36.Ivy's POV.I should have been happy watching Ivy’s face fall, seeing that tiny flicker of determination die in her eyes, it should have been satisfying. It should have made me smirk, should have made me want to mock her like I always did, to remind her that she had no control, no power against me. That she was mine to break, mine to shape however I wanted.But it didn’t.Instead, something twisted inside me, sharp and unfamiliar. A strange, uncomfortable sensation that curled in my gut like a sickness. It felt too much like regret. Like guilt.I shoved the feeling down as quickly as it came, the way I always did when it came to her. I wasn’t supposed to care. Ivy was a game, a pet project, something I enjoyed breaking piece by piece. That’s all she was. That’s all this was. That's what it had to be.I had never given a damn about anyone before. Never wasted my time thinking about things that didn’t serve me. So why the hell was I still thinking about her long after she walked away
Ivy's POV.A new date was set for the test, and while most students groaned about having to retake it, I felt hopeful. But I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I was being set up for failure all over again.That evening, I decided to talk to him, hoping that maybe he’d give me some sort of hint, a warning, anything to let me know if I was expected to “behave” again.So I casually slipped into the living room and found him sprawled out on the couch, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, his other hand scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a single care in the world.I hesitated for a second before walking over, pretending like my heart wasn’t slamming against my ribs.“Hey.”No response.I perched on the armrest of the couch, forcing my voice to stay casual. “So… Mrs. Reynold mentioned the upcoming oratory contest today. The Global Oratory Championship. She thinks I have a good shot at winning.”Still nothing.I swallowed and tried again. “I still have to prepare my s
Ivy's POV.I pressed my back against the rough stone wall, my hands bracing against it as if I could somehow sink into it and disappear. I needed space, distance, anything to break the suffocating tension between us.But there was nowhere to go. Brandon had me effectively trapped, his body blocking any possible escape, his presence overwhelming every inch of air between us.I refused to look down.I refused.But my gaze had a mind of its own. No matter how hard I fought it, it kept slipping, kept betraying me, drawn to the very thing I swore I wouldn’t acknowledge. And Brandon, the smug bastard, noticed immediately.Of course, he did.“No girl has ever been able to look away,” he mused, voice low and self-satisfied.His words sent a sharp pulse of irritation through me, snapping me back into myself. I forced my eyes up, locking onto his with a glare that I hoped masked the heat rising up my neck.“I came here to talk,” I bit out, keeping my expression neutral.Brandon chuckled, the so
39.Ivy's POV.I can’t do this.That was the only thought running through my mind as I knelt there, my whole body was tense, and my hands curled into fists at my sides. Brandon towered over me, his expression unreadable, though there was a glint in his eyes that made my stomach turn.He was watching me like a predator watches its prey, like he was waiting for something.“Well?” he prompted, cocking a brow. His voice was smooth, expectant, dripping with that familiar taunting edge that made my skin crawl.I swallowed hard. My mouth felt dry, my hands trembling at my sides. I had no idea where to start, no idea what to do.He must have noticed my hesitation because he sighed and cupped my chin, tilting my head up further. “Open.”I did. Automatically.He slid into my mouth and I took him in, inch by inch. His taste exploded on my tongue, salty and musky. I didn't know how to do it. I've never been in this situation before. “Use your tongue,” his voice was a harsh groan, “pretend this
40.Brandon's POV.I couldn’t get her out of my head.Even now, as I stood in front of the mirror, buttoning up my shirt, my mind was stuck on Ivy. On the way she had looked at me, those wide, shocked eyes, the way her lips had parted, like she was about to protest but couldn’t quite form the words. Like some part of her, deep down, didn’t want to.She had that look about her. That perfect, innocent look, like she was made to be corrupted. Like she was just waiting for someone to lead her straight into sin. And the way she responded to me, her body, her breath, the way she trembled, made it painfully obvious she wasn’t as untouched as she wanted to pretend.I could still picture it. The way she tried to steel herself against me, to fight back, but her own body kept betraying her. The shaky breaths, the way her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat, the slight waver in her voice when she said my name like she didn’t know whether to hate me or give in.And the worst part? I wanted
41.Ivy's POV.When the test papers were handed back, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.98. The highest score in the class.Relief and pride swelled in my chest, spreading through me like warmth on a cold morning. I stared at the bold red marks on my paper, my fingers tightening around the edges."Excellent work, Ivy," Mrs. Reynold announced, nodding at me approvingly. "This is what I was expecting from you. Keep it up."I nodded, still slightly dazed, barely able to register the praise. It had been so long since I had been recognized for something good, something I had earned."And speaking of excellence, the application for the International Oratory Championship is now open. Ivy, Brandon, you both shouldn’t forget to apply. I expect great things from you two."With a smile, she walked away.A hand landed on my desk, dragging me back to reality. Jackie grinned down at me, eyes twinkling with amusement."God, you’re actually blushing," she teased, her voice dripping with exaggerated
