JILLIAN

I keep my eyes on the floor as I walk down the polished hallway of Lycan Royal Academy, dragging my books close to my chest. My hands tremble slightly, and I can feel the flutter in my stomach. I don’t want to look up. I don’t want to see Mariel Jacob. If I do… she and her friends will notice me, and I’ll be humiliated all over again.

Not today. I can’t handle today.

I whisper to myself, barely audible: “Just get to class. Don’t be noticed. Don’t make a sound.”

My steps falter. My stomach twists, and I feel dizzy. Not feeling well… I shouldn’t have come to class.

I round the corner a little too fast—and suddenly I slam into something solid.

Something hard. Warm. Muscular.

My books fly from my hands, scattering across the floor.

“Oh no! I—I’m so sorry!” I stammer, dropping to my knees. “I didn’t see you—I wasn’t looking—I—”

I freeze as I lift my head.

It’s King Carlton Davis.

My heart skips a beat, then pounds like a drum. Tall. Broad. Powerful. And impossibly commanding. The king himself, right in front of me.

He smiles, a brief, almost teasing curve of his lips.

“No worries,” he says, voice low but gentle. “Just keep your eyes forward, little one. You might fall again.”

“L-Little… one?” I whisper under my breath. My face burns, my chest tightens.

Two pack guards step in and help me gather my scattered books. They hand them to me carefully, bow slightly, and then leave as silently as they came.

King Carlton nods once, just once, and walks away, his presence leaving a faint heat lingering in the air.

I clutch my chest. My heart is beating too fast, too hard.

“Is it fear? Or… something else?” I whisper to myself, my breathe trembling.

I don’t have time to think because my legs carry me faster, almost running, toward the nearest bathroom. I need to breathe. I need to stop my heart from threatening to burst through my ribs.

I push the door open—and my stomach drops.

Mariel Jacob stands there, smug and perfect, with her circle of followers like loyal shadows.

“Look who’s here,” she purrs, eyes glinting with cruel amusement. “The poor omega, thinking she belongs here.”

I take a step back. “I—I just—”

She blocks the door with a flick of her wrist. “Nope. Not leaving that easy.”

“Please, I’m not feeling well—” I start, voice shaking.

“Perfect. Weak. Just how I like my entertainment,” she says, a smile twisting her lips.

Before I can react, she shoves me. Hard.

I hit the cold tile floor with a thud. My books slide away. My wrist aches. Laughter explodes around me.

“Poor omega!” one student jeers.

“Can’t even stand up,” another mocks.

I grit my teeth and scramble to sit up.

Mariel tilts her head and smirks at one of her friends. “Emily. The trash.”

Emily snatches a small bin and steps forward.

“No! Please—don’t!” I shout, backing away.

The trash flies toward me—and then a voice cuts through like a knife.

“Stop it!”

My head snaps up. My heart almost freezes.

Larson Davis came, he’s standing at the doorway. Hands in his pockets. Tall. Dark. Damn near perfect. My chest tightens. My wolf stirs in excitement I can’t control.

Mariel freezes. “Larson—”

“I said stop,” he growls, and it’s enough to silence the entire bathroom.

I bite my lip, cheeks burning, and slowly push myself up from the floor.

He steps closer, his eyes stormy and sharp. “Are you okay?”

I nod quickly, fumbling with my books. “I… I’m fine.”

“You’re clearly not fine,” he mutters, gaze flicking to my scraped wrist.

“I’m used to it,” I whisper, ashamed.

Larson shakes his head, frustration evident. “You shouldn’t be.”

Behind him, Mariel huffs, annoyed. “He’s making such a big deal over nothing.”

Larson turns, jaw tight. “Nothing? She’s not nothing.”

My stomach flips. His words… they feel like fire in my chest. I want to melt into the floor and disappear, but something in his gaze makes me stand taller.

“Come with me,” he says suddenly, stepping forward.

I hesitate. “I—shouldn’t—”

“Please,” he interrupts, almost a growl. “Just come.”

Mariel gasps behind him. “Larson! You can’t just—”

“I said stop,” he snaps, eyes flashing at her.

She steps back, indignant, but Larson doesn’t even look at her. His focus is entirely on me.

I clutch my books tighter, my wolf restless inside me. His scent—pine, rain, something darker—wraps around me, stirring emotions I shouldn’t feel.

I want to say no. I want to run. But I don’t.

Instead, I let him guide me toward the hallway exit, away from Mariel’s prying eyes.

Her voice whispers after me, sharp as ice: “We’re not done yet.”

I swallow hard, heart hammering. “I—thank you,” I murmur to Larson without looking at him.

“Go,” he mutters, his gaze still lingering on me, a warning buried deep in his stormy eyes.

Behind him, I hear Mariel huff and wrap her arms around him possessively. “I’m just having fun,” she purrs.

Larson frowns, stepping slightly away from her. “Father is here to visit. Don’t make a scene.”

Her cheeks flare red. “You’re so serious.”

Larson doesn’t respond. He just watches me go, letting me slip past with a quiet intensity that makes my chest ache.

As I finally round the corner and press myself against the lockers, I let out a shaky breath. My hands clutch my chest as my heart hammers like it’s trying to escape.

Why does Larson make it feel like my wolf is alive inside me? Why does Mariel’s anger spike every time I blink in his direction?

I swallow hard. I’ve liked him for months in silence—my secret crush, impossible, unspoken. And now… he saved me.

The thought makes my stomach twist and my chest ache with something I can’t name.

Something dangerous. Something forbidden.

And I know one thing for certain: whatever this is, this day—this hallway—this encounter—has changed everything.

Because at Lycan Royal Academy, nothing is ever simple.

Not when alpha hearts, royal blood, and omega desires collide.

And I have no idea yet just how far this pull will take me—or how much I’m about to be caught in a storm I can’t escape.