Maeve's pov Then Jaxon started to glare at Carter, the tension between them escalated. Carter seemed completely unbothered, he even a confident smirk on his lips as he glared back at Jaxon. It was like two strong,alpha wolves staring each other down. Each wanted to show they were in charge and wouldn’t back away. It felt like any second, they might fight.For a long moment, everything was quiet. Jaxon’s look was dark and angry, like a storm about to start. But Carter’s eyes were different, strong but with a calm, with steady fire in them, almost like he was taunting Jaxon without saying a word. There was a strong, silent challenge between them, neither of them were willing to give in.I held my breath, waiting to see who would look away first, but neither did. It was like a test, seeing who was the real leader here. Even though no words were said, I could feel the heavy tension in the air, and it made my heart beat fast.Then, Jaxon’s glare grew sharper as he stared at Carter, the
Maeve's povOkay, I hadn’t thought this through when I decided to walk to the garden to take a break. A few minutes of peace and quiet had sounded perfect—a chance to clear my head, away from the chaos of Jaxon and all the drama that seemed to follow him.But I obviously forgotten the fact that I still had classes. Dumb ? I know right.Now here I am, back inside, standing in the hallway, practically pressed against a row of lockers, hiding from the principal, who just happens to be patrolling right now. Perfect timing, really. Still all I know is that I have to get to my class now. No matter how.I peek around the corner, watching as the principal checks each classroom door, his shoes clicking on the tile floor as he moves closer. I hold my breath, wondering if he’ll notice me.This was supposed to be a simple break—just ten minutes of fresh air to survive the day. But Carter and his mood swings, Jaxon and his...ugh. Of course they had to turn things into a drama fest.Now, here I a
Maeve's pov "Maeve, come on! You can’t hide forever. Get out here!” Ava called, banging on the door.I groaned, sinking deeper into my hiding spot. Why was my life like this? Why did drama always have to find me? All I wanted was to come back to school and be normal after Jaxon’s rejection, just blend in and be invisible for once.But no. Here I was, stuck in a bathroom stall, refusing to come out. Why? Because I’d just flashed my underwear to the entire class. And it wasn’t even an accident—Kayla, that idiotic cheerleader, had tripped me on purpose. I could still see her smirk, hear the laughter from the whole class that followed.Why did she hate me so much? What did I ever do to her? All I wanted was to sneak back into class quietly. Instead, I’d been humiliated in front of everyone.“Maeve, you can’t just stay in there forever” Ava said, softer this time. “I mean, really, Maeve? You’re being dramatic.”“Dramatic?” I whispered back, shaking my head. “I can’t go back out there, Ava
Maeve's pov I was sitting in Mrs. Donovan’s office, feeling like I wanted to be anywhere else. Home, my bed—really, anywhere but here. Mrs. Donovan was one of those teachers that you couldn’t help but notice. She wore these big, round glasses that made her eyes look huge. And her clothes—oh boy. Today, she was wearing a purple dress with orange spots, and it looked like something from a cartoon. If it weren’t for her serious face, she’d look like a quirky aunt at a family reunion. But right now, her serious face was aimed at me, and it made me feel like shrinking into my chair. All I wanted was to go home, lie down, and pretend today hadn’t happened. I glanced around her office, trying to distract myself. The walls were covered with old pictures of students and little motivational posters. “Reach for the stars,” one said, with a cartoon rocket on it. There was a weird smell in the air, like old books mixed with peppermint. "Miss Whitlock, are you even listening to me?" Mrs. Don
Maeve's pov I looked at the clock on Mrs. Donovan’s wall, ignoring Jaxon completely. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d even registered on my radar. Nope. He didn’t exist, not to me, not right now. Besides, I wasn’t going to let him ruin my day any more than he already had. He was just… a nobody, I told myself, trying to focus on the tick-tock of the clock hands. But then, I felt him sit into the chair right beside me. His presence was annoyingly obvious, like a shadow I couldn’t get rid of. He didn’t say anything, and I could feel the tension rolling off him, but I kept my eyes forward, determined to pretend he was invisible. Tick. Tock. I could hear every sound in the room, even my own breathing, and it only reminded me of how close he was. Why wasn’t he saying anything? And why did he choose to sit so close? There were plenty of other chairs, after all. A part of me wanted to turn and ask what he was doing, why he’d come, but I didn’t trust myself n
Maeve's pov"I’m not done, okay?” I said, narrowing my eyes and leaning in even closer. “Now, about that scene with Carter—tell me, what the hell was that show of dominance?”Jaxon’s jaw clenched again, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He was trying to decide whether to defend himself or keep his mouth shut. Either way, I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to let him get away with anything anymore.“You made a scene, Jaxon,” I continued. “and it was pathetic. You acted like a child just because Carter was talking to me. Why do you care so much? You were the one who rejected me .We are nothing to each other"Jaxon’s eyes narrowed, a sneer pulling at his lips. “Why are you making me out to be the villain?” he spat “I rejected you because I couldn’t stand your self-righteous, bitchy attitude. You think you’re so special, but the only reason anyone even tolerates your existence is because of my sister. Let’s be honest, Maeve—you would have been a terrible Mate anyway.”The words hit m