Ivy's POV.I cried all night.Silent, aching sobs that I tried to muffle with my pillow, but they didn’t stop. They just kept coming, wave after relentless wave, until I had no tears left, until my pillow was soaked, my throat raw, my body too exhausted to move.But sleep never came.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. My mom, in a pool of blood, gasping for air. I heard her voice, weak and desperate, calling for me. And beneath it all, looping in my mind like a sick, twisted echo, was Brandon’s voice from weeks ago.Pregnancies are easily aborted.By morning, I felt hollow. Empty. Like something inside me had been scraped out and discarded.I didn’t wait for Brandon. I didn’t even consider it. I arranged for a different ride and left the house without seeing him, without giving him a single chance to look at me, to speak to me, to exist anywhere near me.But, of course, luck wasn’t on my side.Because the second I stepped into school, I ran right into him.Brandon was already the
43.Brandon's POV.I must be running mad. That was the only explanation for why I felt this way.Nothing else made sense. Nothing else explained why Ivy’s accusation had gotten to me the way it did. People had said things about me before, and I had never once cared. Never lost sleep over what someone thought of me.But this?This wasn’t the same.This felt like something sharp had been driven straight into my chest, lodged between my ribs, refusing to let me breathe properly. It sat there, heavy and unmovable, pressing down on me in a way I couldn’t shake off.Ivy had looked at me like I was capable of something that vile. Like I was the lowest kind of filth. Like I had hurt her mother and the baby out of pure malice.I had tried explaining, but she hadn’t let me. She hadn’t even given me the chance. She had just screamed at me, her voice shaking with fury, telling me exactly what she thought of me. Telling me how despicable I was. How vile and horrible I had to be to do something lik
69.Ivy's POV."Did you enjoy the date?"I scoffed, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. "That’s none of your business. And since you clearly don’t understand boundaries, get out. I want to undress."His smirk deepened, his gaze dropping lower, lazily dragging down my body, like he had every right to look at me that way. "I’ve seen you naked before."My jaw clenched. My fingers dug into my arms, but I refused to react, refused to let him know he was getting under my skin. Instead, I turned sharply on my heel, heading straight for the bathroom. I wasn’t doing this with him. Not tonight.I took my time cleaning up, dragging out every second, hoping that by the time I came out, he’d be gone.But of course, he wasn’t.He was still seated here and waiting.I exhaled sharply, gripping the towel wrapped around me a little tighter. "Seriously?"His eyes flicked over me, slow, deliberate, unapologetic before he met my gaze again. "Do you like Aaron?"I rolled my eyes. "Again, none of your
68.Ivy's POV.By the time Saturday rolled around, Jackie was already at my house, tearing through my closet like a woman on a mission. Dresses flew onto my bed one after another, her brows furrowed in concentration as she appraised each one."You have to look absolutely stunning," she said, tossing another dress my way. "This is your first ever real date, Ivy. We can’t mess this up."I sighed, sitting at the edge of my bed, watching helplessly as my room turned into a fashion battlefield. "It’s really not that serious."Jackie spun around, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed like I had just committed a crime. "Not that serious? A guy transferred across the country for you, and you’re telling me it’s not serious?"I pressed my lips together, unable to argue. She had a point. The whole week had passed without a single word from Brandon. No weird mind games, no taunts, no tension-filled stares. Yes, It was exactly what I’d wanted, to be left alone. But instead of relief, it left this dull
67.Ivy's POV.Seeing my mother again made my stomach twist with guilt. The moment she stepped into the house, all bright smiles and full of travel stories, I felt like the worst person alive. If only she knew what I had done, what I had let happen, under this very roof while she was away.I could barely look at her as she hugged me, her warmth wrapping around me like a comfort I no longer deserved. She asked if I had eaten well, if I had missed her. And I had, desperately. But not in the way she thought. I had missed her in the way a prisoner misses freedom, in the way someone drowning misses solid ground.Brandon, on the other hand, was unreadable. He greeted his father with his usual cool composure, nothing out of place, but there was something off about him. Something quieter than usual. It unsettled me more than his teasing ever did.On the way to school, that silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. Normally, he’d poke at me, provoke me, find some way to make me react. But
