Caught In The Act

Tessa's Pov

“What the fuck did you tell them?!”

The door slammed open with a force that shook the classroom windows, the sound slicing through the quiet room like a whip crack.

I jumped in my seat, my pen skidding off the page mid-word. The E-commerce teacher just left and now, I'm on my own.

My head snapped up at the sound, just as my eyes met with Victoria's vicious blue ones.

She stood in the doorway like a stormcloud in human form—face red, nostrils flared, eyes blazing with a kind of rage that made my stomach clench.

Behind her, two of her usual shadows, Rica and Lila, followed with cruel smirks curling on their lips.

My heart dropped onto my guts.

Before I could move, the heel of her black leather boots clanked against the linoleum, the sound echoing louder than it should have in the empty room.

Chairs scrapped and desks shifted. Students cleared out like mice fleeing a fire, pretending not to see anything.

I almost rolled my eyes. Typical.

“You're rolling your eyes at me?!” Victoria sneered. She must have caught that. “You think you can smile behind that innocent face and run to them?” She spat, every word dripping venom.

“You think they're going to choose you?”

“I—I didn't say anything,” I defended back, voice trembling. My fingers dug into the desk, but my knees were already buckling.

No matter how fierce I appeared, there was no way I was going to outfight or outrun them. My punishment was already imminent.

She scoffed. “Liar!”

But I backed up anyways, inch by inch, until my chair tipped. I stumbled to my feet just as the two girls flanked me on either side. Lina grabbed my arm. And Rica kicked the chair out of the way.

And when the door clicked shut behind us, I knew I was doomed!

At this moment, there was no soul left in the room. And there was no escape for me. My breath came faster and shallow. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me. Despite being weak, she was alert.

Victoria stepped closer, her smile widening with sadistic satisfaction.

“I warned you, little mutt. Stay in your corner, and don't wag your tail where it's not wanted. But no… you just had to get in the way!”

Her fingers twitched like she was ready to rip me apart.

I frowned. What makes her think she can tell me what to think?!

“You're wrong,” I said, forcing the words out through my dry throat. “I didn't do anything!”

“You did everything!” Her voice rose, the veins on her neck throbbing. “They kicked me out of the house like I was nothing—like you were more than me. And for that…” her hands lifted, and her sharp claws extended, “I'm going to teach you how to stay in your stupid lane!”

Fingers trembling, I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the scratch. But then…

Bam!

The doors crashed open with a gust of wind that sent papers flying.

Three towering shadows filled the frame. Landon, Asher, and Hayes, and time stopped!

Victoria froze mid-swing, her hand and extended claws hanging in the air inches from my cheek. The blood drained from her face so fast she swayed.

Landon's eyes blazed gold.

“Asher,” he said, voice quiet. “Did you just see what I saw?”

“I saw it,” Asher replied, already stepping forward. “And I heard it too.”

Hayes didn't mutter any words. He only crossed the room in two strides and yanked Lina's hand from my arm. She yelped and stumbled back. Rica, seeing what's unfolding, like I had turned into hot coal, released my arm swiftly, and I tumbled, ready to fall.

Before I could fall down, I fell into Landon. His arm wrapped around my waist without hesitation, and our eyes locked for a heart pounding moment.

Victoria's jaws dropped, eyes wide at how Landon's hands curled protectively around my waist.

“Are you okay?”

His soft words seemed to have snapped us all from our trance and I nodded, but my hands shook. My throat closed around the tears I refused to let fall.

Landon's eyes trailed away from my face and it dangerously landed Victoria, who stepped back as if the room had tilted against her.

“Wait—I…it's not what it looks like.” Victoria tried to explain.

“Oh, I think it is,” Hayes said coolly.

“She even tried to fucking hit her!” Asher added with a venomous tone. “In our fucking presence.”

“I wasn't—” Victoria's voice cracked. “I was just—”

“Just what, Victoria?” Landon's eyes narrowed.

She tried to laugh, but it came out thick and strangled. “She provoked me! You don't know what she's like—what she said behind my back!”

“Tessa hasn't done anything,” Landon snapped.

I flinched at the cold and protective edge in his tone, as if he knew me. He was furious.

“I was just defending myself!” Victoria yelled. “She lied about me to you!”

“Really?” Hayes tilted his head. “Was that why your minions grabbed her and why your claws extended at someone who wasn't fighting back?”

Victoria: “...”

“And we know your voice when you lie, just like how you lied yesterday.”

Victoria went still, like a deer caught in the headlights.

Landon stepped forward after steadying me on my feet, his voice low, but dangerous. “You were almost Luna of this pack. And this is how you act on our behalf?”

The words made Victoria go pale with fright. “But…but I didn't even hit her.”

“You didn't? But you would have, wouldn't you?” Landon asked.

A muscle ticked in her jaw. “So what? You're going to punish me because of her?” She sneered. “Like you said, I'm your chosen and you've not even found your mate, yet! It's either you find her, or y'all will have to deal with me!”

“No,” they collectively said, as if rehearsed. “Not when we've found her.”

“What?!” Victoria paled. “And who's that?”

I couldn't breathe. This moment… being shielded like this, protected, felt so foreign. My body didn't know how to process it. But my heart did.

From how faster, and harder it was beating. For them. For the way Landon's arm hadn't loosened from around me.

“Not your damn business!” Hayes deadpanned.

“You're all making a mistake!” Victoria hissed. “You're all angry at me because of her? Even if you've found your mate, she's not the one. And look at her, she's not even strong. And she smells like a fucking rogue!”

“And I don't care if she smells like a freaking bakery,” Landon said, voice deep and guttural. “It doesn't matter if she's our mate or not. If I ever see you lift your hand to hit her again, or to anyone else in this Peak Academy…”

He let his words hang, threateningly.

Victoria backed towards the door, eyes flicking from face to face, searching for a single ounce of mercy—and finding none.

“You can't do that to—”

“Yes we can!” Asher mercilessly interrupted her. “Yes. We can.”

Victoria couldn't imagine herself being meek after everything she has done to the students in Peak. She wanted to remain the school belle. She was like that because she has the backing of the trio alphas, and she wanted it to remain like that.

So with a lowered voice, she begged. “I'm… I'm sorry. Please, what can I do to make it up to you?”

Landon took a deep breath. “Go home and reflect on yourself and your mistakes. For the time being, you're prohibited from visiting our house or anywhere around us.”

“Now, leave!” Hayes commanded and Victoria flinched.

She pivoted on her heels and fled, her minions scurrying after her like rats from a sinking ship.

In her absence, silence settled over the atmosphere. I was still trembling.

Landon guided me gently to a chair and knelt in front of me. “Did she hurt you?”

I shook my head.

His hands reached up, fingers brushing my cheek where her slap nearly landed. “She never will.”

Asher leaned against the desk, his breath fanning my neck, his arms crossed. “She's not going to let this go quietly.”

“I know,” Hayes said. “And that's why we'll keep our eyes on her.”

Landon looked at me again, eyes soft now, not the raging cold they'd been before.

“Thank you for saving me, again,” I finally said.

“You don't have to thank us. You're ours now. Our responsibility.”

Landon's words and the seriousness in them took me back just as something fluttered in my chest. It wasn't fear… not anymore.

It was hope and something far, far more dangerous.