"Mia!"
"Mia! Wait up!"
Eliose's voice echoed down the school corridor, but Mia kept walking, hugging her books tightly to her chest. Her chest still ached from Leon's words the day before. Stay away from me.
It had felt like he'd ripped her heart out and handed it back broken. It wasn't like she deserve to be around him.
Eliose finally caught up, panting slightly. "You've been avoiding me all morning."
Mia's grip tightened on her books. "I've just… had things to do." Although she was surprised by what Eliose said. It is not like they were friends.
"That's a lie." Eliose stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. "Look, I know Rachel was harsh yesterday, but maybe if you just apologize—"
Mia was dumbfounded. She never thought that was why Eliose was looking for her. "To apologize? Really?" She thought. If there is someone to apologize then it should be Rachel. What was her fault. All she did was existing in their territory. Is it a fault?
"Apologize? For what? For existing?" She finally replied to Eliose.
Eliose flinched. Her gaze darted around, making sure no one was listening, then she lowered her voice. "You don't get it. People here aren't like humans. When they feel threatened, they don't stop at words. Rachel… she's dangerous."
"I already know that," Mia whispered.
"No, Mia." Eliose's voice trembled. "You don't. You should stay away from her. Don't meet her anywhere alone. Promise me."
Mia frowned, unsettled by the urgency in Eliose's tone. Mia wanted to ask her why she was trying to help her but before she could ask, the warning bell rang.
Eliose gave her a pleading look. "Promise."
Mia nodded quickly just to escape, but inside she wasn't sure if she can trust Eliose, and again it is not like she can escape Rachel when she come for her. Running is not escaping.
Rachel's laughter rang out across the cafeteria that afternoon. She sat with her usual crowd, beautiful and untouchable, but her eyes flicked often toward Mia.
When Mia stood up to leave, Rachel's smile sharpened. "Oh, Mia," she called sweetly, "can we talk after school?"
Mia froze. Every head in the cafeteria turned toward her.
Rachel tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Don't worry. I'm not angry anymore. I just want to clear the air."
Eliose's eyes widened in alarm from her seat across the room. She shook her head frantically, mouthing, Don't.
But Mia felt the weight of every stare. If she refused, that may result into another episode of the daily drama between her and Rachel. Moreover, this time it wasn't just Rachel and her clique. She doesn't want to be in another group's black list.
So she forced her voice to stay steady. "Fine."
Rachel's smile widened. "Perfect. Meet me by the old woods behind the academy." Eliose sank in her seat with her head hung low.
The sun dipped low, painting the sky with streaks of orange and red. Mia's steps slowed as she approached the edge of the woods. The trees loomed tall, their shadows stretching long across the ground.
Every instinct told her not to go. Eliose's warning echoed in her ears. But something else—a stubborn spark and the curiosity in her pushed her forward. She was tired of running, running from what she can't escape.
She spotted Rachel leaning casually against a tree, her arms folded, her hair gleaming like fire in the fading light.
"You came," Rachel said, her smile sharp. "How brave."
Mia stopped a few steps away. "What do you want from me?"
Rachel pushed off the tree, circling her slowly. "Want? Oh, Mia, it's not about what I want. It's about what you don't deserve."
"I never asked for him," Mia shot back, surprising herself with the strength in her voice.
Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie. He said You are His. He claimed you. Do you have any idea what that means?"
"I don't even understand it!" Mia snapped. "I'm human. I'm nothing to him. He said it himself."
For a moment, Rachel just stared at her, then let out a low, cruel laugh. "And you believed him?"
Mia blinked, confused.
Rachel leaned in, her lips curling near Mia's ear. "If Leon really wanted to deny you, he'd have no reason to look at you the way he does. The bond is killing him. And I'm going to make sure it kills you too."
Mia's breath caught. She stumbled back, her heart thundering. "No please, spare me. I promise to never go near him, even by mistake."
Rachel straightened, her eyes flashing. "No, Mia. I'm patient, but you have to learn, soon enough."
A rustle came from the deeper part of the woods. Two tall figures stepped out of the shadows, their faces partly hidden, their eyes glinting unnaturally in the dim light.
Mia's stomach dropped.
Rachel smiled. "You didn't think I'd come alone, did you?"
The figures moved closer, and Mia realized with horror that their scent was wrong, too sharp, too wild. Rogues.
"You—" Mia's voice shook. "You brought rogues onto academy grounds?"
Rachel's grin widened. "Rules are for people who can't bend them. And Mia… rules won't save you tonight."
The rogues stepped closer, their growls low and guttural. Mia stumbled back, panic rising in her chest.
Rachel folded her arms, watching like it was all entertainment. "Go on. Teach her what happens when humans play in our world."
One of the rogues lunged. Mia screamed, darting to the side just in time. She ran deeper into the trees, branches clawing at her arms. Her breath came in sharp as she painfully gasp for air.
Behind her, the rogues were chasing, their footsteps pounding and growling with echoes .
"Mia!"
The voice was deep, furious—and it wasn't Rachel's.
Mia spun around just as Leon emerged from the shadows, his eyes blazing gold, his chest heaving. His gaze landed on her first—then shifted to the rogues.
The air around him seemed to crackle with rage.
"Get. Away. From. Her."
His voice shook the trees.
The rogues hesitated, but Rachel's voice cut through the clearing. "She's nothing, Leon! You'll thank me later!"
Leon's wolf surged forward, his body trembling with the urge to shift. His teeth bared, his claws lengthened, and his growl shook the earth.
"Touch her, and i'll tear you apart!"
Mia froze where she stood, her heart racing, as the bond pulsed between them stronger than ever.
Rachel's smugness faltered for the first time.
The rogues, however, weren't backing down.
One rogue lunges for Mia again—this time too fast for her to dodge. Leon roars, his body starting to shift as he throws himself between them.