THE TRUTH

VELORA

The library has quietly become my hiding place. Or at least it almost. I don’t go near the cafeteria anymore. Apparently, I'm too disgusting to eat around everyone else without becoming somebody's entertainment for the day. At least here, surrounded by dusty shelves and silence, I’m usually safe.

I glance at the clock hanging above the librarian's desk and sigh. Twenty more minutes until my next class.

As much as I'd love to stay hidden in here forever, I can't afford to miss another lesson. I'm already behind enough as it is, and studying at home has become a luxury I can't always afford.

My stomach growls loudly, echoing through the quiet space. I quickly place a hand over it. "Please behave," I mutter, then I unscrew my bottle of water and take a long drink instead.

"There you are, Big V."

I jump so hard that water sprays down my chin and soaks the front of my shirt. “Oh my Goddess!”

"Oops!" Ross covers his mouth with exaggerated horror. "Sorry about that." The grin on his face says otherwise. "We could've avoided this if you stopped making me hunt for you everytime." He leans against the bookshelf beside me. "Seriously, hiding in the library? What are you now? A bear? A fat hibernating pig? Bet you’re stinking up the whole section with that sweat.”

He doesn't even bother lowering his voice. Why would he? His father sponsors the school trips, funds the cafeteria program, and practically owns one wing of Ravenwood Academy. So, technically, rules worked differently for people like Ross.

I don't even react. And to be honest, I've heard worse. Much worse. Especially at home. So no, this is nothing compared to the hell I've faced. I say nothing. I just reach for my towel to dry my shirt.

Ross snatches it from my hand and tosses it behind the shelf. "Really? You're ignoring me?"

"Give it back." I hate how shaky my voice sounds.

He looks me over slowly, eyes lingering on my soaked chest with a cruel smirk. “You make this harder than it needs to be, but then again, everything’s hard when you’re carrying all that extra weight. What do you even see when you look in the mirror? A walking joke?” he said, his voice laced with cruel amusement.

"What do you want, Ross?" I demand flatly.

He shrugs. “Simple. Come with me to the mating ceremony this weekend. At least then you won’t be the only pathetic, mateless whale standing in the corner while everyone else gets chosen. Hell, maybe I’ll even let you stand close enough that people won't feel sorry for you. What do you think?”

"What?" I blurt out because I know he can’t be serious. Everyone goes with their mate or their chosen partner. Me? I have neither. This is just another one of his sick games to humiliate me in front of the entire pack.

He grabs my wrist before I can pull away, squeezing hard enough to bruise. “I’m offering to help you out here, Big V. Trust me, not many guys would touch a fat, desperate loser like you.”

I try to yank my hand, but his grip tightens. Then his eyes drift downward. Only then do I realize what the spilled water has done. My white shirt is now plastered to my skin, completely see-through. Heat quickly floods my face. I immediately fold my arms over my chest.

Ross laughs loudly. “See? You’re proving my point. Who the hell would want that? Even your own father couldn’t stand looking at you.”

Something inside me snaps. I don't care if it's frustration or anger at the fact that there's actually a truth in what he said… All I know is, before I can think better of it, my hand flies through the air.

Smack!

My palm cracks across his cheek. The sound echoes sharply through the library. Ross stares at me, shock flashing across his face before it twists into pure rage. “Are you crazy, you stupid bitch?” he hisses, touching it.

Maybe I am right now. Suddenly, my heart starts beating so hard it feels like it might burst out of my chest. Because I know I've crossed a line. I’ve never hit anyone before, but for the first time in years, it feels good. He deserved every bit of it.

"No,” I shoot back, voice trembling with adrenaline. “You’re the one crazy enough to think I’d actually go with you.”

"Oh, really?” Ross surges forward. Before I can react, his hand shoots out and grabs my ponytail, yanking my head back viciously. Pain explodes across my scalp.

"Ah!" I cry out, grabbing his wrist. "Let go of me!"

Instead, his grip tightens. “Still got some fight in you, huh, you worthless bitch?” Then he starts dragging me toward the back of the library where the back exit is, my shoes scraping painfully against the floor.

"Ross, stop!" I shove at his arm with both hands, but it only seems to make him angrier. The harder I fight, the tighter his fingers twist in my hair, pulling until tears blur my vision.

Then suddenly… He stops. Just like that. His grip slowly loosens almost reluctantly.

I stumble away from him, rubbing my aching scalp. "Have you lost your mind?" I yell before I can stop myself, but Ross isn’t looking at me anymore.

That's when I see who he's looking at. My anger quickly vanishes, replaced by a cold twist in my stomach.

Eryx Nightbane stands a few feet away, tall and broad-shouldered, his presence filling the narrow aisle without him having to say a word.

My breath catches.

Eryx?

He left Ravenwood a year ago after his mother died. No one knew he was coming back. At least, not that I knew of. And now he's standing right here.

Although he's a senior, only a year ahead of me, even before he left, Eryx carried himself differently from everyone else. He was already the future Alpha of the Ravenwood Pack, already someone people instinctively knew not to challenge. But something about him feels different now.

His piercing grey eyes move toward us, and I immediately straighten. Everyone at Ravenwood knows to fear Eryx Nightbane. Not simply because he's the future Alpha. He's just... Eryx.

For the first time since I've known Ross, he actually looks really nervous.

"Shit.” he lets out a shaky laugh. “Eryx. I didn’t know you were here, man.”

Neither did I.

I quickly look away from those intense grey eyes and tug my shirt straight, cheeks burning with fresh humiliation.

How long had he been sitting there? How much had he seen? What the hell was he even doing in the library?

"Stop fooling around. Let her go." That's all Eryx says. His voice is low and calm. One hand slips casually into his pocket. He doesn’t raise his voice. He doesn’t move aggressively. Just still… And somehow that makes him even more terrifying.

Ross doesn't argue with him. He simply step back without saying anything or giving any excuses. Just silence.

I don’t wait for more. I bolt, abandoning my bag, my books, everything. My heart races as I push through the library doors.

Because one thing is suddenly very clear: Eryx Nightbane isn’t just the most feared senior at Ravenwood. Or the future Alpha of Ravenwood.

He’s my sister’s boyfriend. And he can never, ever find out the truth about me.