Chapter Nine.
Elora's POV
"I work with the Alpha in case you have no idea, and a lot of people know me as Daren," he said, his voice calm but authoritative.
The name rolled off his tongue like a warning, and suddenly everything made sense. No wonder he was serious with me. He knew who I was. He knew I was supposed to become the future Luna if I wanted to. It was why he looked at me that way, like I was both a responsibility and a problem he had no choice but to handle.
No wonder he had said he would be holding private sessions with me. The idea already felt exhausting. Being alone with him would be hard enough, not because I disliked him, but because he made me nervous in a way I couldn't explain.
Before I could say anything, a loud commotion erupted outside. The sudden noise made me flinch. It sounded like chaos—screams, shouts, the unmistakable panic of people witnessing something bad. A howl echoed in the air and I voukd easily tell that someone was taking form.
"I warned them not to cause any scenes," Daren muttered, running a hand through his hair. He gave me one last glance, sharp and unreadable, before walking out of the class.
Of course, I followed him. I wasn't about to sit there pretending I didn't care. Whatever was happening, I wanted to know.
We stepped into the hallway, and the closer we got to the entrance, the louder the noise became. The air felt heavy, thick with tension. When we finally reached the front of the school building, I stopped for a second, overwhelmed by the sight of so many students. The entire place was crowded. People stood shoulder to shoulder, whispering and gasping, some trying to get a better view of whatever was happening in front.
Students quickly stepped aside the moment Daren approached. His presence alone seemed to demand space. I followed a few steps behind, my curiosity eating me alive, even though something inside me whispered that I wouldn't like what I was about to see.
And I didn't.
When I finally saw it, my throat went dry. My jaw dropped, and I froze in place. Two wolves lay lifeless on the ground, blood pooling around their bodies. My stomach twisted violently.
And then I saw the naked man.
My breath hitched. I recognized him immediately. He was the same one who had tried to assault me the other night. His skin was marked with deep cuts, his eyes wide with fear and pain.
Ronan was there, holding a knife dripping with blood. His clothes were stained, his face streaked with crimson. He didn't look like the gentle one anymore. He didn't even look human.
Kael stood beside him, silent and cold, his eyes focused on the terrified man kneeling before them.
I wanted to move, to look away, but I couldn't. My feet felt like they were glued to the ground.
The man pleaded for mercy, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry," he cried, shaking. "Please, I didn't mean to—"
Ronan's expression didn't change. If anything, his eyes darkened. "You touched what belongs to us," he said, his tone low and steady. Then he pushed the knife forward.
The blade slid into the man's neck with horrifying ease. The sound was wet and final. Blood splattered across Ronan's face, staining his cheek, his mouth, his collar. The man's body jerked before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.
I gasped, covering my mouth. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
The students around us didn't scream. They just watched. Some looked disgusted, but most seemed indifferent, as if this kind of violence wasn't new to them.
"You are dismissed, everyone," Daren's voice cut through the silence. He didn't sound shocked, only tired. The students began to disperse in groups, muttering among themselves as they walked away.
I turned to leave too. I needed to get out of there before I threw up or started crying. But before I could take another step, Kael's voice stopped me cold.
"Except for the human girl."
Every muscle in my body tensed. His deep voice carried through the air easily, making some of the remaining students turn to look at me before walking off. My skin crawled. Of course they knew who he was go shopping sweet Mavis is actually by my white rice and your father source with two eggs two eggs please two eggs and one beef talking about. Of course everyone did.
A group of men arrived with stretchers to carry away the bodies. I looked away, not wanting to see their faces. The metallic smell of blood was strong enough to make me nauseous.
Daren's eyes narrowed at the brothers. "I told you both to keep things quiet," he said sharply. "You think killing them in broad daylight is discipline?"
Kael said nothing. Ronan just cleaned his blade with a small handkerchief, his expression calm, almost satisfied.
"They deserved it," Ronan said simply.
"That is not the point," Daren replied, his tone growing colder.
