Zahra's POVI’m jolted awake by a knock on my door. “Zahra, are you awake? It’s time to meet Greg,” comes Luna Allison’s voice from the other side.I sit up, stretching and yawning. “Just coming!” I call back, my voice scratchy from sleep.“All right, I’ll meet you in the clearing. I have a few more things to sort here,” she replies.“Okay!”I swing my legs out of bed and shuffle over to my dresser. Pulling on some workout gear, I make sure I’m ready for whatever Greg has planned. I usually borrow one of his old t-shirts during training—shifting tends to ruin clothes—but at least this way, I’ll be ready to jump into training afterward without wasting time.Grabbing a hair tie to pull my messy h
Zahra's POVJust as I sit down and pull out my workbook, there’s a knock on the door. Mrs. Wilson, our English teacher, looks up from her notes and calls for the visitor to come in. The door creaks open, and there she is—Miss Becket, Principal Mathews’ assistant. My stomach tightens. I think I know why she’s here.I pause mid-motion, my fingers brushing the edge of my workbook as Miss Becket whispers something to Mrs. Wilson. The exchange is short, but the look they both give me afterward makes it clear. Yep. This is about me. Fantastic.Mrs. Wilson clears her throat. “Zahra, Principal Mathews would like you to go to his office, please.”I nod, quietly putting my workbook back into my bag and standing. Every pair of eyes in the room is on me, but I pretend not to notice as I follow Miss Becket back toward the front of
Zahra's POVThe morning is a blur. I’m exhausted. Between my bad night’s sleep and the brutal training session, my body feels like it’s made of lead. My eyelids keep threatening to close, and my emotions are all over the place. I don’t absorb a single thing in my lessons, but thankfully, I’m ahead on everything. If I weren’t, I’d probably be in deep shit.When the bell finally rings for lunch, I drag myself to my locker. The last thing I want is to run into Seb, or anyone else for that matter. I don’t have the energy to answer questions or pretend everything’s fine.As I empty my bag, I spot Abby by her locker. Grabbing my things for the afternoon, I head over, hoping for a distraction.“Hey, Abs,” I say, forcing a smile.“Hey, Z. How are you? You ready for lunch?” she asks, glancing up from the textbook she’s been shoving into her bag.“Uh, yeah, about that,” I say, hesitating. “I don’t want to go to the cafeteria today.” Something in my voice makes her stop what she’s doing and look
Zahra's POVArriving at school, the three of us climb out of Seb’s truck and head toward the front doors. Seb drapes his arm over my shoulder like he always does, and Max strides beside us, exuding that unbothered confidence that makes people move out of his way without him saying a word. Me? I’m just the pint-sized hanger-on, trying not to get trampled by the human stampede that always seems to form around these two.As we walk to our lockers, I notice her. A girl. She’s headed straight for us like she owns the place. She’s tall—well, taller than me, which isn’t exactly an achievement—but she’s got to be around 5’7” with a figure that screams gym membership and good genetics. She’s got boobs, hips, and a slim waist, all perfectly proportioned. Meanwhile, I’m stuck with my twelve-year-old-boy build and a hope that maybe one day I’ll grow up too. Her long chocolate-brown hair falls in perfect waves down her back, and her face? Flawless. Slim nose, high cheekbones, deep brown eyes that
Lucas's POVAs we’re packing up, there’s a knock on the door.“Come in,” I call.The door opens to reveal James, Tobias, and Beta Nicholas. James steps in with his usual commanding presence.“Sorry to disturb your meeting, Lucas,” he says as he strides in.“Nonsense,” I reply, waving toward the table. “We’ve just finished. What can I do for you?”James glances at his son briefly before turning back to me. “Nothing urgent. I’ve decided to extend our visit for another day. If you don’t mind putting up with us for one more night, we’ll plan to depart after breakfast tomorrow.”“Of course. You’re all welcome to stay as long as you like,” I say, giv
Lucas's POWatching Xander leave now, I realize just how much I’ve damaged our relationship in my attempts to protect it. In trying to avoid hurting him, I hurt him anyway. I sigh heavily, rubbing my forehead and wiping at my eyes as the memories of that day nearly eight years ago come flooding back.A knock at the door breaks me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I bark, my voice still rough with emotion. The scent of Greg and Austin reaches me, with Hugo just behind them.The three enter, nodding respectfully before taking seats around the small conference table at the far end of my office. I follow them, settling into my chair as they arrange their notes and devices.“What’s on the agenda for today, gentlemen?” I ask, my tone brisk as I shift into Alpha mode.Greg leans forward, his posture confide