IVY

"Ugh, Talia. This song is ass," I groaned.

 We were making our way to the bus pick-up point, the last rays of  moonlight beginning to vanish.  Talia was jamming to something loud and overly motivational, the kind of song that made you feel like you could win in life by getting a gym membership.

She scoffed. "I will not tolerate any slander against Imagine Dragons. They're amazing." 

"Maybe," I said. "Just not at 5:30 in the morning, when I'm still deciding whether I want to be alive." 

She laughed and rolled her eyes at me, but she at least  changed the song.   I was fairly certain the drowsy streets of New York appreciated my sacrifice.

A softer melody flowed out of the speaker.  "Happy, now?" she asked, smug. 

"Absolutely."

I gave her a wide, cheeky smile.

 Talia glanced at me and did a double take. She squinted. "Did you...do something to them? Have they always looked like that?"

"Like what?"

"Pointy," she remarked. "Did you get them done or something?"

I resisted the urge to put my hand to my teeth to check out what she was saying.  Laughing a little too loudly, I rolled my eyes.

"Pfft. No." I said. "You're seeing things. Spent too much time thinking about Townsend, by chance?"

It was a poor attempt at deflection, and I knew Talia only let it slide because she was being nice. 

"Ewww," she slapped my wrist on the armrest.  "That boy is disgusting." 

I chuckled nervously and turned toward the window. I felt the weight of her stare until we pulled into the parking lot.

The place was already crowded when we arrived.  Half-awake students clustered together in cliques and rolled their suitcases across the asphalt, everyone's voices creating an offbeat harmony in the stillness of the early morning..

Talia had parked and was getting our stuff out of the car. Well, mostly her stuff-she might as well have packed for the entire school.

I glanced toward the bus doors, registering a face I vaguely recognized before my attention drifted to Talia.

"Hey, get this for me." She handed me a purple suitcase whose weight almost pulled me to the ground.

 "My God, what's in this thing?"

She pouted her lips. "It's for my LA aesthetic." 

I didn't even bother inquiring what that meant. 

She turned toward the bus and pointed. "I'll get us two seats. "Just wait over here with the luggage until the workmen come to take it in."

She ran ahead before I even had a chance to respond.

Better her than me. I doubt I would have been able to push and jostle for space in there.

I waited a while for the workmen to look in my direction and then waved them over to move our stuff. The sun was beginning to rise, so I fired a few texts to my parents letting them know that I was about to leave for the trip. They wouldn't see it till they returned from the ceremony and that was a few hours more at best.

Looking toward the bus, I saw that our stuff had already been placed inside, so I made my way toward it.  Everyone was already inside waiting, so I expected some groaning from them for wasting their time-the last person to board always got a small ceremony: a glance, a sigh, maybe a few teasing whispers.. But as I walked down the aisle no one even noticed. They were either chatting with their friends, talking about all they would do on this trip- which I wished I hadn't overheard- or on their phones deciding which songs to play during the ride.

Unseen. Even here, among other humans who didn't themselves stand out.

I continued moving, trying to spot where Talia was, the buzz of conversation gusting past me like a breeze, laughter, jokes and elbows all moving around my body. 

Spotting her wave from the back, I stepped into the row in front of her. Townsend, reeking of overconfidence and early morning vodka, strutted over to the empty seat next to Talia. 

"Hello, darling," he patted the chair. "Is this seat taken?"

I've known Talia since we sat next to each other in our first class in college, and we've been inseparable ever since. But I've never understood how commanding her presence is; she is a force herself.

One look from her had Townsend backing away. 

"Just trying my luck again, darling," he smirked, his hands raised in feigned innocence as he walked backward. 

I plopped down on the seat just as Talia suppressed a shudder. "Why does he bother me so much?"

She took a mini perfume out of her purse and sprayed it around her , as if his presence polluted her aura.

"Well," I joked trying to make her feel better. "Maybe, he only annoys pretty girls."

She smiled sheepishly for a second, then seemed to remember that I, too, was a girl.

"Oh shit," she covered her mouth. "No, no. He would have  bothered you too." 

I let out a loud cackle.

 "Mhmm," I mumbled and she blushed, turning to the window to watch the sunrise.

The journey started, and it was a blur of buildings and streetlights that were gradually switching off.  The stars faded into the background of the blue sky as the sun came up. Some girls were trying to film the sunrise and others were fast asleep on their boyfriends' laps. I knew my parents would arrive home soon; they always stayed up the entire night during ceremonies and needed to sleep as soon as the sun rose so that could wake up and get on with their day. Mum would probably call me soon and ask for the outfit I wore-the woman would wear gold earrings to the store-she'd lose it if she knew I was wearing my dad's old shirt.

Not that she'd ever find out, though.

