Cassie.When I woke up the next morning, something felt… off. It wasn’t like the typical tiredness from a restless night, though that was part of it. It was as if I’d forgotten something important that should have been impossible to overlook.Was it someone’s birthday? An anniversary? I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind. Still, the unease lingered.Closing my eyes, I saw a hazy vision of Axel sitting on my bed, his hands reaching out to touch me. My heart quickened at the image, but I shook my head. No. That was impossible, I’d barely slept, and when I finally did, I was all alone in my room. It must’ve been a figment of my imagination, surely. The product of exhaustion, or maybe a bizarre dream. I pushed the thought away, forcing myself to focus on the day ahead.I dressed in the pair of jeans that nearly cost me my legs, that day at the mall and a plain black top to match. I rolled my hair into a bun, grabbed a banana on my way out of the kitchen, and headed out the doo
Cassie.The moment Mr. Pierson’s words left his lips, Violet and I exchanged confused looks, our eyes darting between each other and Mr. Pierson. My heart sank as his gaze settled firmly on me. A lump formed in my throat, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him correctly.“Me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Mr. Pierson’s smile didn’t waver—it was polite, calm, but somehow intimidating. “Is there another Cassie standing here right now?” he replied, tilting his head slightly.I felt a few students slow their pace as they walked past us, curiosity etched on their faces. Though no one stopped, their glances lingered for far too long, making my skin prickle. I resisted the urge to shrink under the weight of their stares. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.I glanced at Violet, hoping for some reassurance. She shrugged and gave me a small smile. “I’ll wait for you at the cafeteria,” she said casually, though I could see a flicker of concern in her eyes. Her response
Axel.The moment Cassie returned home that day, something felt off. I couldn’t quite place it at first, but I knew something was wrong. She walked through the door, limping slightly, and I froze in place. I noticed her clothes were different from the ones she had worn earlier in the day. She was wearing something more casual, and her hair was down, completely covering her face.What bothered me the most, though, was the way she was avoiding me. She wasn’t meeting my gaze—she was just rushing to her room as if she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. My heart sank. I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that something had happened. She was hiding something from me, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to know what it was.I stood there for a moment, just staring at the door she had disappeared behind. Then the worry set in. What happened to her?That night, I found myself replaying the day in my head over and over again. How did she go from being so excited to go to school in the mo
Axel.The morning air was light and cold. It was the kind of weather I usually found soothing, but today, it grated on my nerves. Every breath I took felt heavier than it should, as though the weight of the world pressed against my chest. My knuckles cracked audibly as I clenched and unclenched my fists, the movement both a habit and an outlet for the frustration boiling beneath my skin.I hadn’t slept. How could I? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Cassie bruised, bandaged, and hiding her pain like it was a secret she couldn’t trust me with. That image had burned itself into my mind, each detail fueling an anger so fierce it kept me pacing my room through the rest of the night.By the time the sun began to rise, I knew I wouldn’t make it through the day without taking action. I summoned Warren and Jake through mind link as the first light pierced through the fog.“We need to figure out what happened to Cassie,” I said sharply, my tone leaving no room for argument.I tasked Warren wi
Cassie.The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. My heart raced as I stood in Mr. Pierson’s office, trying to process Axel’s sudden arrival. His presence dominated the room, his piercing gaze darting between me and Mr. Pierson. I could feel the storm brewing behind his eyes, the kind that promised chaos if not contained.Axel’s voice broke through the silence, sharp and cold. “Am I interrupting something?”“No,” Mr. Pierson replied, his brow furrowing in confusion. “But I don’t even know who you are. And frankly, I’d like to know how you think you can barge into my office and throw accusations around.”Axel scoffed, a deep, guttural sound that sent a shiver down my spine. He took three deliberate steps toward Mr. Pierson, his body radiating menace. My instincts kicked in before he could say or do anything reckless. I moved quickly, stepping between them and placing my hand lightly on Axel’s chest.“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly desp
Cassie.It wasn’t until I returned to the lecture room that I remembered Violet had told me she’d be waiting for me in the cafeteria. My stomach churned at the thought of how much time had passed since our earlier conversation. She was probably wondering what had kept me. I stuffed my books into my bag in a hurry and darted out of the room, weaving through the scattered students lingering in the hallways.By the time I reached the cafeteria doors, my breath came in short bursts, and I was beginning to feel the weight of the day pressing down on me. Just as I stepped inside, my eyes caught sight of Violet near the far corner. She wasn’t alone. She was chatting animatedly with a girl and a guy I didn’t recognize.“Violet!” I called out, waving a hand in her direction.She looked up at me, her face lighting up in recognition. She waved me over with a smile, her carefree energy a welcome contrast to my own frayed nerves.I approached cautiously, my steps slowing as I neared the group. Vio
