The music vibrated the floor like a second pulse. In the common room of the dorm where the party had been held, the hanging lights cast warm glows on the plastic cups everyone was carrying. The sound of the music, the laughter, and the bodies moved out of rhythm. Selena had stayed close to the wall, her back against the bricks, a non-alcoholic lemonade in her hands, and the certainty that she would leave before midnight.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," said Daniela, her roommate, shouting at her over the reggaeton. "But you promised at least for a while."

"A while," Selena repeated, and smiled so Daniela would stop worrying.

She tried to focus on the details that calmed her: the paper garlands, the snack table, the boy putting on a dance performance.

Until the air changed.

It was a faint but distinct sensation, like a breeze entering a room that's been closed for a while. A strange smell wafted through the living room, cutting through the sweet aroma of the drinks. Some turned in that direction on pure instinct. The music continued, but the sound of voices stopped.

They entered together.

It was the Blackwell triplets walking through the door. Each had a girl on their arm, yet they seemed to be alone.

"Great," Daniela murmured, her enthusiasm mingling with a sigh. "Now the party's really started."

Selena tried to make herself smaller so they wouldn't be seen. She raised the glass to her lips without drinking.

Then it happened.

Adrian, who was leaning forward, listening to someone whisper something in his ear, stopped. Barely a step, but enough to tense his shoulders. Luciano turned his head slightly, like an animal catching a slight movement. Elías blinked once, slowly, and his gaze rose above the crowd, as if searching the firmament for something.

The scent of vanilla reached them.

Selena hadn't known she smelled like that. But in a second, her presence had a name in their noses. And all three of them, at the same time, turned toward her.

Those present moved aside, and someone brushed her with an elbow. Selena's glass hit the wall, and lemonade splashed over her hands. She froze, her heart pounding.

"Don't faint," Daniela told him jokingly.

Luciano was the first to approach, carelessly dragging his companion along. He greeted those he saw in his path in a peculiar way. Elías followed a little further behind, his steps silent and firm. Adrián remained in the center as everyone moved away.

"Do you want to leave?" Daniela asked him, quite seriously.

Selena shook her head, her voice trembling.

"I feel fine."

The triplets arrived at the table, very close to Selena. Luciano let go of his partner and took a cookie. Adrian looked up and looked at her.

Selena felt her stomach flutter and the world become distant. There was a second when she thought they might come closer, say something.

Luciano arrived first.

"I don't bite. Well, sometimes," he burst out, laughing.

The girl who was already holding his hand let go with a look of annoyance. But his attention had been on Selena since he arrived.

"What's your name?" he asked without invading her space.

"Selena," she said.

"Luciano. That's Elias," she indicated with her chin. "And the one pretending not to look at us is Adrian."

Selena couldn't help but look at him, and he was looking at her too. "Do you want something to drink?" Elías intervened.

"No, thank you," he replied, clutching the empty glass.

"You're not okay," Luciano affirmed. "Your hands are shaking."

Selena placed the glass on the table.

Adrián walked over and stood next to Selena. She felt a tickle on the back of her neck, the same electricity from literature class, but more intense. It made her thirsty.

"Hi," he greeted.

Selena remained silent, and Daniela stepped in to help her.

"We're first semester students. Selena is studying Literature, and I'm studying Architecture."

"Very interesting," Elías commented honestly, looking at Daniela and giving her a smile.

Adrián didn't take his eyes off Selena.

"It smells like..." Adrián began.

Luciano laughed a little.

"Vanilla."

Selena swallowed hard; her perfume was the cheapest. They sold it at the supermarket. He knew he smelled vanilla on it; yet he hesitated.

"Dance with me," Luciano asked.

"No," Selena replied.

Luciano raised an eyebrow in delight.

"I like it."

"Leave her," Elías demanded.

Luciano responded with a grimace, taking a step back.

"I just wanted to be nice to her."

Adrian didn't smile; he turned his head as if listening to something no one else was. A second later, there was a void.

He knew her.

He knew her in a way he couldn't explain.

"No," Adrian shook his head.

