Rory's POV
“Aurora Blackfang,” he called, his voice steady and deep, carrying over the murmurs of the students gathered in the PE ground.
I stiffened instantly. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat panicked. I didn’t need him to finish the sentence. I knew. He was about to pick me, single me out in front of everyone. The whole school.
And I couldn’t let that happen. “I can’t shift,” I blurted, my voice harsher than I intended. The words ripped through the air, making every pair of eyes snap to me.
For a heartbeat, the silence was suffocating. The students stared, their whispers sharp and venomous.
“I expected that, she can't shift obviously”
“That's pathetic ?”
“What a disgrace.”
Their laughter was hushed but it carried, closing around me, trying to choke me.
I gritted my
