chapter 9
1219 Words
Next Morning — School Grounds
Sofia arrived at school earlier than usual. Her hair perfectly styled, her lip gloss shimmering, her confidence even louder than the clicking of her heels on the polished hallway floor.
Today wasn’t an ordinary school day.
Today was payback.
She stood near the lockers with her friends already gathered around her—Mila, Tasha, and Karla—whispering and giggling as they waited. Sofia’s mood was different: a cold smirk, eyes sharp, shoulders relaxed like she was preparing for a performance.
And then…
Luke stepped through the school gates.
Wearing the same glasses. Same calm expression. Same slow walk. Same aura of “I don’t care about anything happening around me”.
Sofia’s jaw clenched for a second… then she plastered on her sweetest fake smile.
“Showtime,” she whispered.
Luke walked past them, heading straight to his locker—completely ignoring the whispering group. Mila nudged Sofia.
“Are you sure he’ll react?” she asked.
“Oh, he’ll react,” Sofia replied. “Trust me.”
As Luke opened his locker, a loud squeaky rubber duck fell out and bounced on the floor, making a ridiculous squeaking sound that echoed through the hallway. But that wasn’t all—taped inside his locker door was a printed picture of a baby wearing huge round glasses, holding a book upside down.
Above it, written in bold pink marker:
“OUR LITTLE BOY IS READY FOR SCHOOL!”
The hallway went silent for half a second…
Then BOOM—laughter erupted everywhere.
Students were holding their stomachs.
Some were recording.
Others were pointing.
Luke stood there, expression unchanged. He didn’t look embarrassed. Didn’t look angry. He just… stared at it.
Sofia walked toward him slowly, stopping in front of the gathering crowd.
“Awwwwww, look everyone,” she said loudly, flicking her hair. “Seems like little boy finally brought his baby picture to school. How cute.”
More laughter.
Luke looked at her. No emotion. No irritation. Just… calm.
“Sofia,” he said flatly, “this joke must’ve taken you an hour. I hope it was worth the time you could’ve used fixing your personality.”
Ooooohs filled the hallway.
Sofia’s smile froze.
Before she could respond, the bell rang, saving her from any comeback she wasn’t prepared for. Students began moving toward their classrooms, still giggling about the photo.
Luke simply removed the picture, threw the rubber duck in the trash, and walked to class.
---
In Class — During the Lesson
The chatter hadn’t stopped. Sofia sat with her arms crossed, glaring at the back of Luke’s head. He didn’t look bothered. In fact, he was already taking notes like nothing happened.
She hated that.
The teacher entered the classroom with a pile of papers.
“Alright, settle down everyone. I’m handing out your first assignment of the term.”
Groans spread across the room.
“This is a paired assignment,” the teacher continued. “You’ll be working with the person sitting next to you.”
Luke froze for the first time that morning.
Slowly, very slowly, his gaze shifted to the side… where June was already smiling proudly, ready to pull out highlighters and sticky notes.
But then—
“Actually,” the teacher added, “there’s been a seating reshuffle. I want better focus and new group dynamics.”
Students started murmuring.
The teacher pointed at Luke.
“Luke, please move to the seat next to Sofia.”
June’s mouth fell open.
Luke blinked.
Sofia sat up straighter, eyes wide.
“No,” Luke muttered under his breath.
“Yes!” Sofia whispered with a wicked grin.
The entire class was buzzing with excitement.
Sofia leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, smile growing wider.
“Oh, don’t worry, little boy,” she whispered as he reluctantly walked over to sit beside her, “I’ll make sure this assignment… is unforgettable.”
Luke sat down, jaw tight, but face emotionless.
He already regretted waking up that morning.
________
Gerald’s Office — Early Afternoon
Gerald sat behind his massive dark-wood desk, eyes fixed on the huge conference screen mounted on the wall. The elders and council members of different regions appeared in their respective frames, all discussing border security, rogue pack movements, and some dispute about hunting territories.
He listened with a serious expression, fingers tapping slowly on the table. His presence alone kept everyone on the screen alert — the king of the wolves didn’t tolerate nonsense.
A sudden knock broke the heavy atmosphere.
Knock… knock…
Gerald didn’t look away from the screen.
“Come in,” he said in his deep voice.
The door opened a little, and Amara peeked inside. Her eyes scanned the room and saw he was already in a meeting. Still, she slipped in quietly, closing the door behind her.
She moved to the side chair, far enough that the people on the big screen wouldn’t see her. She sat down gently, crossing her legs, scrolling through her phone while waiting.
Gerald’s eyes flicked toward her for half a second — he noticed she was there — but he returned to the discussion, finishing the last point with the council.
Ten minutes later, the meeting ended. The big screen went black.
Gerald sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and began typing fast on his laptop, finishing off paperwork.
Without looking up, he spoke.
“What do you need, Amara?”
Amara put her phone away, stood up, and walked to his side.
“Daddy…” she paused, choosing her words. “I need a favor.”
Gerald continued typing. “Carry on.”
She inhaled deeply. “I… got an offer to study in America.”
His fingers stopped.
His jaw tightened.
Slowly… very slowly… he lifted his eyes to her, a frown already visible.
“America?” he repeated. “You still want to live among humans? I thought we talked about this.”
Amara rolled her eyes slightly and let out a long sigh.
“Daddy… I can’t stay in this house anymore. It’s so suffocating. Please allow me to go. I never cause trouble. I listen to your rules. And who knows,” she shrugged with a small smile, “maybe my mate is over there.”
Gerald leaned back in his chair, studying her face. He wanted to scold her, argue, forbid it — but he held back. His daughter rarely asked for anything. And she was right… she wasn’t like Dyran.
He exhaled quietly.
“Fine. You can go.”
Amara’s eyes widened. A bright smile spread across her face.
“Really?!”
He nodded once.
She squealed softly and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
“Thank you, daddy!”
Before he could even respond, she pulled away and rushed to the door.
But right before leaving, his voice stopped her.
“Amara.”
She turned.
“If you make even one mistake…” he warned sternly, “you’re coming back home immediately. Understand?”
She nodded quickly. “I promise!”
Then she disappeared out of the office, practically bouncing with excitement.
Gerald shook his head, rubbing his temples.
“One child giving me headaches… another wanting to run halfway across the world,” he muttered to himself.
________
- Writer
