Semua Bab Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine: Bab 11 - Bab 20

ARDEN“Who does he think he is?” I muttered as I washed my hands in the sink. I caught my reflection and grimaced at how red my cheeks looked. Did I look like this when I spoke to Cade, too?I shook my head, flicking water off my fingers like I could shake off the frustration with it. “Just because he’s smart and tall, good-looking, and competent…”“That doesn’t sound right,” I whispered, annoyed with myself. “There’s no reason for him to treat me in such a way when I didn’t even do anything to him.”With a breathless sigh, I grabbed a paper towel to dry my hands, willing my heart to calm down. I looked in the mirror and forced a smile. “Let’s just eat,” I muttered. “Food will make things better… like it always does.”I pushed open the restroom door—only to freeze in place.There was a shadowy nook near the stairwell, dimly lit and often ignored. But now, it held something—or someone—I shouldn't have seen. I had seen werewolves mid-rut on campus before, and no one batted an eye. That

ARDENI could feel Tessa’s teasing gaze as I stood next to Cade. He hadn’t spoken to me once while the others were partnering up. Additionally, I could sense Sienna glancing at me from time to time, her gaze sharp enough to cut through glass.“You again,” I muttered.A small smirk made its way to his lips. “Shouldn’t I be saying that, Flub?”I clicked my tongue, crossing my arms in front of my chest as annoyance surged through my veins. “Why do you keep calling me that?”He merely shrugged, not bothering to answer my question. I sighed and focused my gaze on Mr. Thompson, who had just finished partnering everyone up.“As you know,” he continued, “I won’t let you do these things without merits. The pair who wins will get ten points each.” Murmurs of excitement echoed across the gym. There it was again—the dreaded point system.“But,” Mr. Thompson added with a smirk, “you will not be playing on your own.”He glanced at his watch. “They must be coming at any moment.”“What’s happening,

ARDENI didn’t know what I had been expecting from that moment. It wasn’t the exhilarating ‘fireworks’ I felt during my first kiss with Jaxon. My heart didn’t race faster, nor did fear consume my body. Instead, it felt… safe.He didn’t pull away, but he also didn’t kiss me back. I closed my eyes tightly, anxiety swirling within me as I braced for his reaction. My palms rested on the sides of his face, drawing him impossibly closer. The thought that Kieran might recognize who I was loomed ominously in my mind.“Oh,” I heard my brother say, a chuckle escaping his lips. “I see that you’re… busy. Anyway, I just came by to let you know that our mansion is throwing a party this weekend. All Alphas are invited. We hope to see you there.”With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me in a state of internal relief. I felt the urge to pull away, but before I could, Cade’s arms wrapped around my waist.My eyes widened as he pulled me even closer. Without any warning, he began moving his lips

ARDEN“Come on—there’s no time to process everything,” Tessa said, offering her hand.“What now?” I groaned, already wanting to sleep.“Now that you have access to Echo, you can become updated with the school events. The different clubs are recruiting this time. This is another thing that doesn’t rely on faction loyalty, but it could still lead to us getting points.”I quickly stood. That sounded like the Elite I dreamed about.Tessa chuckled. “Arden, you’re adorable. You suddenly came to life.”“Let’s go,” I said enthusiastically, leading Tessa out of the door and out of our dorm. She shook her head in amusement as I continued to drag her.“Do you even know where to go?” she asked.I stopped in my tracks and smiled sheepishly before turning around.“It’s this way,” she said, leading me to the labyrinthine gardens, where plenty of clubs had set their booths. Hundreds of freshmen wandered around the garden, looking for the club that best suited them.I looked at the signs one by one.“

ARDENThe others stared at me as if I had committed all seven deadly sins while they walked past. I quickly gathered my belongings and made a swift attempt to exit, anxiously trying to avoid being murdered by their piercing gazes.I clicked my tongue in irritation. I was merely offering my perspective on the topic, yet some voices in the room interpreted it as an act of defiance against Elias’ words—or, even worse, an audacious attempt to capture his attention.With a heavy sigh, I shook my head and hurried my steps, only to feel a sharp tug at my arm that made me frown. Turning around, I was met with Sienna’s ire-filled gaze.“Let go,” I demanded.She smirked, tilting her head slightly, and ignored my request. “Didn’t you say you were going to lay low?”“I did,” I replied.“It doesn't seem that way to me,” Sienna said through gritted teeth. “What? Now that Jaxon’s left you, you’re targeting the other Alphas?”“What are you talking about?” I exclaimed, pulling my arm away from her hol