Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
NOELLE
"She can't control it anymore."
My legs came to a halt.
"We have to send her away. Before it happens again," my mom's voice came from behind the door again, her voice trembling and my body stiffened.
They were definitely talking about me. They were planning to send me away. They...
The door creaked open and I almost jumped out of my skin. My parents stopped in front of me and mom's face hardened. Her eyes went all over my body, probably in disgust or hatred, I wasn't sure which one.
But I knew mom had been reacting differently to me ever since the accident happened. She had suddenly become cold and I'd been walking on eggshells around her. I knew I did something terrible, it was unforgivable but it wasn't my fault.
Something was wrong with me.
Something more than just being the bad twin.
"Come to the dining room," mom announced, breaking into my reverie. And without waiting for the words to even sink into my head, they walked away.
I struggled to take a step. I was scared of what was to come. After what I heard, I had no idea where they were planning to send me to, and that was the most terrifying part.
But the only way to know was to join them.
"Good morning dad," I greeted as soon as I stepped into the dining room. They were already seated while the maids served our breakfast.
"Good morning mom," I added as I pulled out the chair opposite her. Mom only glanced at me without uttering a word. Ever since the accident, we hardly talked to each other.
"Morning Noelle," Dad replied. At least, he was the only one that still made me feel like a human in the house.
I gave him a small smile and he bobbed his head.
"We have something important to say to you," Mom started and my heart skipped a beat. The maid dropped a plate of steak in front of me, and my throat bobbed.
"We can talk about it after breakfast," Dad suggested but mom shot him a scowl.
I would prefer hearing it now other than filling my head with different thoughts until after breakfast.
"Oh, what's it?" I asked with a forced smile as I straightened up.
Mom began, "Since your sister isn't around, you won't be going back to school."
My eyes grew wide. That was unexpected.
"What do you mean? I'm not going back to school because Norah isn't around?" I asked as calmly as I could, but I could feel my temper spiking.
"That's because you put her in that state," Mom replied sharply and I bit on my lower lip. I had no comeback for that since I was at fault for my sister's comatose state but they don't have to keep on reminding me about that every single day and...
"If we decide you should stop schooling, it shouldn't be a problem at all because you almost killed your sister!"
My lips went dry. Everything that happened flashed before my eyes and my heart clenched.
"You want to go back to that school so people would start asking about your sister and you'll tell them you beat her to coma, right?" She asked on top of her voice.
I didn't beat her. I only touched her. It was only an accident. How she ended up in a coma was beyond me.
"Stop it, Lilac," Dad cautioned. Mom shot me one last look before looking away.
"Noelle, you are not stopping school. You'll only stop going to your previous school," Dad explained.
I blinked.
"Henceforth, you'll be attending Wisbur High. You are leaving tomorrow," he announced, and I stared at him with wide eyes.
Wisbur High? My parents had considered sending us there when we wanted to enter high school. That was probably when everything started going wrong with me. But they changed their minds.
All I knew about the school was that it was somewhere deep in the woods, far from home. A boarding school that was just like an entire town on its own.
"But..."
Mom cut in sharply. "Our decision is final. You're going to Wisbur High and you can only come home after the semester ends."
Were they really bent on disposing me?
"But..."
"No buts dear, it's final," Dad cut me short and I let out a sigh. I wasn't even sure of what to think.
Sending me to Wisbur High was literally chasing me out of their lives. Were they scared of what I was slowly becoming? Why can't my parents see from my perspective?
"Can I at least see Norah before I leave tomorrow?" It took all the courage in me to ask that question and just as I expected, it was rejected.
"Why? You want to finish what you started, right? You want to kill her finally this time around?" Mom burst out, and I shook my head.
"No, that's not it. I haven't seen her since that time and it's been weeks but ..."
"Shut it!" Mom shrieked, and I flinched.
She always reacted that way whenever I mention going to see my twin sister. Ever since the doctor announced that Norah was in a comatose state, they never allowed me to visit her in the hospital or even mention her name in that house.
"Noelle, you can't visit your twin sister. Just eat your breakfast and go get prepared for your new school," Dad said.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"But I'll be gone for long. I have to see her," I said in a pleading tone but neither of them answered. They couldn't even look at me.
And that was just the last time we had breakfast together.
By morning, I was in the backseat of a car, headed deep into the woods. My stomach twisted into knots as we rode the clear path in the forest. It felt like it wasn't going to end. Like the school didn't even exist and it had only been placed on the map to lure people to their death or something.
As the car crested the final hill, the school finally came into view.
Wisbur High.
The gates creaked open and my palms became clammy. It felt like I was stepping into danger. Like something here was… watching me and breathing with me.
I didn't like the feeling at all.
And the school was just like those ones in horror movies. It was like a castle built into the forest. Towers. Iron gates. Old stone walls. It looked more like a war fortress than a boarding school.
I swallowed as I stepped out of the car. I didn’t know if this place was really a boarding school. Or why the wind felt like it was whispering warnings to me.
As the driver helped with my luggage, my eyes went around the large area. It looked like I would have to walk miles before other buildings appeared. A large land definitely didn't hold one building, right?
All I saw were trees and...
A guy leaning against a sleek black bike typing away on his phone.
In a split second, he raised his head and our eyes met. My breath caught as he stared at me.
His silver eyes locked on mine and everything literally changed. The world tilted.
The air shifted as something stirred in my blood. His face morphed into a frown and something snapped in me.
A rush of heat flooded my chest. My vision blurred, and a sharp pain stabbed through my heart.
As I clutched my chest in pain, I heard it. A voice that wasn't mine. Where on earth did it come from? But it seemed like it was coming from inside me.
"Mate," the voice whispered, and I let out a gasp.
Not in awe.
In confusion.
What the hell was mate? Why had I heard that one word?
Goosebumps crept up my skin.
I shook my head and dragged my suitcase forward, but the voice came again, sending chills down my body and one word became more.
"Get rid of him!"
My body stiffened.
Was I going crazy?
The command echoed, louder and louder, until I thought my skull might split open.
And then my fingers twitched as if they wanted to obey.,
