Chapter 34
1010 Words
Bella’s POV
The room was too quiet.
It felt fake compared to the chaos of the night. I sat on the edge of my bed, pulling my knees to my chest. My fingers dug into the mattress. I needed to feel something solid. My body still felt heavy, as if the pool water was still trapped in my lungs, weighing me down.
I swallowed hard.
The memory hit me like a physical blow. The chair tipping. The ice-cold water swallowing me whole. The pure helplessness of sinking. My chest tightened. I forced myself to breathe—slow and steady—before the panic could take over.
"I almost died," I whispered.
The words sounded strange out loud. But they were true. If Reyes hadn't found me, I wouldn't be sitting here.
Suddenly, my fear twisted into something else. It was hot. Sharp. Unforgiving.
Anger.
"I can't believe this," I muttered, standing up.
I paced the floor. The room felt too small. Amelia’s face flashed in my mind—that fake smile and her cruel voice. 'You’re going to learn your place.'
My jaw clenched.
"And Ethan..." I spat his name. It tasted like poison.
It all made sense now. Amelia. Her obsession. Her rage. It all led back to him. Reyes had warned him to back off, and this was Ethan's response? He sent his girlfriend to do his dirty work because he was too much of a coward to do it himself.
I let out a bitter laugh. "Coward."
I needed air. I needed to see myself. I pushed into the bathroom and flicked on the light. The brightness hurt, but I didn't look away. I gripped the edges of the sink and stared at my reflection.
For a second, I didn't recognize the girl in the mirror. She looked harder.
"You almost died," I told her. No one else was here to say it, so I had to. "You almost died because you were weak."
The truth stung. If I had been stronger, if I had fought back, I wouldn't have been such an easy target. My knuckles turned white against the porcelain sink.
"I can’t keep living like this," I said. "Pushed around. Bullied. Hunted."
Something shifted deep inside me. It felt primal. My breath slowed, and my vision became incredibly sharp.
Then, it happened.
My eyes began to glow. A soft gold at first, then brighter. Stronger. My lips parted as my fangs slid down, slow and deliberate.
This time, I didn't flinch. I didn't scream. I just watched.
"I'm a wolf," I whispered.
Not a victim. Not prey. A wolf.
Why was I letting them treat me like I was nothing? I met my own gaze in the mirror. The fear was gone. In its place was a cold, hard resolve.
"I won't let them do this again," I said. My voice was steady now.
Molly’s voice echoed in my head: Either Reyes helps you, or you learn to stand on your own. Reyes had saved me tonight, but he couldn't be everywhere. He couldn't stop Amelia or Ethan from trying again. I straightened my back and lifted my chin.
"I'm done waiting for someone to save me."
The glow in my eyes stayed steady. Controlled.
"If they want a fight," I said, my voice dropping to a low growl, "then they'll get one."
I let go of the sink. The fear hadn't vanished completely, but it wasn't the boss anymore. My anger was in charge now.
"And Ethan?" I looked at the door. "You started this."
I took a deep breath.
"I'll finish it."
—
I woke up early. I didn't even bother taking my clothes off to bathe; I just let the water hit me, soaking through everything. Today, I was going to end this. Today, I was taking my life back.
I saw Molly still sleeping and gave her a small, sad smile before walking out. By the time I returned, everything would be different. I would show them exactly what happens when you mess with me.
As I walked through the halls, groups of students stopped to stare. I felt their eyes on me, whispering, but I ignored them. I kept moving.
"Hey, Bella. How are you?"
The voice sounded like Reyes, but I didn't look back. I didn't have time to answer anyone. I had a goal.
Further down the hall, I saw Amelia and her friends. Sophia tapped Amelia on the shoulder, pointing in my direction. Amelia looked frozen. She was shocked to see me alive. Scott was standing with her, his arm draped over her shoulder. I realized then that she and Ethan were both cheats, but I didn't care. She wasn't my target today.
There is an old saying: Take out the leader, and the followers will bow.
I reached into my bag and wrapped my fingers around the cold metal of a pair of pliers.
Then, I saw him.
Ethan was sitting nearby, looking completely bored. In front of him, some guy was beating up a younger kid. Ethan didn't stop it. He just sat there smoking, watching the violence like it was a movie. I knew that kid was being bullied just to impress him.
I had seen enough. This nonsense ended now.
I stopped and tied my hair back into a tight knot.
"Ethan!" I yelled.
The name echoed through the hall. Everything stopped. The fighting, the talking, the whispering—it all went silent.
Ethan stood up slowly. He tilted his head, looking at me with that same smug, arrogant expression. Seeing that look only made my blood boil.
I didn't wait. I started running toward him. The crowd stayed still, stunned, wondering what I was doing.
Ethan looked confused as I closed the gap between us. Before he could react, I pulled the heavy pliers from my bag. I swung them with every bit of strength I had, catching him right in the face.
The impact was loud. The force sent him flying toward the ground.
The entire hallway gasped in terror.
- Writer