Luciano glanced at him, laughing. Elías shifted his attention to the door, alert to something approaching.

"You shouldn't be here," he finally said.

Selena blinked, not understanding.

"You shouldn't be with us."

Not in a threatening tone, but as a warning. -Selena responded fearlessly.

"I'm not with you," he corrected. "I'm on my wall."

Luciano wanted to applaud; he was enchanted by Selena. Elías looked at Adrián, hoping he would choose his words carefully. Adrián took a breath, revealing his weakness for her.

"Let's go," he said, looking at his brothers.

"Shall we take your wall?" Luciano asked, mockingly.

"Luciano," Elías warned.

Adrián turned away without answering; they moved forward and left the room.

"Are you okay?" Daniela's curiosity sparked, as she had been distracted by a boy in her class.

"Yes," she barely managed to say.

The music increased, and everyone continued dancing.

She didn't understand what had happened. She only knew that when she saw him again, the world would seem to bow down to him.

The party had lost its luster, sweat and fatigue were noticeable on some faces. Meanwhile, another group continued to have fun like at the beginning. The common room was alive with people and artificial smoke when Selena decided she needed to go outside for some fresh air. Daniela wanted to join her, but she didn't want to. She shook her head and walked out onto the patio alone, a little pale.

Outside, the air was cool and humid; a few pieces of careless glasses and plates lay on the tables. The music was quieter, and she felt relieved. She leaned on the railing and let the breeze dry the sweat on her neck. She brushed her hair aside and closed her eyes, enjoying the night. She estimated that about fifteen minutes would be enough to feel comfortable entering again.

It didn't take a minute.

The patio gate opened, and the three of them entered, as if the night had just begun. Luciano with his mischievous smile, Elías with his characteristic calm, and between them, Adrián, whose mere presence made his way without needing to say anything.

"Are you running away? What are you doing here alone?" Luciano asked her, getting close enough for his perfume to brush her skin.

"I'm just getting some fresh air, I'm not running away from anything or anyone," Selena replied, still holding the railing.

Elías remained attentive, observing nature, and Adrián stopped in front of her. He barely glanced at her without saying anything, and she felt the space between them shrink. However, he held on without moving.

Selena grew nervous, swallowed, and avoided his gaze. Feeling uneasy and safe at the same time. A very strange contradiction for her.

"You shouldn't be with us," Adrián repeated. "I think I've already told you that."

Selena lifted her chin.

"And yet, you're here. I got here first."

Luciano let out a soft laugh. Elias looked down after seeing her.

Adrian leaned a little closer and inhaled.

"Mate," he said. The word wasn't for her, but for himself.

Selena frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Luciano snapped his fingers. Elias tried to step between them to avoid a confrontation.

Adrian held her gaze, and for a moment, Selena saw his hesitation.

"It means there's a bond between us. But it's a mistake. It can't be. Nothing can exist between us."

"A mistake? I'm not a mistake."

"Of course, you're barely human. You can't be my Mate. Don't you understand?"

"A joke of the universe," Luciano joked.

Elias clenched his jaw.

Adrian didn't take his eyes off Selena.

"It would hurt you to be around me, it's another world," Adrián added.

Anger seized Selena.

"You don't decide which world I belong to," she yelled at him.

"Fate decides, but this time she was wrong."

Selena remembered all the times she had been ignored in her life.

The silence lasted a few minutes. Adrián breathed through his nose as if her scent were a provocation.

"You can't hang out with us, don't mix."

"You can't forbid me from using the common areas."

"It's just advice. I recommend you listen."

"Okay, don't worry, I won't mix with you."

She walked between the three of them, brushing Adrián's arm without even looking at him. Without asking permission or apologies. She reached the patio door and reentered the party.

Luciano chuckled softly.

"She's a sweetheart," he commented, savoring himself.

"It's not for you," Adrian told her tersely.

"Not for you, bro," he retorted, looking for a fight.

Selena crossed the living room looking for the exit. Daniela caught up with her near the stairs.

"What happened? Where are you going? It's early."

"Nothing, I'm going home. I don't want to be here."

