Moon goddess, why??

Aria’s POV

I hit the ground hard, my shoulder screaming in protest as my ribs throbbed from the last kick. The taste of blood coated my tongue, metallic and warm. My breathing came ragged, but I refused to cry out. I was suddenly surrounded as soon as I arrived.

I refused to give them the satisfaction.

Through the blur in my eyes, I saw him.

Kaid.

Watching and unmoved. Then, without a word, he turned his back and walked away. Like I give a damn.

I didn’t even have time to process it before a familiar, manicured hand gripped my jaw and yanked my face upward.

Bianca.

Her grin was wide, cruel, perfect as ever.

“Where’s that full-mouthed attitude now, Aria?” she sneered, her nails digging into my skin. “Huh? You had a lot to say . You still think you can walk around here like you matter?”

Celeste crouched beside her, her voice sugar-sweet and poisonous.

“Didn’t we promise you,” she whispered near my ear, “that your stay in this academy would be a living hell?”

I glanced around through my swollen eye, no one moved. They just watched.

Like I was a play on a stage and this was just the third act.

Celeste scoffed and ran a finger along the torn collar of my shirt. “I mean, honestly, you brought this on yourself. Picking a fight with Priscilla?” Her voice dropped to a mocking whisper. “One of the most powerful and influential people in this academy? Really?”

My stomach twisted.

The three other girls standing behind them—sneering, arms folded—were familiar. I’d seen two out of them before. Priscilla’s minions. The same ones from the class room yesterday.

This wasn’t just a random violence.

Bianca leaned in closer, her breath hot against my cheek.

“You should’ve seen how ecstatic Priscilla was when we told her about you,” she said. “So consider this not just our punishment, but her personal message.”

She slapped me again—sharp and stinging. “We’re just delivering her regards.”

Pain flared across my cheek, but I still didn’t cry.

Not even when I tasted blood again.

Not even when I saw the way Celeste smiled like I was exactly where I belonged—on the floor, beaten up.

But beneath my torn skin and rising heartbeat, something stirred.

My wolf.

The part of me I’d buried 2 years ago, forced into silence.

She growled—low, primal, protective. She wanted out.

No, I told her, gritting my teeth. Not yet. Not here.

The edges of my vision pulsed. I could feel her clawing at my insides, desperate to rise.

I was on the verge of losing control when a voice—soft, steady—cut through the noise.

“What's going on here?”

It wasn’t loud.

But it silenced the courtyard.

I blinked against the pain and turned my head, but the sun blurred his face. All I could see was a silhouette—tall, calm, composed—and the glint of light against long silver hair that fluttered slightly in the breeze.

Bianca and Celeste froze.

“W-We were just having a bit of fun,” Bianca stammered, taking a step back.

“Yeah,” Celeste echoed. “It was just… a joke.”

“A joke?” the man repeated quietly. There was no anger in his voice, but it cut sharper than any shout. “How is beating another student fun?”

They couldn’t answer.

I felt arms around me before I even realized he’d crossed the distance.

Gentle and steady.

He lifted me as if I weighed nothing.

My body tensed—until I inhaled his scent.

It felt calm and gentle.

My head dropped against his shoulder, unwilling, but I was so tired.

Through my blurred vision, all I could make out was his silver hair and the blurred sky behind him as he carried me away.

I didn’t know where he was taking me.

Didn’t even care.

His voice rumbled softly beside my ear.

“Close your eyes,” he said, low and certain. “Just rest. I’ve got you.”

And whatever it was in that voice—some comfort, some command wrapped in safety—

I obeyed.

***

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the soft golden light spilling in through tall windows. I expected soreness. Expected to feel broken. But my body—

Didn’t hurt. At all.

I sat up quickly, fingers flying to my ribs, my face, my shoulder.

Nothing.

No bruises. No swelling. Not even a scratch.

“What the hell…” I whispered.

“Are you hungry?”

The voice came from the corner. smooth, low, and… gentle.

I turned, startled—and froze.

A man stood near a wooden table, tall and perfectly still. His silver hair fell just past his jaw, smooth and slightly tousled. His calm green eyes gave a quiet steadiness that made the room feel safer than it should’ve.

He approached slowly, extending a plate in my direction. Warm steam rose from it—some kind of broth, freshly baked bread, soft fruit on the side.

“I thought you might need something to eat,” he said.

I blinked, unsure.

I didn’t reach for it.

He paused, then smiled slightly. “Ah. Where are my manners?”

He knelt beside the bed—far enough to not invade my space, but close enough that I could feel the warmth rolling off him.

“I’m Thane,” he said, voice calm as a still lake. “I brought you here to heal.”

I stared at the food, then at him. My stomach growled at the worst possible moment.

Of course it did.

I hesitated for a second longer, then reached for the plate with both hands.

“Thanks,” I said slowly, unsure. “I mean… if you wanted to poison me, it wouldn’t make sense to heal me first.”

He let out a quiet, warm laugh.

“No,” he said. “That would be terribly inefficient.”

I took a bite of the bread and felt my whole soul melt.

I took another bite, then looked around, finally taking in my surroundings.

The room was… not an infirmary.

It looked more like a private lounge—sleek couches, a wall-mounted screen, and a mini library tucked in the corner.

“This isn’t the infirmary,” I said, still chewing. “Where am I?”

Thane was seated across from me now, a book open in his lap, though he wasn’t reading it.

“You’re still on school grounds,” he said calmly. “This is our wing. The Apex brothers has its own floor.”

Apex brothers?

I barely had time to process that before the door swung open.

A familiar, teasing voice rang out. “You should have seen her, it was hilarious.”

That voice belongs to Caspian.

He froze mid-step, amber eyes wide with surprise.

“What the hell?” he muttered, pointing. “You—?”

Behind him was Kaid.

His expression didn’t shift, but there was something off about the way he looked at me. Like he’d already been thinking about me before he walked in.

And then the last one stepped into view.

The bathroom boy.

He paused in the doorway, and his smirk faltered for a split second when he saw me.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, dragging a hand through his auburn hair.

I stared back.

“Well,” I muttered under my breath, “this is awkward.”

Caspian. Kaid. Bathroom boy…and Thane.

They were the Apex Brothers?

I’d told myself I’d never cross paths with them. Clearly, the Moon Goddess had other plans.