The Trap

The fluorescent lights of the school corridor did absolutely no favours for my complexion. I kept my head down, letting my stringy, dark hair fall forward like a curtain as I hurried towards my locker.

At Lightmaw Academy, being invisible was the ultimate goal, but it was a goal I consistently failed to achieve. It is incredibly difficult to blend in when you are the heaviest girl in your year, especially in a pack where everyone else seems to naturally possess the sleek, muscular build of a predator. At seventeen, I was still completely unshifted. My wolf was utterly silent, leaving me trapped in a soft, clumsy human body that felt more like a prison than a home.

I fumbled with the dial on my locker, my oversized jumper swallowing my hands. A group of girls from the cheer squad walked past, their laughter – sharp and glittering like broken glass – echoing off the metal doors. One of them deliberately bumped my shoulder, sending my maths textbook clattering to the linoleum floor.

"Watch it, omega," she sneered, not even bothering to look back.

I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted copper, bending down to retrieve the book. This was my daily reality. I was the lowest of the low, the pack pariah. I felt ugly, unwanted, and entirely suffocated by the heavy weight of my own skin. I just wanted to get my things, survive the rest of the afternoon, and retreat to the safety of my bedroom.

"Here, let me get that."

The voice was deep, smooth, and entirely out of place.

I froze as a large, tanned hand reached down and picked up my textbook. My eyes trailed up a muscular arm clad in the pristine maroon and gold jacket of the football team, finally landing on a face that belonged on a billboard.

Chase. The captain of the football team, the future Beta of the Lightmaw pack, and the very last person who should be talking to an unshifted omega. He had sandy blonde hair, eyes the colour of melted caramel, and a jawline that could cut glass.

I snatched the book from his hand, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. "I had it," I mumbled, instinctively taking a step back. I pressed my spine against the cold metal of my locker, waiting for the punchline. People like Chase did not talk to me unless it was a setup for a cruel joke.

But Chase didn't laugh. He leaned against the locker next to mine, flashing a brilliant, perfectly symmetrical smile. "I know you did, Tallulah. I just wanted an excuse to come over here."

I stared at him, utterly bewildered. "Why?"

He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly looking shy – a completely foreign expression on the face of the most arrogant boy in school. "Look, I know we don't really talk. But the prom is this Friday, and… well, I haven't asked anyone yet."

I scoffed, the sound harsh and defensive in the noisy corridor. "Half the girls in our year are practically throwing themselves at your feet, Chase. Take your pick."

"I don't want them," he said softly, his gaze locking onto mine. He stepped a fraction closer, invading my personal space in a way that made my breath catch. "I've been watching you for a while, Tallulah. You're different from everyone else here. You're real. Honestly? I've always had a bit of a crush on you."

The world seemed to stop spinning. My brain short-circuited. A crush? On me? The overweight, pathetic omega who couldn't even shift? It had to be a lie. My instincts screamed at me to run, to push past him and hide in the nearest toilet cubicle.

"You want to go to the prom… with me?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Chase reached out, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch sent a jolt of electricity down my spine. "More than anything," he murmured. "Say yes, Tallulah. Let me show everyone how beautiful you really are."

Against every rational thought, against years of hardened self-defence and bitter experience, a tiny, foolish spark of hope ignited in my chest. For the first time in my life, someone was looking at me like I was a prize, not a punching bag.

"Okay," I breathed, the word slipping out before I could stop it. "Yes. I'll go with you."

His smile widened, triumphant and blinding. "Brilliant. I'll pick you up at seven on Friday. Wear something gorgeous."

He winked, tapped my locker door, and strolled away down the corridor, leaving me standing there with my heart soaring and my fate sealed. I had absolutely no idea I had just agreed to my own destruction.