Chapter 23: The Gravity of a Small Town

The days following that first kiss in the moonlight felt like a fever dream. To Katherine, the world had suddenly taken on a sharper, more vibrant hue. Every time she saw Noah in the hallway, the air seemed to hum with the memory of his touch. But for Noah, the sweetness was laced with a bitter, metallic aftertaste.

But she also felt torn because of what Ethan had done. She still wondered how and why he went up to her room and spoke to her in obvious riddles. She wondered why he called her those two nicknames.

Little bird and Little Hunter.

But Covington was no longer the sleepy sanctuary it had been a month ago. The "animal attack" that had claimed the lives of the two football players had left a permanent scar on the town’s psyche. Curfews were strictly enforced by worried parents; the streets emptied at dusk, and the woods—once a place for hidden parties and teenage rebellion—were now viewed as a dark, hungry maw.

Noah sat in his kitchen, staring at a cup of coffee he didn't need to drink, his mind a battlefield. He wanted to give Katherine the normal life she craved—movie nights, study sessions, and the simple peace of being young. But he could feel Ethan’s presence in the town like a cold draft under a door.

"So, he’s actually going through with it? He’s enrolled at the high school?" Veronica asked, leaning against the counter. She watched Noah as he shoved a notebook into his backpack with more force than necessary.

"Yeah," Noah sighed, a dark cloud settling over his features. "He’s registered as a transfer student. Ethan always hated school when we were human. He thought books were a waste of time when there was hunting to be done or trouble to be made."

"He’s up to something, Noah. Ethan doesn't do anything without a motive."

"I know that, Vee. I’ll keep an eye on him. I won't let him get close."

"And Noah?" Veronica’s voice softened, losing its usual sharp edge. "Be careful with Katherine. With Ethan playing student, the danger isn't just in the woods anymore. It’s in the hallways. It’s at the lockers."

Noah looked up, his green eyes flashing with a fierce, protective light. "I know. I'm not a fool."

"If you really care about this girl," Veronica continued, "you have to be ready. If Ethan crosses the line, we might have to disappear. We’ve done it before."

Noah felt a pang of grief at the thought. To leave Katherine without a word, to become a ghost in her life just as he was becoming a reality. "I’d protect her," he whispered, his voice thick with a century of loneliness. "I’d protect her at all costs. Even if it means leaving. Even if it means she hates me for it."