Raine POV
The house was silent when I finally climbed into bed, but my mind was anything but.
Sleep didn't come easily. It never did.
I lay on my side, staring at the ceiling, listening to the distant hoot of an owl outside my window. My ribs still ached from Ronan's shove earlier, and my mother's words still echoed in my head.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the thoughts away.
The world felt so heavy.
I curled into myself, wrapping my arms around my middle, as if I could hold all the broken pieces of myself together.
But no matter how hard I tried, sleep pulled me under, and my dreams were nothing but darkness.
The shrill ringing of my alarm jolted me awake.
I groaned, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. My body ached, my head throbbed, and for a brief moment, I debated skipping school altogether. But I knew that would only make things worse.
If I stayed home, my mother would just find another excuse to lecture me, and my sister would remind me how much better she was.
I dragged myself out of bed, splashing cold water on my face in the bathroom. The girl staring back at me in the mirror looked just as exhausted as I felt.
Dark circles clung under my eyes, my brown hair was a tangled mess, and my skin was pale.
"You don't belong here."
Ronan's voice crept into my thoughts, and I clenched my jaw.
I wasn't going to let him get to me today.
After pulling on my usual hoodie and jeans, I grabbed my bag and made my way downstairs. My mother and sister were already at the table, eating breakfast.
They didn't acknowledge me.
I wasn't surprised.
I grabbed an apple from the counter and slipped out the door before they had a chance to say anything.
The crisp morning air hit my face as I walked toward the academy. Bloodmoon was quiet in the mornings, the town still waking up. The scent of pine and damp earth filled the air, but the peace only lasted until I reached the school gates.
Then, the whispers started.
The same ones.
"That's her. The wolfless one."
"She doesn't belong here."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept walking.
Then, I spotted her.
Lena.
She was leaning against a tree near the entrance, arms crossed, waiting for me. The moment she saw me, she pushed off the bark and grinned.
"Finally! I thought you ran away and joined a secret wolf cult or something," she teased.
I rolled my eyes, but the tension in my chest eased.
"Tempting," I muttered. "But no."
She hooked her arm through mine, guiding me toward the school doors.
"Well, you survived another night in the haunted mansion," she said, referring to my house.
I sighed. "Barely."
She gave me a side glance, her expression darkening. "What happened?"
Before I could answer, a voice cut through the hallway.
"Well, well, look who decided to show up."
I froze.
Lena tensed beside me.
I didn't have to turn to know who it was.
Ronan.
And he wasn't alone.
Jaxon, Zane, and Kai stood beside him, their towering figures blocking our way forward.
Jaxon, Ronan's Beta, had his usual stormy expression. Kai looked bored, his arms crossed lazily over his chest. But Zane-the quiet one-stood slightly apart, his gaze flickering toward Lena.
I ignored them and tried to walk past, but Ronan stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
"Where do you think you're going, wolfless?" he taunted.
I clenched my fists.
"Move," I said.
He smirked, tilting his head. "What's the magic word?"
"Fuck. Off," Lena snapped before I could speak.
Everyone stilled.
A slow grin spread across Zane's face. Jaxon raised a brow. But Ronan's smirk faltered just slightly.
Lena stepped forward, unfazed by the fact that she was significantly smaller than them.
"Are you seriously so insecure that you have to torment Raine every damn day just to feel important?" she spat.
Ronan's eyes darkened. "Watch your mouth, Monroe."
"Or what?" she challenged.
His jaw clenched.
Lena crossed her arms. "I bet you're just mad because your daddy didn't hug you enough as a kid."
Silence.
Then,
Kai burst out laughing. Even Jaxon looked mildly impressed.
But it was Zane who surprised me.
He was staring at Lena. Not in amusement. Not in annoyance.
But with something else.
Something softer.
For a moment, he looked like he had forgotten where he was.
Then, he quickly looked away, his ears turning red.
Lena rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand. "Let's go, Raine. We have more important things to do than entertain Ronan and his merry band of assholes."
She yanked me past them, but as I passed, I felt Ronan's gaze burning into my back.
He didn't stop me this time.
But something about the way he watched me made my stomach twist.
Like he wanted to say something.
Like he was waiting for something.
But I didn't look back.
I kept walking, because no matter how much he tried to get under my skin-
I refused to let him win.