Chapter 4: Trouble Outside The House

AMAYA

I changed into the dress Mother picked for me—a short, blue flared dress—as we made our way to the club. Ronan and I had both insisted that I wear something comfortable because it was going to be cold, but Mother refused. According to her, wearing pants and a hoodie would make me look “too local” among my peers.

"Don’t worry, Amaya. If you don’t want to go inside, you can wait for me in the car, okay? Mother won’t find out," Ronan said gently.

One thing I loved about Ronan was that he always let me stay invisible, just the way I liked it.

But I knew the real reason he was trying to keep me in the car. He wanted to get into a fight without interruption.

And of course, I really didn’t want to go inside either. I never felt comfortable in places like this.

"Fine, brother. I’ll stay here, but don’t get into a fight unless you want Mother to find out we didn’t follow her instructions," I warned.

He let out a quiet laugh before leaning close and pressing a kiss to my cheek. "That’s my girl."

Then he got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

I watched him disappear into the club. The outside space was crowded—not only with students from Blackthorn Academy but also with students from other schools, some already making out in the open.

I was about to look away when something caught my attention.

A group of guys from another school stood near the side of the club with a girl who looked around my age. Something about the situation didn’t feel right. They seemed to be forcing her to drink. She kept refusing, but they wouldn’t stop.

My fists tightened.

Before I could think twice, my legs had already carried me out of the car and toward them. How dare they bully an innocent girl?

"Let her go!" I yelled.

I couldn’t even recognize my own voice, but my entire body was burning with fury.

They all turned toward me.

"Wow, who’s this cute little thing?" one of the guys said as he reached out to touch my face.

I quickly grabbed his hand, twisted his arm, and flipped him onto the ground. He groaned in pain while the others gasped in shock.

Okay. Maybe all those self-defense lessons with Ronan actually paid off.

The girl immediately rushed behind me, using me as a shield. "Please save me. They want to force themselves on me."

My entire body froze, a spike of cold anger shooting through me. "Don’t worry, okay? I’ll protect you."

"Really? You will?" One of the larger guys stepped forward.

My heart dropped when I saw how muscular he was.

The girl gasped. Before I could say anything, she suddenly abandoned me, sprinting toward the club and leaving me behind.

Damn it.

"I can’t even smell your wolf. Does that mean you’re still a minor?" he asked, taking another slow step toward me. "And you really think you can protect yourself, let alone someone else?"

My chest tightened as I took a step backward.

"Since you ruined our fun, you’ll have to replace her."

My skin crawled as a wave of fear consumed me. I pointed at him, my fingers trembling. "Don’t come any closer, or you’ll regret it."

"Oh, really?" he smirked. "I’m curious to know how I’ll regret it."

The moment he lunged toward me, I turned and ran as fast as I could.

I didn’t even think about where I was going. I just kept running until I reached a dark, narrow alley behind the club.

Damn it. How could I be this stupid? I should have gone straight back to Ronan’s car. How the hell did I end up here?

"Don’t let her escape! Catch her!" Their voices echoed closely behind me.

My breath hitched as I pushed myself to run faster.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from the shadows, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me into a dark corner.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs. I tried to scream, but a palm quickly covered my mouth.

"Shhh. Keep quiet, cutie."

My entire body froze.

That voice.

Lucien?

Even if I forgot everything else, I could never forget the way he pronounced that word: "Cutie." It always sounded different when it came from him.

But why the hell was he here? And he reeked of alcohol and smoke mixed with his cologne, creating an intoxicating scent.

"Don’t let her escape!" The guys ran past our hiding spot and disappeared down the street.

My chest heaved as I exhaled in relief. That was a close one.

This was exactly why I hated coming out. There was always a problem waiting around the corner.

"You okay, cutie?" Lucien asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

It suddenly hit me: his hand was still wrapped around my waist while the other covered my mouth.

"Let go of me," I snapped against his palm.

He immediately released me and sighed in exhaustion before dropping onto a chair nearby.

My breath quickened as I surveyed my surroundings. It looked like some sort of hideout behind the club. It was quiet, but not the peaceful kind of silence I liked—this silence was creepy.

Why was Lucien out here alone? Wasn’t he supposed to be celebrating?

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "Want some?" he asked softly.

I exhaled sharply. "No, I don’t."

He shrugged and popped whatever it was into his mouth.

"They’ll come back," he said quietly.

My heart sank, and I turned toward him. "Really? Then what am I supposed to do? I was only trying to help a girl they were bullying."

He didn’t answer. Instead, he placed something between his lips. It was too dark for me to see what it was until he flicked a lighter.

A small flame illuminated his sharp face. A cigarette? So he smokes?

Of course he did. In my three months at Blackthorn Academy, I had already seen him making out with at least five different girls. Honestly, I was starting to wonder if there was a bad habit he didn't have. He was a textbook playboy.

I quickly shook the thought away. Why do I even care how he lives his life? I shouldn’t even be sitting here in the dark with someone like him. It could ruin my reputation.

As much as I hated admitting it, though, I felt safer with him than with those disgusting guys. At least I had never heard of Lucien forcing himself on anyone.

"Aren’t you tired of standing?" he asked, pulling me from my thoughts. "Come sit."

He stood up and gestured toward the chair.

"You just have to wait until I finish smoking, then I’ll take you inside. But if you want to leave, you can."

I clenched my fists. Why would I leave? He knows I wouldn't dare step back out there alone.

Without another word, I lowered myself into the chair.

Lucien moved further away to keep the smoke off me. I couldn’t see his face clearly in the darkness, but something told me he was watching me.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. An unsettling feeling crawled over my skin. In just one day, I had crossed paths with Lucien more times than I had in the entire three months I’d been at this academy.