Chapter 4

Novah's POV 

I tried to ignore him. I really did.

The strong urge to talk to Ashton was like an itch under my skin I couldn’t scratch. 

He’d barely spared me a glance since yesterday, and I kept pretending like I wasn’t suffocating under the weight of his silence. 

Jason was trying to distract me with talks about my upcoming eighteenth birthday, even going as far as suggesting we host a mini bonfire party behind the pack library, away from the prying eyes of our nosy elders.

We were in the cafeteria during lunch, seated at our usual corner. 

My notebook was open, my pen hovering over the list titled Birthday Wishlist. 

Jason was joking about sneaking me out of the pack house and getting me a tattoo when a shadow loomed over the table.

I didn’t need to look up. I could feel him.

“Ashton—” I started, but before I could finish, he snatched the notebook out of my hands and ripped the paper in half.

“What the hell?” I shot up, my chair screeching backward.

“You think you can just walk out of dinner and act like nothing happened?” Ashton growled, crumpling the pieces of paper and tossing them on the tray.

I shot up from the bench. “What was I supposed to do? Sit there and smile while my father reminded me that I was an unwanted pregnancy my late mother tricked him into keeping? Or maybe I should’ve clapped when he said he never loved her and that I’m just a mistake who lacks home training because I didn’t have a mother to teach me?”

Jason stood beside me, arms folded, tense.

Ashton’s eyes narrowed. “That was disrespectful. My mom wanted you there. She was calling after you, but you walked away like she didn’t exist.”

Jason scoffed. “And why would she stay, huh? To please your mom? The same woman who’s had ten boyfriends this year? So Novah should ruin her peace because your mom’s hopping from one man to another?”

“What did you just say?” Ashton stepped forward.

Jason didn’t flinch. “You heard me. Your mom’s a disaster, and I’m sure everyone would like to hear about the famous Ashton Vince's secret..Want to know what else they would know?” He took a threatening step closer. 

“Your biological father is in prison for murder. Your mom’s been leeching off other men for years just to stay afloat. You almost got sent to juvie when you stabbed a kid in ninth grade. You were kicked out of your apartment last year because your mom couldn’t pay rent. And you work at a nightclub like some loser trying to scrap pennies together. Your mom’s only with Novah’s dad because she needs someone to clean up her mess.”

The cafeteria went silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Ashton’s knuckles cracked, then flew forward. Jason was ready. He dodged, then retaliated. 

The noise, the chaos—it all exploded in seconds. They were fists and fury. I lunged forward, grabbing Jason’s arm and trying to push Ashton back with the other.

"Stop it!" I screamed. “Both of you!”

Loveth ran in from nowhere, yanking Ashton by the arm, dragging him back with pleading eyes and false concern. 

“Babe, stop. He’s not worth it.”

I crouched beside Jason. Blood trickled from the corner of his lip. I wiped it with my sleeve, fingers trembling.

I knelt beside him, ignoring the whispers and gawking eyes around us in the cafeteria. Jason sat on the edge of the hallway bench, one side of his face swelling, his lip split open. 

I dipped a corner of my scarf into the bottled water in my bag and gently dabbed the blood from his mouth.

“You didn’t have to say all that,” I said quietly, my hand trembling a little.

He hissed as I touched the bruise, but didn’t pull away. “I meant every word.”

I paused, meeting his eyes. “But how… How did you know all those things? His dad, the stabbing incident, the club… even the eviction? That’s not public stuff, Jason.”

Jason looked away. “I hired someone.”

“What?” My voice was sharper now, surprised.

“I hired Ashton’s neighbor,” he said, still not looking at me. “I paid him to be my personal investigator.”

My hand froze mid-air. “You seriously went behind my back and spied on him?”

“I did it for you, Novah,” he said, eyes finally locking with mine. 

“When you started crushing hard on him, I knew it’d end badly. I needed to know who he really was… to prove that he wasn’t worth your attention. That he was never going to deserve you.”

I stared at him, throat tight, unsure whether to be angry, touched… or heartbroken.

———

At home, I found Ashton in the hallway, stomping toward his room. “Hey… wait,” I said softly.

He didn’t stop.

“I just wanted to apologize. Jason shouldn’t have said all that—”

Before I could finish, an envelope smacked me in the face and fell to the ground.

“See that letter?” he barked. “Because of you and your little boyfriend, I’ve been suspended for two weeks.”

My heart dropped. I bent and picked up the notice, fingers trembling.

“I’m sorry, Ashton… but Jason got suspended too,” I said carefully. “You know the rules. You tore my wishlist and hit him first. You started it.”

He scoffed, full of disbelief. “You rich kids… you don’t get it, do you? You think this is just a school drama?”

His voice rose, bitter and raw. “Do you know how long I’ve been saving and working for my college application to the Werewolf College of Arts next year? Do you even understand what a suspension like this could do to my chances? Do you think they want a record of violence tied to my name?”

I swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I don’t care what you meant,” he snapped. “You ruined it.”

I nodded slowly, hurt pressing like a weight on my chest. “But… Why do you hate me so much?”

He didn’t answer.

“Is it because of yesterday? Because I walked out? Because I ruined your perfect dinner with your perfect new family?”

Silence.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I whispered. “I didn’t ask to be in your life or in this house. I didn’t ask for your mom or her fake smiles. I just… I just want to understand why you treat me like I’m the villain in your story.”

I swallowed hard, something inside me snapping. 

“You know what hurts the most?” I said, voice shaky but loud. “It took me disrespecting your mom—to protect my feelings to finally get your attention. That’s what it took for you to notice me. To actually look at me and have a full conversation.”

His eyes flickered, but I didn’t stop.

“I’m tired, Ashton. I’m tired of crushing on you, of trying to get you to see me like I’m more than the nerd with glasses that has only one friend in the entire school. I’ve had this stupid crush on you for two years now.” My voice cracked. “Two years of wondering what it’d feel like if you ever looked at me the way I looked at you.”

I stepped back. “But none of that matters now, right? You’re my step brother and my feelings do not matter anymore” 

He said nothing, jaw clenched.

“Happy suspension,” I whispered, then turned. But I paused at the door and looked back. 

“And don’t you dare assume that just because someone’s rich, they’re happy. It’s not about money. We’ve got demons too.”

I turned to leave, the words lodged in my throat like thorns.

But before I could take a full step, he twirled around, grabbed my arm, and yanked me back.

His hand slid behind my neck.

And then—just like that—his lips touched mine.