All Chapters of THE LOST WEREWOLF PRINCESS: MATED TO THE RIVALS: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

KAIA'S POV: The smell of cafeteria food lingers in the hallway as I shut my locker, trying not to think too hard about the whispers that seem to follow me through the school. It's been a few days since I met Rhea, and even though we’ve only shared a few glances, there's something about her that draws me in. She's always alone. Always quiet. Like me. I catch sight of her walking down the corridor, books clutched tightly to her chest. Her dark hair is tied in a messy bun, and she's hunched in that way people get when they’re used to making themselves smaller. A few steps behind her, I spot a group of girls - three, maybe four, trailing after her like predators. One of them stands out immediately: the tall blonde with icy eyes and the fang symbol on her shirt.Her. The stupid ass bitch. The same girl who shoved me aside my first week here."Hey freak," the blonde girl snarls, kicking Rhea’s heel hard enough to make her stumble. Her books scatter across the floor, the sound

KAIA'S POV:When we return, the final bell is ringing. We part ways at the lockers."See you tomorrow?" she asks.I nod. "Yeah." I don’t realize I’m smiling until I walk outside and see Ezra leaning against Lucien’s car. He lifts a brow. "Skipping class with the new girl? Rebel." "She’s cool," I say defensively."Never said she wasn’t. Just... be careful. This place has layers."I frown. "What does that mean?"Ezra pushes off the car and tosses me a wink. "You’ll figure it out." I’m getting real tired of these cryptic hints.I slide into the back seat. Lucien glances at me in the rearview mirror but doesn’t comment.As we drive home, I look out the window, fingers curled around the charm in my pocket and for the first time in days, I feel a little less alone.THIRD PERSON POV:(The next day) Rowan and Ezra coast into the high school parking lot just as the afternoon bell echoes through the empty yards. Golden leaves scatter across the asphalt in the crisp autumn air.

KAIA'S POV:"Kaia Guen, to the principal's office! Kaia Guen to the principal's office!" My head jerks up from my palm. A girl can't even take a nap anymore. It is well. Rhea taps my hand and I nod knowingly. It's definitely about that fight. The girls must have gone to run their mouths. I pick up my books and head out of the classroom with stares at my back. Yeah, look at my butt y'all. Muah. I knock before entering her office. She sits there with a small smile on her lips as she stares at me while I take a sit in front of her. "Good morning, Mrs Smith." I greet her with a polite smile. She reciprocates it, thankfully. "Welcome, Kaia. I'm sure you are aware of why I called you in." I nod affirmatively. "Great. It's your first fight but unfortunately for you, it's also your first month in this school. There is a zero violence policy in this school and you already broke it." I'm about to counter her by explaining when she raises a finger up to stop me. "How

KAIA'S POV: The silence in the living room is stifling and suffocating. I can hear the clock ticking on the wall, the soft buzz of a light overhead. My knees ache from the cold floor, but I barely notice it. I wrap my arms tightly around myself, trembling - not from the cold, but from the weight of it all. The weight of years. Of secrets. Ezra is the first to move. He crouches beside me slowly, like I’m something fragile that might shatter. His hands hover for a moment before he gently places one on my shoulder."Kaia…"My name trembles in his throat. I can’t keep it in anymore.So without any warning,"They used to burn me," I whisper. The air shifts. The brothers stiffen. Axel, standing behind the couch, goes still. Kai doesn’t move, but his jaw clenches tight. I avoid looking them in the eyes. "When the cooker timer beeped too long... or when I forgot to turn it off immediately."I lift my eyes and stare straight into Rowan’s. They’re wide, dark, horrified. "The

KAIA'S POV: It’s been a week. Seven long, dragging days since we found out my foster parents were released. Seven days of silence outside and chaos within. The sun filters through the blinds as I pace in my room for the umpteenth time. My fingers are twitching, my legs sore from being cooped up, my head pounding from the silence. I feel like a trapped animal, pacing the bars of an invisible cage.I snap. Storming out of my room, I stomp down the stairs like a hurricane about to destroy everything in its path. I barely notice Lucien sitting on the armrest of the couch or Ezra’s legs sprawled lazily across the ottoman. Rowan looks up from his phone, and Axel and Kai are leaning against the kitchen island, mid-conversation."Are you guys trying to kill me?!" Let the drama begin.Everyone freezes and stops what they are doing. I throw my arms in the air. "Seriously. I’m losing my mind. You can’t keep me locked up in this house like some helpless, fragile porcelain doll.