The Soul Tied Bully Mate

Elisa’s POV

“Elisa.”

“Elisa.”

Something tugged on one of my earbuds, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked toward the driver’s seat.

“Mum, what???”

“Don’t use that attitude on me, young lady.”

“I’m sorry, Mum. It’s just… a lot.”

“I know. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I hope you understand.”

“Yeah…”

My parents had finalized their divorce only a month ago. Mum got custody of me, and in an attempt to “start fresh,” she accepted some work opportunity in a tiny town in Louisiana. She applied on a whim, got hired immediately, and now here we were—driving into a place I’d never heard of, far away from everything that felt like my life.

Their divorce turned everything upside down. Leaving my best friend was the worst part. We had plans for senior year—the kind you daydream about for months. Now she’d have to do all of it without me. Sure, we promised we’d stay in touch and never lose contact, but… it just wasn’t the same.

“All right, honey, we’re here,” Mum said.

“Here” looked like a house dropped in the middle of a forest. I could barely see the roof of another house off to the far left. Beyond that—just trees. Endless trees.

“Mum, we are in the middle of nowhere. Couldn’t you have found something closer to civilization?”

“This was what was available, and it was last minute. Come on, let’s get the stuff from the car. The rest arrives tomorrow.”

I huffed but helped her unload the things we brought with us. Inside, the house was surprisingly cozy—warm, wooden, and kind of charming in an isolated, creepy-forest sort of way.

“You can pick one of the rooms upstairs,” Mum said, heading out for another box.

I climbed the staircase and chose a room. It was a decent size, with a window that overlooked the thick stretch of forest and the roof of our only visible neighbor’s house.

“Elisa, once you’re done, let’s go get something to eat. I’m famished.”

“Awesome.”

I unpacked a few clothes into the wardrobe, trying to make the space feel like mine. Once everything looked somewhat settled, I headed downstairs.

We found a small burger-and-fries place in town—not fancy, but it smelled amazing. I was sliding into my seat when an odd feeling crept over me, like someone’s stare was crawling along my skin. I looked up. A guy—maybe my age—stood across the room, looking straight at me. His hair was dark auburn, his eyes a sharp, unnatural green. And the expression on his face… it was like he thought I’d personally murdered someone he loved. I blinked, confused.

A blonde girl next to him grabbed his face and kissed him—full PDA, all tongues, zero shame. I instantly looked down at the table, uncomfortable. His stare had left me with an icy, unsettled feeling.

“Elisa, what do you want?” Mum asked.

“Anything is fine. I’m… not that hungry anymore.”

“You’ve barely eaten today, love. Are you all right? The drive wasn’t easy, but try for me.”

“It’s not that, Mum. I’m fine. Just… a little queasy.”

I took one bite of my burger, and my appetite came crashing back like a tidal wave. Everything tasted delicious, and I mentally scolded myself for giving some random guy that much emotional power.

After eating, Mum dragged me around town to get familiar with the area. By evening, we headed home. I was just drifting to sleep when a long, echoing howl split through the night.

A wolf? Here?

I jerked upright, heart pounding. What kind of wolves lived in a place like this?

---

Mum drove me to my new high school, it was much smaller than my old one.

“Have fun!” she chirped with a bright smile.

“Sure, Mum. I’ll definitely have fun on my first day of senior year—with no friends—while being the new kid,” I said, full sarcasm.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Who wouldn’t love that cute face?” she teased.

I rolled my eyes, got out of the car, waved goodbye, and walked toward my new friendless existence. Then, I saw them; the PDA couple from the diner. Really? What were the odds? They were making out beside a truck, shameless as ever. I must’ve stared too long, because the blonde girl suddenly stopped kissing him and glared directly at me.

“Hey, bitch—stare much?” She flipped me off while her boyfriend stood like he had a personal vendetta against oxygen.

My cheeks burned as I darted toward the entrance. Why did that guy draw my attention so much? It wasn’t like he had said anything yesterday. And yet… something about him felt off.

I went to the admin office to pick up my schedule. They assigned a student guide—May. She was short, dark-haired, and bright-eyed, and she seemed to know everyone. She was bubbly and welcoming, and thankfully we had first period together.

At lunch, she introduced me to her friends—a mismatched mix of cliques but somehow perfect together. I was scraping the last of my fries into the trash when a shadow loomed over me.

“Why are you here?”

I looked up. It was the guy from the diner, from the parking lot. The one who stared like I’d run over his dog. I glanced behind me to see who he was talking to.

“Hey,” he snapped. “Why are you here?”

“Are you… speaking to me?”

“You don’t see anyone else standing here, do you?”

“I don’t understand the question,” I said, brows raised. “I’m here to eat lunch. Like everyone else.”

“I don’t want to see you in this school or this town. Leave, or I’ll make your life miserable.”

He slammed his hand against the garbage can, making it crash loudly. Heads turned. My heart jumped into my throat. He walked away, leaving me frozen. What the actual hell was his problem?

May hurried over. “OMG—did you and Drake just have a conversation?”

“Drake?” I repeated.

“Yeah. The guy who just left.”

So his name was Drake.

“Well,” I said, “he didn’t come to say hi. He just threatened me—told me to leave the school and the entire town.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m as clueless as you.”

“I’ve never known him to be an asshole,” she said slowly. “But… also we’ve never talked much. Just… be careful. And don’t let his girlfriend Becca hear anything about this. You’ll regret it.”

“I’m not doing anything he wants,” I muttered. “If he thinks I’m leaving, he’s delusional.”

May exhaled. “Anyway, it’s time for our next class. I don’t have your next subjects, but I’ll walk you there. Some of my friends can help you later.”

“Thanks.”

The rest of the day passed uneventfully—just classes, introductions, and a pile of assignments.

After school, I took the bus closest to our area, then walked the last stretch home. I was halfway down the forest road when something growled—a deep, vicious, animal sound.

I froze and turned slowly. A wolf stood in the trees but not just any wolf, It was massive—its shoulder nearly reaching my chest. Its fur was pitch black, its eyes glowing a chilling, unnatural red. Its hackles were raised, saliva dripping from its jaws as it stared directly at me.