XU WUTAO
I stared at the door of my room where Xueya had left about thirty minutes ago, my eyes lingering there for a while. A tight knot formed in my stomach.
"Get a fucking grip!" My own voice bounced in my memory, and I immediately shut my eyes. Did I go too far?
I could've let her blow off steam. Even if it meant I'd be on the receiving end of the negativity. Why did I pick today to push back? What if she never came back?
Ughhhh! What do I do?
Just then, Mr Lu walked through the doorway, and I slowly drifted back to the present.
I sat in front of my mirror. Hair fully dyed a piercing white, lacy mask nestled around purple glowing eyes, and skin, shimmering porcelain.
The tanning machine worked, much to my relief and to Mr Lu's surprise. No more sitting for minutes behind the mirror, dabbing my skin with concealer—although, there was some slight tingling underneath my skin
Mr Lu walked around me to my locker, rummaging through my stuff, before his hands appeared again, his right hand clutching something within.
He walked back to me with a small smile. "Here, son. Don't forget this." He opened his palm, and there was my locket.
I took it gratefully. With a simple click, it was secured around my neck. I snapped it open, looking at it through the mirror. The single
braided hair strand brushed against my fingers and immediately, I was thrust
into a field of lavender.
I pressed my thumb harder on it, shutting my eyes and taking in a deep breath. My skin prickled, as a warm sensation crawled down my body, filling up my senses. I threw back my head, as I felt it crawl up my neck, a faint
crackling sound filling my ears as it slid through the strands of my hair.
I lifted my arm, burying my nose into the crook of my elbow joint, taking a long and deep whiff.
Lavender.
The scent overtook me. It had become a part of me, from the tip of my toe to the strands of my hair.
I embodied it.
Like I owned it.
I slowly opened my eyes, snapping the locket shut. I muttered a small thanks to Mr Lu, to which he grunted.
"We're very lucky to have you with us, Wutao." Mr Lu's roughvoice started, placing his hand on my shoulder. " If not for your absorption ability, there wouldn't be any experiment at all to begin with. You're our hope, so don't ever feel like you have to push yourself down to accommodate our feelings. You don't owe us anymore than we owe you. Okay?" He gave my shoulder a little squeeze,
and I smiled softly in response. His temple twitched a bit.
"You would've shouted out in pain if I squeezed you this much a few weeks ago." He stated thoughtfully. Really? I barely felt
anything. I sent him a questioning look, and he nodded. He took out his phone and typed a few things on it. "I'm setting a reminder to perform a few tests on you when you get back. I think your encounter with this alpha is having some lasting effects on you. I just hope it's all positive."
My brows knotted, and I sucked in my bottom lip. Lasting effects? I blinked a couple of times.
Mr Lu noticed my unease, and gave me a pitiful look. "Don't worry, it might not be all bad." He reassured. "Do you feel any different? Any pain or discomfort? Anything unusual?"
I began to shake my head, but then I remembered something. "I don't feel hungry lately. I know I don't exactly eat much, but during this past week, I only ever ate when I reminded myself to…" I frowned as my voice trailed off.
"Hmmm… You don't get hungry, but you're looking healthier." His eyes squeezed in thought. " I might have a theory or two. But I'll need to test it before I can prove anything. For now, just relax. Don't think about it too much."
That was easier said than done. How did he expect me to not think about it? He checked the watch on his phone and met my gaze. "It's time to go." With that, he walked out of the room, probably to ready his truck.
My eyes followed him to the door, again lingering for a few seconds. Guess she wasn't coming back tonight after all. I sighed.
I hadn't explained to them why I suddenly wanted to go back to work, but they knew to trust me when it came to these things. They knew I'd tell them when the time was right.
With the knot still stretching tight in the pit of my stomach, I stood up, giving myself a final look. Ren in the mirror didn't look certain, there was a flicker of worry in his eyes that I couldn't smooth away.
I shut my eyes and took in a deep breath, then I opened them. Ren looked back with determination in his eyes.
He was ready.