 I stared out the window, letting the rhythm of the road take over. Somewhere past the state line, I realized we'd left New York long ago and were approaching LA. There was a restlessness in the air, in the shadow of the buildings, in the way the city stretched along the coast. Los Angeles wasn't New York. It wasn't the careful, measured chaos I was used to. New York had a pulse I could grasp- fast, unyielding, but predictable.

My parents had brought me once, years ago, when he went for a pack gathering. I was really young, too young to be trusted with anyone back home, so they always brought me along on their trips.  Even then, the city felt alive, not in the way of busy people,  or with the buzz of entertainment and opportunities that LA was known for. It pulsed differently, like a coiled spring ready to snap. I told myself that was just Los Angeles.

 Cities each had their own personalities, didn't they?

"Hey, Collins. Pass me the aux," one guy shouted from the middle seat. 

"Ooh, Ivy" Talia looked to me in earnest. "Do you think I should ask for it, too?"

I gave her a dry look. "I don't think anyone's in the mood to listen 'Radioactive' five times, Talia."

She narrowed her eyes in challenge. "Townsend," she beckoned sweetly. 

He turned to face her eagerly. 

"Could you please get me the aux?"

And then, quicker than a drunk person should have had a right to move, just as Collins was about to pass the aux to the kid who had  asked, he snatched it and offered it to Talia..

Her smile dimmed as Townsend blew her a kiss and I could see that she was trying her best not  to squirm. 

"You're ridiculous." I said as Imagine dragons began to play on the speakers.

Putting on my headphones, I tried to focus on the road.

I was about to get some snacks from my bag when everyone noticed that the bus had stopped moving. 

"What's going on?" Talia raised her brows.

I took off my headphones and looked out the window. 

"What the fuck are those? Coyotes?" Townsend shouted.

 Our bus had stopped on a dusty path beside a green field, and surrounding us, cutting off every way forward, was a pack of wolves.

IVY

No one knew what was going on yet.

Students were grumbling about the amount of time we were wasting and others were still sleeping peacefully. Talia and I ran up to where the driver was and tried to speak with him. Reaching his seat, we quickly realised that there was no talking to this man.

He was jerking his head every which way and mumbling something about dying before GTA 6.

This is who has  been steering us for the last 4 hours??!" She pointed a finger in his direction. "His hands haven't even left the wheel!"

She was right. His grip was so strong on the steering wheel, it would be easier to detach it from the dashboard than to pry his fingers off.

I looked toward the end of the bus and saw that people were starting to take notice of the wolves. Their shadows slid across the bus windows in pieces, warped and disjointed, projected on the glass. 

The earth stood still, the grass darkened in various spots, flattened and bruised. The trees bent forward without wind, and nature held its breath as if waiting for a downpour.

A few girls had picked up their phones and were now recording the animals. 

"I'm gonna get so many views from this," One of them said. "Hey, move you're in my shot!" She elbowed the boy directly in front of the window.

The particular wolf she was filming must have been unimpressed with TikTok because it let out a low, grating snarl. 

The girl dropped her phone the moment she caught a glimpse of the look in its eyes. Shaking and now terrified, she lowered herself down to her seat and sat still.

The wolves began to circle the bus, snarling and growling as they toyed with their next meal. They seemed to revel in our agitation, and I wondered what would finally make them act.

"Can someone just...shoo them away? I don't see why we have stop our trip because of some rabid dogs." 

That did it.

Thunder roared and the bus began the shake. The wolves played a beat on the metal, hitting and denting the surface of the bus. People cried out and edged toward the other side of the vehicle, but that only served to make it unstable, almost toppling us over as the wolves pushed. 

"Everyone, stay calm!" Collins raised his voice and stepped in the center of the throng. 

"They're just animals; they sense our fear. We just need to assert our dominance." 

The pack howled as one, lifting their snouts to the sky like he's just said the most hilarious thing. Collins could figure that out too, because he narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders in challenge.

Then he did something Townsend-worthy. He turned his back to us and roared at the wolves. 

We all reared back, startled and even the beasts paused. Then all at once they began the roar back in anger.

Collins moved  even closer toward the window , probably wanting to attempt the stupid stunt again, when one of them locked eyes with him and jumped forward,

Glass shattered everywhere.

Before we knew it, he was screaming. With jaws clamped around his wrist, he tried pulling and yanking it out but the wolf held on. It wasn't until he punched it's snout with his free hand that the whimpered and let him go.

He dropped to the floor and crawled his way toward the rest of us.

"Collins, are you okay?" I asked assesing the wound on his hand.

Blood poured in rivulets down his wrist, soking into his shirt and pants. The bite marks formed crescent shaped bruises around his arm, forming a weird sort of bracelet as he twisted it. It was like he didn't even hear me, he just looked around as if he'd been called by a ghost.

