"You embarrassed me, Eliose."
Rachel's voice was sharp, echoing off the polished walls of the Lycan dormitory lounge. Eliose shifted nervously, wringing her hands.
"I didn't mean—"
"Silence!" Rachel snapped, pacing in her heels, fury burning in her eyes. "Do you know what happened today? Do you know what he did?"
Eliose swallowed. "He told you to leave her alone."
Rachel froze, her chest heaving. Just saying it aloud made the sting worse. Leon had dismissed her. In front of everyone.
"I am his girlfriend," Rachel hissed. "Everyone knows it. I am meant to be his Luna. And yet… he looks at her."
Eliose's brows furrowed. "But she's just a human. She doesn't even have powers."
"That's exactly why it's dangerous," Rachel spat. "If he looks at her now, what will happen if he keeps seeing her? No." She shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing with the movement. "I won't allow it."
Her lips curled into a cold smile. "She'll regret ever stepping foot into this school. And Leon will see she's nothing but dirt."
Meanwhile, Mia sat curled on the couch at home, clutching a worn book in her hands though her eyes weren't reading.
Laura moved quietly around the kitchen, stirring a pot of soup. The warm scent filled the small apartment, but Mia barely noticed.
Her mind was stuck replaying the cafeteria scene. Leon's voice. The way he had stood between her and Rachel. The way his eyes had burned into hers.
She touched her neck unconsciously, remembering the heat of his breath in the bathroom, the way her body had betrayed her.
Why? Why him?
"Sweetheart." Laura's voice broke through her thoughts. "Are you alright?"
Mia blinked, forcing a small smile. "Just tired."
Laura set down the spoon, walking over to kneel beside her. She tucked a strand of hair behind Mia's ear, her eyes full of worry. "You don't have to hide things from me. If something's wrong at school—"
"I'm fine, Mom," Mia whispered, leaning into her touch. She wanted to believe it. But deep down, she knew things were only getting worse.
The next day, whispers followed her everywhere.
"Did you hear? The Prince defended her."
"Rachel must be furious."
"What if he actually likes the human?"
Every step Mia took, she felt eyes on her. Her hands trembled as she clutched her books, trying to keep her head down. But invisibility was no longer possible.
Not when Leon's presence filled every corner of the school.
She spotted him in the courtyard, surrounded by other Lycans, his expression unreadable. But even from a distance, she felt the pull. The invisible thread tightening between them.
And when his eyes flicked toward her—just for a heartbeat—her breath caught.
Rachel saw it too.
Standing at the fountain with Eliose, her smile didn't reach her eyes. She watched Mia like a predator studying prey.
That afternoon, Rachel made her move.
Mia was leaving class, her bag heavy on her shoulder, when Eliose appeared in the hall. "Mia, come with me. The headmistress wants to see you."
Mia frowned. "Now?"
"Yes," Eliose said quickly, her eyes darting nervously. "It's urgent."
Mia hesitated, but followed. She had no reason to doubt.
Until Eliose led her not to the headmistress's office, but to the back of the gymnasium.
The moment Mia stepped inside, the door slammed shut. It occurred to her that she had been trapped. She was supposed to know better than to trust Eloise. Rachel stepped out from the shadows, with a vicious smile plastered on her face.
"Well, well, well ," she purred. "The scholarship girl. Here at last."
Mia's stomach dropped,What do they want from her now?
"What do you want?"
Rachel's heels clicked against the floor as she walked closer. "To remind you of your place. You think you matter because Leon glanced at you? No girl,You don't."
Mia shook her head. "I never asked for his attention."
Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, and that's the problem. You don't have to ask. Somehow, you caught it anyway. Look at you, you have nothing special, but you are trying to take yourself way out of your league." She paused.
" But girl, you are mistaken. No one goes after what I want talkless of what I owned. Leon is mine, and I will make sure that will be registered in your thick skull today.
She snapped her fingers. Two other girls stepped out from behind the bleachers, both older and stronger Wolves.
Fear clamped Mia's chest. She backed away, but the wall met her spine. She was really trapped in the lions den. Tears had already welled up in her eyes.
Rachel's smile widened. "Don't worry. I won't kill you. I'll just make sure you never forget who you really are."
The girls stepped forward.
Mia's breath quickened. Her body screamed at her to run, but there was nowhere to go. Even if there's somewhere to go, she can't outrun them. She clenched her fists, bracing for the blows—
The door slammed open.
"Enough."
The voice was sharp and commanding.
Leon stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing, his presence filling the gym like a storm. All the girls turned to his direction at the same time.
Rachel froze, color draining from her face. "Leon—why are you here? This, this isn't what it looks like—"
His gaze cut through her, then shifted to the two wolves. "Leave. Now."
They hesitated, but one growl from him sent them fleeing.
Silence filled the air, heavy and charged.
Leon's eyes turned to Mia. For a heartbeat, something raw flickered in them—something he couldn't hide. Then he looked at Rachel, his voice cold as ice.
"If I ever see you near her again, you'll regret it."
Rachel's lips parted in shock. "Leon—she's nothing! She's human!"
His jaw clenched. "She's mine."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
The air froze. Rachel's eyes widened, horror and disbelief crashing across her face. Eliose gasped softly.
Mia's heart slammed in her chest. What is happening? What does he mean?
"Mine." She repeated in her mind.
"She? His? Nooo, that must be a slip of the tongue." She tried to calm herself down.
Leon seemed to realize what he said. His eyes darkened, his body tense, but he didn't take it back.
Rachel's face twisted in rage. "No. No, I won't accept this." She shoved past him, storming out, her heels echoing like thunder. Eliose scrambled after her.
And then, silence again.
Mia stood frozen, her breath shallow, her heart racing. She looked at Leon, confusion and fear swirling in her chest.
"What… what did you mean?" she whispered.
Leon's gaze locked on hers, fierce and unyielding. But instead of answering, he turned away.
"Stay away from me," he muttered, before walking out, leaving her trembling and breathless.