what she was.
From that night forward, Jayden made a silent vow. He would watch over Rose, protect her, and make sure she never felt abandoned again. Because something in his gut told him she needed it—and maybe, just maybe, he needed her too.