Chapter 5 Back to School

When I woke up again, it was already 5 o'clock on Monday morning, and I had slept for a full 17 hours. The ample rest had restored my energy, and now, instead of rushing to get up, I lay in bed, contemplating my next steps. I firmly believed that where there's a will, there's a way.

Firstly, there must be rumors circulating within the pack about me, making my days ahead more challenging than ever. But I didn't care; the only things that mattered were me and my mother.

I still had one semester left in Greenwood High School, and after that, I would receive my graduation certificate. I planned to take the entrance exam for Herman College, and I was quite confident about getting in. Once I entered Herman College, I would move my mother to live in Herman County, a permanent and independent werewolf community under the jurisdiction of Alpha King. After working there for two years, I could apply to become a permanent resident. Then, I could sue Drake as a Herman resident. As for the expenses required for everything, my father had left me a considerable amount in a trust fund through Aunt Mary, which I could access when I turned 18. From now on, I had an annual allowance of $15,000 at my disposal.

As for that bastard Drake, I wished I could tear him apart, but there was nothing I could do. If I exposed his true face, Beta Morgan wouldn't spare me and my mother. He would make sure that I never got my graduation certificate and that my dream of attending Herman College remained just that—a dream. To keep living, I had to remain silent about it, even to my mother and Susie. I couldn't utter a word.

The morning sun shone through the curtains; it was already 6 o'clock. No longer feeling drowsy, I got out of bed and picked out a loose white shirt and comfortable pants from the wardrobe. I couldn't wear anything tight right now; the fabric rubbing against my wounds would be too painful. As usual, I walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast and then carried it to my mother's room.

"Mom, breakfast is ready." I gently woke her from her slumber.

"Oh, I'm so tired," she slowly opened her eyes and murmured, "I've been so worried about you. What happened to you?"

"I'm sorry to have worried you. I got lost in the forest and was attacked by stray werewolves." I told her this well-intentioned lie.

Upon hearing my words, she sat up in shock and stared at me blankly before bursting into tears, holding the blanket tightly around her, "Oh, my poor child, thank goodness you're alive. You're my only flesh and blood in this world. How could I live without you!" she cried and sobbed.

Seeing her like this, I couldn't help but frown. I had had enough of her constant weeping since my younger brother's death. Every little thing would set her off into tears, and while I used to sympathize with her and cry with her, over time, I had grown weary of it.

"Don't cry, I'm fine," I said calmly before walking out of the room.

"Don't go, child," as I reached the door, she called out, "How are things between you and Drake? Did he accept you as his mate?"

Oh no! This topic was unavoidable.

"Not really," I replied simply.

"What?!" She let out a scream, "What do you mean 'not really'? Did he reject you?"

"We are not destined mates, that's all," I said, turning my head away in annoyance.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and then her lips trembled as tears started flowing, and she began to cry.

"That's enough! Mom, don't be so emotional," I shouted.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and said plaintively, "I've always hoped that you and Drake would become mates. That way, no one would dare to look down on us. If your brother were still alive, he would have brought honor to our family. He was gifted from birth; everyone praised how he would grow up to be a powerful werewolf…"

Unable to bear her nagging any longer, I sighed and walked out of the room. Whenever she mentioned my deceased brother and how exceptional he was, she would look at me with resentful eyes, and I knew she wished it had been me who died, not him.

Shaking off those unpleasant thoughts, I grabbed my backpack and headed towards school. By the next intersection, Susie was already waiting for me. She was the one who found me in the forest yesterday, and I told her about breaking up with Drake, though I hid some of the things he had done to me. She seemed thrilled and said I should have done it earlier. Her intuition told her that Drake wasn't a good person, but at the time, I was too infatuated to listen to her, and it only distanced us. I felt deeply sorry about that and was grateful that she didn't hold a grudge.

As we reached the school gate, not far away stood the most popular group in school: Janet, the school's promiscuous girl who claimed to have been with almost every man in the school and took pride in it; Karen, Janet's sidekick, unremarkable in appearance, short, and always trying to get involved with every man Janet had been with; Drake, and the rest of the school's football team, laughing and chatting. I held Susie's hand and hurried past, hoping not to catch their attention. Just as we were about to pass by them unnoticed, a sharp voice rang out from behind.

"Hey, Drake, isn't that your girl?" Janet, the bitch, shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, not really. We just had a few encounters, that's all," Drake's words stabbed my heart like a knife.

As soon as he spoke, the crowd burst into laughter.

"I heard that a few days ago, she had fun with a bunch of stray werewolves," Karen, Janet's sidekick, said loudly.

"Oh! I was shocked too. Maybe it's because she was heartbroken after I dumped her that she did such a thing," Drake said with a smirk.

In an instant, everyone's gaze focused on me. I clenched my lips, determined not to cry. I had to hold onto my last bit of dignity and not let these rumors break me.

"How dare they spread such lies! I'll teach them a lesson!" Susie fumed, trying to shake off my hand.

"Don't waste your time with them. Let's focus on our own business," I held onto Susie and pulled her forward.

I turned back and raised my middle finger at them, but I saw Drake smirk, and he said something to me. I didn't hear it clearly, but I read his words from his lips: the game is not over yet.