03💫

Aurora’s POV.

Warm sunlight streamed in through the small window beside my bed and kissed my face. It was morning again—time to face another day at Oaksward University. I groaned quietly, rolling over, wanting to hide under the covers forever. But the world wasn’t going to wait for me, and Ice wasn’t about to let me stay in bed.

“Get up, Aurora,” Ice growled in my head, her tone sharp with impatience. “You’re going to be late if you keep lying there.”

I heaved a huge sigh and rose from the bed. My day’s routine was rather painfully straightforward—to bathe, guzzle a tumbler full of milk, and pull on my loose garments. They had not always been so loose, however. They began to hang from my frame just lately after I shed much weight. Earlier I weighed fifty-one kilograms, but ever since arriving at Oaksward University, the persistent nagging of Rebecca drove me to shrink to forty-six.

Months had passed since I’d seen them—my parents so very far away, residing in Lemon Street, a quiet, forgotten province where low-ranked wolves like ourselves belonged. Not a single wolf from Lemon Street had ever had the chance to join Oaksward, a university that was for high-ranking wolves and their so-called rich families. I don’t belong here. I never did.

Walking down the road, I saw my shortcut to campus: a narrow path cutting through a quiet patch of trees, saving me ten minutes of walking time. I was about to take it when a loud honk shattered my thoughts.

A sleek black sports car pulled up beside me, and I jumped back, startled. My pulse pounded in my ears, and I had to wonder: how could I not have heard it coming? Where was Ice when I needed her?

“Were you asleep, Ice?” I muttered to myself.

“I could ask the same of you,” she grumbled, unimpressed.

The window rolled down, and my breath caught as soon as I saw him.

“You’re my stepsister’s friend, right?” His voice was smooth and calm, yet carried an edge of authority that had me straightening without realizing it.

Alpha Cali.

He leaned casually against the door, and his hazel-brown hair captured the sun in just such a way it gave him almost a golden radiance. In his plain-fit black polo, highlighting his broad shoulders, he wore casual clothes with an impossible sort of regality.

You’re staring. Is he your type? Ice teased, her voice laced with amusement.

Shut up, Ice, I snapped, my cheeks suddenly hot. I’m just surprised. I didn’t recognize him at first.

“Are you deaf?” His sharp tone pulled me from my thoughts, his amber eyes narrowing slightly. “I asked you a question.”

“No, I…” I stuttered, feeling my voice go uneven as I struggled to find my words. “I can hear you.”

Ice burst into a fit of laughter inside my head, revealing how much she enjoyed my embarrassment.

“So, you can speak,” Cali said, his lips playing with a hint of a smile. “Good. Use that voice, then. You want a ride or not?”

I froze. Was he giving me a lift?

Yes, he is. Don’t overthink it. Say yes, Ice urged, exasperated and amused.

Are you insane? If Rebecca finds out, she’ll make my life even more miserable than it already is, I countered.

“Thanks, but I’ll walk,” I muttered, turning quickly away before he could say anything else. I didn’t even take the shortcut, too afraid of giving him an excuse to follow me.

But as I walked, he moved his car slowly behind me, keeping pace.

“I don’t think I’ve met you properly,” he called out. “What pack are you from?”

He’s into you, Ice said with a sly smile.

Don’t be ridiculous. Look at me—I didn’t even bother to fix my hair this morning, I snapped back.

“I’ll figure it out myself,” Cali said after some time, quite indifferent. “Anyway, see you later.”

And with that, he was off, leaving me standing with my heart palpitating for reasons I would rather not admit to.

If I were you, I’d stop making your life harder, Ice muttered. If he’s showing interest, use it. You could get some protection—at least from that brat of a stepsister of yours who’s also got her eyes on him too.

“Not now, Ice,” I said in a whisper, shaking my head. “I’ll be late for class.”

I arrived on campus just in time for my first class: Physics. Finally, I managed to slip into the room with two minutes to spare, still catching my breath from running.

Murmurs of conversation filled the classroom as students intermingled in their cliques. Most of the kids in my class were courteous enough to ignore me. Unlike Rebecca, they didn’t go out of their way to torture me. That was the best I could hope for—peace.

Just as the professor was about to begin the lecture, the door opened, and all the noise in the room died at once.

We all turned to look.

Oaksward University was divided into three sections: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. I was in Gamma—the lowest section. The sectioning wasn’t based on our wolf ranks but was solely based on our academic performance. And yet, despite the lack of hierarchy, everyone here knew their place.

Out of place was the man who came in. My blood ran cold.

It was him—one of the guys from Rebecca’s party who cornered me.

Whispers erupted around the room, some of the girls giggling as they whispered his name.

“Leon? What’s he doing here?”

My stomach twisted in knots, and I just ducked my head, praying he hadn’t noticed me.

The professor yelled for silence. “Leon is joining this class because he failed to take his exam. Now stop acting like children and let’s continue.”

I kept my head down, focusing on my notebook.

Why’s that creep here? Ice growled.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “But it’s bad news.”

“What is it that you are mumbling about?”

My blood ran cold when his voice cut through the air to get to me; he was standing right in front of me, leaning down, with mockery dripping from his smirk.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” he said, amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Looks like this class won’t be so boring after all.”

Before I could utter a word, he faced the girl next to me.

“Mind if I take the seat?” he asked with a charming smile.

The girl giggled, blushing. “Of course, Leon! I’ll sit in the back.”

She didn’t waste a second. Leon dropped into the seat beside me. My heart was thundering in my chest, and I focused on not tearing my eyes from my notebook, willing my calm to continue.

If he even thinks about trying anything, I’ll tear him apart, Ice growled.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the lecture. I couldn’t let this rattle me. I just had to stay invisible.

But deep inside of me, I knew this was no longer an option.