The final bell rang, and half the school exploded into chaos — backpacks slamming shut, chairs scraping, people sprinting like freedom depended on it.
Amaris and Rina walked out together, weaving through the crowd.
"You're not staying over today?" Rina asked, swinging her bag.
"Not today. I need to sleep early. My brain is… tired."
"Your brain is always tired," Rina teased, but her eyes were warm. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Iris."
Amaris hugged her quickly.
"Get home safe."
Rina waved and jogged toward the forest trail that led back to her pack's lands. Within seconds, she was swallowed by trees and shadows — her world. Her home.
Amaris sighed.
And turned.
A sleek black car was parked by the curb.
Her stomach dropped.
Travis stood beside it — straight-backed, tense, like he'd been waiting for hours. His face was painfully familiar: the Tavian beta-guard who'd watched her grow up, trained her a little when she was younger, and then quietly stopped looking her in the eye when she never shifted.
The uneasy feeling in her chest rolled deeper.
She approached slowly.
"What's the issue, Travis? I told my parents I was fine. I'm not dying because I live among humans."
Travis bowed his head slightly. "It's not about that, my lady. Your parents sent me. They need you home. Quickly."
Her breath hitched.
They never asked for her.
Not anymore.
Not since she left.
Not since the disappointment turned into silence.
Not since she realized she would never have a wolf… and chose to escape the looks, the whispers, the pity.
Only her mother still called every day.
Her brother checked in sometimes.
Her father… rarely asked for her at all.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, voice small.
"Yes, my lady. Everyone is well," Travis said carefully. "You'll know what they want when you get there."
That didn't reassure her at all.
A cold twist curled in her stomach — that same strange pull she'd felt since dawn. Like the world was shifting under her feet and she still didn't know in which direction.
But she climbed into the car anyway.
Travis closed the door gently.
The engine hummed to life.
City buildings blurred past as they drove, then gave way to wide roads and empty stretches of forest.
Hours passed.
Her eyes grew heavy.
She tried to fight it, but the rhythm of the road lulled her under.
She drifted into sleep.
When she woke, the sky was dusky violet — and the familiar black gates of the Tavian estate towered before her. The guards bowed as Travis drove through.
Imposing.
Cold.
Home… but not home.
Her father was a beta — powerful, respected — and a wealthy businessman who dealt in import and export. She'd never cared much about the details. The house always felt too big anyway.
The car rolled to a stop.
Her chest tightened.
Her mother stood at the top of the stone steps, waiting.
The moment Amaris stepped out, her mother rushed down and pulled her into a tight hug.
"My baby," she whispered. "I've missed you so much."
Amaris swallowed the lump in her throat. "I've missed you too, Mama."
Her mother cupped her cheek, eyes softening like she was memorizing her all over again.
"Come inside," she said gently. "There's something we need to discuss."
And the uneasy feeling she'd been trying to ignore all day finally sharpened.
Something was coming.
Something big.
And she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.