Kael POVI pressed my back to the cold concrete pillar, holding my breath as heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. My pulse was racing with urgency. I could still hear the rogues prowling just beyond the corridor.Sarah was pressed flat against the wall beside me, her fingers trembling as they curled around her phone, which had long gone out of service. Her eyes darted toward the closed classroom door we’d just escaped from.“Is it gone?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I strained my head, tuning into the rhythmic shuffle of boots scraping tile. They were not talking and just moving with focus, checking every room. Methodical, patient hunters.“We’ve got maybe two minutes before they get to us,” I whispered. “Maybe less. There’s an exit through the back hall that leads out to the parking lot. If we move now—”
BENNETT’S POVThe severed head hit the floor with a dull, wet thud, and I nearly threw up the contents of my stomach.I couldn’t move. My breath came out in ragged pants. I stared into those lifeless eyes and forced myself to turn away.There was no time to fall apart. Not now. We needed to find Kael and Ryder and get the hell out of the school. As we moved through the hallway, searching for them, a sense of foreboding went through me. For the last month, it has been from one attack to another. At this point, I wish I could disappear. If anyone had told me that finding a mate would come with this level of trouble I would have opted out. Not like I have accepted the mate bond… I digress.Lucas stood beside me, his muscles coiled and trembling, not from fear, but from something else.His eyes locked on the rogue who’d thrown the head, something shifted in his expression. Recognition “I know him,” he muttered, his voice low and venomous.My head jerked toward him. “What? You know the
Kael The classroom was too small. The only sound was Sarah’s shaking breathing,the screaming of students and the shattering of glass that made my skin crawl.I moved towards the window, pressing my fingertips lightly to the frame. I could still smell the rogues. That foul, coppery scent of blood and wild magic. The fear in the air was palpable, you could almost smell it.“Kael,” Ryder warned behind me, his voice low but firm. “Stay down. Don’t move until I tell you.”He was standing protectively in front of Sarah, his arms spread just enough to shield her from the door. He looked solid and calm. Like a soldier waiting for the next shot to ring out.But I wasn’t Sarah. I wasn’t a civilian. I was a Beta. A fighter. My instincts were screaming for me to move,to do something.“I’m not just going to sit here,” I said, turning toward him. “There are students out there—our packmates. Some of them could be dyin
Ryder POVI wanted to punch something—maybe a locker, perhaps myself—probably my stupid mouth.Kael had looked at me like I’d stabbed him through the chest back there. And the worst part? I deserved it. We had built some form of friendship over time and even though I might not want to say it out loud, I enjoy spending time with him.Sarah was still fuming beside me, her heels clicking sharply as she stormed down the hallway.“You’re such an asshole,” she snapped without looking back. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but you’re not the same person I used to know.”“I guess that makes two of us,” I muttered under my breath, too low for her to hear.She left in a swirl of hair and perfume, leaving me standing alone in the hallway with a stomach full of guilt and something else I didn’t want to name. Kael.He had already disappeared, probably halfway to the other end of the school by now, but my feet were moving before I made the conscious decision. I had to fix this. I cou
Bennett POV The moment the principal dismissed us, I walked out with a headache pounding behind my eyes. One more warning. That’s what he’d said. “One more stunt from either of you, and I’ll have no choice but to expel you both. I don’t care who your fathers are. You’re disruptive. And frankly? I’m tired of the drama.” Same. I was tired of the drama too—of the dreams, the near-marks, the way my body reacted to Lucas like I’d been cursed. Because maybe I had been. Because what do you mean by i had walked into his arms last night and let him kiss me till i felt numb. Till my blood thrummed with need and lust. I shoved my hands in my pockets, stalking down the quiet hallway as students filtered into class. I just needed a second. A room. A corner. Some air. I pushed open the first empty classroom I saw and slipped inside, letting the door click softly behind me. It was dimly lit, sunlight pouring in narrow beams across the floor. I leaned back against a desk and exhaled.
Lucas POVBreakfast with my parents was silent like it always is.Not the comfortable kind of silence, but the kind that made your skin itch. The type that warned you something was coming—you didn’t know from where yet.I sat at the end of the long mahogany table, a fork in one hand, a glass of orange juice in the other. My eggs were untouched, and I didn’t care. My mother was across from me, gently stirring her tea with shaky hands. I could feel her glancing at me from time to time, like she wanted to speak but didn’t know how. My mother has always been a timid woman, scared of my father and scared to counter his words and actions.Then there was my father.Professional ruiner of mornings.He was sitting at the head of the table. His hands were folded, and for once, he wasn’t barking orders or criticizing my posture. He was watching me. Quietly. That was even worse.“You’ve been quiet lately,” he said suddenly. His voice was smooth, with an undertone of suspicion lying beneath it.