"I'm going to puke," Townsend announced before he began to retch on the bus floor. I couldn't even bring myself to be disgusted, because at that moment, we heard a different crash.

One of them had broken in through the rear window.

People were everywhere at once, scattering from the bus like frightened birds, their screams echoing across the empty field. They realized they couldn't outrun the wolves and settledfor crying out and screeching.

 One wolf almost tore Townsend's arm off when he tried to shoo it away with a beer bottle.

"Gah!" He jumped, landing back towards the bus before remembering that there was one in there and rushed to his feet.

In the chaos, I realized that Talia was no longer next to me. A different kind of fear gripped me that instant. I darted my eyes around the scramble of students looking for her and coming up empty.  My stomach churned, but I couldn't move.

"Talia! Tal-" My voice broke from screaming tearfully.

The wolves didn't rush. They circled us.  I gulped when I realized who they were closing in on.

The boy from the bus.

The one I'd barely registered that morning.

I took a closer look at him. His face jostled a memory from years ago, when my dad had just become Alpha. Powerful wolf families gathered in our house to celebrate him; I remember being told to stay in my room so that no one would see me. I was so amazed at the prospect of being around tons of wolves, hoping for the chance to see one transform. 

Peeking from the slit in my door hinges, my gaze landed on a young boy a little older than me. When all the other kids were rushing forward with their parents, he stayed behind his mother. I didn't understand why at the time, but  now, as he cowered beneath the creatures' gaze, I finally did.

A weak wolf hidden among humans. 

And I realized then that other wolves couldn't stand the sight of those inferior to them.

The biggest wolf in the pack stepped forward, as if wanting to take the first bite.

My body reacted before my mind.  I moved to shield him.

The wolf's gaze shifted.

To me.

A low growl vibrated under the soles of my feet. The wind died, carrying the scent of wet earth and fur.  It took its time approaching me, the other wolves studying me as if wondering how stupid I was to be a distraction from their Alpha's prey.  Panic was a living, breathing monster in me. 

I was going to die, and I knew it.

My hands clenched at my sides without thinking, my fingers pressing into the fabric of my jeans. Every instinct screamed at me to run but I stood firm, something inside me holding me in place.

It stalked in my direction, moving slowly, taking its time to assess me.

Time seemed to stretch. The air turned electric. The other students' cries seemed distant, muffled, as though the atmosphere had stilled. 

I wondered how much longer I would need to be brave, when a now familiar compelling force began pushing me to lift up my eyes. I hestitated until I heard someone scream; instantly, my eyes caught the Alpha's, forcing his gaze away from whoever had made that sound.

It stiffened, tilting its head as if considering me.

Maintaing eye contact, I took a step forward. The action carried an instinctive command, a warning.

Its hackles rose, teeth bared, confusion flashing across its gaze. It took one slow step after another, as if  fighting against something  invisible that forced it to obey.

Slowly and unwillingly, it lowered its head.

The rest of the pack noticed their Alpha's stance and began to follow suit.

One by one, the other wolves froze, then lowered their heads in deference.

IVY

I could already hear the sirens.

The world felt unreal. Ambulances wailed around us, flashing lights painting everywhere in a sea of red and blue.

People were scattered across the field, some were crying, some were screaming, and some were just frozen, incapable of moving as health personnel attended to them. The air reeked of crushed grass and the ominous scent of rain.

I didn't even register where I was at first, my mind was a blur of snarls, teeth, and fur. The wolves were gone, vanished as suddenly as they had appeared, but my pulse refused to slow. I  stumbled toward the center of the chaos, my legs shaking, every whimper from the students slicing through my brain.

I darted my eyes around the field, taking note of the sounds that seemed much louder than they usually were. The grass flattened beneath my feet and insects flew around as my steps destroyed their habitat. It felt like, for the first time, the world finally took notice of me-- I was no longer invisible.

Did the wolves have anything to do with that?

I wondered if anyone saw what happened. It seemed like they would have, but as I turned my head toward them, glancing at their shaking bodies and bewildered states, it didn't look like they would have.

I felt warm hands close over my shoulders. I don't think I've ever felt that from anyone aside from my family.

"Are you okay?"

Townsend stood in front of me, sober for once, pale and shaking slightly from adrenaline. His usual obnoxious smirk was gone, replaced by a soft look, a kind of smooth confidence, something no form of alcohol could have given him.  I liked him better this way. 

"I... I think so," I said, though I wasn't even sure what "okay" would feel like at this point.

He studied me for a moment, like he knew I wasn't telling the truth. 

"Did you see anything strange before the wolves disappeared?"  My voice was low. He tilted his head as if he were trying to remember what had just occurred before his eyes. 

It was hard to focus on the scene, it was like I was watching it behind a dirty screen, and it only became clear when I came into contact with it.  He shuddered , as if just the thought of it was messing with his brain. 