Lys stood off to the side, silent and unreadable. He was wiping his hands with a cloth, eyes flicking briefly to me before he turned away. I noticed the way Daren looked at him then. It was subtle but there. A lingering glance that lasted a second too long before he tore his gaze away.
No one else seemed to notice, but I did. Was Lys close with Daren?
I swallowed hard, trying to gather enough courage to speak. "Why did you do it?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "You could have handed them over to the guards or something."
Kael turned his head, finally looking at me. His stare was like ice, deep and piercing.
"You are asking the wrong question," he said. "You should be asking why they thought they could touch you and live."
Ronan smiled faintly. It wasn't a kind smile. "That is what happens when someone touches our girl."
Our girl.
The words hit me like a slap. My eyes widened, and I instinctively stepped back as he took a step toward me. The scent of blood clung to him like smoke, thick and metallic. I didn't like it. It made my stomach twist.
"Stay where you are," I said quietly, though my voice wavered.
Ronan paused, amusement flickering across his face. "Relax, I went easy on them," he said, wiping a smear of blood from his cheek with his handkerchief. "They got what they deserved."
My heart was still pounding. I wanted to scream at them, tell them this wasn't justice, that this was madness, but the words wouldn't come out.
Daren finally stepped in between us. "That's enough," he said. His tone left no room for argument. "You three need to get yourselves cleaned up. And you," his eyes turned to me, "will begin your training tonight."
I blinked, startled. "Tonight?"
"Yes. If you plan to survive in this place, you'd better learn fast." His eyes softened just slightly, but it was gone in a second.
Ronan chuckled under his breath and turned to leave. Lys followed quietly, brushing past Daren as he did. For a brief moment, Daren's gaze followed him, and there was something in that look—something unspoken and private.
I wasn't supposed to notice, but I did.
Kael was the last to leave. He walked past me slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. The way he looked at me made my skin tingle, though I couldn't tell if it was from fear or something else entirely.
When they were gone, Daren turned back to me. "You should get some rest before tonight," he said.
I nodded numbly. My mind was still spinning.
I walked back to my room in silence, the image of the dead bodies burned into my thoughts. My hands were shaking. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the knife. I heard the sound it made when it cut through skin.
I didn't know whether to feel angry, scared, or guilty. Maybe all three.
By the time I reached my room, the hallway was quiet. I pushed the door open and walked in. My body felt heavy from everything that had happened. I sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, my mind refusing to shut off. Eventually, I lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling until exhaustion dragged me into a light, restless sleep.
When I finally woke up, the moonlight was already seeping through the window. The entire place was silent, except for the faint hum of night insects outside. I sat up slowly, remembering Daren's words. My first training session.
I freshened up and changed into something more comfortable, then left the room, heading toward the hall where we had trained earlier that day. The air felt colder now, and every footstep echoed faintly in the empty corridor.
The hall lights were still on when I arrived. I stopped right at the doorway, planning to step in, but the sound that met my ears made me freeze.
It wasn't talking. It was something else—something soft, wet, and unmistakable.
Curiosity and confusion pushed me to move closer. I peeked through the small gap between the half-open doors, and my breath caught in my throat.
Lys was there. And Daren.
They weren't fighting. They weren't even talking. They were kissing.
Lys had Daren pressed against the wall, one hand gripping his collar while the other trailed up the professor's neck. The kiss wasn't shy or hesitant. It was deep, commanding, like Lys was the one taking control. Daren didn't resist. His hands rested on Lys's chest, but he didn't push him away either.
I stood there, frozen in place. My chest tightened, and I couldn't tell if it was from shock, disbelief, or something else I didn't want to name.
For a second, they didn't notice me. Then Daren's eyes fluttered open. His gaze met mine across the dimly lit room, and everything inside me stilled.
He froze too, his lips still parted as the realization hit. Lys followed his gaze and turned slightly, his expression unreadable when he saw me standing there.
My heart pounded painfully in my chest.
I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know what to feel.
The man who was supposed to train me, the one who had saved me, was kissing one of my mates.
And whatever that meant, I wasn't sure I was ready find out. I really hoped I was seeing wrong right now.
One of my mates is gay? How fucked up is my life?