All Chapters of Beneath the Wolf Moon: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The restaurant was warm and golden, lit by the soft glow of hanging lanterns and the low hum of conversation that filled the space. It was the kind of place couples chose for anniversaries, families reserved for birthdays, and groups of friends visited to celebrate good news.For me, it was just a distraction.Lucas had insisted. “Aves, you can’t keep moping around your room. Come with me tonight, my treat. You need good food, not cereal out of the box.”So here I was, following my best friend into the polished wood and candlelit charm of Bellissimo’s Bistro. My palms were damp, nerves prickling, because I never belonged in places like this. Not really.Lucas walked ahead with his easy stride, dark hair catching the glow of the lights, his presence confident but casual. He didn’t look out of place. I wished I could say the same for myself.The hostess smiled at us, menus in hand, when the sound of familiar laughter cracked through the air like a whip across my skin.My head turned ins

When Lucas first suggested I should start “doing something physical” to work off the stress, I laughed. I wasn’t exactly the type of girl who hit the gym or joined track. My version of exercise was walking to the library or carrying a stack of books.But that was before Jaxon cornered me after class.“You need an outlet,” he’d said, his arms crossed as he leaned casually against the lockers, his gray eyes locked on me with that unnerving intensity. “You’re sharp, but when people come at you, you freeze before you fight back. That hesitation will get you crushed if you don’t learn to push past it.”I’d wanted to argue, to snap at him for acting like my life coach. But the truth stung. He was right.So here I was, at the small, nearly deserted rec center just off the edge of town, facing him on the worn-down mats of a side gym. The room smelled faintly of sweat and rubber, the overhead lights buzzing like angry bees.I tugged at the hem of my t-shirt nervously. “Remind me again why I agr

I didn’t know what had gotten into me. Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline from gym class or the way the spring sun hit the campus just right, but I felt tense. Every step toward the library was deliberate, careful—like I could sense something coming, even if I didn’t know what.And of course, he was already there.Jaxon. Leaning casually against the side of the library, his black hair messy in that perfect way he seemed to effortlessly pull off. His blue eyes caught mine immediately, sharp and knowing, and I felt my stomach flip.“Hey, Quinn,” he drawled, his grin teasing, almost predatory in the way it made my chest tighten. “Looking tense today. Gym wore you out, or are you just thinking about me?”I froze, hands tightening on the straps of my bag. My face heated. “I… I wasn’t thinking about—” My voice faltered. Of course, I couldn’t finish the sentence. I was thinking about him. Always thinking about him.He took a step closer, slow and deliberate. “Mm. You’ve been glancing at me

By Monday morning, the weight of the weekend still lingered in my chest, but it wasn’t the familiar ache of humiliation. No, this time it was anticipation. Savannah had been quiet since Friday, her green eyes watching me from across the hall with an unreadable expression. I knew that silence was never a good sign. It meant she was plotting. And I intended to stay one step ahead.I moved through the crowded hallway, my backpack snug against my shoulders, scanning for her minions, for anyone who might throw me off my game before it even began. My pulse thumped—not with fear, but with a growing excitement. I was done being cornered, done being the girl everyone assumed they could push around.“Hey, Quinn,” a voice called from down the hall. I glanced up, and there was Savannah, leaning casually against the lockers, her hair gleaming under the fluorescent lights, a smile playing on her lips that promised trouble.I kept walking, head high, as if she were just another background figure. But

I didn’t know how I ended up here, crouched behind the tall hedges that lined the edge of the old trail behind school, but somehow it felt right. The air was cool and damp, carrying the scent of wet earth and leaves, and the shadows of the trees stretched across the ground in long, crooked fingers. I could hear my own heartbeat, steady but loud in my ears, as if it were trying to warn me that something… significant was about to happen.Jaxon had been walking with me for a while, the distance between us gradually shrinking until the silence felt almost unbearable. I kept stealing glances at him, just enough to notice the way his black hair fell slightly over his forehead and how his blue eyes seemed sharper than usual in the fading sunlight. He wasn’t just beautiful—he was magnetic, and being near him made my chest ache in ways I didn’t fully understand yet.“You’re quiet today,” he said finally, his voice low and teasing, but with that edge that always made me pay attention.“I’ve… got