Malia My lungs burned, my legs ached, and my mind raced with only one thought: *Run.*The growls behind me were growing louder, and I could feel the ground practically vibrating beneath my feet as the hybrid wolves gained on me. Seven of them. They were faster, stronger, and far more ruthless than anything I’d ever faced. I knew that any moment now, they’d be on me, and I’d have no chance of escape. But I pushed myself to keep going, even as a small voice in my head whispered that I was just prolonging the inevitable.I didn’t dare glance over my shoulder; I could already picture the hybrids—slender and dark-furred, their bodies shifting seamlessly between wolf and human shapes as they pursued me. They moved like shadows in the night, and I was the only thing standing between them and the kill they wanted. My heart pounded, my pulse racing as I pushed myself to run faster, darting between trees, skidding over patches of damp ground, trying to gain even a few extra seconds of life.Bu
MaliaThe car was quiet, the weight of what had just happened settling in. Jamie hadn’t said a word since we’d left the school grounds. Amara was in the backseat, checking her phone, probably making sure she hadn’t missed any messages. The whole drive felt strained, like we were each wrapped up in our own thoughts and fears, none of us quite able to process what had happened back there.When we reached Amara’s place, she gave me a quick hug and a reassuring squeeze of my shoulder. “Text me if you need anything,” she said softly, and I nodded, managing a weak smile in return.After she left, Corey mentioned he was stopping to grab food at the restaurant nearby, and a few minutes later, he got out and left me alone with Jamie.For a while, neither of us said anything. I just stared out the window, my mind replaying the night’s events. The chase. The wolves. Asher standing there with that strange, cold look in his eyes. The memory was burned into my brain, refusing to let go. I couldn’t
Malia Around the third period, Amara and Jamie flanked me as we walked down the hall. The school buzzed with its usual chaos—students pouring out of classrooms, shuffling to their next class, filling the hallways with laughter, chatter, and the clang of lockers slamming shut. As we reached the row of lockers near mine, my attention snagged on a familiar voice. Across the hall, Asher was leaning against the wall with Aaliyah. He was dressed in a navy blue suit, like he had some official work at the school. It was odd seeing him being the Lycan King yet coming to the academia for classes. He was whispering to Aaliyah, his voice low and almost... affectionate. She was laughing—the soft, tinkling kind of laugh that filled me with anger. She looked at him with shining eyes, like he was the most brilliant, charming man in the world. And the worst part? He looked right back, his face completely open and fond. I scoffed, gripping the handle of my locker hard before slamming it shut.
MaliaCorey and I had combed through every corner of the school, every hallway, to tell Jamie what Aaliyah was plotting, but he was nowhere to be found. I tried calling him, my phone pressed to my ear as it rang and rang, but all I got was voicemail. The static on the other end felt colder every time.Corey’s brow was furrowed with worry, his jaw clenched tightly as he pulled out his own phone. “Jamie’s not the type to just vanish,” he muttered, a hint of irritation in his voice. “Not unless he’s avoiding something.”“Well, do you have any idea where he might be?” I asked, already feeling the frustration gnawing at me.He let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, he’s probably sulking in one of his usual spots. Let’s check a few places where he might be hiding out.”The first place we tried was a diner a few blocks away. It was bustling with students, the scent of fries and burgers heavy in the air. Corey scanned the booths and tables, but Jamie was nowhere in sight. With each empty seat we passed
Malia"How could you do this, Amara?" I demanded, disbelief and hurt thickening my voice. "To Corey? To both of them? I thought you cared about them."Amara’s face flushed, her gaze darting to the floor. "It’s… not that simple, Malia. You don’t understand the whole story.""Really?" I cut her off, a bitter edge in my tone as my anger hardened into resolve. "Because it looks exactly like what happened with Avan and Savannah. The only difference here, Amara, is that you’re messing with twin brothers. Do you know how messed up that is?"She flinched, her lips parting as if to argue, but I didn’t let her. Not this time. "You of all people should know why I can’t be friends with you anymore, Amara. You’ve triggered memories I was trying to move on from. And I can't pretend like it’s okay."For a moment, Amara’s expression softened, but then a flicker of resentment flashed in her eyes. "You’re being judgmental, Malia. You don’t even know the truth behind this. It’s unfair."The way she sai
Malia The early morning light filtered into my room as I stirred, groggily realizing Corey’s side of the bed was empty. I sat up, noticing a note on my bedside table with his distinct handwriting: Thank you for last night. I sighed, relieved that nothing had happened between us. We were going to kiss, but we stopped ourselves at the same time and instead just slept together on my bed. It was only in that quiet moment, alone, that I realized my feelings for Corey had been because I was emotionally exhausted and vulnerable. My heart still belonged to Asher—messy, complicated as it was. Corey's visit had been comforting, but the resemblance to Asher’s own late-night visit was what got me in my feelings. After gathering myself, I headed to school, navigating the day on autopilot. I signed up for extra combat training as I was told to —anything to strengthen myself against the fight that is STILL happening between me, Nina and Jamie. I wasn't yet so sure how the fight would go,
