14

Elena’s POV

As Elizabeth and I walked toward the school gates, two security officers trailing us like shadows, I felt my world crumbling. Every step I took was heavy—like walking through the ashes of everything I’d built for myself.

Then I heard her voice.

Amelia.

Clapping slowly as she strolled out from behind the school building with a smug, predatory smile on her face.

“I told you,” she said sweetly, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Didn’t I say it, Elena? You wouldn’t win this war.”

She walked closer, her heels clicking against the pavement, hands folded neatly behind her back like some elegant villain straight out of a fantasy movie. Her golden eyes gleamed with triumph.

“You’re suspended,” she said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “Nine whole months. Guess I’ll see you next year… if you’re lucky.”

Elizabeth stiffened beside me, but I gripped her wrist to stop her from lunging.

Amelia stepped even closer, lowering her voice just enough that only we could hear.

“You really thought you could hide it? Your little secret? Please.” She scoffed. “Remember that bag you carried the day you left class early and went to the clinic? You left your test result inside. Tsk-tsk. Sloppy, Elena.”

My eyes widened slightly. I remembered that day. I’d been in such a rush.

“You didn’t…” I whispered.

“Oh, I did.” Her smile widened, and she tapped her phone, revealing a blurred image on the screen. “Snapped a photo. Sent it to the sport master. Paid him a little something too. That’s why he humiliated you.”

I felt the heat rise to my face—fury, shame, helplessness—all tangled up inside me.

Amelia leaned in a little closer, her breath cool and taunting. “Let this be your final lesson, sweetheart. Don’t ever mess with someone like me.”

I blinked away the tears brimming in my eyes. I refused to let her see me cry—not again.

“You think you’ve won?” I said quietly, my voice trembling—but not from fear. “You think pushing me out of school means you’ve destroyed me?”

She arched a brow. “Isn’t that obvious?”

I took a step forward, my shoulders squared. “Then you’re dumber than I thought.”

For a second, her confident smirk faltered.

I continued, “Maybe you got what you wanted this time. But hear me—and hear me well, Amelia. I’m coming back for you. And I won’t just return—I’ll rise.”

She laughed, but I kept going.

“I’ll make sure that every lie you told, every trick you played, every smug little smirk—you’ll regret them all. You didn’t just embarrass me. You tried to take my future. And that’s something I won’t let go.”

I saw something flicker in her eyes. Just a flicker.

I leaned in and whispered, “You’ve made an enemy out of the wrong girl.”

Elizabeth grinned beside me, eyes blazing with pride.

Amelia straightened her posture, scoffing again. “Alright then, wolf girl. Let’s see how far your threats go without a school ID.”

She raised her phone again. “In fact, I’m sending this picture to the school board. Once they see your pregnancy test, they won’t just suspend you—they’ll ban you. Don’t ever think you can walk through these halls again.”

I didn’t answer. I just stared at her with calm silence, because I knew something she didn’t.

Elizabeth gave her one final glare before tugging my hand. “Let’s go, El.”

We walked away from her.

This time, I didn’t look back.

⸻

When we got home, I collapsed onto the couch, pressing a pillow to my face to muffle my sobs. But the pain couldn’t be drowned, and the pressure in my chest was suffocating.

Elizabeth returned from the kitchen with a warm blanket and sat beside me. She didn’t say anything for a while. Just placed her hand on mine and squeezed gently.

After a few minutes, I finally spoke.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “For all of this. For dragging you into this mess. For the humiliation today.”

Elizabeth gave me a firm look. “Don’t you dare apologize. You didn’t ask to be targeted. And you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I can’t be out of school,” I said, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “I can’t. If my parents find out I was suspended… or worse, that I’m pregnant… it’ll break them. I haven’t even told them I’m a werewolf.”

I paused. “And if I don’t graduate with you… they’ll know something’s off.”

Elizabeth leaned back on the couch, tapping her finger on her chin. “Then we don’t let them know.”

“What?”

“I mean… we find a way for you to stay. To keep attending. Maybe not in plain sight—but at least finish your exams, stay in the system.”

“That’s impossible,” I said. “Amelia sent the test result to the school management. They’ll bar me from coming back.”

Elizabeth stood suddenly. “Not if we act fast. Not if we’re… clever.”

She turned to me, eyes twinkling.

“I have an idea.”

I frowned. “What kind of idea?”

She walked over and sat on the arm of the chair beside me. “Come closer.”

I raised an eyebrow but leaned in.

Elizabeth cupped her hand over her mouth and whispered into my ear.

As she spoke, my eyes widened. I gasped softly and then looked at her with disbelief.

“That’s… insane.”

She grinned. “It’s risky. But it could work.”

I let the idea sink in for a moment. Then, slowly, I began to smile.

“Is it going to work?” I asked.

Elizabeth gave me a playful wink. “Trust me. It will.”

I nodded slowly, my hope rekindled for the first time in weeks.

Agreed in the other hand.