For now, she settled onto the edge of the bed and unlocked her phone. Kate had sent over lecture notes during the day—neatly typed, highlighted in places.
Beside her on the mattress lay the physical papers the dean had handed her the day before: make-up assignments, adjusted deadlines, a short list of Chapters she needed to catch up on before midterms.
Amelia spread them out carefully and began reading, forcing her eyes to focus on the printed words while occasionally glancing at the notes on her screen.
Anything to push the nightmare further away.
Will I really do that with them? The question rose unbidden. In my sane mind? She didn’t think so. The idea of ropes and chains and three pairs of hungry eyes still sat heavy in her stomach, wrong and distant, like something that belonged to another person’s life.
Time slipped past without her noticing. When she next checked the clock, it was already 7:00 a.m.
The door opened. Two maids stepped in and stopped short, clearly surprised to find her awake and dressed.
"Bring food," Amelia said quietly. "And something the bird can eat."
They returned a short while later with a full tray for her and a small dish of seeds and soft fruit for the silver bird. A
Amelia placed the bird’s food carefully in front of it, watching as the creature tilted its head and began to peck at the seeds with hesitant curiosity.
Then she turned to her own meal. She ate with more appetite than she had in weeks—bread, eggs, fruit, everything disappearing faster than she expected. Her body was still recovering from a month of near-starvation and constant stress. Nerves only made the hunger sharper.
When she finished, she left the room without waiting for an escort. The path to the staircase was already mapped in her mind from the day before. Down three flights, through the side corridor, out to where the driver waited beside a dark car. She was quietly glad not to see any of the brothers. They didn’t like looking at her either. That, at least, was mutual.1
Campus felt almost ordinary when she arrived. Students moved in familiar clusters. The air smelled of coffee and cut grass. Kate found her on the path leading to the next lecture hall, falling into step beside her immediately.
"What happened when Master Reid took you?" Kate asked, lowering her voice so only Amelia could hear. Her eyes were wide, curious, hungry for details.
"Nothing."
Kate gave her a long look. She wasn’t convinced. "The news of him showing up here spread like wildfire. There are already videos of the two of you—him walking you to the car, looking all... gentle. How did you manage to make a devil act like that?"
It was all pretence, Amelia thought. Every soft smile, every careful touch. Just an act. But she couldn’t say that out loud.
She shook her head. "It’s complicated."
They entered the lecture hall and found seats near the middle. Amelia had just set her bag down when the doors opened again.
Jane walked in.
She looked as snobbish as ever—chin high, expensive bag swinging from one shoulder, a small group of girls trailing behind her like shadows. Their eyes met across the room. Jane’s expression twisted into open scorn before she turned away and led her minions to a cluster of seats farther back.
Kate leaned closer. "Don’t feel bad. She’s the one who did you wrong."
Amelia knew that. Logically, she knew it. But the weight of the friendship she had cherished for years— now revealed as nothing but a long, careful lie—pressed harder against her chest than Dylan’s public humiliation ever had. The pain settled deeper, heavier, until it felt like her heart was being slowly crushed. She tried to breathe through it. Tried to steady herself.
She couldn’t.
The lecturer entered a moment later, and the room quieted. Classes began. Amelia forced her attention onto the board, onto the steady rhythm of the man’s voice, onto the notes she copied with precision. The ache in her chest never left, but somehow she endured it for hours. The distraction of half-familiar concepts was the only thing that kept her from folding in on herself.
Every so often her gaze drifted toward the back of the hall. Jane sat surrounded by her usual circle, phone in hand, scrolling or whispering, rarely looking at the front of the room.
When the lunch break finally arrived, Amelia and Kate began packing their things. Before they could stand, Jane and her minions approached.
Jane’s voice was cool and dismissive. "Meet me in the restroom. Now."
She turned and walked away without waiting for an answer. Her followers trailed after her.
Kate’s hand closed around Amelia’s wrist. "That’s a bad idea."
Amelia met her concerned eyes. More insults? It won’t move me.
"Don’t worry," she said quietly. "Just hold on to my bag."
She slipped free and left the lecture hall.
The minions were waiting outside the restroom doors, their stares sharp and full of quiet contempt as Amelia pushed past them. Inside, Jane stood in front of the large mirror, carefully fixing her makeup. She didn’t look at Amelia when she spoke.
"If you love yourself at all, find a way to leave this place. Go somewhere I’ll never have to see you again. Or just take your life."
The words landed like a slap. Amelia’s throat tightened.
"It seems Dylan didn’t tell you what I told him," she said. "I’m not going anywhere. And it isn’t my choice anyway."
Jane’s hand stilled on her lipstick. She turned, eyes flashing with sudden anger.
"Why? What kind of dumb luck do you have that your presence is already ruining the wonderful life I’m building?"
"I have no ties with your life anymore."
"I don’t want to keep hearing your name in people’s mouths."
Amelia’s voice stayed even. "Then warn the people. After all, you’re going to be a Luna soon, right?"
Jane’s expression twisted.
"I can’t believe I endured being friends with you."
The words struck deeper than anything else.
Amelia’s voice came out thinner. "You don’t mean that."
Jane knew that hurt a spot.
"I meant every word." Jane stepped closer, eyes cold. "Did you really think I was friends with you because I liked you? You were just someone I used to upgrade myself. When people saw us together, they saw me as the best—the beautiful one, the likable one. And you? You were just the pathetic girl with no powers and no wolf."
Tears stung Amelia’s eyes. She blinked hard, but one slipped free.
Jane smiled, small and cruel. "Cry. It suits you."
She leaned in one last time, voice dropping to a venomous whisper.
"Since you don’t want to die, I’ll make your life a living hell in this place until you finally choose to take it yourself."
Then she spat on Amelia and walked out.
Something inside Amelia snapped.
A sudden heat flooded her chest. Her purple eyes glowed with an unnatural light. The white streaks in her hair brightened, almost luminous. She didn’t notice either change. She only stood there, breathing hard, the taste of humiliation and rage thick on her tongue.
Outside the restroom, the atmosphere of the entire college began to shift.
Just keeping this as reminder for myself