✓ | PRIMAL, jacob black ²

chapter nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Aniya spent the rest of the weekend buried in her thoughts and sketchbooks, trying to piece together the puzzle that her life had suddenly become. Each new revelation brought her closer to the truth, yet it also raised more questions than answers. The stories she had heard, the faces she had drawn, and the dreams she could no longer dismiss—everything pointed to a world far beyond the ordinary.

Through the Quileute legends, she learned that the wolves weren't werewolves but shape-shifters, protectors of their people. Their transformations, triggered by anger, were instinctual yet controlled by sheer willpower. That control, though, remained a mystery—why did they have such a strong ability to harness their power? Aniya couldn't quite make sense of it, and the more she thought about it, the more elusive the answer seemed.

And then there was Jacob. His presence loomed large in her dreams, always near her, as a wolf. The connection she felt to him was undeniable, yet confusing. They weren't anymore friends, nor did they share meaningful moments in real life anymore. So why did she feel an almost magnetic pull toward him? What tied her to him so deeply? It was a question she pushed aside, reluctant to explore the unsettling possibilities.

Even the concept of soulmates felt too overwhelming to confront. Her mind rebelled against it, leaving that piece of the puzzle untouched.

As the weekend slipped into the following week, Aniya's obsession consumed her entirely. She skipped school, much to the frustration of her sister and brother-in-law, who tried to reason with her. Their concerns fell on deaf ears. She feigned illness to dodge her friends' calls and visits, shutting herself off from the world. All she wanted was time—to think, to draw, to unravel the truth.

Her sketchbooks began filling with faces she didn't recognize but somehow knew. They all shared the same haunting characteristic: blood-red eyes. Vampires. Cold Ones. The very thought sent shivers down her spine as she shaded in their piercing ruby eyes, fear creeping over her like a dark shadow. It was visceral and unrelenting, a primal warning she couldn't ignore.

The dreams of her death haunted her the most. She saw herself standing firm as the red-eyed Cold Ones charged toward her. Fear coursed through her veins, but beneath it was an inexplicable pride—a willingness to face whatever came, no matter how grim the outcome. Yet the recurring vision of Jacob's broken form lying before her, his bones crushed and lifeless, was almost too much to bear. She couldn't shake the feeling that her fate and his were intertwined in ways she was only beginning to comprehend.

By the end of the week, Aniya's mind was overloaded. The weight of it all had driven her to a place of reluctant acceptance. She stepped out of her self-imposed isolation, her resolve steeled. Her sister and brother-in-law let her have it—a mix of anger and worry spilling out in their words—but Aniya took it in stride. She knew what she had learned was worth the tension, even if they couldn't understand.

There was, at least, one small victory. The anger she had harboured toward her friends, Maya and Juliet, had dissolved. She wanted to see them, to apologize and rebuild the bridges she had burned. But she also knew she couldn't share what she had uncovered—it wasn't her place. The rules of this world seemed clear: those directly involved had to find their path to the truth on their own.

With that understanding, Aniya stood before a wooden door, her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie. She knocked, her heart pounding as she waited. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Sam Uley, his expression one of surprise at her unexpected visit.

"Aniya?" he said, his tone both cautious and curious.

She met his gaze, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. "I know, Sam. I know everything."

For a moment, he studied her, his dark eyes searching hers. Then, with a nod, he stepped aside, silently inviting her in. The threshold she crossed felt more significant than just a doorway—it was the start of something she couldn't yet define but knew was inevitable.