Chapter 2

BRIELLA.

Morning came far too early.

I was tired as hell because my body had been too keyed-up for any type of good rest last night. It had taken forever to actually fall asleep after I got back from Tala's run—too long spent replaying what happened at the lake. The peacefulness. The shadows.

But most of all, it was him.

A familiar set of brown eyes had appeared in my dreams, holding me captive even when he did nothing in particular. And that was the real problem. Something inside of me was still shaken, still restless, still hung up on him.

The blaring of an alarm clock shattered the half-asleep state I’d been in. It was silenced after two half-hearted attempts but didn’t end up as a casualty of war this time.

Silver linings and all.

A deep groan left my lips before I dragged myself out of bed and into motion. Autopilot was always a useful setting that got my ass up and going.

Dressing up had never really been my thing, never finding the importance of it. As long as I had clothes on, I was good to go. My jeans were worn, but comfortable. The graphic tee that I chose had been one of my prized possessions for years. It had some of my favorite quotes scrawled across the front.

I couldn’t help but grimace at the reflection that I caught in the mirror. There were dark circles underneath my blue eyes that looked duller than usual. Leaving my curly brown hair down seemed like the best distraction I could come up with. Hopefully, nobody would notice how tired I looked if it framed my face just right.

The cold Autumn air greeted me the moment that I stepped outside. The warm jacket that I grabbed blocked out the cold, which was good because there looked like there was a storm on the horizon. It wasn’t uncommon this time of year. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and started walking. It was a damn good thing that the school wasn’t too far away. Ten minutes later, I reached the busy parking lot. Music was already pouring out of the rolled-down windows as people socialized with each other.

“Boo!” Cassie’s voice took me by surprise.

She stood there, looking as flawless as ever. Her perfectly styled blonde hair didn’t have a single hair out-of-place even though it was still so early in the morning. Her signature smile curled on ruby-red lips.

I gasped, pretending to be startled.

Cassie laughed at my lame attempt and was completely unbothered. We were cousins on our mother’s side. Between her and her twin brother, Damon, they were the only cousins I had. And really, the only family that mattered.

She was the opposite of me. I preferred quiet, whereas she was born for attention. Not in a bad way, though. I could easily imagine her as a leader, as someone who made a difference in this world. Still, she never treated me like an afterthought. If anything, it was her mission to make sure that I experienced life instead of it just rushing by me.

“Wow. What kind of night did you have? Must’ve been fun.”

“If by that you mean not really sleeping, then sure,” I deadpanned, slinging my backpack higher up my shoulder.

She grinned, clearly not buying it. Cassie was from a long line of trackers, so she could easily sniff out a secret faster than most could. The look in her eyes warned me she was about to figure out what went on, but thankfully I was saved from that by a very recognizable whine.

Cassie groaned under her breath. “And the beast awakens.”

Sure enough, Marcia was standing in the normal morning spot at the end of the hallway. Perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect smile. All of it was meticulously crafted to ensure that every eye was on her. If only she also had the perfect personality or at least a tolerable one. The normal followers clustered around her, laughing at whatever she said. Knowing her, it wasn’t even funny. That group was the A-listers, this school’s self-proclaimed royalty.

I heard his low chuckle before I saw him.

Marcia's manicured hands looped around Ryder's arm, her body angled into his like she owned him. My stomach dropped. His laugh was for her. It made my chest ache in a way I couldn't afford to feel.

I looked away, suddenly very interested in the contents of my bag.

Cassie side-eyed me and sighed. “You’ve really need to stop torturing yourself.”

I forced a tight smile. “Yeah. Working on it.”

But the truth was, I wasn’t. Not even close.

“Working on what?” Damon asked, surprising us both.

“Girly shit,” Cassie told him, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

That was one thing that I loved about her. She’d never betray my secrets. It wasn’t even one that I’d intentionally shared with her or anything. She’d figured it out all on her own.

Damon snorted but didn’t press. That was one of his best qualities. He never dug where he wasn’t wanted. He allowed others to open up to him instead of demanding it.

Cassie and I walked together while she chatted, and I attempted to focus on anything other than brown eyes and Marcia’s smug little grin. The classroom was already filling up when we slipped into our seats towards the back. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the upcoming football game, which I blocked out. Sports weren’t really my thing.

Mrs. Clover called for everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone! This next assignment is worth forty-five percent of your grade as part of your college-prep track and will be done in pairs.”

I exhaled quietly and prayed to the Goddess that Cassie’s name would come after mine. At least then I knew that we’d get it done right. Sadly, luck had never really been on my side.

“Evan and Marcia.”

A strand of glossy hair twirled around Marcia’s finger, who was clearly pleased with her partner. Not surprising because she knew that he’d carry the load for her. Evan was in line for Salutatorian this year.

It was wishful thinking that I had somehow slipped by the roll unnoticed.

“Briella Hart.”

Instantly, a few heads turned. Before she could say the name of my partner, Marcia’s voice cut through the room.

“Oh, come on,” she said, feigning a pout. “Do you really need to bother, Mrs. Clover? Nobody would be caught dead partnering with her.”

The class erupted in laughter, making my cheeks burn.

Before I could even think to defend myself, Cassie was on her feet.

“Funny,” she said loudly enough for everyone to hear, “I was just thinking the same thing about your personality. I doubt anyone would be caught dead partnering with that unless forced to. Oh, oops.”

The laughter this time was different. Sharper, delighted, and aimed right back at Marcia. It was her turn for color to flood her cheeks.

Oh, how the tables had turned.

Cassie’s signature hair toss was perfectly timed as she shot me a wink and sat back down in her seat as if she owned the room.

“Problem solved,” she whispered, making me bite back a laugh.

I was so damn thankful for her. Cassie always knew exactly how to draw blood without ever lifting a finger. And honestly? I was a little in awe of her for it.

We spent the rest of the class working on our project while all some people could talk about was the Full Moon Festival that was happening this weekend. It was one of the biggest events of the year that had begun to honor those who came before us, who made this pack into what it was by blood and loyalty. Most people went all out for the formal event. It wasn’t just a casual gathering or anything. For some, it was about hope. For others, legacy. It was about belonging.

There was a part deep inside me that whispered something about this year that would change everything.