Chapter 3
751 Words
My lies were getting harder to keep straight.
I sat in Kade's office, my hands clasped in my lap to hide their shaking.
"An orphan, you say?" His eyes were cold. Clinical.
I nodded, forcing my voice steady. "Yes, sir. Grew up in foster homes."
"Strange." He shuffled through papers. "No records of a Liam Parker in the system."
My heart skipped. I'd prepared for this. "I... moved around a lot. Different names, different homes."
He studied me, like a wolf sizing up wounded prey. I held his stare, counting heartbeats.
Finally, he waved his hand. "Get out. But remember, this institution has ways of bringing out every secret.”
I practically ran from his office, not stopping until I reached the courtyard.
Behind me, someone whistled.
"Rough morning?"
Asher. Of course it was Asher.
He lounged against a tree, hands in his pockets, watching me with those storm-gray eyes.
The mate scent rolled off him.
I turned away. "I'm fine."
"Liar." He pushed off the tree, moving closer. "You're scared of something."
"I'm not—"
"Your heart's racing." He tapped his ear. "Wolf hearing, remember?"
Damn. I forgot how well Alphas could hear. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to look annoyed instead of terrified.
"Maybe I just don't like being stalked," I snapped.
He grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not stalking. Looking out for my roommate."
"I don't need—"
"There's a bonfire tonight," he cut in. "Traditional thing. Awakens our wolf spirits or whatever." He stepped closer, voice dropping. "You're coming."
It wasn't a question.
I shook my head. "I've got studying to do."
"Wasn't asking." His hand caught my wrist, gentle but firm. That spark again—like lightning under my skin. "Everyone goes. You skip it, people will talk."
He was right. Damn him.
***
The bonfire started at sunset. Dozens of boys gathered in the woods behind the academy, passing around bottles and shoving each other near the flames.
I hung back in the shadows, watching. The fire threw orange light across their faces, making them look wild. Dangerous.
"Drink?"
I jumped. Asher held out a bottle, smirking.
"No thanks."
He shrugged and took a swig. "Suit yourself."
The night got darker. Someone started chanting—old words, wolf words. The fire crackled higher.
My skin felt hot, too tight. The ritual was working, awakening something in all of us. I could smell everyone's wolves rising to the surface.
Including mine.
Panic clawed at my throat. Omega wolves smelled different—sweeter, softer. If anyone caught my scent...
I tried to slip away, but Asher's hand shot out, grabbing my hoodie.
"Where you going?" His eyes gleamed in the firelight. "Party's just starting."
He pulled me closer to the flames. The heat made my head spin. Or maybe it was him—his scent, his touch, the way he wouldn't stop watching me.
The chanting grew louder. Boys started shifting, their wolves breaking through. Fur rippled across skin. Eyes glowed gold and red.
Asher's grip tightened on my arm. He inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring.
"There it is again," he growled. His voice was different now—rougher, hungrier. "That scent."
I tried to pull away, but he yanked me into the shadows behind a tree. His body pressed me against the bark, one hand beside my head.
"Why do you smell like mine?" he demanded.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. His face was inches from mine, eyes blazing Alpha-gold.
"I don't—"
A howl cut through the night. Both our heads snapped up.
One of the scouts burst into the clearing, half-shifted and panting.
"Enforcers!" he shouted. "From the Kane pack. They're searching the grounds!"
My blood turned to ice. They'd found me.
Asher's fingers dug into my arm. "You're hiding something, Liam." His voice was low, dangerous. "And I'm going to find out what."
I stared up at him, heart pounding. In the distance, wolves howled—getting closer.
The mate bond hummed between us like a live wire, and I saw the moment something clicked in his eyes. His grip loosened, just slightly.
But it was enough.
I ran.
Behind me, I heard him curse. Heard him start to follow.
But I was already gone, disappearing into the dark forest with my secrets and my lies and the sound of hunting wolves drawing near.
And somewhere in the shadows, Asher's voice echoed: "You can't run forever."
He was right.
I couldn't.
But tonight, I had to try.
- Writer
