Chapter Four

 

Aria’s POV

No… no no no no.

I froze in the doorway. Kael leaned against the desk like he owned it, that smug grin spreading across his face.

When the Council had announced we’d be sharing partners, I’d been worried enough. Worried about who I’d get, worried about hiding my identity. The last thing I wanted was someone too nosy.

But this?

This was worse.

Of all the heirs in the Academy, I had to end up with the one who had been following me like a shadow. The one who kept pushing, pressing, circling me like a wolf with a bone he refused to drop.

Kael Draven.

And now he was smirking at me like he had just won a prize.

A thought crossed my mind before I could stop it. Was Kael… gay? Was that why he kept watching me like this?

I looked at him again. The smugness, the arrogance, the way he carried himself.

No. I didn’t think so.

Kael tilted his head, eyes glinting like he was already enjoying this too much.

“Don’t look so disappointed, Ironclaw. You could’ve gotten worse.”

I dropped my bag a little harder than necessary by the bed. “Trust me, this is worse.”

He chuckled low in his throat. “You talk big for someone who’ll be sleeping a few feet away from me.”

I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders, forcing my face blank. “Stay on your side of the room, Draven, and we won’t have a problem.”

“Problem?” He pushed off the desk, walking a few steps closer. “No. This is perfect. I get to keep an eye on you without lifting a finger.”

My stomach clenched, but I kept my voice steady. “You’re paranoid.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, eyes never leaving me. “But I’m right. You’re hiding something.”

My pulse jumped. I turned away, fussing with my bag to avoid his stare. “I’m hiding nothing. You just can’t handle being beaten.”

That grin of his widened. “We’ll see about that.”

The air in the room felt heavy, like every word was some sort of test. I clenched my fists under the blanket, telling myself to breathe. 

Just breathe. I couldn’t afford one slip here and not with him this close.

I yanked the blanket up and dropped onto the bed, back turned toward him. If he wanted to stare, let him stare at my shoulders.

Kael didn’t move right away. I could feel his eyes on me, the weight of his presence filling every corner of the room. Finally, his boots scuffed against the floor as he crossed to the other bed.

The mattress creaked under his weight. Silence stretched between us, broken only by the faint crackle of torches in the hallway outside.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep, but my wolf wouldn’t settle. Not with him this close. My ears strained for every sound, the steady rhythm of his breathing, the shift of fabric as he lay back, the faint scrape when he adjusted his grip on the staff he had leaned against his bed.

“You’re tense,” his voice came out of the dark, low and casual.

I froze. “And you’re annoying.”

He chuckled. “Get used to it. We’re stuck with each other.”

I said nothing, pulling the blanket tighter. My chest burned with the urge to shift, to claw the smugness off his face. But one slip would ruin everything.

After a while, his voice came again, softer this time.

“You really are different, Ironclaw. I’ll figure out why.”

I didn’t answer. My wolf thrashed against my ribs, restless.

Sleep eventually dragged at me, heavy and stubborn, but even as I drifted off, one thought stuck like a thorn.

Kael wasn’t going to stop.

Keep it cool Aria, it’s only for the period of the challenge

It couldn’t be that hard, I just have to keep my identity hidden. 

But it was easier said than done 

Living with Kael was like being trapped in a cage with a wolf that wouldn’t stop pacing. 

He was everywhere. At training, pushing me harder than anyone else. At drills, making comments under his breath. 

At night, his presence across the room was so heavy it kept me awake longer than I liked to admit.

Even simple things became dangerous. Changing clothes meant waiting until he left the room.

Binding my chest had to be done in the bathroom, quick and sloppy, before he started asking questions. My posture, my voice, even how I walked, every second of every day was a performance.

And the longer it went on, the more exhausting it became. My ribs ached constantly from how tightly I wrapped them. My back burned. And yet, I couldn’t risk loosening it, not even a little.

Then finally, I had a chance.

Kael muttered something about history class one afternoon and left, the sound of his boots fading down the hall. I waited a full minute, ears straining for any sign he’d double back. Nothing.

Relief washed over me. I tugged my shirt over my head and let out a shaky breath. The fabric binding my chest was soaked with sweat, tighter than it should’ve been. My skin stung where it had rubbed raw.

“Finally,” I muttered to myself, undoing the knot and letting the strip unravel. My chest expanded with the first deep breath I’d had in days. It almost hurt to feel air rush in that freely.

I tossed the damp fabric aside and pressed a hand to my ribs, just standing there for a moment. For once, no Kael. No suspicious stares. Just me.

The door slammed open.

I froze.

Kael filled the doorway, eyes locked on me. His usual smirk wasn’t there. His face was unreadable, crimson eyes sharp in the dim light.

My heart stopped.

I stood rooted in place, half-naked with my boobs hanging out.