Chapter Thirteen
1057 Words
Eira’s POV
The next day at school, Lucien made a point of staying away from me for some strange reason. He was polite, but with the chilly distance of a predator sizing up prey—not that he ever regarded me as anything beyond a piece on the board.
Kellen on the other hand was a completely different force. He maintained his space with a hidden frown, his gaze darting to Aria each time I moved by as if to confirm she wasn't at risk because of me. I had never been so aware of the risk of a wrong move.
The morning had just started when the corridor was filled with noise. People murmured while I moved through the crowd, their eyes keen and eager. I tried to ignore it but the tension in the air made each footstep feel like treading on ice.
Suddenly… I felt something, someone else. Aria.
She rested nonchalantly against the entrance of the lounge but her stance expressed her intentions. Her gaze—cold, assessing—fixed on me the moment I glanced up. That irritating grin spread over her lips.
“Eira" she said slowly, her voice sugary yet sharp. "I was wondering how much time would pass before you dared to appear in front of me again.”
I stiffened, clutching the strap of my bag firmly. A week had passed but she remained as sharp-tongued as ever. Still I managed a smile. "Good morning, Aria. I can see you're doing well.”
Her laughter was airy and playful but it carried a cutting edge sharp enough to slice through glass. "Oh, I’m wonderful, as usual.. You? Doing well I imagine, now that you’re… oh what was the word again?" She tapped a finger on her temple with a teasing hum. "Ah right, the princes’ mate.”
I felt heat spreading across my face but I maintained a composed demeanor. "It’s been seven days, " I murmured, selecting my words with care. "We’ve all gone past that, haven’t we?”
Aria’s gaze sharpened. "Some people, " she responded calmly. "Some people always remember when someone like you enters a family without permission.”
Her statement was more than an insult, it was a push and I bit my lip fighting the impulse to react. I needed to control my reply. Acting impulsively would simply satisfy her by making me stumble.
“I don't intend on taking anyone’s place " I said calmly. "I simply… existed and the title came to me. Nothing more.”
Her smile grew broader. It showed only teeth without any kindness. "Oh, Eira. Do you realize what else you symbolize?" Her eyes shifted slightly toward Kellen, who as expected, stood at the end of the corridor, his back against the wall, arms folded, and jaw clenched. His gaze wasn’t fixed on me, it was on her. I understood he was watching me to make sure I didn't ‘overstep’.
“You’re a puzzle" Aria went on, tilting her head as if she were examining a butterfly. "One that’s out of place.”
I didn’t hesitate, not this time around. "If that’s your opinion," I responded quietly "then I’ll make sure I fit better than anyone else." But even as I said that, my heartbeat raced with the fact that my position here would never be real.
Aria bent her head enough for only me to feel the weight of her words. "Watch yourself Eira. The princes… they’re no fools, I'm not either. One wrong move and it’ll be clear to everyone where you stand.”
I felt the urge to laugh and let her know she didn't have a clue how easily I could shift the game in my favor but I held back. Instead, I turned and walked away, forcing my legs to move with controlled elegance, along the corridor.
Kellen’s voice came to me quiet and sharp. "You’re messing with danger, Hartwell.”
I stopped, shifting a bit to notice him standing beyond the doorway, his face stiff and eyes wary of me but I didn't have his time or energy now so I walked past without giving him the satisfaction of arguing.
Lucien, on the other hand, was resting on a locker with his arms crossed, his face intentionally cool. He glanced at me silently, but still attentive. The tension between us had never felt heavier and his polite distance formed a barrier I couldn’t crush.
I breathed out softly, forcing my shoulders to loosen. A week had gone by. We had made the announcement, but the toughest challenge was enduring what came next. Their suspicion was obvious and Aria’s scheming made everything feel worse.
Turning the corner, I felt eyes still fixed on me, Kellen’s steady and piercing gaze was like a knife lingering just above my shoulder. I realized he would watch my every move throughout the day like Lucien although more subtly. Within me a spark of excitement, at the challenge stirred. They didn't trust me yet but I had time and the patience to pull it off.
If they believed they could scare me they clearly hadn’t met the Eira who would never give in.
Even if it meant standing against the collective scrutiny of two princes and a cunning, beautiful, infuriating Aria.
But as I reached my dorm that evening, a strange pulse rippled under my skin, a deep, heated throb I had never felt so early before the full moon. My wolf stirred restlessly, pacing inside me like she was preparing for something inevitable. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady the sudden rush of warmth spreading through my body.
The full moon was only days away.
A time when instincts sharpened.
When secrets slipped.
When wolves lose control.
I told myself it was nothing. Stress. Tension. The princes. Aria. Everything.
But deep down, I knew better.
The full moon always brought change, but this time… this time felt different.
Sharper.
Heavier.
Like something was waiting for me in the silver light, something I couldn’t outrun even if I tried.
And as I laid down that night, unable to shake the tingling warmth curling through my body, a single, unsettling thought echoed in my mind.
If the heat already felt too much now…
What would happen when the full moon finally came?
- Writer
