Eliza’s POV The moment that girl’s voice sliced through our conversation, I turned, expecting someone confused or maybe lost. But no. The girl approaching us wore what was clearly Delta attire: fake designer sneakers, a knockoff brand tracksuit trying its best to look like it belonged in the Beta section of the mall. Her confidence didn’t match her rank, though. I blinked. A Delta is volunteering. This couldn’t be real. Someone was actually joining this madness? I crossed my arms. “You’re joking.” The girl stopped in front of us, unfazed by my tone. “Nope. Not joking.” Aria looked thrilled, and I hated how much that stupid look of satisfaction lit up her whole face. She turned to me like she was trying not to smirk. Great. One person joined. Big deal. Still… I couldn’t ignore the shift in the air, subtle as it was. The way some students paused to watch. This was dangerous. Not in a knives-and-fangs kind of way. But in the kind that got people watching. Talking.
Aria’s POV Ryker's arms wrapped around me tightly, like he was afraid I’d slip away if he didn’t hold on hard enough. His entire body trembled against mine, and for I didn’t feel the cocky, ego-driven flirt I’d come to know. This wasn’t the same Ryker who strutted through hallways like he owned the world. This… this was a boy who’d never stopped being a boy, because he’d never been allowed to just be. And goddess,I knew that pain. I hugged him back, arms circling around his broad shoulders, anchoring him with the quiet strength I’d had to build in myself for years. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, and I didn’t speak. Not yet. Because sometimes silence was louder than words. I understood it—him. That ache of never being enough, no matter what you did. Of waiting for a kind word that never came. Of being told that love was earned, when it should’ve been unconditional. My pain had been both emotional and physical, and while Ryker’s wounds weren’t carved into his skin,
Ryker’s POV Just as I was about to kiss her again—just as her head leaned back on my chest like it belonged there—someone screamed. “Help! Someone’s drowning!” I cursed under my breath, frustration tightening my jaw. Of all moments, why this one? “I’ll be right back,” I told Aria, sliding off the horse with practiced ease. “Stay put.” She nodded, concern flickering in her eyes, but she stayed. I sprinted toward the water, peeling off my Jean, shirt and footwearas I ran. The ocean wasn’t calm anymore—waves lapped violently where a small figure struggled to stay afloat. A kid. Probably no more than seven or eight. Damn it. Where were this kid’s parents? Without hesitation, I dove into the water, slicing through it like it was nothing. I’d always been a strong swimmer, faster than most. Within seconds, I reached him—small body going limp in the waves, mouth opening uselessly under the surface. I grabbed him, pulling his tiny frame above the water, keeping his head up as I swam
Aria’s POV The memory wouldn’t leave me. No matter how many times I blinked, looked away, or tried to focus on anything else, it kept flooding back—hot and unrelenting. Kaid was the first to kiss me. The first to touch me. The first to drag me over the edge with just his fingers and that quiet, growled command that shattered every last bit of control I had left. I could still feel him. And now here I was—some days later, trying not to fall apart as I stood in front of a mirror in a dress that barely brushed my knees, trying to act normal. I was about to go on a date with Ryker. My heart thudded. It was the weekend. Quiet, for once. But my body was anything but. Ryker had found me after it all. I hoped to the moon he hadn’t noticed how flushed I still was, or how my legs had gone wobbly when I stood too close to him. He told me if I would go on the day with him this weekend and I agreed. I should’ve asked where he was taking me. Instead, I just nodded like a wide-eyed fool, pr
Bianca’s POV I drummed my nails against the steering wheel, the soft purr of our l luxury car humming beneath my touch. Celeste sat beside me, legs crossed, sipping on an iced latte like we weren’t fuming inside. this was our world. Not that cramped, average house we used to rot in for the sake of Aria to clean and serve like the Omega she was born to be. But now? Now everything was off track. “This is getting out of hand,” I muttered, eyes locked on the road, though my mind was miles away. “They weren’t supposed to be doing this.” Celeste leaned against the window. “The Apex brothers investigating If the cheating acually happened, or it was fake. How is this their business?” I scoffed. “Seriously. Don’t they have Alpha-level problems to solve? threats from outside the academy, literally anything more important than some poor little Omega cheating on a test.” Celeste turned to me. “What do you think Aria told them?” I clenched the wheel. My knuckles ached. Whatever it was, it
Priscilla’s POV “Fuck, Priss… you were made for this.” The words poured over me like hot wax—burning, sealing. Damon’s voice, that low growl, his hand tangled in my hair, the way he pushed me deeper—it wasn’t just sex. It was his control. His need. And I am proud I am the only one that can bring out this reaction from him. I could feel his pulse in every twitch of his cock, every rough breath, every tightened fist on my scalp. His hips twitched beneath my mouth, muscles taut, breath ragged. I knew he was close, knew I’d pushed him to that delicious brink—tongue swirling, lips locked tight around the thick weight of him. And when he pulled me back with a wet gasp and stood, that same wild gleam in his eyes, I knew what came next. “I’m not done,” he muttered, voice thick. “Turn around. On the bed.” I obeyed. My body ached for him. I climbed up on all fours, my butt in the air, knees sinking into the cool sheets, heart already racing with the anticipation of how brutal he’d be whe