Chapter 1

I heard that word for the first time in the cafeteria.

It was Wednesday noon. I was holding my tray, standing in line, when two wolf-girls in front of me leaned in close, whispering and giggling under their breath. But wolf hearing doesn't miss much—every word cut through clean.

"Look, there she is. The leech again."

"Every single day, trailing after Lucas like some pathetic lapdog. If the pack weren't so generous, rogues would've torn her apart in the wilderness months ago. And she's so weak—why is she even at this academy?"

I thought they were talking about someone else.

Until one of them turned her head, let her eyes drag over me for a few seconds, and curled her lips into a deliberate, mocking smile.

The noise around me seemed to amplify all at once. Wolves at nearby tables turned to stare. Some of the higher-ranked ones didn't even bother hiding it—they just looked down at me like I was some stray mutt that wandered into a pack of wild wolves.

My fingers dug into the edge of my tray until my knuckles went white.

Leech?

They were talking about me?

I practically fled the hall, retreating to the darkest, most isolated corner of the outdoor dining area.

But I hadn't even sat down before the sharp, vicious voices from the next table tore through the air again.

"Elena is an absolute embarrassment. Clinging to Alpha Lucas like that."

A girl slammed her energy drink down on the table. "I heard she doesn't even have a wolf. She's only still on the grounds because Lucas's family lets her stay."

"Can you believe it? A waste of space like that is supposed to be our classmate now. Must be Lucas's generosity at work again."

"No wonder Sienna calls her a leech."

Another voice laughed coldly in agreement.

My fork clattered against the plate.

The wolf-girls turned at the sound. Not a hint of embarrassment on their faces—just a smug eye-roll.

"The leech is looking at us."

"She probably thinks she's going to be Alpha Lucas's mate one day."

My jaw clenched so hard it ached. My whole body was shaking.

I gave up on my food. Left the tray untouched and walked away.

I went to the training grounds instead.

The midday sun was blinding. Lucas was in the middle of the ring, mid-sparring session. Shirtless, sweat glistening over every cut line of muscle—every she-wolf on the bleachers was watching him.

Sienna was seated on the sideline. When she spotted me approaching, that arrogant smile stretched across her face.

"Oh, look. Elena's here."

She patted the seat next to her. "Come sit. Lucas just won his third match in a row."

I walked right past her, my eyes locked on Lucas.

"Lucas. Get out here. I need to talk to you."

Lucas just slammed his opponent to the ground. He glanced up, surprised to hear my voice, but mostly annoyed. "What? Can't you see I'm training? Talk later."

"No. Now."

I'd never used that tone with him before. Lucas actually paused—he was used to the shadow wolf who always trailed behind him, quiet and obedient.

He stared at me for a few seconds, then finally gestured to his coach, climbed over the ropes slowly, and ambled over.

"What now? You're being so dramatic."

His tone was light. Easy. Like my distress didn't even register.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the burn in my throat. "The whole academy is calling me a leech. Saying I'm only alive because you throw me scraps. Did you know about this?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. Shrugged. "Yeah, I knew."

I stared at the boy I'd grown up with, waiting for some flash of anger—or at least a single word about shutting them down.

Nothing. He just stood there, shrugging.

"You knew. And you didn't stop them?"

My voice started to shake.

"Stop what?" He let out a careless laugh. "It's just a nickname. Who doesn't have one around here? Mark from the next dorm gets called 'Piggy' all the time."

"It's humiliation! They're tearing me apart!"

I was practically hissing the words, voice low and shaking.

"You're overthinking it, Elena."

Lucas reached out and patted my shoulder. "Sienna's just playful. She doesn't mean any harm. She's a future Alpha's mate candidate—she's just a little blunt."

No harm?

I turned to look at Sienna up on the bleachers. She was watching us. She wasn't even trying to hide the smugness in her eyes.

"Lucas. Do you honestly believe they're calling me a leech as a joke?"

Lucas lost his patience entirely. His brow pulled tight.

"Enough, Elena. That's just how she is. Besides—you're always trailing behind me, eating my food, using my stuff... People are gonna think that. Isn't it kinda obvious?"

He didn't say the worst of it out loud. But I heard it anyway.

I'd started paying him back the second I turned sixteen—every meal, every training fee, every time he waved his card at a vendor and said "put it on my tab." I logged it all in a battered journal I kept tucked under my mattress. I never told him. I figured the act of returning what I owed would speak for itself.

I was wrong. He never even noticed the money I sent back. To him, it was pocket change. To me, it was my pride, paid out in installments.

He jogged back to the ring before I could respond. I just stood there, frozen.