Maeve's povShe took a breath, her eyes narrowing. “Take your seats. Both of you. Now.”The command left no room for argument. I released a shaky breath, swallowing my pride as I moved back to my chair. Jaxon shot me one last, venomous look before he dropped into his seat.“I called you both here because of a united decision made by all the teachers” she began, irritation flashing in her eyes.Mrs. Donovan's eyes settled on me. “Miss Whitlock, I’m deeply concerned about your grades. Your assignments are incomplete, and your test scores have been slipping. You’ve always had potential, but these past few months, it’s like you’ve checked out completely. At this rate, you’re risking failure in several subjects.” It wasn’t news to me that my grades were struggling—I’d barely managed to keep up with everything since Jaxon rejected me. But hearing it laid out so plainly, with Jaxon sitting there, felt like salt in a wound.Mrs. Donovan’s gaze turned on Jaxon. “And Mr. Thorn, your behavior
Jaxon's povMy wolf, Ares, was restless, growling deep in my mind as I pressed my lips to Kayla's. She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my neck, but I could feel Ares anger in me.**_Maeve is better_** Ares snarled, his voice loud in my thoughts.**_Why waste time on this?_**I ignored him, forcing myself to keep kissing Kayla, letting her hands roam over my shoulders. She was easy, always around and never asking for more than a bit of fun. That was what I needed—something simple, something that didn’t make me feel so conflicted and out of control.But Ares wouldn’t let me enjoy even a second of it. **_Our mate_**, he growled again, filling my mind with memories of her—her face, the way her eyes flashed when she argued with me, her scent that somehow lingered no matter how hard I tried to forget it. I clenched my fists, trying to push Ares back, to silence him, but he was stronger than usual, and I found it hard to control him.**_She’s nothing_,** I tried to argue back in my m
Maeve's pov Her expression twisted with hurt, and she took a step back as if I’d struck her. “You both should have trusted me,” she said quietly. “And you of all people,should have told me the truth.”“I couldn’t,” I said, my voice cracking. “You don’t understand—he doesn’t want me. He made that perfectly clear.”Ava’s eyes softened for a moment, but the anger quickly returned. “So that’s why he’s been acting like this,” she muttered, more to herself than to me. “That’s why he’s been so… unhinged.”She wasn’t wrong—Jaxon had been different since the mate bond revealed itself. Darker. Angrier. And now Trevor’s blood was on his hands because of it.Ava’s stared at me, her jaw tight, her eyes flashing with a mixture of betrayal and disbelief.“He’s my brother, Maeve,” she said.“My brother. And you didn’t think I deserved to know?”Her words hit me like a blow, and I flinched, guilt twisting in my chest. “I couldn’t, Ava,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I didn’t know how—”“How?” she
Maeve's pov He reached for me again, his hand trembling slightly, as if he was afraid to touch me. “Maeve,” he said, his voice low and rough.I pulled my hand back sharply, glaring at him through the tears in my eyes. “Don’t touch me,” I snapped, my voice shaking with anger and fear. “You don’t get to do this. Not after what you’ve done.”Before Ares—or Jaxon—could respond, the heavy sound of a door slamming open echoed through the hallway. Mr. Hargrove, the principal, stormed in, his face red with fury. His eyes looked over the chaos: Trevor’s broken form, the crowd of stunned students, and Jaxon standing like a predator who’d just been interrupted mid-hunt.“What in the hell is going on here?” Mr. Hargrove’s voice boomed through the corridor, silencing the whispers and mutterings that had begun to rise. Teachers hurried in behind him, their faces pale as they took in the scene.“Jaxon !” Mr. Hargrove barked, his gaze locking onto Jaxon. “My office. Now.”Jaxon’s jaw tightened, bu
His fist was mid-swing, his knuckles were inches from Trevor’s already bruised face. His golden eyes flicked toward me, and for a moment, it was like time itself had stopped. The hallway went silent. The cheering, the screaming, the jeering—it all faded into nothingness. Even the crowd seemed stunned. Ava stood there with tears streaming down her face, her mouth slightly open in shock. Kayla’s hand fell to her side, her face pale and confused. No one said a word. And Jaxon… he just stared at me. Our eyes locked, and the pull in my chest tightened. It was unbearable now, like it was yanking me forward with invisible chains. My feet moved on their own, one step, then another. I couldn’t stop myself. “Maeve, what are you doing?” Ava’s voice was faint, almost like an echo, but I ignored her. I walked toward him, my heart pounding in my chest. Each step felt heavier than the last, but I couldn’t stop. My gaze stayed locked on Jaxon’s, and it was like the rest of the world didn’t exi