I nodded. "You're okay, though? No bites from them?"

He shook his head with a slight smile.

"Nah, just a few scratches from the glass. Nothing I can't handle."

I wasn't sure if relief or fear coursed through me faster. 

"Stay close," he said, and walked away, leaving me to my thoughts as I stood in the middle of the field.

"And, hey!" I heard his voice from far behind him.

I turned in his general direction, his face was now hard to find in the throng of students.

"I may not understand everything that just happened," His voice rang out. "But I do know you saved our asses. And I owe you one."

I stood still, at a loss for words.  Before I could even begin to ponder his words, a familiar voice called out:

"Ivy! Ivy, are you okay?"

Talia ran toward me, eyes wide with worry. I barely noticed where she was coming from or bothered to ask her where she had vanished to, my mind was stuck on the fact that she was here now, and she was safe.. I didn't even remember searching for Talia in the chaos; the memory felt distant, almost unreal.

"I... yeah," I said, my voice flat.

Talia grabbed me by the shoulders. "You don't look okay. You're barely moving. Did something happen? Did you-did you  do something?"

"I-" I faltered. She couldn't put words to what had happened. The wolves... the bowing. No one else had seen it. No one else would understand.

Then a commanding voice cut through the noise, and everyone snapped to attention.

Our heads turned in the direction of the voice.

A robust man with a star-shaped badge pinned to his shirt, marched to the bus with the authority of one who owned the state.

Chief Mike.

"This is chaos!" he shouted, striding toward the driver. "Do you have any idea what you've done? This was not the correct route! You endangered every single person on this bus!"

The driver stammered something incoherent, his eyes darting to the field. His hands were still glued to the wheel.

My gaze drifted to the road sign-a familiar marker pointing exactly where we had gone. 

The correct route. The driver wasn't in the wrong. 

I wanted to speak out, but I chose not. There was no time to explain that reality had shifted.

Talia tugged me forward. "Come on. We need to check on everyone."

We made our way to Collins, who had been bitten by one of the wolves. He was sitting against the bus, his sleeve soaked in blood, face pale but alive. A medic was already tending to him.

"You're going to need a rabies shot," one of the staff murmured. Collins groaned but gave a weak thumbs-up. I heard Talia exhale. At least he would be okay.

But my attention was drawn elsewhere. Across the field, crouched behind a cluster of overturned chairs and medical equipment, I saw him-the boy the wolves had targeted. He was trembling and...his gaze locked on me.

Instinctively, I moved toward him, drawn by something couldn't explain. Like I hadn't already had a jumpscare from acting before I thought.

Time seemed to slow and the air between us hummed with unspoken words. He looked so shaken, like he'd really expected his death. I opened my mouth to speak, but before anything could pass, an adult  lifted him up and guided him gently away, keeping his movements smooth but firm.

The boy paused, just for a heartbeat, and mouthed something clearly to me: 

Thank you.

His eyes glimmered with a mix of fear and relief. I nodded, heart clenching, finally at peace knowing that he was going to be alright.

By the time we were escorted to a safer area near the bus, my thoughts were swirling uncontrollably. News crews were already arriving, cameras capturing fragments of what had happened, twisting them into soundbites and exaggerations.

I could see the nurses convincing everyone else that it was just a group of wild animals, and that we'd been steered in the wrong direction. The students, completely gulping the lies they were being told. For the first time, I realized the fragility of the human mind; they were content with lies as long as it followed the patterns they were used to.

They didn't want anything that challenged their natural belief.

I wandered away from the group, wanting to survey the field. The sun was beginning to pierce through dark clouds, the aftermath of the battle stark and unreal.

Checking my phone I realised that my parents hadn't responded to me, and it was several after they left. They should be back by now. 

A strange feeling ran down my spine. Something was wrong.

I tried calling them, but their lines went straight to voicemail. Each unanswered ring felt like hours. 

"Talia! Talia!" I screamed.

She turned to face me in shock.

"What?! What's wrong? Why are you panicking?" She held me in placing, trying to get an answer out of me.

"My dad. My...mom. I don't-- I don't" I stuttered.

"Go, go! I'll meet you there!" She dug into her pockets and shoved her keys into my hand. "Follow the ambulance back to town, and take my car, okay?"

I nodded and ran toward the ambulance buses that were already beginning to move. 

Sitting down on the cushioned seat, I tried to calm down my breathing. The nurses around me had confused faces and were probably wondering if I needed sedation. 

My phone rang. 

Mum.

I answered the call in a haste.

"Mum! What's wrong? What is it?" I cried.

She didn't speak. There was static all around her, noises and multiple sounds that were way too violent and loud for time of day. There was grunts and shouts, and I registered the sound of a gunshot.

Someone screamed.

"Don't take him! Leave him alone!"