Cassie.“You’re one of us?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.The words felt strange leaving my lips as I stared at Violet, who suddenly seemed like an entirely different person. It didn’t make sense. She didn’t smell like a she-wolf, didn’t carry herself like one, and definitely didn’t have the energy I’d come to associate with our kind.“Yes,” Violet admitted softly, her lips curving into a shy smile.I blinked, my mind racing. “How? How is this even possible?”The Violet I knew didn’t fit the mold of a wolf. She wasn’t brash or territorial like most she-wolves I’d met. She didn’t even seem to notice subtle things most of us couldn’t help but pick up on, like changes in scents or moods. But now it all started to fall into place—This was why Violet seemed oddly familiar that day at the mall. It wasn’t just a coincidence or a trick of energy. And if I remembered correctly, she had said, “See you around,” and I thought it was to me. Now I see it was to Jake.Jake, however, look
Cassie. When I opened the door to my apartment, the first thing I noticed was Axel sitting in my living room. His iPad was balanced in his hand, but he wasn’t looking at it. His gaze was fixed ahead, sharp and focused, like he’d been waiting for me. The moment he saw me, he set the device down and stood, walking toward me with measured steps. His commanding presence filled the room, and I instinctively stopped where I was, unsure of what to expect. Axel towered over me, and although I refused to meet his eyes, I could feel their intensity bearing down on me. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Did you go to the doctor like I told you to?” I gasped, the realization hitting me like a brick. “Oh no.” My eyes widened in horror as I remembered his strict instruction from earlier. I had completely forgotten. Between Jake’s strange behavior and my own frustration, I had stormed straight up to my apartment without giving the doctor’s visit a second thought. Axel sighed, lo
Cassie.I sucked in a breath, holding onto it as we neared the car parked in front of Violet’s building. My heartbeat quickened at the sight of Axel coming out of this car to lean casually against his sleek vehicle, his piercing gaze fixed on me. I avoided looking at him, pretending his presence wasn’t suffocating me. Violet glanced at me with a mix of worry and confusion.“Do you want me to stay outside with you?” Violet asked softly, her voice filled with concern.I shook my head, my voice calm despite the storm brewing within me. “I’m fine.”Axel straightened as I approached, his presence looming larger than life, but I kept walking, my pace steady, my resolve unwavering. I brushed past him without so much as a glance, heading straight into the building with Violet trailing behind me.The silence was deafening until Violet broke it, her voice hushed but incredulous. “You just walked past him?”We started up the stairs to her apartment, and I shrugged, forcing a nonchalant tone.
Cassie.When my eyes fluttered open, the weight of everything that had been gnawing at me earlier seemed to fade into the background, if only for a moment. Even the faint beeping sound I’d heard before drifting off now felt like a distant memory. My body felt heavy, as though sleep had wrapped around me like a cocoon, unwilling to let go. I didn’t want to let go.“You’re up,” Violet’s voice broke through my haze, drawing my attention to where she stood by the bed, balancing two plates in her hands. The smell of pasta and tomato sauce wafted toward me, making my stomach grumble in response.“You’re back,” I murmured, rubbing my eyes and sitting up.“And I’ve finished cooking, too,” she said proudly, setting the steaming plates down on the bed between us. The sight alone was enough to stir my appetite. I quickly realized it was so because I hadn’t had anything to eat since I woke up.Violet plopped down beside me and tilted her head. “Didn’t you sleep last night? I came in and found y
Cassie.Violet’s apartment was small—smaller than I had imagined, even though she’d warned me beforehand. But I didn’t mind. The place felt like an extension of her, every inch reflecting the vibrant and chaotic personality I’d come to know in the short time we’d spent together.The walls were covered in an odd but strangely fitting combination of posters—bold feminist slogans, vintage werewolf pack history prints, and even a few cheesy romance movie posters. I couldn’t help but smile at the mismatched aesthetic. The scent of citrus air freshener filled the air, blending with the faint aroma of instant coffee, as though the apartment itself was used to early morning cramming sessions and late-night breakdowns.My gaze landed on the closet, which took up an absurd amount of space compared to the tiny bed pushed up against the wall. Clothes spilled out in every direction, some folded neatly, others tossed haphazardly like she’d rushed out in a hurry. Fairy lights dangled across the wal
