Chapter 7 Liora Is he trying to stop me? Or... Bianca? Callum's hand was still out in front of me, a barrier between Biacnca and me that I hadn't asked for and didn't appreciate. I stared at him and didn't bother softening my tone. "Why are you stopping me?" I asked flatly. "She started it. My voice cut through the silence like frost. Bianca had challenged Mia. Bianca had issued the duel. Bianca had tried to humiliate someone with no intention of fighting back. And now I was the problem? Callum hesitated. He looked between me and Bianca, and for the first time, he seemed unsure. Like maybe, just maybe, the mask of rank and polish was slipping from the girl behind him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Not a word. Good. Mia, still trembling at my side, stepped forward. "She's right," she said quietly, but her voice didn't shake. "Bianca was the one who picked the fight." Callum turned toward her, visibly startled before muttering. "That's not the point." I could see it all over his face, he hated this feeling. Being questioned. Being caught in the middle. Bianca, sensing it, did what girls like her do best: she played small. She leaned into Callum, voice soft and brittle. "It was just a misunderstanding. I never meant to cause trouble," she said, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "Maybe I pushed too hard, but I only wanted to protect the school's standards. I thought... I thought Mia might be dangerous." She looked back at me, all trembling lashes and faux concern. "And Liora... she fights like someone with something to hide. Is no one else suspicious?" 1/6 Chapter 7 Slander hidden under lace. Fake sympathy dressed up as fear. The crowd shifted uncomfortably, unsure who to believe, to question. +15 BONUS Jessica, of course, wasn't done yet. She strutted forward, smug, and handed her phone to Bianca like it was some holy artifact. "You want to talk about secrets?" she said, flashing a glance at Mia. "We know everything. This little wolfless has more dirt than a rogue's den.' Mia froze. Her breath hitched, color draining from her face. I didn't need to ask. I already knew. She looked down, arms wrapping around herself like armor that wouldn't hold. "Is there something on her phone you don't want anyone to see?" I asked gently, keeping my voice just for her. She hesitated. And then, slowly, she nodded. "Do you want me to take care of it?" She nodded again, this time more quickly. "Please," she whispered. "Anything. I'll owe you. anything." Sayless. I could use an alliance. In an instant, I stepped forward, past Callum's outstretched hand. He tensed, but I was far to fast for him to react. Bianca stepped back, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face, but it was too late. A flash. A strand of blonde drifted to the ground, a casualty in my mission. She gasped. And the phone? One quick snatch. I withdrew it to my chest and gave it a hard crunch in my palm. # 2/6 +15 BONUS Destroyed. Bianca stared at me, eyes wide, hand flying to her hair. "You... you cut my hair?!" Jessica looked like she'd just witnessed sorcery. "How is that even possible?" she muttered. "She got past...Callum?" Callum himself looked the most stunned, blinking in disbelief. He hadn't seen me move. None of them had. The crowd rippled with murmurs. Not laughter. Not judgment. They were looking at something else. Something they didn't know how to explain. Bianca swallowed hard, chest rising and falling too quickly. She met my eyes. She looked less like a wolf now and more like a cornered animal with no way out. Her face twisted, but before she could cry or scream or whine, she... collapsed. Dramatically. Jessica shrieked, as expected. "Someone get help! Bianca fainted!" Callum caught her before she hit the ground. His arms wrapped around her instinctively. My eyes narrowed. The pain of the mate bond twisted sharply in my chest, like a thread pulling the wrong way. But I didn't flinch. I turned instead, my expression unreadable. "Mia," I called. She came to my side, wide-eyed and still trembling. "Ah, yes?" "Let's go." We started to walk away. "Wait!" His voice. 3/6 Callum. I didn't turn, but I did pause. "What's your real name?" he asked, stern and firm. "Please." I fiddled with the necklace's charm before letting out a huff, tossing my hand. "Does it matter?" didn't wait for an mind. +15 BONUS walked away without looking back. And I didn't move, my hands tightening around Bianca. The sound of her footsteps faded, swallowed by the stunned hush of the crowd. My eyes followed the shape of her retreating figure, and something in my chest twisted tight, sharp. I didn't understand it. I didn't want to understand it. But I felt it. That raw ache, threading itself into my ribs like a warning. The mate bond, gnawing, restless, angry. My wolf snapped in my head, pacing, furious. You let her go. I told myself she wasn't supposed to matter. That she was wolfless. That Bianca was the one I was promised, the one I'd always expected. But the image of Liora, eyes cool, expression unreadable, walking away as if I hadn't just broken something sacred, wouldn't leave my mind. And it hurt. 4/6 Chapter 7 A frustrated growl nearly left my throat. +15 BONUS Bianca stirred in my arms, letting out a soft, practiced whimper. "Oww... my head," she breathed, lifting a hand to her temple like her head was killing her. Jessica immediately jumped in, like the understudy dying for a lead role. "You poor thing! That freak is going to pay for this. Next time, we'll make sure she doesn't walk away so smug." She turned to the others, her voice bursting like a call for reason. "She had to be cheating! No wolfless can move like that. Maybe she stole a charm, or cursed that necklace somehow. It's not natural!" The others nodded, murmuring their agreement. Because it was easier. Easier then to question what we thought possible. Wolfless were weak, there was just... no way. Bianca opened one eye and glanced up at me, voice still trembly. "Callum... can you carry me inside? I think I'm too weak to walk. My legs... they're trembling." I hesitated. My arms tightened around her out of habit, but my eyes drifted back to where Liora had stood. To where the dirt still held the impression of her steps. To where she had picked up the necklace and left the rest of us to drown in what she didn't say. Bianca pressed her hand against my chest, breath shallow. "Callum... please." People were still watching. Waiting. Expecting me to act like the alpha heir. Like the prince carrying his princess off the battlefield. I exhaled slowly and pushed Liora's face out of my thoughts. Just the bond, I told myself. Just the bond acting up. It didn't mean anything. 5/6 Chapter 7 She was powerful, yes. But she was wolfless. And I didn't care. I adjusted my grip on Bianca and carried her away. But even as I walked, my wolf wouldn't stop growling. ... Yes, that's just the effect of the mate bond- -I don't care about her at all. +15 BONUS