Malia “Fine. But just so you know, it’s probably going to be just you and me in on this plan,” I finally said, settling on my decision. “What? Why?” Nina asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Well, for starters, Jamie, Corey, and Amara just got into a massive fight. None of them are speaking to each other, so there’s no chance they’ll work together.” Nina scoffed. “She’s still messing around with both of them without either knowing?” I blinked. “W-what? Who told you that?” “They were my friends too, you know. Except they started acting weird after I told them Amara was using them,” she said, crossing her arms. I hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. "Oh, well, that’s—whatever. The point is, we can’t involve them. Their emotions would ruin everything.” “Right.” She sighed, looking unimpressed. “So what was the plan before the whole ‘love triangle’ fiasco?” “We were going to raid the library’s restricted section, find something on enchantments,” I replied, bracing for h
JamieTwo weeks. That’s how long it’s been since the blowup between me, Corey, and Amara—the accusations, the tension, and, honestly, a mess I hadn’t known how to fix. Malia, Nina, and I had been practicing with our different coaches in preparation for the combat showdown. But on this particular day, we trained the whole day and were excused from classes. These past weeks I haven't been on speaking terms with Malia. She seemed like she was really bothered by my behavior with Amara, but if she understood the circumstances that led to it all, she wouldn't be so judgmental. I finished my training pretty quickly and watched as the training field stretched out before me. I was trying to reflect on my performance as I sat under a tree, but my focus was split, drifting between Malia and the conversation that I knew we’d eventually have. Mr. Diaz had been pushing her hard, and from the sidelines, I winced as I saw her drop to the ground, covered in mud and drenched with sweat. When trai
AsherThe air outside Miss Banks’ house smelled damp, with a faint trace of decay as if the rot of secrets lingered in every corner. Her porch light flickered weakly, casting long shadows across the warped wood steps. My stomach churned, not just from the memories clawing their way to the surface, but from the thought of what I might learn inside.I knocked twice, my knuckles grazing the peeling paint of the door. For a moment, there was no sound, and then I heard the shuffle of feet. The door cracked open, and Miss Banks’ face appeared, pale and gaunt, her eyes bloodshot. Her hair hung in limp, disheveled strands, and the scent of alcohol wafted through the gap.When she saw me, her eyes widened in panic. “I didn’t tell anyone!” she blurted out, her words tumbling over each other in desperation. She clutched the edge of the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping her upright. “I swear, I didn’t say anything. Please, I—”“Relax,” I said, raising my hands to show I wasn’t a threat
AsherThe hallway stretched out before me, a silent, dimly lit path leading toward my mother's office. It felt oddly quiet, almost too quiet, like something was hanging in the air, waiting for me to take the first step. I tried to focus, but the heaviness in my chest kept pulling me down, weighing me like I was walking underwater. Then I saw them.Bodies.Littered across the floor. Blood pooling. The unmistakable stench of death curling in my nose. I froze, every muscle locking in place. The bodies were familiar—the same twisted figures I had seen earlier this year when I was with Malia. But this time, there was something different. Aaliyah.She stood beside one of the bodies, her hands covered in blood, her face twisted into that same indifferent expression. My heart slammed against my ribs, my breath shallow, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.How? Why?A sharp pain cut through my temple, a wave of nausea rolling in, but before I could react, memories came crashing through
JamieThe door creaked as we stepped into Asher’s office. The first thing I noticed was how quiet it was. Too quiet. The faint scent of cologne mixed with the musty air of old books, making the whole room feel stifling, like it was holding its breath. Asher didn’t look surprised to see us—he probably sensed us the second we walked down the hall—but his eyes narrowed the moment Corey kicked the door open. He was sitting behind that giant desk of his, still dressed in his suit, like he was ready for some big meeting he didn’t want to attend.“Jamie. Corey,” Asher’s voice was cool, but the way he said it made it sound like he was already preparing for a fight. “What’s this about?”Corey didn’t wait for me to take the lead. “We need to talk,” he said, voice clipped, and marched right in, acting like this was his office. Meanwhile, I stayed back for a second, trying to shake off the tension in my shoulders before stepping inside. I could already feel the weight of everything hanging in th
