Adeline’s pov~
I stepped sideways, trying to dodge past his massive frame to escape into the crowded hallway. I just wanted to run. I wanted to get away from the static hum of his touch and the suffocating weight of his presence.
But I didn’t even make it past the threshold.
In a fraction of a second, Zyran shifted. The raw, confused look on his face vanished, replaced instantly by a cold sneer. He planted his palm heavily against the doorframe right next to my head, the wood groaning under the sudden force. His massive body effectively blocked the exit, trapping me in the narrow space.
"Running away so fast?" Zyran hissed, his voice dropping into a harsh, venomous whisper. The humanised curiosity from a moment ago was dead, replaced by the volatile, arrogant Lycan who ruled the campus. "I get it now. I see the game you’re playing."
I forced myself to stand my ground, my back pressing against the cold stone wall. "I’m not playing any games. Let me pass."
"Please," he scoffed, his pitch-black eyes flashing with pure disdain as he looked down at my oversized sweater and jeans. "You show up out of nowhere, looking like a beggar, acting all cold and uninterested. It’s a calculated act, isn’t it? You know exactly how to trigger a Lycan’s protective instincts. You knew Raven would swallow the bait."
"You don’t know anything about me," I said, my voice rising as anger flared through my panic. The unfairness of it choked me. After everything I had suffered, after losing my family and being thrown out like garbage, being accused of this made my blood boil. "Raven is only helping me because—"
"Because you’re a gold-digger clinging to his coattails," Zyran cut me off, his voice slicing through my defence like a blade. He leaned in closer, his heavy scent of cedar and dark liquor crowding out my air. "You’re just a parasite looking for an elite pack to latch onto. You found a royal heir with a conscience, and you’re exploiting him to get a ticket into high society."
"That’s not true!" I snapped, clenching my fists so hard my nails bit into my palms. I forced myself to look directly into his terrifying, bottomless black eyes. "I don’t care about your packs, or your society, or your money. I am here to survive. I have a right to be here—"
"Shut your fucking mouth," Zyran growled, the raw dominance in his tone slamming into my chest like a physical blow. The sheer force of his Lycan authority cut the words right out of my throat, making my lungs seize.
He leaned down until his lips were inches from my ear, his breath hot against my skin, carrying a promise of pure cruelty.
"Let’s call a spade a spade, transfer," he whispered, his words dripping with absolute malice. "You’re nothing but a low-born whore selling a sob story to the highest bidder. You think you’re special because the Lord Protector dragged you away by the wrist? You’re trash. And the moment Raven gets bored of his new little pet, I will personally throw you to the wolves outside these gates."
The word felt like a physical slap. Whore. It echoed in the quiet room, a cruel, jagged echo of the names the twin Alphas used to scream at me while I scrubbed the packhouse floors.
My breath hitched, a sharp, violent gasp catching in my throat. Tears of pure, furious humiliation burned behind my eyelids, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
Zyran stared down at me for one last, agonising second, his face a mask of cold, unyielding arrogance. Then, he slowly pulled his hand off the doorframe, stepping back just enough to give me a path.
"Enjoy the campus, Adeline," he sneered softly, using my name like a threat. "While it lasts."
Without looking back at him, I pushed past his shoulder, pulled my hood low over my face and hurried, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the exit. I needed to get out of the open. bolted into the crowded hallway, the tears finally blurring my vision as I fled into the sea of students.
As I crossed the threshold of the lecture hall, a hand firmly gripped my upper arm, pulling me sharply into the alcove of a massive stone pillar. I braced myself to strike, my heart hammering, but the scent of rich ozone and gathering storms stopped me.
Blake.
He leaned against the stone pillar, his broad shoulders blocking my path out of the corridor, his blazer still casually unbuttoned. The dangerous, playful flirt from the courtyard was back, his dark eyes crinkling with sheer amusement as he looked down at me.
"You’re full of surprises, aren’t you, pretty girl?" Blake purred, stepping into my personal space until I could feel the heat radiating off his chest. "First you look for Raven, then you shut me down, and now you’ve got Keiran making appointments with you in the dark. You’ve been here less than twenty-four hours, and you’ve already turned the Four Thrones upside down."
"I didn’t ask for any of this," I said flatly, refusing to back up against the stone wall. I kept my hands tucked into my blazer pockets, my voice a cold wire. "Let me pass, Blake."
"Oh, come on, Adeline. Where’s the fun in that?" Blake teased, reaching out a hand to lazily catch a stray strand of my hair that had escaped my hood. He didn’t touch my skin, but the proximity made my pulse spike. "Keiran isn’t like the rest of us. He doesn’t do ’favors’ for Raven, and he definitely doesn’t do charity. If he’s dragging you into the restricted wing, he’s hunting for something. If I were you, I’d be very careful who I trust tonight."
"I don’t trust anyone here," I whispered, looking him dead in the eye.
Blake’s smirk widened, a genuine, intrigued spark flashing in his gaze. "Good. Keep it that way."
"Blake."
A low, authoritative growl cut through the hallway. Raven was walking toward us, his face a thundercloud of pure, royal Lycan fury. The students lingering in the hall parted instantly, sensing the volatile shift in the air.
Blake let go of my hair, stepping back smoothly with his hands raised in mock surrender. "Relax, bro. Just giving the new transfer a friendly warning. See you around, Adeline." With a wink, he turned and melted into the crowd of students.
Raven stopped right in front of me, his chest rising and falling heavily. He didn’t look at the students whispering nearby; his dark eyes searched my face, scanning for any sign of harm.
"Did he touch you?" Raven demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, protective rumble.
"No," I whispered, rubbing my arm where Blake had grabbed me. "Raven, what is Keiran doing? He paired up with me for the history assignment. He told me to meet him in the restricted wing of the library tonight."
Raven’s jaw tightened, his golden-flecked eyes narrowing as a shadow of genuine concern crossed his stoic features. "Damn it, Keiran," he muttered under his breath. He looked back at me, his voice dead serious. "He knows something isn’t right. His wolf senses the anomaly in your lack of scent. He’s going to try to break you, Adeline. He’s going to watch how you move, how you react, to see if you’re a threat."
"I have to go," I said, my voice hardening with determination. "You told me the restricted wing is locked under high-level Lycan magic. If he can get me in there, I can find the records about my family. I need those documents, Raven."
Raven stared at me for a long, agonising second, the internal battle clear on his face. He wanted to keep me hidden, to keep me safe to repay his debt, but he knew I wouldn’t stop.
"Fine," Raven rumbled softly, stepping closer so his words were for me alone. "Go. But do not let your guard down for a single second. Keiran doesn’t talk much, but when he strikes, he doesn’t miss. If he pushes you too far—if you feel your mask slipping—you call me. Understood?"
"Understood," I nodded.