"Okay, I'll walk you."

"No, stay, I'll text you when I get there, don't worry."

Daniela thought for a moment, but didn't want to contradict her.

She ran toward the hallway of the dorm. She had the impression that someone was watching her and quickly closed her bedroom door, locking it. She leaned against the wood and took as many breaths as necessary to calm herself.

She was upset; she didn't feel like crying.

She washed her face with cold water and stood in front of the mirror. She looked at herself and remembered Adrian's words.

"I'm not a mistake."

She turned off the light and got into bed, and like the night before, she dreamed of the forest. The howl and the light felt closer, as if it were watching her. She walked barefoot on the cold, damp earth and watched her feet sink in. It smelled of rain and vanilla, and the wind whipped through her loose hair.

"You're not for us, you don't belong here," a voice said in the distance.

"I'm not, I didn't say that. Enough with that."

The moment she denied it, the image shattered, and she woke up.

*

At the party, the triplets were still in the courtyard.

Luciano was checking his messages without much interest. Elías was walking, kicking glasses on the floor. Adrián leaned right where Selena had been holding her hands a few minutes before.

"You were cruel to her," Elías complained.

"I was clear, not cruel," Adrián replied.

-Sometimes saying things that way is cruel.

The night continued as if nothing had happened. Selena, in her bed, opened her eyes, feeling a strange heartbeat that didn't seem to be hers.

She clutched the sheet, feeling sick about the way she'd been rejected.

And without knowing why, she decided to start over, because behind that rejection lay fear, she could feel it. It was just the beginning.

It took her a few seconds to realize she was in her bed; it was the first time she'd woken up with a dry throat and a pounding pulse in her temples. It was 3 a.m.

Drowsy, she closed her eyes, and the image immediately returned: the forest. The trees were tall and leafy, damp, and raindrops hung on their leaves. Between the shadows cast by their branches, three pale figures moved silently. They weren't human, they were white wolves. One with golden eyes; another with silvery-gray eyes; and the third with icy-blue eyes.

They were trying to smell Selena, but a cold wind blew at that moment, chilling her neck as she heard the word "Mate," very close to her ear, too close.

She opened her eyes again, and the room was silent. Daniela was breathing deeply, asleep. Selena put her hands to her chest, noticing that her heart was still racing. She stood up and went to the fridge to drink water, but couldn't; she spat out the first sip: it tasted different.

Standing in front of the mirror, she remembered Adrian's words. "You're not a mistake," she told herself in the dark reflection and went back to bed.

The second dream of that night woke her around six, as dawn broke. In her dream, she was barefoot, the mud cooling between her toes; the sticky sensation wasn't pleasant. But something more striking caught her attention: a howl, calling her. She kept hearing more howls, to the point where her sternum began to vibrate.

Selena took a step in the direction of the howls, feeling the forest as a part of her. The shadows gradually dissipated until she saw a white wolf crossing between the trees. The wolf was very large and fast, with glossy white fur and golden eyes. It stopped to look at her.

"Hello, I'm not from here, I don't belong in the forest," Selena murmured to the wolf.

The wolf lowered its head as if it understood, and the other two wolves appeared at its side.

"A human voice interrupted their encounter," it came from the trees. "Come back."

When Selena woke up, she saw Daniela in the bathroom; the light reflected on the floor could be seen beneath the door. She sat up carefully, remembering what she had just experienced in the dream, trying not to forget it. She opened the window, and the morning air caressed her face, and she felt a chill.

"Did you sleep well?" Daniela asked.

"So-so, I dreamed a lot and woke up tired," Selena replied. "I dreamed about wolves."

"Wolves? That's weird. Do you want some coffee?"

"Yes, I need it, please."

As the water boiled, Selena took out her notebook and wrote down what she remembered from the dream.

By mid-morning, the campus was a madhouse, the usual noise, people buzzing, some practicing their musical instruments, others speeding on their bikes. She walked briskly across to the library, where she settled at a table near the window overlooking the garden. She put on her headphones to isolate herself and began researching her dream on the computer. She tried to interpret the reason for this recurring dream: forest, wolves, howls.

