The moment I stepped through the school doors, it was like time had stopped. Everything looked exactly the same—same halls, same faces, but somehow, I was the only one who felt different. I expected everyone to know what had happened, to see me as the girl who got rejected, the broken omega who’d been left by her mate. But as I walked through the crowd, heads didn’t turn, and people didn’t whisper. It was like no one even noticed me. Just like always, they looked past me, wrapped up in their own lives, completely unaware of my existence. My stomach twisted with a strange feeling. I’d built myself up, preparing for stares, pitying looks, or worse—judgment. But as I walked, it dawned on me that Jaxon hadn’t said anything. He’d kept our connection, and his rejection, to himself.Which meant Ava didn’t know. No one knew. Part of me felt relieved, like I could just hide in the shadows and pretend none of it had happened. But there was a heaviness in my chest, guilt for not telling Av
I blinked, surprised. Ava’s mate. Of course, she’d found her mate during the night of the mating ball . I forced a smile, trying to match her excitement. “Oh, that’s amazing! Congratulations, Ava.” Hunter gave me a nod, that cocky look I’d seen a hundred times from him. He was the quarterback, the alpha type everyone drooled over. I’d seen him with plenty of other girls before, the popular ones who flocked around him like moths to a flame. Ava, sweet Ava, with him. I couldn’t help but think about how strange the Moon Goddess’s choices could be, pairing a girl as kind and thoughtful as Ava with someone like Hunter. But fate was strange that way. I nudged Hunter’s arm. “Hey, just make sure you take care of my best friend, or I might have to, you know…murder you.” Hunter rolled his eyes, grinning. “Sure, I’ll be on my best behavior,” he planted a quick kiss on Ava’s forehead. “See you later, babe.” With a last nod to me, he walked off, leaving us alone. Ava turned to me, rolling h
My gaze landed on him instantly, drawn like a magnet, and I almost didn’t recognize him. Jaxon had dyed his hair a bright, rebellious blonde color that clashed with his usual look. New tattoos up on his forearms and beneath the collar of his leather jacket. A silver hoop glinted from his eyebrow, and there were even more piercings in his ears now, adding to the bad-boy look he’d adopted seemingly overnight. He looked like he —rough, dangerous, and somehow even more handsome than before. Ava’s eyes widened beside me. “Oh, Mom and Dad are definitely going to have something to say about this,” she murmured, in awe and disbelief. But he caught my eye before I could respond. And for a moment, it was as if time slowed. The bond between us might’ve been broken, but something remained—a thread of feelings that still connected us. I felt a wave of his emotions, —anger, frustration. I could feel him pushing those feelings at me, though his expression stayed normal. Then, as I watched, h
Maeve's povI crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "I’m starting to think you're stalking me."Carter chuckled softly as he hopped down from the branch. "Who, me? I think it's you who keeps finding me in all my secret hiding spots."I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. The garden’s hardly a secret."“Maybe not, but you don’t see anyone else here, do you?” He leaned against the tree, crossing his arms with that familiar smirk on his lips. “Just Dark and twisty Maeve hiding from her mate problems as usual. You’re so predictable.”I rolled my eyes. “Me? Predictable? Not at all. I just appreciate a little peace and quiet.But coming from you, Mr. Cigarette, that’s rich.”“Oh, you’re not? Well, all the times we’ve met, you either have one problem or the other,” he teased, tilting his head. “It’s like you’re running a soap opera over here. Mate drama, heartbreak, mysterious boys. What’s next? A plot twist where you’re actually a princess?”I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah, right. A
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