Pureblood

Chapter Nine: Countdown

Nora and Leila headed back to their room, Nora holding her tattered clothes in hand. Leila stayed silent the entire time, not realizing that Nora was really just shocked she'd been unable to avoid Leila's command. Leila unlocked the door, letting Nora in first. They headed to their dorm room, where Nora silently pulled out a pair of pyjamas. Leila sat down on her bed, frowning to herself. After she was dressed, Nora peeked around the half wall.

"Are you mad?"Nora murmured. Leila sighed, looking up from her book that she'd opened. She gazed at Nora.

"If he had hurt you..."

"I lost control,"Nora admitted. She looked down, her hand resting on the wall. Leila sighed, bookmarking the page again. "I just wanted you to be happy, Leila. You're a really nice girl...and Derek was cold enough to turn you away like that." Leila's eyes trailed over to her arm, spotting the intricate black mark.

"It's not that I'm mad you did that,"Leila told her. She closed her eyes. "Nora, I just don't want to make a big fuss over someone who doesn't want me." Leila opened her eyes slightly. She smiled to herself, a little hurt. "It's just another person that doesn't need me." Her heart throbbed with that.

"I don't think he meant those words..."

"Nora, just let it go?"Leila asked. She looked up at her. Nora saw the sadness in her eyes. Leila closed them and looked away. "If anything, it'll make it easier...if I don't survive the first change..."

"You'll survive it. Don't talk like you won't,"Nora murmured. She walked into Leila's half and sat on the bed across her. Leila looked up at her. Nora smiled. "Are you scared you won't?"

"It's a week away, Nora." Leila swallowed hard. Her breathing hitched. "It's a week away and I don't know anything about it."

"Well ask me." Leila looked up at her friend. Nora offered her a small smile. "I'm here and I've survived it."

"How....long does it take?"Leila asked. Nora hummed.

"Hours. Sometimes minutes? It depends on the person. Mine took two hours, and I think Anne's took an hour and a half."

"What happens?"

"The fever sets in in the evening around 5, which is when the teachers isolate the newbies." Leila stared at her. Nora crossed her arms. "They provide a coach, usually your advisor. So for you that's Gina. She'll ice you to cool you down, and place you in the space where doctors can observe you. If they see you suffering, not making any progress, usually they'll...well..." Leila swallowed.

"Put me down." Nora nodded slowly. Leila sighed and hugged herself. She closed her eyes. Next Friday was her change, and she felt it coming. It was something she didn't know if her body could handle. Your body contorts, and you run a high fever. Many werewolves say it's awful. I don't know... Leila looked up at her. "Will they put me down if I ask?" Nora shook her head.

"No, if they did that no one would be here. I remember the day I turned...every single wolf that was new and turning asked to be put down at least once,"Nora told her. Leila's eyes went wide. Nora hugged a pillow to her chest. She sighed hard. "The pain was so intense they didn't want to handle it." Leila swallowed. "Once you change, they'll use your scent to tell you what you are."

"What I am?"Leila asked, her eyebrows wrinkling. Nora nodded.

"Yeah. They do a test to see if you're pure or impure...it's super rare for people to be pure...apparently, four or five people at this entire school are pure. They're sorted into a different class from us normies, though." Nora grinned at her. "Then they do a test to see if you're an alpha...again rare. Or a beta, a little more common. If you're female and an alpha, you're a luna. There usually aren't female beta's." Leila wrapped her arms around herself. Nora chuckled and gestured to herself with a thumb. "I broke that record, I'm a beta." Leila blinked at her.