CoreyThe sky was a dull, overcast grey, the kind of weather that seemed to mirror the dark feelings brewing inside me. It wasn’t that late yet, but there was a slight chill in the air, signalling the end of the afternoon. I liked the quiet. The peace before everything went to hell. I leaned against a tree just outside the school’s east wing, kicking a stray rock repeatedly until it skittered into the bushes. My hands were stuffed in my hoodie pockets, and for once, I wasn’t looking for trouble—or at least not the usual kind. I was waiting for Jamie. He'd sent me a message asking to wait for him after his last class. The fact that parents still allowed their children to attend this school after what happened was beyond me. The school should've been shut down with Aaliyah, Asher and his mother tried for this! Anyway, I had a free period, so it wasn't a big deal to wait for Jamie until then. Things have been... a lot lately. Too much, actually. First, there was Malia, beaten to a
MaliaThe first thing I remember after Aaliyah’s assault wasn’t the pain—though it had been there, sharp and throbbing. It wasn’t the blood that still clung to my hair or the dizziness that muddled my mind. It was the cold. The cold ground beneath me, the coldness in my chest, and the coldness of realizing how utterly powerless I’d been. When I first opened my eyes, everything was blurry. The bright light overhead stabbed at my vision, making me groan softly. My body felt heavy, like it wasn’t my own, and my head pounded with a dull, persistent ache. It took a moment before the shapes around me became clear. I blinked hard and saw Nina sitting at my bedside. Of all people, I hadn’t expected her to be there. She wasn’t looking at me; her gaze was fixed out the window, her expression unreadable. “Nina?” My voice came out weak, barely audible. She turned abruptly, her eyes widening in surprise. “You’re awake?” I nodded—or at least, I tried to. Even that small movement sent a s
NinaAsher had always had a soft spot for the normal wolves. That was why he grew closer to Jamie and Corey instead of me. Back then, I stuck around them because of him. I never thought they deserved our time, and they figured out how I felt soon enough. After that, they started pulling away from me. Coincidentally, Asher stopped talking to all of us around the same time. Watching him drift away was painful, but eventually I accepted it. And then Malia came along. I couldn’t believe it. After everything that happened with Aaliyah, Asher was getting involved with another wolf—a normal one, not even a Lycan. It felt like a betrayal, like he was stooping beneath himself. I thought she was manipulating him somehow, and I wanted to make her pay. So no, it’s no surprise I bullied her. There were so many times I wanted to do it again, if I’m being honest. But then, Asher started talking to me again—for the first time in what felt like forever. Even though he made it crystal clear he di
MaliaSeveral weeks had passed since I've been planning my revenge against Aaliyah, but during those weeks, Aaliyah was adding to my rage for her, bullying me every chance she got. Every tick of the clock felt like a taunt as I meticulously mapped out my plan for getting back at Aaliyah. She thought she could humiliate me at school, smear my name, and walk around like she owned the place. Not anymore. One Monday morning, my plan was ready—brilliant, elaborate, and perfect. I’d spent hours piecing it together, making sure no detail was left unchecked. Aaliyah wouldn’t see it coming, and when it was done, everyone would know she wasn’t as untouchable as she pretended to be. I stood in the hallway, casually leaning against my locker, pretending to scroll through my phone. The first part of my plan required timing, precision, and a little bit of misdirection. I was ready, my heart racing in anticipation. But then I heard his voice. “Don’t even think about it.” I glanced up to s
Malia. My encounter with Asher at the Russo twins’ party the week before was still on my mind. The look in his eyes—pale, disoriented, and detached—played over and over in my head. Something was wrong with him, but no one seemed to care. Not Amara, not Jamie, not Corey. They all insisted I let it go. Initially, I couldn't imagine not doing anything, but now… it's just so obvious that there's very little I can do. He isn't under a spell anymore, so this time it's all in Asher's hand. Only he can put an end to this. Soon, it was Monday, and the holiday reprieve was over. Back to the academy, back to the whispers, and back to pretending everything wasn’t falling apart. The academy halls were alive with murmurs, their sharp edges cutting through the quiet resolve I tried to build up on the walk-in. Everyone had something to say about Asher. About me. The whispers followed me like a shadow. “She’s still here? Brave, I’ll give her that.” “I heard she tried to talk to him at the
MaliaIt had been a week since Asher turned his back on everything we’d fought for, aligning himself with his mother and announcing his intention to marry Aaliyah. I couldn’t believe it at first—refused to, really. Even though I’d spent days recovering from my injuries at the school hub, the news of his decision hurt far worse than the excruciating pain of being shot with an arrow. Amara’s family had invited me to stay with them for the holidays, which turned out to be a blessing. I couldn’t face the halls of the academy, the whispers and judgment. The combat showdown, which I’d prepared for relentlessly, had been postponed indefinitely and eventually canceled in favor of a holiday break. So here I was, lounging by Amara’s pool, trying to piece together the wreckage of my thoughts. Amara, of course, had her theories. She always did. “It’s duty over love,” she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Asher’s chosen his mother over everything else. You know what that means, right