Maeve’s POV The world around me was chaos, but my mind felt like it was unraveling. Everything was too loud—the shouts, the jeers, the sickening sound of flesh meeting flesh. I stood frozen, my feet rooted to the ground as if someone had glued me in place. My thoughts swirled in a dizzying storm. Why was Jaxon doing this? Why was he tearing Trevor apart like this? Was it because of me? No, that didn’t make sense. Jaxon hated me. He’d made that clear enough when he rejected me.But then why was he so angry? Why was he defending me with such brutal, unrelenting fury? I watched him. I couldn’t look away. His golden eyes were glowing brightly and his movements were sharp and deadly, like a predator playing with its prey. Blood dripped from his fists, his knuckles raw and red, but it didn’t slow him down. He was unstoppable, and it terrified me. And yet… deep down, I wasn’t scared of him. Not really. I should’ve been. Any sane person would’ve been terrified of the beast he’d
Maeve's pov The hallway was a storm. People scattered like leaves caught in a violent wind. Shouts, screams, and the sound of fists meeting flesh filled the air. My body was frozen in place, my mind was unable to process what was happening.Jaxon and Trevor were locked in a brutal fight. No, this wasn’t a fight—it was a massacre.Trevor tried to throw a punch, but Jaxon caught his wrist with inhuman speed, twisting it with a sickening crack. Trevor screamed in pain, his face pale as he stumbled back, holding his arm. Blood dripped from Jaxon’s knuckles, but he didn’t stop. His glowing golden eyes burned with rage, and his chest heaved with each breath.“How dare you do that to her!” Jaxon roared, his voice not entirely human. It was deeper, rougher, and filled with fury. His wolf was in control, and it was terrifying.Trevor didn’t have time to recover. Jaxon lunged, slamming him against the lockers with enough force to leave a dent. The sound echoed through the hallway as Trevor cr
Maeve's pov Ava’s voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and furious. “You’re pathetic, Kayla. You and your little lapdog.”Trevor straightened, his grin fading as he took a step forward. “Watch it, Ava,” he warned, his tone darkening. “You don’t wanna start something you can’t finish.”Ava didn’t back down. She stood her ground, her eyes blazing. “Oh, please. You wouldn’t last five seconds in a fight with me. Sit down, Trevor. You’re embarrassing yourself.”The tension in the air was thick, like a storm about to break. I wanted to step in, to stop Ava before things escalated, but I couldn’t move. My body felt like it was made of lead, weighed down by the shame.Kayla laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “oh my gosh! Please. I’m just having a little fun. It’s not my fault the omega makes it so easy.”Trevor leaned in, his grin widening as he looked me up and down. “She really does. I mean, come on, look at her. Covered in paint, standing there like a scared little puppy. It’s
Maeve's pov Kayla’s gang erupted in laughter, their voices were loud and sharp cutting through the air like knives. I could feel every pair of eyes on me, some wide with shock, others looking at me like I was a clown. All I felt was embarrassment .My hair was a mess, heavy and dripping. I desperately clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms to keep the tears from falling Ava was yelling now. Her voice rose above the laughter. “What the hell, Kayla? Are you serious? What’s wrong with you?”Kayla didn’t even flinch. If anything, her smirk deepened as she crossed her arms “What’s wrong with me? Oh, honey, what’s wrong with her? She’s the one walking around like she’s better than everyone else when she’s just—well, you know. Nothing.”Her words hit like a slap. I felt like I was shrinking under her gaze, like I was being peeled apart for everyone to see.“You’re disgusting,” Ava snapped, stepping in front of me like a shield. “You’re just jealous because Maeve has something y
Maeve's pov Sometimes, the hardest person to believe in is yourself.Ever since Grandma said those words, I couldn’t shake them from my mind. They looped around in my head like a song I couldn’t turn off. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard her voice, telling me that I could be more. That I was more. But how was I supposed to take that first step, to agree to the training, when everything felt so overwhelming?I barely slept. The night stretched on forever, and even when I managed to fall asleep, I kept waking up. Images of Carter pacing in the garden, Grandma’s determined face, and my own reflection—weak —kept flashing through my mind.By the time morning came, I felt like a zombie. My limbs were heavy, and my eyes stung from lack of sleep. The weight of everything I’d heard, everything I’d felt, pressed down on me, making it hard to move, hard to breathe.School felt impossible. The chatter in the hallways was too loud, the lights too bright.I caught sight of my reflection in the
maeve's pov “But you’re not weak now,” I said, struggling to reconcile the woman before me with the image she’d painted of her past.“No, I’m not,” she agreed. “I decided that I wasn’t going to let my circumstances define me. I wasn’t going to let other people’s opinions shape my future. I started training—harder than anyone else. Not just physically, but mentally. But it took me a long time to get here. And it wasn’t easy. I had to fight for every ounce of strength, every shred of respect. I had to prove to myself—and to everyone else—that I was more than the labels they tried to pin on me.And slowly, I started to change. Not just how I saw myself, but how others saw me.”I swallowed hard, my emotions swirling. “That’s different. You... you’re you. You’re strong. I’m just... broken. How did you do it? How did you go from... from that to this?”Her smile turned wistful. “It wasn’t one big moment, Maeve. It was a series of small choices. I stopped believing the lies they told me abou