Monday came too fast. My body still ached from the weekend like my bones hadn't figured out which shape they wanted to keep.
Chloe leaned on her horn the second she pulled into the driveway. I barely had time to shove a granola bar into my mouth before Mom kissed my cheek and murmured, "Remember, you're still you, just different."
Not exactly comforting.
"Move it, birthday girl!" Chloe shouted through the open window, curls bouncing as she tapped the steering wheel.
I slid into the backseat. Ethan was already there, fiddling with his phone. "Morning," he muttered, eyeing me like I might grow fur right then and there.
"I'm fine," I said, buckling in.
"Never said you weren't."
Chloe grinned in the mirror. "So, wolf-girl, you gonna start howling at the moon now? Should we sign you up for obedience school?"
"Funny."
Don't snap, my wolf whispered inside me, steady and calm. They don't understand yet. Let them tease.
I pressed my lips together and stared out the window until the school came into view. The lot was buzzing the way it always was, kids crowding around cars, music blasting, too much perfume mixing with exhaust fumes. But when we walked in, something shifted.
Ezra's group was at their usual spot near the lockers. Normally, I barely noticed them. Today... they noticed me. Heads turned as we passed. A couple of them inhaled subtly, like the air around me had changed. Their expressions flickered, surprised, sharp, curious.
My wolf stirred. They smell us.
My chest tightened. I forced my eyes forward throughout the day until I slipped into English and dropped into my seat.
And of course, Ezra was already there.
He didn't look away when I caught his gaze. If anything, he looked harder.
"You actually showed up today," I muttered, pulling my notebook out.
"Lucky you." His tone was casual, but his eyes weren't.
I tried to focus on the assignment, but the weight of his stare pressed on me until my pencil snapped.
I hissed under my breath. "Seriously, what is your problem?"
His mouth curved like I'd handed him exactly what he wanted. "How long?"
My stomach dipped. "What?"
"How long have you been a wolf?" His voice was low enough that only I could hear.
The pencil slid from my fingers. Heat crawled up my neck. "You're insane."
His gaze didn't waver. "Whose pack are you with?"
"I don't—" My words tangled. "I don't belong to anyone."
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "Thought so."
Panic swelled in my chest. How could he know? No one was supposed to know.
Breathe, my wolf urged. Don't let him corner you. Use your nose.
I sucked in a shaky breath, and nearly choked on it. His scent hit me, strong and undeniable. Woodsmoke, pine, and underneath it, something warm and electric that curled in my stomach.
My wolf's voice softened. See? He's one of us.
Ezra leaned back like he'd already read the realization in my face. He didn't push further, didn't need to. But the glint in his eyes said everything: he knew exactly what I was. And worse, I knew exactly what he was.
When the bell rang, I bolted.
Chloe caught me halfway to the cafeteria. "What's with you? You look like you saw a ghost."
"Not a ghost," I muttered. My hands shook as I shoved my tray onto the table. "Wolves. There are more of them. Here."
Ethan froze with a fry halfway to his mouth. "As in—?"
"As in Ezra. His whole group."
Chloe blinked. "Ezra? As in tall, smug, annoyingly hot Ezra?"
"Yes!"
She set her soda down hard enough it sloshed. "So... what, they're, like, your people now?"
"They're not my anything." My voice cracked sharper than I meant. "He asked whose pack I belong to. I don't belong to anyone."
Ethan frowned. "That doesn't sound like a friendly welcome."
"No kidding." I stabbed at my food, appetite gone. Across the cafeteria, Ezra leaned against the wall with his friends, eyes sliding to me once. Just once. Enough to make my skin buzz.
My wolf hummed quietly. He's testing us. Don't let him see your fear.
"Fear?" I muttered under my breath. "I'm not afraid."
"Talking to yourself again?" Chloe asked.
"Yep," I lied, forcing a bite of fries into my mouth.
By the time gym rolled around, I was buzzing too much to care about dodgeball. The coach split us into teams, dumped a pile of red balls in the middle, and blew the whistle.
Chaos erupted. Kids dove, shrieked, hurled balls across the gym. I was faster than usual, too fast. My wolf laughed in my head. Nice reflexes. Told you we had skills.
One by one, people dropped until it was down to me on one side and Ezra on the other.
Of course.
He twirled a ball in his hand lazily, eyes locked on me. "Looks like it's just us."
"Lucky me," I shot back, gripping my own ball tighter.
We circled, the rest of the gym chanting and cheering. My pulse thundered. His eyes gleamed with that same knowing look from English class.
"Ready to lose?" he called.
"In your dreams."
We both lunged at the same time, balls whistling through the air. His missed by an inch. Mine grazed his arm, but he didn't flinch. He grinned instead, sharp and taunting.
"Not bad," he said. "For a rookie."
Heat flared through me. I bent, snatched another ball, and launched it as hard as I could. He dodged with inhuman speed, landed light on his feet, and caught the next one I threw.
The whistle blew. His team erupted in cheers.
He just stood there, tossing the ball once in his hand before dropping it to the floor. His gaze lingered on me longer than it should have. Not gloating. Measuring.
And I hated that part of me wanted to look back.