Cassie.I crouched in the parking lot, my knees pressing against the cold concrete as heavy tears flowed freely down my face. I watched Axel’s car disappear from sight, my chest tightening with every second he drove further away. It felt like the air had been sucked from my lungs, leaving behind an unbearable weight that I couldn’t shake. What kind of crime had I committed in my past life to deserve this? To be treated so unfairly, like I was some pawn in Axel’s never-ending game of control.Nothing had ever worked out the way I wanted—not my freedom, not my life, not even my own heart. And now, here I was again, stuck in the same cycle of disappointment and longing. I bit down on my lip, holding back a sob that threatened to spill out. The thought of returning to the apartment, packing my things, and leaving crossed my mind. Leaving—for good this time. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple.If I left, I’d be a rogue again. Vulnerable. Alone. And no matter how far I tried to
Axel.“Axel?” Cassie’s voice cut through the air, laced with confusion as she rose from her chair, her wide eyes locked onto mine. “What are you doing here?”I narrowed my gaze at her, ignoring the curious stares of the other students lingering nearby. “Can’t I be here?” I asked, my voice even, though my patience was already wearing thin. My eyes shifted briefly to the man standing beside her. Pierson. Again. He stood with an air of ease that I didn’t like. Not one bit.Cassie tilted her head to the side, her brows furrowing. “No, I mean… I thought you left,” she said, her voice softer now.I shook my head, keeping my gaze firmly on the man.“I didn’t.” “I am rather concerned by your presence here, seeing that this building should only be accessible to only students and lecturers,” Pierson said, his lips curving into a polite, albeit smug, smile.Cassie’s eyes widened in alarm, as if she feared what I might say next. She should.“Well,” I began, my tone calm yet firm, “if I’m pa
Cassie.“Your idea of the wolf being a rogue is not a bad one. We usually leave out schools when searching for rogues because, while it’s not uncommon for them to be there, they mostly can’t thrive in places like that, so we ruled them out.” Axel’s voice was steady, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, both hands on the steering wheel, as he drove.I stared out the window, processing his words. “You leave out searching schools because you don’t think they’d ever find themselves there, but now you think they might be hiding in schools?” I asked, a trace of disbelief in my voice. The mere possibility felt surreal.Axel nodded slightly, the grip on the steering wheel tightening just a little. “Not just schools though. Lately, rogues have gone into hiding, and if your theory is right, then they’re likely scattered across schools in the country, blending in where we least expect them.”I turned to him, eyebrows raised. “And you got to that conclusion from a little speculation?”He scoffed,
Cassie.Lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t shake the thoughts that circled in my head. Axel’s sudden insistence on training for me was unsettling. At first, I thought it was just another way for him to assert his control, a way to keep me in check now that I had grown a sharp tongue when it came to him. But something about the way he said it, the way his expression shifted to something far more serious, made me think otherwise.“…dangers that are coming,” he had said. I wanted to ask him what ge meant by that, but our conversation had been cut short when Warren showed up at the apartment, his face tight with urgency as he asked to speak with Axel in private. I hadn’t thought much of it at first because Warren always had something to say, given he was Axel’s Beta, he was constantly lurking around with pack matters. But as they were leaving the apartment, I heard them. Two words, barely audible, but they made my stomach churn. ‘Truman spell’ and ‘wolf.’That was al
Cassie.It was my turn to stop walking and look at Violet.My mouth hung open as I stared at her back, my heart pounding in my chest. The words she had just spoken echoed in my ears, making me feel lightheaded. Violet stopped walking and turned around, her face breaking into a wide grin before she burst into laughter.Despite living as a rogue for three years, I had never accepted that way of life. The things they had done to me, to my son… those wounds could never heal. So that was why hearing Violet ask such a question, added with the fact that she was Selena’s sister, made me think that truly, she had an ulterior motive for approaching me.“I’m kidding,” she said between fits of laughter, placing a hand over her lips as if to stifle the sound. “You should’ve seen your face.”I forced a weak smile, though my stomach churned with unease. “You scared me for a second.”Violet shook her head, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Why? Do you have a thing against rogues?”I hesitated, the
Cassie.As lectures went on, I couldn’t shake the unease that settled deep in my chest. The conversation I overheard earlier about thr massive dog-like creature lingering near the school premises gnawed at the back of my mind. I kept telling myself it was probably nothing, because humans liked to exaggerate, and I hadn’t heard anyone else mention it. Maybe it was just a stray someone mistook for something bigger. But still… something didn’t sit right with me.I had tried to focus on my lectures, jotting down notes mechanically but my thoughts remained elsewhere.Cy was just as restless, pacing at the edges of my consciousness with a low growl as though she could do something about the situation.“It’s probably nothing, right?” I asked her.“We shouldn’t ignore it,” she responded. “You know as well as I do that humans don’t just see things like that.” I nodded. She had a point.When the bell rang, signaling the end of the lecture, I gathered my things and stepped out into the crowded