chapter 15
1371 Words
At the Mansion in the Woods…
The mansion was unusually quiet—too quiet for a place that housed wolves.
The front door opened softly.
Dyran walked in, shoulders tense, the weight of the day showing on his face. He dropped his keys on the table, loosened his tie, and sank onto the couch with a long exhale. His eyes closed for a moment—exhausted, irritated, and still strangely affected by the woman he had kissed earlier.
Footsteps approached.
His mother, elegant as ever, appeared from the hallway holding a glass of whisky. The amber liquid glowed under the soft lights.
“Take this,” she said gently.
Dyran opened his eyes and sat up. “Oh… thanks, Mother. Just what I needed.”
He took the glass and swallowed a long sip. The cold burn travelled down his throat, relaxing his muscles and clearing his mind.
Cillian—his older brother—sat down opposite him, elbows resting on his knees, watching him closely.
“So,” Cillian asked, “how did it go?”
Dyran leaned his head back against the couch, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“It was fine, I guess,” he muttered.
But his mind wasn’t on work at all.
It was on her.
Her fearlessness.
Her lips.
The way she kissed him back like she dared him to want more.
He suddenly stood. “I need a shower.”
Without waiting for a response, he headed upstairs, leaving his half-full whisky glass behind.
Cillian watched him go, noticing his brother’s distracted, almost restless behaviour. His eyebrows pulled together.
Something happened… and he’s not telling us.
He remained sitting there, waiting silently.
Minutes later, the front door opened again.
Gerald—Alpha, father, CEO, ruler—walked into the mansion with his usual cold, commanding presence.
Cillian stood up immediately.
He had been waiting for him.
_______
Sofia’s POV
I woke up slowly, my head pounding like someone was hitting it from the inside. My body felt heavy, weak… like I’d been sick for days.
I turned my head toward the bedside table and blinked a few times until the numbers on the clock became clear.
Almost midnight.
Great.
I reached around blindly for my phone, finally finding it near my pillow. When I turned it on, the screen lit up with dozens of notifications—missed calls and messages.
Molly…
Zoe…
And even Jayson.
They were all worried.
Molly and Zoe sent voice notes, asking where I was and if I was okay. Jayson’s last message was just “Call me.”
I ignored his.
I only texted Molly and Zoe a quick reply:
I’m okay. Just sick. Will talk tomorrow.
They were definitely asleep by now.
I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. My legs felt a little shaky, but I managed to take a quick shower. The warm water helped with the headache, even if just a little.
Still dizzy, I made my way to the kitchen. The house was silent—everyone asleep. I opened the fridge and grabbed whatever was easiest: bread, ham, cheese. Made a quick sandwich. Poured some juice.
I wasn’t even hungry, but I needed something in my stomach.
Once I finished eating, I headed back to my room. My eyes were already half closed.
I crawled into bed…
pulled the blanket over myself…
…and fell asleep almost instantly.
______
The Fifth Day of School
The school gate was busy as students streamed in.
Luke walked in with his backpack, quiet as always, heading straight for the classroom building. His footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Up ahead, June was sitting on the side stairs—clearly waiting for him.
The second she spotted him, she jumped up and ran over.
Walking beside him, she started immediately,
“Luke… nice seeing you too. You literally saw me and walked right past me. Are you ever going to be fair with me? I’ve been around you the whole week, yet you’re still cold. Am I not your friend?”
Luke sighed, not slowing down.
“June, you just don’t know how to keep quiet, do you? It’s early in the morning and you’re already complaining.”
June went quiet for a moment… then perked up again.
“Oh! Today we’re getting our assignment results. Are you ready?”
Luke only lifted his shoulders—not yes, not no.
They reached their lockers, grabbed their books, and just then the bell rang. Everyone rushed to their classes.
Inside the classroom, students settled down quickly.
Sofia wasn’t present.
Everyone sighed with relief.
Finally, a peaceful day.
Mr. Brown walked in, greeting the room.
He held a stack of marked assignments.
“I’m proud of some of you,” he began. “You’ve shown improvement. But others… need to catch up.”
He went through the list, calling out pairs.
When it came to Sofia’s group, Molly stood up since Sofia was absent. She collected their paper—99%.
Mr. Brown continued, “Everyone, reflect on your results. We need to work even harder.”
He was about to continue when June raised her hand.
“Sir, Luke and I didn’t get ours.”
Mr. Brown smiled.
“Ah, thank you for reminding me. We finally have a group with outstanding results.”
He lifted the page dramatically.
“It’s June and Luke. They scored 100%—top students. Let’s clap for them.”
The class clapped hesitantly, shocked.
June stared at the paper like it was a dream.
Luke had no reaction at all.
A student raised his hand, “Sir, wait… if they scored 100%, what about Sofia?”
“Sofia and Molly scored 99. Only one mistake. They’re in second place.”
Gasps whispered across the room.
If Sofia were here, she’d lose her mind.
Luke heard the whispers but didn’t react.
Mr. Brown handed over the paper.
Luke didn’t even look at it—June snatched it immediately, eyes watering from excitement.
Class continued, but June could barely focus. She kept glancing at Luke, amazed.
---
At the Mansion in the Woods
Dyran was still asleep when a knock came.
He growled into his pillow.
“Mr. Dyran,” a maid said softly, “Mr. Gerald says you must be ready in fifteen minutes.”
She left.
Dyran groaned louder. Being woken up was one of his biggest hates. He dragged himself to the bathroom, showered, threw on his suit—but left the tie hanging, expecting his mother to fix it.
At the dining table, both his parents were already seated and nearly done eating.
He greeted, sat down, and fixed himself a plate.
Eggs. Bacon. Bread. Juice.
He took one bite—barely had time to chew—when Gerald stood up.
“Your time is up. Put your utensils down. Let’s go.”
Dyran froze mid-chew.
He looked at his mother for support.
Cillian’s look clearly said: Don’t argue.
He stood up stiffly.
Cillian moved toward him to help with his tie, but Gerald stopped her with a sharp tone.
“He needs to learn to do it himself. You’re not his wife. Shouldn’t you be checking on your own husband?”
Cillian froze, then slowly walked past Dyran and went to Gerald. She straightened his suit silently.
She whispered, “Is it really necessary to be this cold in the morning?”
Gerald scoffed lightly, then leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“Enjoy your day.”
He left.
Dyran followed, not looking at his mother.
Outside, Gerald got into his car and drove off.
Dyran got into his own and did the same.
As he drove, he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“This man really knows how to press my buttons,” he muttered.
In Gerald’s car, he calmly read a tabloid, focused, unbothered.
---
At Luke’s House
Luke’s grandmother sat on her bed, phone in hand.
She dialed her daughter—Milan.
Just as the line was about to connect… it cut off.
She frowned.
“Milan’s phone is never off. What’s going on now?”
She placed the phone down, stood up, and went to do laundry, worry tugging at her chest.
- Writer
