The Howl Beyond the Walls
1843 Words
Nora’s POV
The howl faded across the academy grounds, but the silence it left behind seemed louder.
Nobody moved.
The students standing in the corridor had frozen exactly where they were. A few looked toward the large windows overlooking the eastern side of the campus. Others exchanged nervous glances, as if silently asking whether they had heard the same thing.
Nora remained on the staircase.
Her fingers were still pressed against her chest.
The strange sensation had disappeared the moment the howl ended.
But something else had taken its place.
A feeling.
A terrible, inexplicable certainty that whatever had made that sound was not far away.
“What was that?” someone whispered.
“I don’t know.”
“Was that a wolf?”
“There are no wolves here.”
“Then what was it?”
The corridor slowly came alive again.
Students began talking over one another, trying to explain the sound.
Nora looked toward Xavier.
He hadn’t moved.
His eyes remained fixed on the forest beyond the windows.
His expression was unreadable, but there was something different about him now.
The calm control he had carried all morning was gone.
He looked alert.
Tense.
Almost dangerous.
“Xavier.”
The girl who had approached him earlier was still standing nearby.
She had been watching him carefully.
“Are you coming?”
His eyes remained on the forest.
“Go to class.”
Her lips parted slightly.
“But your father said…”
“I heard you.”
His voice was quiet.
It was also final.
The girl looked toward Nora again.
Her expression hardened.
Then she turned and walked away.
Nora watched her disappear down the corridor.
“Is she always like that?” she asked.
Xavier finally looked at her.
“Like what?”
“Annoying.”
For a second, something flickered in his eyes.
Amusement.
It disappeared so quickly that Nora almost wondered if she had imagined it.
“You’ve known her for less than a minute.”
“That was enough.”
His mouth almost curved.
Almost.
Then his expression became serious again.
“You should go to class.”
Nora stared at him.
“Are you giving me instructions again?”
“Yes.”
“Then no.”
Xavier’s gaze sharpened.
“Nora.”
The sound of her name in his voice made something strange happen inside her.
She hated that.
She hated the way her body reacted to him before her mind could decide how she felt.
“How do you know my name?” she asked.
He paused.
The question seemed to catch him off guard.
“You were introduced yesterday.”
“No, you weren’t paying attention.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“You noticed?”
“I notice a lot of things.”
“Clearly.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“There you go again.”
“Again?”
“Everyone keeps saying that word.”
Xavier studied her.
Nora crossed her arms.
“Nothing.”
His eyes darkened.
For some reason, the sight of his expression made her heart beat faster.
“You shouldn’t be near the forest,” he said.
Nora’s amusement disappeared.
“Why?”
“Because it is restricted.”
“That’s not an explanation.”
“It’s the only one you need.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Xavier took a step closer.
The air between them changed.
Nora’s heart gave a strange, painful beat.
She tried to ignore it.
“Why are you so concerned about where I go?”
His expression became unreadable.
“I’m not.”
“Then stop acting like it.”
He stared at her for a long moment.
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you give too few answers.”
Something shifted in his eyes.
For a second, Nora thought he might actually tell her the truth.
Instead, he stepped back.
“Go to class.”
She stared at him.
Then turned sharply.
“You’re impossible.”
“You’re stubborn.”
Nora stopped.
She slowly turned back.
“What did you say?”
Xavier’s face was completely calm.
“Nothing.”
Nora narrowed her eyes.
He was doing it on purpose now.
She knew it.
She walked away before she could say something that would get her into trouble on her second day.
Behind her, Xavier watched her leave.
And Nora hated the fact that she could feel his eyes on her long after she disappeared around the corner.
…
History class was located in the oldest building on campus.
The classroom was large, with tall windows, dark wooden desks, and shelves filled with old books.
Ava had managed to save two seats near the back.
Nora dropped into the chair beside her.
“You look angry.”
“I am.”
“What happened?”
“Xavier Ashford.”
Ava immediately looked concerned.
“What did he do?”
“Nothing.”
Ava stared at her.
Nora sighed.
“Exactly.”
Ava blinked.
“That makes no sense.”
“He’s irritating.”
“You’ve known him for one day.”
“And he has already managed to irritate me several times.”
Ava tried not to smile.
“You like him.”
Nora turned toward her.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I do not like him.”
“Then why are you so bothered by everything he says?”
“Because he’s annoying.”
“That is usually how it starts.”
Nora gave her a look.
“Don’t.”
Ava laughed.
Their teacher entered before Nora could respond.
Mrs. Harper was a stern looking woman with dark glasses and a voice that immediately silenced the room.
“Good morning.”
