#Chapter 4: Shattered Trust

Everyone in the cafeteria looked surprised to see Lucas standing there, but nobody was more surprised than me.

 

He stood tall and almost looked like a fallen angel with his dark hair framing the edges of his face. His bright blue eyes shined as they scanned the students in the cafeteria.

 

My heart skipped a beat as I watched Jessica, unable to contain her excitement, practically throw herself against Lucas.

 

"Lucas, you'll never guess it!" Jessica exclaimed, her voice laced with anticipation. "Shana just confessed her undying love for you!"

 

Lucas turned his gaze towards me, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

 

His piercing blue eyes now locked onto mine, and I could feel myself blush under his scrutiny.

 

He still held my mother's necklace delicately in his hand, his fingers tracing its intricate design.

 

My voice came out louder than intended as I spoke up, desperately trying to clarify the misunderstanding. "No, I never said that! It’s all just a rumor. That’s it,”

 

I looked down at the necklace in his hands, “Can I please have my necklace back?"

 

Lucas didn't resist and handed the necklace back to me, our fingers briefly brushing against each other.

 

As he pulled away, he walked off with the rest of his team, a group of people I hadn't even noticed trailing behind him like loyal followers.

 

Meanwhile, Jessica and her minions followed suit, snickering, and laughing about me as they walked away.

 

It became apparent to me that Lucas was even more popular than I had initially thought.

 

Everyone seemed to either want to be friends with him, date him, or simply be him.

 

Clutching my mother's necklace tightly in my hands, I decided to leave the cafeteria and seek solace in the bathroom.

 

I needed a moment to collect my thoughts and process the whirlwind of emotions that had just consumed me.

 

This was the second time Lucas had come to my aid.

 

In the few weeks I had spent in this school, nobody had shown me any kindness until Lucas appeared in my life.

 

It left me feeling grateful and indebted to him, even though I wasn't sure if our paths would cross again.

 

But a reluctant admission lingered in my thoughts, echoing Jessica's words.

 

Lucas and I were undeniably different. Everything he just did probably meant nothing to him.

 

He was the popular Alpha captain, while I was just the girl without a wolf, burdened with an unexplained curse that hung over my head.

 

And maybe Jessica was right…

 

He’d never associate himself with a wolfless girl.

 

Leaving the bathroom behind, I made my way to my locker. After unlocking it, I quickly consumed a sandwich I had stored in my bag, my mind preoccupied with the events of the day.

 

As I ate, a sense of unease crept over me.

 

Deciding it was best to leave my diary inside the locker, I closed it with a resolute thud.

 

The thought of Jessica and her minions discovering my diary, and invading my most personal thoughts, sent shivers down my spine.

 

I couldn't bear the idea of them prying into my inner world, tearing apart the fragile walls I had built for myself.

 

Determined to find the library, I walked down the hallway, my eyes scanning the surroundings to ensure that Jessica and her cronies weren't lurking nearby.

 

Their presence always brought with it an air of mockery and cruelty that I wanted to avoid.

 

However, as I turned the corner, a scene unfolded before me that I wasn't prepared for.

 

Two figures stood unusually close to each other, locked in an intimate conversation.

 

It was Jessica and Lucas.

 

My instinct was to turn and hide my face, avoiding their attention at all costs.

 

But before I could take another step, Lucas's voice cut through the air, addressing me directly.

 

"Hey!"

 

Startled, I looked over my shoulder, finding Lucas's eyes fixed on me.

 

Jessica crossed her arms, a sly smile playing on her lips, clearly relishing the opportunity to witness our interaction.

 

Lucas's sheepish expression betrayed a mix of emotions as he studied me from head to toe. "Look, I get you might have a crush on me, but I'm not interested."

 

My mouth fell open, shocked by the revelation of what Jessica could have fed him.

 

"Lucas, I don't know what Jessica told you, but I don't have a crush on you. I—"

 

Interrupting me once again, Lucas dismissed my words, grouping me with the countless other girls who supposedly fell for him after a fleeting act of kindness.

 

“I’ve seen it before,” Lucas said. “Girls get the wrong idea all the time.”

 

He swiftly pulled out his phone and presented me with the same picture Jessica had shown me earlier at the hockey rink, exacerbating the rumors that were already spreading like wildfire.

 

The humiliation burned deep within me, intensified by Jessica's low whistle and her evident delight in my discomfort.

 

“But that’s not true!” I shouted back at him. “You know all I told you was—"

 

“For now, it is a rumor, but I can tell from the picture that you were desperate to find me…,” Lucas continued. “I want you to remember that nothing could ever happen between us. So, just please save me from all this gossip.”

 

Infuriated, I spun away from them, refusing to dignify Lucas with a response.

 

How dare he assume I was attracted to him just like all the other girls and turn me into a spectacle for everyone's amusement?

 

He was so full of himself!

 

At that moment, he defined the epitome of an arrogant Alpha, blind to anyone's feelings but his own.

 

A complete and total Alpha-hole!

 

Hadn’t he thought I’d been bothered enough for a single day?

 

My belief that Lucas could be one of the few kind souls in this school shattered into countless pieces.

 

It became painfully clear that trust was a scarce commodity within these walls.

 

The only thing I was right about was that he was a totally different person from my Lucas. My Bear.

 

I realized that not even Lucas was free from the horribleness that every student at this school seemed to possess.

 

Which meant, I’d probably always be alone.

 

No longer willing to subject myself to their ridicule, I decided to abandon the library altogether, seeking solace outside and allowing the fresh air to clear my troubled thoughts.

 

Not long after my walk alone, I glanced at my phone to check the time and realized that my afternoon classes were about to commence.

 

With a heavy heart, I reentered the school, heading towards my locker to retrieve my textbooks.

 

However, as I approached it, a wave of shock washed over me.

 

My locker was open.

 

Frantically, I rummaged through its contents, desperately hoping that everything was still in place.

 

Everything was still there, except for one very important thing…

 

My diary was missing.

 

Someone had broken into my locker and stolen it.

 

My sanctuary, the repository of my deepest fears and desires, had fallen into the wrong hands.

 

The vulnerability and invasion I felt were overwhelming, leaving me with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

 

Panic gripped me as I realized the potential consequences.

 

I needed to find my diary, and I needed to find it fast.