Teya’s POVThe sunlight filtered through the towering trees, creating a beautifully dappled pattern of light and shadows that danced across the soft, mossy ground beneath our feet. We had ventured deep enough into the forest that the familiar noises of campus life—the shouts of students, distant music, and the hum of busy streets—had faded away into a distant memory, like a faint whisper on the wind. Out here, surrounded by the gentle rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird, everything felt remarkably muted; it was as if we had stepped into our own little sanctuary, a cocoon of tranquility removed from the chaos of daily life. Maybe that was why Lucien had suggested this hidden spot—it provided the perfect escape. Or perhaps he just needed a quiet place to think, somewhere he could be himself without the pressure of everyone else’s expectations.As I glanced over, I saw him perched on the edge of an old, slightly weathered wooden bench, the kind that had seen countless
Teya's POV After class wrapped up, I decided to head to the library, though, to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was hoping to find there. My mind kept circling back to that moment in the classroom when our professor announced we’d be paired up for the project. When he called my name and then his, I should’ve had the presence of mind to raise my hand and ask to be switched to someone else. I could have saved myself from all the impending awkwardness. But, of course, I didn’t speak up. Now, here I was, walking right into the lion’s den of social discomfort.As I pushed open the heavy library door, I was greeted by the familiar, calming stillness that always enveloped the place. It was just quiet enough to hear the gentle hum of the fluorescent lights overhead and the soft, muffled rustle of pages turning from students scattered across the various nooks and crannies of the room. A few of my fellow classmates were huddled at desks, immersed in their studies, each one seemingly
Teya's POVThe hallway felt almost unnaturally quiet, so much so that you could probably hear a pin drop—if it weren't for the chaotic symphony of backpacks being zipped up and the somewhat frantic screech of sneakers sliding across the well-polished floor as students hurriedly began to make their way out. It was that time of day again when the air buzzed with the energy of students eager to escape the confines of the classroom.Lucien hadn’t felt the need to raise his voice again. Honestly, he didn’t have to; the authority he carried in just a few well-chosen words had already done its job. The trio of girls who had cornered me seemed to be shrinking under the weight of his glare; you could practically see their confidence deflating like a balloon losing air. Their eyes darted between one another, almost as if they were silently calculating the depth of the trouble they’d gotten themselves into.“We didn’t mean anything by it!” the girl who had tripped me blurted out, her voice tin
Teya’s POVThe bruises didn’t really hit me until I stepped into the harsh glare of the fluorescent hallway lights. At first, everything felt oddly… numbed out, you know? It was that strange buzzing silence that follows one of those moments when pain is too overwhelming to fully register. But as I stood there, just me and the glaring lights, it suddenly felt like reality slapped me right in the face. Every single step I took felt like I was walking barefoot on a path covered in gravel—like someone had taken all my pain and turned it into tiny, sharp stones just waiting to dig into my skin. My lip was throbbing, split open from where a girl’s ring had caught me during some chaotic high school drama. I could practically picture it: her flipping her hair back and throwing a punch all in one motion. Then there were my ribs, aching with a deep, hollow bruising that I previously thought only athletes talked about in their locker room bragging sessions. But trust me, it was very real. And
Teya’s POV One second, I was asleep—curled up under my blanket, limbs tangled, head full of static after Lucien had left—and the next, I was standing barefoot in snow that sparkled like someone had ground diamonds into dust.Everything was still. Silent. Like the world was holding its breath.I turned in a slow circle, rubbing my arms. The cold didn’t bite like it should’ve, but it crawled over my skin, sharp enough to remind me I wasn’t safe. That I didn’t belong here.Then I saw her. A beautiful Silver wolf. She padded toward me from across the white field, slow and steady, each movement liquid and powerful. She was massive—almost up to my chest—but there was nothing threatening in the way she moved. No growl. No snarl. Just... presence. Her aura. Like she had always been there. Like I’d just been the one who was late to the meeting.Her eyes met mine, and I froze.They were the softest gold, warm and quiet, but with something fierce buried deep inside. Not the kind of fierce that
Lucien's POV I’d been standing in the drizzle for thirty-seven minutes when the courier finally arrived.The sky had opened up just enough to lace the stone steps in silver, the sort of half-hearted rain that never decided whether it wanted to pour or simply hover. Water gathered in the ridges of my jacket and slipped down the cuffs, cold lines against my wrists. I barely noticed; my entire focus was on the small, plain box cupped in the courier’s hands and the name scrawled across the top:TEYA MOREN.Seeing her name in someone else’s handwriting pulled something tight in my chest—equal parts protectiveness and guilt. Protectiveness, because I understood better than anyone that Teya deserved gentleness after what that snake Pearl had done to her. Guilt, because I wasn’t certain I could give it to her without becoming another weight on her shoulders.I paid the courier, tucked a damp tip into his palm, and lifted the box. Though it was light, I carried it as if it contained something