LOGINMy breath caught, and I looked away from him.But out of the corner of my eye, I saw him start walking toward my table. I gripped the edge of it, wanting to bolt, shivering. My breathing came hard and shallow, like a panic attack closing in as he got closer."Are you all right, Lucia? Is something wrong?" Audrey asked.I shook my head.Then Dior reached our table and slammed his hand down on it."Well, well. If it isn't the rejected Omega of Blackwood, Lucia. Wilson. Or should I just say Lucia the rogue?” I stared at him, furious and sick with hatred at once. I could feel my roommates' eyes on us, confused and stunned, but nobody asked me anything. Instead, Elodie stood up and squared off with Dior, head to head."Four ladies are trying to have a nice dinner here. Could you be a little more sensible and come over politely, instead of slamming your fist on our table like the dumbass you look like?"Dior looked insulted. "Hey. I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Lucia.""You talk
"Don't dwell on it too much, Luciana. There's still more you need to understand about me before you can grasp the full weight of what I hold. And don't be afraid, I would never harm you."It was meant as a promise. I wanted to believe it. I couldn't quite manage to."The others who are after me," I said. "Who exactly are they?""Some are rival packs. Some are organized groups entirely outside pack structure.""What would they even want with me?""Exactly what you already suspect. Some want to weaponize what you are. Others would rather just take your blood and be done with it.""But why? What makes my power so valuable to them?""Because you carry something werewolves don't. You're not bound to the moon the way we are. Once your powers are fully unlocked, you'll be able to shift at will, no lunar cycle dictating it, no curse controlling you. A lot of werewolves would kill for that kind of freedom. Literally. And there are certain other things that would not make sense if I explained t
I kept scribbling, reading, writing, while Dr. Kylian sat there, entirely unmoved, absorbed in his own work. I threw a few puppy eyed looks his way. He didn't so much as glance up."Why are you so cold hearted?" I whined. "What did I ever do to you?""Luciana. Do what I asked. Complaining won't get you anywhere."I let a few tears well up for effect, and he actually looked mildly entertained, but still didn't budge."You're so mean. Tomi's sweet. He doesn't snap at me like this.""I'm not your sweet boyfriend." He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, thumb brushing gently across my cheek, wiping a tear. "I'm not sweet at all."Something tingled through me, it felt unfamiliar and impossible to explain. I looked away quickly, wiped my face, and went back to my work.That's when something in the book caught my attention properly. It described Lycans as existing before werewolves wild, feared, considered uncivilized beasts, while werewolves were seen as the more "refin
A punishment is definitely waiting for you, Laurel reminded me. Told you he wouldn't be happy.My mood was thoroughly ruined. What did he mean by "punished"?"You okay, Lucia?" Audrey asked."I'm fine. Just want to go to bed early. I have a very long day tomorrow.""Ooh, right, Tomi's hockey game! I'm so excited, I am definitely coming." Lenny said exictedly. "I am going too.” I said, trying to share in Lenny's exictement. "I wish I could come, guys," Audrey said, "but it's during Tristan's break, and I want to spend the time with him.""You're such a sap, Audrey," Elodie said. "I am staying in and reading, personally. Hockey players running around a rink isn't my thing.""You are always reading, reading, reading," Audrey and I echoed at her, and we all laughed.I picked my phone back up and found another message from Dr. Kylian: Your boyfriend's game overlaps with our scheduled meeting. Come earlier in the morning instead.I stared at it, genuinely surprised. I had already been men
I held my breath so long I thought I might actually pass out."Silvy, what's wrong?" Tomi asked. "You look pale. Did something happen?"I couldn't tear my eyes off Dr. Kylian, still walking toward us, frozen in place, and I could feel Tomi's attention starting to follow mine. Before he could turn to look, I grabbed his hands."I'm all right. Just a flashback. It's nothing, I promise."" Are you sure?” "Absolutely positive."If Dr. Kylian actually comes to the table, I told myself, I will just say I'm busy, that I am with my boyfriend. He will understand.But Dr. Kylian walked straight past us.I hadn't even noticed the moment he had changed direction. Why hadn't he stopped? He had clearly seen me. Was that intentional?His cologne lingered in the air after he had walked past, far longer than it should have, like it was still curling around me, brushing my skin.Why did he have to be here, tonight, of all nights?"You still look bothered," Tomi said. "You sure you're okay?""I am. Can
"What's wrong?" I asked Tomi.He didn't answer right away. His eyes stayed fixed on my phone. "Play it again.""What?""The voice note," he said.I frowned, but pulled it up and played it again. His jaw tightened, and he let out a slow breath."I don't know," he admitted, looking genuinely unsettled. "My wolf just, reacted to her voice. That's never happened before."Tomi came from the Lexingtons, one of the werewolf lineages with a unique inherited ability, something beyond the usual Alpha, Beta, Delta hierarchy. What exactly it was, I had no idea; families like his kept that kind of thing sealed within the inner circle, the Alphas and Betas only. I had only ever find out if Tomi told me himself. But from the confusion still written across his face, I doubted even he knew what had just happened."Do you want me to play it again?" I asked, to be sure.He shook his head. "Don't bother. I'm probably overthinking it. Or it's something else entirely."I smoothed my hand through his hair







