Chapter 4 Three

CHAPTER THREE

IRIA

The Lycan laughed as he yanked me closer like I was some toy he’d grown bored of.

“What now?” His voice carried mockery. “You had a lot to say earlier. Who’s going to save you from me?”

My heart hammered, but I forced myself to snap back. “Let go of me, or I’ll tell the authorities. They won’t let you get away with this.”

The second the words left my mouth, I realized how childish they sounded. This was no ordinary school. It was a haven for Lycans and privileged wolves, where people like him held all the power. The teachers wouldn’t lift a finger. I already knew it.

He laughed again, the sound curling with arrogance. “You really are naïve if you think rules apply to me.” His gaze slid down my body in a way that made my skin crawl.

Heat rose to my cheeks not from flattery, but from pure disgust. My fingers itched to slap him, but I didn’t know what he would do if I did. So I stayed frozen, forcing myself to hold his stare.

“You’ve got a decent body,” he said, his lips twisting into a cruel grin. “Let me have you once, and maybe I’ll forget your little attitude.”

“Let me go!” My voice cracked as I shoved against him, fury and humiliation burning through me. Why was he doing this? Why me?

“Hey, Ben.”

The interruption sliced through the tension. I twisted toward the voice, startled to find Clara standing a few steps away. She wasn’t alone; her hand rested lightly on the arm of another student, a tall guy with sharp eyes and a steady presence.

“She told you to let go,” Clara said firmly. “And yet you’re still hanging on. Don’t you think that’s pathetic?”

Ben’s head snapped toward her. His jaw tightened. “Clara, take your mate and leave. This isn’t your business.”

The guy beside Clara spoke up, his tone cool but edged. “You’re really that desperate to bully a girl? If you want a fight, try picking on someone your own size.”

Clara’s eyes lit up, a grin flickering across her face. “Now that’s an idea.”

Ben’s nostrils flared. He released me with a sharp shove. I staggered back, rubbing my sore arm as I watched him with wary eyes. The hatred burning in his expression made my stomach clench.

“This isn’t over,” he snarled. “One day, you’ll regret crossing me.”

He stormed off, shoulders stiff with rage.

As soon as he disappeared, Clara let go of her mate and hurried over to me. She caught my arm gently, frowning at the red mark already forming.

“There’s a bruise. That bastard… You’ll need cream on it before it gets worse,” she said softly.

I stared at her, unsure what to think. She had just stood up for me. Why? No one else had even looked my way.

“Thank you,” I murmured, pulling my arm back. Then the question slipped out before I could stop myself. “Why did you help me?”

Clara’s expression softened. “Because I wanted to. And because I already told you we were friends. Friends are supposed to help each other, right?”

I blinked. The word sounded foreign. Friends. I’d never had any, not really. Not this easily.

“We’re… friends?” My voice cracked with uncertainty.

She nodded, her smile as easy as sunlight. “Of course. I told you my name, and you told me yours. That counts.”

I almost laughed at how simple it was for her. She carried herself like nothing in the world could weigh her down. I envied her freedom, her confidence, the way she smiled without hesitation.

Her warmth tugged at something in me, something that longed to be accepted. Against my better judgment, I found myself smiling back. “I guess we are friends then.”

Her grin widened. “Good. And sorry about earlier,” she said, glancing toward her mate. “Ben was really coming after me, and you just got caught in the mess.”

The guy met my eyes, offering me a reassuring smile. It was steady, genuine and it made something inside me soften.

“Don’t worry about Ben,” he said. “He’s a coward. He only goes after those he thinks are weaker than him. He won’t come after me, not directly.”

Clara puffed up with pride, slipping her arm around his. “See? My mate is strong. As long as we’re here, no one will dare mess with us.”

My smile faltered. She already had her mate. Another reason to envy her.

My thoughts drifted unbidden to Grey. That pull I’d felt at the school gate so strong it rattled me. Was it…? No. I pushed the thought away, but my heart still skipped.

Then I felt an icy glare searing into me. I turned, my breath catching in my throat.

Grey stood across the cafeteria, his eyes locked on me. His expression was stormy, unreadable, and the intensity in his gaze rooted me to the spot.

How long had he been standing there? Watching?

The weight of his stare unsettled me, and I tore my eyes away. I needed to leave. Now.

“Clara,” I whispered, my voice unsteady, “I’m going to the restroom.” I slipped out before she could ask anything more.

The restroom was cool and quiet, a relief after the charged air of the cafeteria. I barely had time to breathe before the door swung open behind me and clicked shut.

I turned sharply. My stomach dropped.

Grey.

He leaned against the door, his face shadowed with something dangerous. My pulse raced, that same magnetic pull dragging me closer even as every instinct screamed to run.

“What are you doing here?” My voice trembled despite my effort to steady it. This was the girls’ restroom. He shouldn’t even be here.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, a smirk curved his lips as he stepped toward me, slow and deliberate.

“I should be the one asking,” his voice was low and rough.

“Who are you… and what are you really doing in this school?”