Unspoken and Loud

Joy bounced in delight as she grabbed a tray from the lunch line. "I wish I was there," she exclaimed, her eyes bright.

"You should have seen her," Eve said, a self-satisfied sneer creeping over her lips. “I think I created a baddie.”

Joy giggled, shooting a playful glance at her. “Remind me never to cross you two.”

“You?” Eve snorted. “You’re innocently more cruel than us.”

They laughed as they carried their trays to an empty table. The moment they sat, a wave of tension swept over them. From across the cafeteria, the popular table sat like a council of silent executioners. Agnes and her minions glared daggers, their expressions venomous. Marcus was absent, but the hostility in their gazes spoke volumes.

Bella shrugged, tearing her gaze away. Whatever they expected from her—humiliation, regret, submission—they wouldn’t get it.

“If looks could kill,” Eve murmured mischievously.

Joy let out a snicker. “Then we’d be burying you right now.”

Laughter erupted between them, but Bella’s thoughts drifted elsewhere. A few weeks ago, she might have crumbled under their scrutiny. But now? Now, she had her friends, her sister, her mother… and her wolf.

Hilda was strong. And she was proud of her.

While heading back to class, Eve grinned slyly at Bella. "At this point, all you need to do is find yourself a boyfriend."

Bella almost stumbled. “Excuse me?”

Eve wiggled her eyebrows. “You heard me.”

“Yeah, because I can just ask some random guy to be my boyfriend,” Bella deadpanned.

“You could,” Joy chimed in. “If he’s unmated or lost his mate, then you two could have a future together.”

Bella scoffed. “That’s not how it works.”

Eve threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “So, tell me, Bella, do you have a crush?”

One name clawed its way into her mind. Dave.

She pushed it back down. “Nope.”

Joy gasped. “Lies! This school is crawling with dreamy, hot men. Think of one name.”

Bella fought the smile threatening to betray her. One name. Just one.

Dave.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of him—his strong, angular face, dark silky hair, those piercing sapphire eyes. But she shoved the image aside. He was untouchable. A hybrid. Both werewolf and vampire. Someone far beyond her reach.

A memory surfaced, unbidden.

A year ago, when Dave and the Hybrid King had visited the Greywolf Pack, she had been on her knees, scrubbing the floor—a punishment from Agnes. She had looked up and seen him. And he had been staring right at her.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Exuding power. Handsome beyond words.

His skin had a golden tan, smooth like honey. High cheekbones framed a perfectly sculpted face. A straight nose. A strong jaw. But it was his sapphire eyes—intense, knowing—that had stolen her breath.

Did he remember her?

No. Impossible.

When he and a few hybrids settled in town and started attending school, he never looked at her. Never acknowledged her existence.

Why would he?

Her foolish crush had died the moment she saw him with Marcus, laughing like gods among mortals. And yet, even now, it lingered.

"Ugh," Bella groaned inwardly.

"Are you sure?" Joy pressed. "Just one name."

Eve studied her with narrowed eyes. “You’re blushing.”

"I am not!"

"You are."

"I’m going to the restroom!" Bella blurted out, bolting before they could dig deeper.

But she had no intention of going to the restroom.

The hallway was nearly empty when she spotted them—the hybrids. Dave and his friends, moved leisurely while others scurried out of their way.

No one dared approach them. They were untouchable. Unapproachable. Girls admired them from a distance, but no one dared to speak to them.

Bella’s heart pounded.

What was she thinking?

Her feet moved before her mind could catch up. She closed the distance and tapped Dave on the shoulder.

He turned, and Bella’s thoughts vanished.

Up close, he was devastating. Every feature was chiseled to perfection, his presence an overwhelming force. His sapphire eyes locked onto hers, waiting, questioning.

Bella swallowed hard.

She had made a mistake.

“Uhm,” she stammered. “Forget it. Never mind. Sorry! Bye!”

She fled.

Or tried to.

In an instant, he was in front of her.

Her breath caught. He moved too fast.

“No,” he said, voice smooth as silk. “You don’t get to have my attention and run off.”

Bella blinked. “H-how—”

Hybrids. Their speed. Their power.

She was trapped.

His scent—something dark and alluring, like a midnight storm—filled her lungs.

Bella tore her gaze away, staring at the floor. “I—it’s nothing. I just thought…”

“You just thought what?”

She hesitated.

His fingers brushed her chin, tilting it up. Forcing her to meet his gaze.

A shiver ran down her spine.

“You want to tell me what you stopped me for?” he murmured, amusement lacing his tone.

Bella clenched her hands into fists. This was a disaster.

“I just thought that maybe—maybe we could be friends,” she finally blurted.

Dave stilled.

Then, his lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. The kind that could melt bones.

"You," he drawled, voice rich with amusement, "want us—you and I—to be friends?"

Bella’s cheeks burned.

What was she thinking?

“Y-yes.”

His eyes darkened, the glint in them almost wicked. “No, Butter.”

Bella’s breath hitched.

Butter?

He leaned in, his voice a low whisper against her skin.

"You and I can’t be friends. We are much more…"