66.Ivy's POV.I was already breathless, my mind hazy from what he had just done to me, but then Brandon placed his lips on mine and kissed me deeper, slow and deliberate.“Taste yourself.”And I did. Sweet and salty.A soft sound caught in my throat as he took his time with it, letting me feel everything, the heat, the possessiveness, the unspoken claim. His hands roamed my body, tracing the curves he’d memorized with his touch, and I shivered under his attention.My fingers curled against his shoulders, holding onto him, because I didn’t trust my legs to keep me steady even though I was on the desk.His lips left mine and moved down my neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. I moaned softly, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pulled him closer and arched my back, craving more. His hands cupped my breasts, his thumbs brushing over my hardened nipples. I gasped, my head falling back as pleasure coiled low in my belly.Then he stopped and pulled back just enough to look at me,
65.Ivy's POV.After eating dinner alone, I made my way back to my room, my footsteps echoing through the quiet house. It had been like this ever since my mom and Brandon’s dad left for their trip right after the engagement. Just me, and Brandon.As soon as I stepped inside, I stopped dead in my tracks.Brandon was sitting at my study desk, with his long legs stretched out. My laptop was open in front of him, the screen casting a faint glow on his sharp features. He looked entirely unbothered by the fact that he was somewhere he absolutely should not be.“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, taking a few steps closer.He didn’t even flinch. If anything, he looked amused as he lazily turned his head towards me, his lips curling into that infuriating smirk, the one that made my hands itch to throw something at him.I frowned, my eyes flickering to the laptop. He was reading something, and whatever it was, it had his full attention. A sudden, uneasy feeling coiled in my stomach as I
64.Ivy's POV.I couldn’t believe it.Aaron Vaughn was standing in my classroom like he belonged here, flashing that same dimpled smile I remembered all too well. He looked even better than before, taller, and still carrying that effortless confidence that he had approached me with at the oratory competition.But what really had my mind reeling was what he had just said.He transferred because of me?I tried not to let my shock show as the teacher turned to me. "Ivy, why don’t you show Aaron around the school?"I swallowed, forcing a polite smile. "Sure."Mrs. Reynold gave one last approving nod before turning and walking out of the classroom, leaving behind a low hum of murmurs as everyone whispered about the new guy.Aaron wasted no time making his way over to my desk, his usual confident grin in place as he adjusted the strap of his backpack."Shall we?" he asked, his tone light and expectant.I hesitated for half a second before nodding. "Yeah."Pushing back my chair, I stood up,
63.Brandon's POV.I hadn’t been able to sleep.No matter how hard I tried to shut it out, the images kept coming back, those bastards cornering Ivy, her struggling against them, and the sheer terror in her eyes. My wolf had never reacted like that before. It wasn’t just some vague instinct or a general awareness of danger. It was clear, sharp, like an alarm going off inside me, screaming that she needed me. I had never felt anything like it. Nothing else had mattered in that moment.And when I saw them touching her, something inside me broke.The rage had been instant, uncontrollable. My wolf had taken over, and I hadn’t cared who was watching. I wanted them dead. I should have killed them.I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply as I pulled out my phone. If I couldn’t get the images out of my head, I could at least make sure those bastards never forgot what they did. I dialed a number, pressing the phone to my ear as it rang."Need you to track some people down," I said the
62.Ivy's POV.I woke up gasping, my body jerking upright as the remnants of a terrible nightmare clung to me like a second skin. My heart pounded in my ears, my breath coming in sharp, ragged pulls. My skin was damp with sweat, my fingers twisted in the sheets, and for a moment, I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.The room was dark, still, but something felt off. A strange prickling sensation crawled up my spine, the kind of feeling that told me I wasn’t alone.I turned my head sharply, my gaze landing on a shadowy figure standing at the foot of my bed.My stomach dropped.Panic surged through me before I could stop it, my body moving on instinct as I scrambled backward, nearly tumbling off the bed. My pulse roared in my ears, my fingers gripping the sheets like they were the only thing keeping me tethered to reality.The figure shifted slightly, stepping into the faint moonlight spilling through my window, and the breath caught in my throat when I saw his face.Brandon.H
61.Amari's POV.This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.I had done everything right. Strengthened the mate bond just like I was told. Played my part perfectly. Yet, even as I sat beside Brandon as his fiancée, the only person he was supposed to be drawn to, I could feel the distance. A wall between us that I had no idea how to break through.Because his eyes were always somewhere else.On her.Even through the engagement party, as everyone toasted to our union, as I smiled and played the perfect mate, he was barely present. He responded when spoken to, held my waist when expected, kissed my temple when cameras were pointed our way. But his gaze, his focus, kept drifting toward Ivy.It was infuriating.At the club, it only got worse.I was all over him, my fingers tracing slow circles on his chest, my lips brushing against the curve of his neck. I had whispered things in his ear, soft, teasing words, offering exactly what any man in his position should want. And yet, nothing. His shoul