None of the results seemed reliable, just one that indicated the brain was trying to process a conflict or a desire.

When she looked up, Elías was on the other side, returning a philosophy textbook. He saw her and discreetly waved. Selena waved back. For a moment, the calm Elías reflected made her think of the blue-eyed wolf.

"Do you want coffee?" he asked as he passed by her, an obvious question in the morning.

"Yes, I need another coffee," she replied, closing her laptop. "Thank you."

They walked to the vending machine in the hallway. They did so in silence, but under tension. Elías poured both cups, without asking how much sugar he added; however, he got the correct amount.

"It seems you didn't sleep well; you look tired," he observed without judging her.

"The truth is, I woke up twice with the same dream. I was in the woods and it was nighttime," he admitted. "I saw wolves." Elías didn't comment on Selena's confession. He barely took a sip of coffee and said,

"The brain can anticipate our path."

"Is that your phrase, or did you read it somewhere?" she asked, grateful that they were delving deeper into the subject.

"It just occurred to me, and I think it's true. I also tend to dream things that are different from my daily life."

They returned to the table. Elías said his goodbyes and left. Selena followed him with her eyes; spending a few minutes with him made her feel calmer.

Several things happened that day. She received her graded exams, she had classes in all her subjects, and she was quite busy. She grabbed her backpack and left, mentally dazed, thinking about going to rest for a while. She walked down the hallway toward the exit and at the end, she saw Adrián leaning against a column, alone and confident.

Selena lowered her head so she wouldn't have to greet him. She wasn't going to stop. She walked faster.

When she was barely two meters away, the air became familiar, a scent of skin, and she knew it was coming from him. She was surprised by how their bodies understood each other and distinguished themselves among so many people on campus. The realization made her angry, and she felt a tinge of hatred toward him.

"Don't go near the forest," Adrian advised without even greeting her.

Selena stopped to look at him because his comment seemed ridiculous.

"Sorry, what did you say? Say it again."

"Don't go near it," he repeated. "Stop looking for answers, just don't give credence to your dreams."

Selena preferred to pretend she didn't understand rather than tell him she had dreamed about the forest. She didn't want to let him know that he had been right about his comment.

"Dreams are meant to be enjoyed, not ignored."

Adrian clenched his jaw and gave her a deep look.

"It's obvious you don't know what you're talking about," he murmured.

"I really don't know, but don't worry about my well-being. I haven't asked you to."

Selena was curt, but courteous, as she walked past him without brushing against him, even though she felt like it.

"Selena," he called.

She continued as if she hadn't heard.

"Don't get involved, remember," she insisted.

"Let me live, I'm not getting involved. I don't know why you say that," I replied, giving her the sword as she walked away.

She continued on her way without turning to see Adrián's reaction. She didn't care, or at least that's what she tried to show. He didn't want to know.

That night she dreamed again. This time she barely slept; she began to dream, as if they had been waiting for her to start the experience. She was in the middle of the silent forest. This time she could see the moon behind the clouds; everything looked softer, as if the lines were blurring at the edges of the silhouettes. The wolves were there. They looked at each other, but no one moved forward.

"I'm not a mistake," she told them. The wolves were watching her; they had understood her message. The golden-eyed wolf accepted without rebuttal. The playful one moved his paws as if he wanted to run and stayed put. The blue-eyed one, on the other hand, turned back, as if he had sensed some danger the others hadn't heard.

The sensation of something breaking near or inside her confused her; she didn't know if the sound was coming from her sleep.

"Come back," a voice said.

She didn't obey, but took a step forward. The earth yielded under her weight. A scent of rain and vanilla penetrated her nostrils and made her very hungry.

She woke up slowly, her heart steady. She looked at the ceiling, recognizing that she was home. She didn't notice anything different outside, but she knew she had somehow mingled with the wolves.

In the bed next to her, Daniela slept, oblivious to what was happening with Selena.

"Maybe every time I sleep, they're waiting for me: the night, the forest, the moon, and the wolves."