The class responded.
“Good morning, ma’am.”
Mrs. Harper placed a stack of papers on her desk.
“Today, we will begin with the history of Ashford Elite Academy.”
Nora sat up slightly.
She had already learned that the academy had existed for more than a century.
But there was something about the way Mrs. Harper spoke that made the subject feel important.
“The academy was founded in 1904 by the Ashford family.”
Several Gold students straightened proudly.
Mrs. Harper continued.
“For generations, the Ashfords have maintained a significant presence within this institution.”
Nora glanced toward the Gold badges around the room.
That explained a lot.
“The academy was originally established as a private institution for the children of influential families.”
“However, over time, scholarship programs were introduced.”
“Today, Ashford Elite Academy accepts students from a variety of backgrounds.”
Nora noticed the way some students looked toward the Silver section.
Variety.
The word sounded almost ironic.
Mrs. Harper walked toward the board.
“One of the most significant events in the academy’s history occurred nearly two decades ago.”
Nora looked up.
“An incident involving a student named Eleanor Bennett.”
The room went completely still.
Nora’s heart stopped.
Her fingers tightened around her pen.
Ava turned toward her.
Mrs. Harper continued writing on the board.
“Eleanor Bennett was a scholarship student.”
Nora stared at the name.
Her surname.
The same surname as hers.
Her breathing became shallow.
“She disappeared from the academy grounds during her final year.”
A murmur moved through the classroom.
“What happened to her?” a student asked.
Mrs. Harper turned.
“We do not know.”
“Was she kidn*pped?”
“That was never proven.”
“Did they find her?”
“No.”
Nora couldn’t hear the rest.
The room had become distant.
Eleanor Bennett.
A scholarship student.
A girl who had disappeared from Ashford Elite Academy.
The same academy Nora had just entered.
Her hand trembled slightly.
Ava leaned closer.
“Are you okay?”
Nora swallowed.
“Yes.”
A lie.
She looked toward the front of the room.
“Why was this never mentioned during orientation?”
Mrs. Harper’s eyes moved toward her.
“Because it is not relevant to your education.”
“Someone disappeared.”
“Nearly twenty years ago.”
“That doesn’t make it irrelevant.”
The teacher’s expression hardened.
“Nora Bennett, I suggest you focus on your studies.”
The entire classroom became quiet.
Nora felt the eyes of every student turn toward her.
She lowered her gaze.
But something inside her had already begun connecting the pieces.
Eleanor Bennett.
The Ashford family.
The photograph.
Xavier’s father.
The forbidden forest.
The warnings.
There was a connection.
She didn’t know what it was yet.
But there was one.
The bell rang before the lesson could continue.
Students immediately began packing their books.
Nora remained seated.
Ava touched her arm.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Nora looked at her.
“Who was Eleanor Bennett?”
Ava’s expression changed.
Nora saw it.
The hesitation.
The fear.
“You know something.”
“I don’t.”
“Ava.”
“I said I don’t.”
Nora stared at her.
Ava looked away.
That was answer enough.
Nora stood.
“I’m going to the library.”
“Why?”
“To find out what happened to her.”
Ava immediately grabbed her wrist.
“No.”
Nora looked down at her hand.
Ava released her.
“Sorry.”
“Why did you say no?”
“I just think…”
“You think what?”
Ava lowered her voice.
“I think you should leave it alone.”
Nora stared at her.
The same warning.
The same fear.
The same secret.
Something was very wrong with this school.
And Nora was beginning to believe that her arrival had something to do with it.
…
Xavier’s POV
Xavier stood outside the classroom door.
He had heard everything.
Eleanor Bennett.
The name had struck him like a blow.
His father had told him she had disappeared.
The school had told everyone she was simply a missing student.
But the way Mrs. Harper had reacted to Nora’s questions had confirmed one thing.
The academy knew more.
Xavier looked through the glass panel in the door.
Nora was speaking to Ava.
Her expression was determined.
She was going to investigate.
He already knew it.
His wolf stirred beneath his skin.
Protect her.
Xavier ignored it.
He had more important questions.
Why had Nora arrived now?
Why had the bond awakened the moment she entered the academy?
Why had his father recognized the name before Xavier had even told him?
And why had the forest responded to her?
His phone vibrated.
Xavier pulled it from his pocket.
A message from his father.
Do not let Nora Bennett go to the library archives.
Xavier stared at the screen.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
A second message appeared.
Whatever she finds there will change everything.
Xavier looked through the glass again.
Nora was leaving the classroom.
Heading toward the library.
His father had given him an order.
For the first time in his life…
Xavier had no intention of obeying it.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD