LUNARETH ACADEMY: CLAIMED BY THE RUTHLESS BOYS

CHAPTER 35

ADINNA’S POV

Dean wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and murmurs something to the others. “Let’s find something better to do,” he says, voice flat, like he’s already bored.

Jace laughs, short and careless. “You’re no fun.” He tosses the empty glass on a table and stretches like a cat. Salem gives a low hum of agreement, smirking as if he knows something the rest of us don’t. Then both of them turn and fade into the glittering crowd.

Dean follows them a few seconds later, but not before glancing at me. Just one look. Quick, unreadable, and enough to make my stomach twist. His eyes don’t look angry, not exactly—they just carry that quiet warning, like he’s silently telling me to stay alert.

Hunter doesn’t move. He stands there, motionless, his gaze locked on me. The buzz of the ballroom fades to a dull murmur. For a moment, all I hear is the faint hum of the music and the uneven rhythm of my own breath.

I cross my arms, pretending to look away, pretending I don’t feel the weight of his stare pressing against my skin. The lights glint off the golden chandeliers above us, scattering in sharp patterns across his face. He looks too calm. Too controlled. That’s what makes it worse.

When he finally steps closer, I tense. He leans down slightly, voice low. “You should stop hiding behind Dean,” he says. His tone is quiet, but it cuts deep. “Face us head-on, or you’ll suffer more.”

My pulse jumps. I straighten, forcing my voice not to shake. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He smirks, the kind that doesn’t reach his eyes. “You’ll find out soon.”

He brushes past me, his shoulder grazing mine. I catch the faint scent of cedar and smoke as he disappears into the crowd, leaving a trail of tension behind him.

For a long moment, I just stand there. My fingers curl around the edge of the bar to steady myself. My chest feels tight, like my body already knows something my mind refuses to admit.

I try to tell myself he’s bluffing—that this is just another game, another test. But there’s something in his tone that refuses to leave my head.

I shake it off and move toward the dance floor, hoping to find Riley. Maybe she’s still with Ashton. Maybe she’ll talk me down like she always does. But the crowd is too thick, too loud. The lights flash, the laughter swells, and I can’t see her anywhere.

Someone bumps into my shoulder. I mutter an apology, but the girl just glares at me.

“Watch it,” she snaps. Her tone drips with annoyance, as if my existence offends her.

I step aside, but she doesn’t move. Instead, another voice joins in from behind her.

“Isn’t that the girl with the Ace mark?” a boy asks, his tone mocking. “What’s she even doing here?”

A few others laugh. I feel their eyes crawl over me, and I suddenly wish the floor would swallow me whole. I tuck the Ace card pendant under my dress, hoping they didn’t see it properly, but their whispers tell me they already did.

“Maybe she’s looking for someone to claim her,” another girl says. Her words sound sharp, deliberate.

I clench my jaw. My fingers dig into the fabric of my dress as I push through them. “Move,” I say, my voice low.

The boy laughs again, stepping aside with exaggerated politeness. “Careful,” he says. “Wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the Ace girl.”

Heat rises to my face, but I keep walking. I won’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Once I make it out of the ballroom, I exhale. The noise fades behind me, replaced by the cool hush of the corridor. My heels click softly on the marble floor as I walk toward the open balcony.

The night air greets me, cool and sharp. The moon hangs above the Academy towers like a glowing coin. From here, the laughter and music sound distant, like echoes from another world.

I grip the railing and stare down at the courtyard below. The fountains shimmer under the moonlight, calm and perfect. Nothing about tonight feels calm, though. My heart still beats too fast.

Hunter’s voice replays in my head.

Face us head-on or you’ll suffer more.

I try to make sense of it. What does he mean by “suffer”? Haven’t they already done enough? The gas in the lab, the traps, the mockery—it’s never-ending. What else could they possibly want from me?

I press my hand to my chest, feeling the Ace card beneath my dress. The metal feels cold, grounding, yet strangely heavy. I should have taken it off, but something inside me refuses to. It feels wrong to be without it, even though it’s the reason I stand out like a curse.

I remember the boutique owner’s words earlier.

The Ball changes destinies.

I let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, right,” I whisper to no one. “Mine’s already cursed.”

A breeze drifts past, carrying the faint scent of roses and champagne from the ballroom. It smells expensive, artificial—like everything about tonight.

I close my eyes for a second and breathe deeply, but instead of calm, I feel this creeping sense of dread. Something’s shifting, I can feel it. Like the air itself has started to hum.

I hear footsteps behind me. For a second, I freeze.

Please, not him again.

I turn around slowly, expecting to see Hunter or one of his friends. But it’s just a student—someone from my class. She walks past me without a glance, her laughter trailing behind her as she rejoins the others inside.

I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and lean against the railing again. My reflection stares back at me in the window—eyes slightly red, expression tight.

“You can’t keep letting them get to you,” I whisper to my reflection.

The words sound weak.

I stare at the Ace card again. Its edges glint faintly through the fabric of my dress. I can almost feel it pulse, like it’s alive, like it’s watching.

I shake my head, pushing away the thought. I’m just tired. That’s all.

The sound of distant laughter drifts from the ballroom again, followed by the start of another song. Riley’s probably still dancing with Ashton. She deserves that. She deserves the moment.

But me? I don’t even know what I deserve anymore.

I think about leaving. Just slipping out through the courtyard and heading straight back to my dorm. But then I remember Hunter’s words again, and I stop.

Leaving would mean running. And if there’s one thing they’ve always accused me of, it’s that I run from everything.

I straighten, drawing in a slow breath. Maybe I should face them, just once. Maybe I should stop being the scared one.

But even as I think it, a shiver moves through me. Because deep down, I already know—they’re not done with me yet.

When I turn back toward the ballroom, I see flickers of gold light spilling through the open doors. The sound of laughter swells again, wrapping around me like a mocking melody.

I step forward slowly, feeling the weight of the night press against my chest. The music pulls me in, but my gut screams to stay away.

Still, I walk. One step. Then another.

Because no matter how much I hate it, I know one thing for sure—running never saves me. It only delays what’s coming.

And whatever is waiting for me tonight, I can already feel its shadow breathing down my neck.