Lily POV“Sir?” I enunciated staring at him. “I mean,” he cleared his throat quickly. “I’d like to see you excel, because I heard you’re a good student and I know if you apply yourself properly to your studies, you’d do much more than you are doing now.”“Oh!” I nodded, “Thank you Professor. I won’t fail you; I promise.”Without another word, he gathered the rest of his materials and walked out of the classroom, leaving me standing there wondering if I'd imagined the entire awkward moment.By 2 PM, I was standing outside his office door, my notebook and textbooks clutched against my chest. I knocked tentatively, uncertain whether our strange interaction after class had changed anything about our tutoring arrangement."Come in," came his voice from within.I opened the door to find Professor Morrison on the phone. He was practically whispering into the phone to whomever was on the other side. He looked up briefly and held up one finger, indicating I should wait, while pointing toward
Lily POV"Just your professor?" she repeated incredulously. "A girl in my class walked into the campus gym last month and—" She leaned closer conspiratorially, pulling out her phone. "She took a picture."The image on her screen showed Professor Morrison in workout clothes, and I had to admit the view was... impressive. He was clearly in excellent physical condition, with well-defined muscles and the kind of physique that suggested serious dedication to fitness. His dark hair was damp with sweat, and even in the candid photo, t
Lily POVI turned in my chair to see Beta Liam and Celeste standing near the coffee shop entrance, both looking surprised to find me there. Liam's expression was blank, but I could see concern in his eyes. Celeste looked curious and perhaps slightly amused as she took in my breakfast companion."Oh," I said, suddenly feeling like I'd been caught doing something wrong. "Hi, Beta Liam. Celeste."
Lily POVI was up and dressed before dawn, slipping out of the house before Emma made her usual morning rounds. The truth was, I needed a moment to feel like myself again. Between the constant supervision, the formal meals, the scheduled lessons, and the weight of everyone's expectations, I felt like I was slowly losing my identity, becoming someone I didn't recognize.I left a note on my pillow for Emma to find: Gone to
Kai POV“Mom, that’s just speculation. No one really cares about these things nowadays, please believe me.”But she wasn’t hearing a word I was saying. Instead she continued…"They probably think there's something wrong with our bloodline," she continued dramatically. "That we're somehow defective or cursed—which, ironically, isn't entirely inaccurate
Kai POVThe door to my office opened again, and I looked up to see my mother entering with her characteristic purposeful stride. Her sharp eyes swept the room with obvious suspicion, as if she could detect the lingering traces of my phone conversation with Lily through some maternal sixth sense.Behind her followed Healer Odin, his weathered face bearing the same concerned expression he'd worn since this whole curse situation had begun. He carried his familiar medical bag, which could only mean one thing—more blood samples for whatever experimental treatments he was developing."Are you finished here, Beta Liam?" my mother asked, her tone polite but carrying the unmistakable tone of dismissal.Liam nodded quickly, gathering his papers. "Yes, Luna Helen. I was just leaving."As soon as the door closed behind him, my mother's demeanor shifted from formal pack leader to concerned parent. She crossed the room and enveloped me in one of her overwhelming maternal hugs, the kind that had com