pte

NE POINT

ng has changed. The air feels different. Charged with malice. Students who

the bond sits aches with each heartbeat. Sleep didn't come last night. Every time I

away f

rns like acid

h step feels like walking through quicksand. Heavy

untain. They see me coming and start whispering.

e she

ied to force he

the

d walk faster. But there's nowhere to h

ight. Too shaky. Too clumsy. The metal feels ice-cold against my ski

My books scatter across the

ce says. "Sor

n's friends from the cafeteria. He's not s

pping on one of my notebooks as I try to gather

ome laugh. Others pretend

ps moving. Keeps stepping on things. Keeps mak

re?" anothe

n's inner circle. His presence makes my wolf cower

helping our new student underst

r steel. "Some people need ex

t accidents anymore. Thi

l like water. My whole body trembles with fear and rage and so

ays as I hurry away.

own the hallway. Settle

s who shared tables with me yesterday suddenly fi

nything. His eyes hold sympathy, but sym

d. It bounces off and falls to the floor. I don't turn aroun

says: "Ome

board. Force myself to take notes. To pretend I

r hits me. T

ional

your p

cts don't b

esigned to remind me of yesterday's humiliation. Of

re beneath the pain, something else stirs. Something that whispe

ierceness. I push it down quickly.

conversations buzzing with excitement. They're en

est stall. Press my back against the cold door and finally le

's voice. *"Be brave, little wolf,"* he used to whisper whe

roken. Shattered into pieces I do

nother. I wipe them away quickly. C

rofessor Kane's

that feel swollen fr

ou alr

, I'm not alright. I'm drowning. Suffocat

ne," I

eve me. "If you

d I'm

adly and

s. Students part around me like I'm disea

what happen

ght Ronan Nightban

are so d

d put her out

lood run cold. There's real

itched seats. The teacher assigns me to work alone. Ag

my beaker. Chemicals splash across my notes, destroying

ays with fake sweetnes

ing from the chemical burn, but I don't com

a isn't there. Neither are the other students who seemed fri

on, but it dies when I walk by. Head

mouth. My stomach churns with anxiety. With the

ee three girls standing there. Alphas, judging

leader asks. She doesn

ering prey. Their scents are expensive

e leader continues. Her name tag says

. Every instinc

performance yesterday," anot

ical blow. The bond in my

. "Throwing yourself at someone so far above your stati

er legs, too humiliated to even growl. The scent of their expensive perf

" the third girl chimes in. "All

lves without a pack," Madison adds.

lear. I'm being hunted.

ontinues. "Make sure you und

ard enough to leave marks. My wolf snarls low in my chest, more wounded than

d chain. You don't speak unless spoken to. Don't look Alphas i

ns. I can feel

betters. That means Alphas. B

er that you're only here on charity. One wo

About how easily he could des

nd?" Madi

use I have

and stands. "We'll be watching you.

ersation carries across the cafeter

u see h

path

right to

never

ail marks bloom purple against my pale

arg

es and cruel whispers. Every time I look up, someo

ood and head for the exit. But the hallway

myself before falling, but

're going, Omega

choes off

taped to my desk: "Sluts don'

doesn't care. I crumple the paper a

before I sit down. My clothes soak through immediately

the culprit shrugs

. Every cruel word and hostile glare has chipped

he metal door shows a girl I barely recognize. Ho

mes before realizing someone has superglue

an my forehead against the c

This is what Ronan's

ryt

le?" a famili

e. Her face is carefully neutral

ine,"

closer. "What they're doin

," I whisper. The wo

deserv

. Wanted something I had no right t

to me?" I ask. "Won't

before she speaks. Something flickers

Ronan's rejection was the worst part? That was just his op

here's knowledge in her voice.

do you

Already distancing herself from

e empty hallway, understa

ng. This isn't just crue

ized. Planned

just reject

clare