“Yesterday, Jessica broke into Shana’s locker and stole her personal belongings,” Lucas explained, gesturing to me. “Specifically, she stole her diary and began to pick on Shana in front of the whole school.”The dean’s eyes narrowed as he listened to Lucas with rapt attention. “Did she now?”“That’s not true!” Jessica shouted with a stomp to her foot.Lucas’s eyes flashed at Jessica. “Shana tried to defend herself, but some students pushed her to the ground and her head began to bleed. That’s why she’s wearing a bandage.” Lucas pointed at my forehead. “She also has bruises all over her ribs because Jessica kicked her.”“That’s ridiculous!” Jessica quipped, still trying to defend herself even though it wasn’t looking good for her. “I didn’t lay a finger on her!”“She’s lying!”“I’m not!”“Enough arguing!” the dean looked back and forth between Lucas and Jessica. “Do you have any proof of what you’re claiming, Lucas?”“I had to take Shana to the hospital yesterday after Nurse Rebecca t
Lucas seemed surprised by my question as if he wasn’t expecting me to ask him something so personal.“We only slept together once,” Lucas said with a shrug as if it was no big deal.“Jessica said it was more than once,” I countered, crossing my arms over my chest.“Okay… fine. We slept together twice.” Lucas rolled his eyes. “What does it matter? It wasn’t serious.”I shook my head. “That’s not the point, Lucas. Jessica’s a horrible human being, you can’t argue with me on that. Are you just willing to sleep around with anyone?”“Shana.” Lucas put his hands on my shoulders, grounding me. “Girls that I’ve slept with in the past don’t matter. All that matters is you and me. Us. Our friendship is something that’ll last a lifetime, and nothing means more to me than you.”I wanted to find doubt in his words, but his blue eyes held my gaze. I couldn’t help but feel his raw sincerity.“I’m sorry, Shana,” Lucas continued, his fingers pressing into the skin of my shoulders. “Yesterday, I said t
When I woke up in my bed the next morning, I was greeted by an unusual silence.My father must not have come home last night...Instead of feeling concerned for him, however, a sense of relief washed over me. I knew deep down that his absence meant I wouldn't have to deal with the chaos and uncertainty that came with his presence.Today was the highly anticipated hockey game between the Shadow High Dragons and the Moon Crest High Jaguars.Lucas had given me a quick rundown on their team yesterday, emphasizing that the Jaguars were formidable opponents. They held a strong position in the rankings among high school hockey teams."But they're not as good as us," Lucas had said confidently, his grin revealing his competitive spirit.As the hockey season had just begun, the Dragons had been on a winning streak, triumphing in every game so far.However, the possibility of the Jaguars breaking their winning streak made me nervous. The anticipation for today's game was palpable, evident from
“What?” I asked, looking at Lucas’s blue eyes then down at his tanned skin.He didn’t even have to flex his abs in order for me to see them.I felt uncomfortably hot suddenly.“You can feel them,” Lucas encouraged me, “if you want.”“I—uh.” Lucas stepped closer to me. I looked into his eyes tentatively. “Isn’t that a little—”“Shana, we’ve been friends since we were kids,” Lucas said. “Don’t make it something bigger than what it is. Plus, I know you haven’t forgotten all our weekly sleepovers.”He was right. We used to have sleepovers almost every single weekend at either his grandma’s house or my mom’s house.“But you didn’t have abs then,” I clarified.“I have them now,” he said, wiggling his brows humorously.“Put those things away,” I said poking him in the chest, hiding my nerves with humor. “They’re like weapons.”Lucas chuckled, lowering his shirt. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”“Mind if I use your fancy bathroom?” I asked Lucas.“Be my guest,” he said, going back to
I recognized the voice. It was Lucas.As the Alpha's voice resonated through the clearing, commanding submission from the pack, everyone around me froze, bowing their heads in deference.A few individuals, including James, remained unaffected by the commanding tone. It appeared that since they were all Alphas, they possessed an immunity to the influence of other Alpha voices.What caught my attention, though, were the younger children, not yet shifted into werewolves, who also showed their necks to Lucas.It dawned on me that those kids, like me, were wolfless. It puzzled me why I remained immune to the Alpha's voice.Could I have been born without certain wolf genes?The revelation of this peculiarity caught me off guard. Until now, I had never encountered an Alpha voice being used in public. It was considered impolite for Alphas to exercise their vocal influence on Betas, Omegas, and the younger individuals.Yet, Lucas had defied this unwritten rule twice now, using his Alpha voice
“It’s hockey.” Lucas emphasized, his voice carrying a mix of frustration. “And our game is already over. We won our match; not like you care.”“You’re right,” the man replied, his tone devoid of any concern. “I don’t care.”I was taken aback by the stranger’s callous attitude towards Lucas. How could he be so cruel?Before I could say anything, he continued speaking, his words laced with a dismissive arrogance.“You’ve wasted another morning of your life with that… sport. It’s unbecoming of you. There are more important things for you to focus your energy on.” He scrutinized Lucas. “Come to my company later this afternoon. We’ll continue this talk there.”Lucas’s expression didn’t betray his anger or resentment, but the dark intensity swirling within his piercing blue eyes revealed his irritation.And that, in turn, ignited a sense of annoyance within me. It felt like my blood was simmering, ready to boil over.“Excuse me?” I questioned the stranger. When the words left my mouth, they
“How did you know I had questions?” I asked him.“Shana, I’ve known you since we were kids. I can tell when there’s something on your mind.” He gave me a knowing look.I took a moment to gather my thoughts, grateful for Lucas's willingness to open up despite the emotional weight he was carrying. His offer to answer my questions reassured me, knowing that he trusted me enough to share his secrets."Lucas," I began softly, careful to choose my words, "Your relationship with your dad… It seems strained, to say the least. What happened between the two of you?”Lucas sighed, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the confines of the restaurant. "My dad and I have never seen eye to eye. You already know I’m his illegitimate son from a one-night stand. But he regrets what happened because he already had a family, and I was not accepted by them as his child. My mother passed away giving birth to me, so I grew up with Grandma Jo.”His words struck me, revealing a complex and painful backs
Lucas burst into his office with an intimidating force, startling the security guard. "What's going on here?" he shouted."This girl sneaked into your office," the guard stammered nervously while exposing his neck to Lucas. "We're removing her from the building immediately.""Let go of her," Lucas snarled, causing the guard to release his grip on me instantly.It was evident that Lucas commanded a certain level of respect within the company."Shana is my guest, and I don't appreciate you manhandling her like that," Lucas growled at the guard. "I think it's time for you to take a break."Glancing down at my arm, I noticed a few bruises starting to form where the security guard had grasped me. I rubbed the tender skin gently, trying to soothe the discomfort.Lucas seemed to catch my gesture and a flicker of concern crossed his face. His gaze swept over my body, and for a moment, I wondered if he saw me as the weak, wolfless girl I perceived myself to be."Are you hurt?" he asked, his to