7. Lucian Thornfield
1484 Words
Raine POV
I kept pacing back and forth across my room, the floor already complaining under my weight.
“Since Bella is going to Moonstone Academy… why can’t I go there too?” My voice came out sharper than I expected, full of all the annoyance bubbling inside me.
Zariah sat calmly at the edge of my bed like she was made of patience itself.
“The Academy is for the elites,” she explained, her tone quiet but steady. “And of course, you are one… but you have no powers. You cannot shift, neither do you have any special abilities. Admission itself is hard and very competitive. Besides, the Beta is not willing to pay your school bills.”
Her words hit me like a slap, but I refused to let them sink in. I threw my hands up.
“Hello, no. I am going to find a way. I will make sure things work my way. In fact, I will pave a way if I have to!” The fire inside me refused to dim.
Then she whispered something that made me stop pacing. “Young miss…”
My lips parted. Not just because of her words, but because it was the first time she ever called me that. My chest tightened. “By the way, who the f**k is Lucian Thornfield?” I blurted.
“Miss, you cannot say that.” Zariah’s face paled a little.
“What the f**k? Why is that? Is he a devil?” I asked with a cackle, hoping to break the sudden heaviness in the air.
“No.” Her answer was quick, almost too quick, and for a second I felt relief wash through me.
Then she continued. “He is far worse than the devil himself. In fact, he is hell. Even his father is afraid of him and his capabilities.”
Her words made me gulp down hard. My throat felt dry, like I had just swallowed a stone.
“Then why exactly is dumb Bella trying to get close to him?” I asked, throwing my hands up again. “She must not love her life.”
Zariah sighed. “According to rumors, he is tall, handsome, and dangerous. Besides, it is natural to want someone like him. He is the heir apparent to the Lycan throne.”
I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck. “Great. Another arrogant, rich, deadly asshole the world cannot stop drooling over.”
“I also heard he is going to Moonstone Academy,” Zariah added softly.
My stomach dropped. I literally heard Bella said that earlier but I didn't care because I never heard of him. I forced a laugh, though it sounded nervous even to my own ears. “Well, since he is that dangerous… I will avoid him.” My voice grew louder with each word, like I needed to convince myself. “I will avoid him like plague.”
But even as I said it, something inside me whispered that fate had other plans.
“You know what’s funny?” Zariah suddenly said, her tone light but carrying that mischievous edge she always had when she wanted to poke at me.
The way she looked at me made my curiosity spike instantly. I’ve always hated guessing games or waiting around for answers. If there was one thing I had zero patience for, it was anticipation. “What?” I demanded, my eyes narrowing at her smug little smile.
She folded her arms and raised a brow at me. “The very fact that you’ve always detested using dirty connections, sneaky tricks, and all sorts of backdoor deals. You used to lecture me about it. And now? You’re more than willing to dive into it yourself.”
I stared at her for a moment before bursting into a low laugh.
“Well, that was the dumb Raine saying all that type of s**t. The girl who still believed the world played fair, that people could be trusted, that wolves would somehow treat her with decency.” I shook my head slowly, my voice dropping into a cold edge.
“As for me? I will do anything and everything to gain a foothold in this pack. I will use every dirty trick in the book if I have to. And I’ll make every single one of them pay for what they did to that poor, pathetic girl in the past.”
Zariah tilted her head, watching me with a mixture of amusement and something like admiration. “And how do you plan to do that if you don’t even remember the past?” she said, her tone teasing, her laugh bubbling out as if it was a joke.
But I didn’t miss the truth buried in her words. My lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn’t wrong. I didn’t have Raine’s memories. I didn’t have her pain stitched into my bones the way she had. All I had were glimpses, shadows, and the pieces Zariah fed me.
Still, I wasn’t about to let her have the last word. I leaned forward and pinched her arm hard enough to make her squeal. “Isn’t that why you’re here?” I shot back with a grin. “To remind me?”
She yelped dramatically, rubbing her arm with a pout that didn’t fool me for a second. “That hurt!”
“Good,” I said with a smirk. “Now you won’t forget your job either.”
Her laughter rang through the room, warm and unguarded. For a fleeting second, it almost felt… normal. Like we weren’t standing in the middle of a hellish pack full of enemies waiting to see us crumble.
I flopped back on the bed with a groan, staring at the ceiling like it had all the answers. “I cannot add another bully or problem to my list,” I muttered. “ Going back to School is already hell enough, Bella is hell squared, and now this Lucian guy is apparently hell itself. Great. Just great. My life is practically a horror show.”
Zariah only smiled, too used to my drama. “For now, we have to focus on preparing for your grandpa’s arrival to this… hellish pack.”
I sat up instantly. “Oh s**t. Right. Grandpa.” Just saying his name made my stomach twist. He wasn’t just anyone. He was the Grandpa. The only person who could possibly shake up this rotten pack and maybe.....just maybe.....take my side when everyone else treated me like an afterthought.
Zariah leaned closer. “What did we practice again?” she asked carefully, tilting her head the way she did whenever she thought I wasn’t listening.
I groaned again, louder this time. “Ugh, Zariah, do not start. I remember.”
She raised one eyebrow, the look that said prove it.
I rolled my eyes but gave in. “Fine. You said the bond between me and Grandpa is different. That he is soft when it comes to me. That the easiest way to get him to do anything is when I tug at his sleeves, look at him with my big sad eyes, and ask like I’m his precious little grandchild who can do no wrong.” I made a face.
“Basically, you’re turning me into a manipulative brat.”
Zariah shook her head. “Not manipulative. Strategic. And I pray this still works on him. The last time you met him was when you were five years old."
I snorted. “Same thing.”
Still, I slid off the bed and stood in front of her. She nodded toward the chair in the corner. “Let’s practice. Again.”
I dragged my feet dramatically, then dropped into the chair, pretending it was Grandpa’s throne.
“Grandpa,” I said in the sweetest voice I could muster, grabbing at Zariah’s sleeve the way she taught me. I widened my eyes, adding a touch of fake innocence. “Please, Grandpa, I’ll be so good. Just this once. You’ll see.”
Zariah crossed her arms, unimpressed. “More emotion. He has to believe you. Right now you sound like you’re begging for candy, not approval.”
“Candy is approval,” I shot back, smirking.
She sighed, but I could see the corner of her mouth twitch like she was holding back a laugh. We went over it again, and again, until I felt ridiculous. I was halfway through another round of, “Please, Grandpa,” when.....
KNOCK. KNOCK.
The sound cut through the room like a blade.
Zariah froze. Her eyes flicked toward the door, then back at me. “Were you… expecting anyone?” she asked softly.
I shook my head. My chest tightened. Nobody ever came knocking on my door unless it was trouble.
The knock came again. Louder this time.
- Writer
