Ava POV
I could still feel the heat of everyone's stares burning into me.
My fingers curled into fists under the table, nails pressing into my palms so hard they threatened to draw blood. But nothing—nothing—could compare to the fire licking up my spine, the sheer mortification sitting heavy in my chest.
That bitch.
That useless, pathetic little nobody just humiliated me in front of everyone.
A low, irritated growl rumbled in the back of my mind, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. Weak, she snarled, a sharp edge to her voice. You let her challenge you. You let her win.
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my expression neutral. I refused to let Raine have this moment. If she thought she could walk away from this unscathed—if she thought this was over—she was wrong.
So very wrong.
The cafeteria was quieter now, still thick with tension from what had just happened. A few students whispered, heads turning toward me, toward Ronan. I caught sight of Jaxon smirking behind his drink, Zane watching the retreating form of her with that unreadable look of his, and Kai barely containing his amusement.
My wolf let out a snarl at the sight of their enjoyment. They're laughing at you, she seethed. At us.
A slow breath. A forced smile. A tilt of my chin. No one was laughing at me.
I turned to Ronan, expecting something from him—anger, irritation, the usual cold dismissal he gave anyone who dared challenge him. But instead, he just sat there, silent, unmoving. His fingers flexed against the table, his jaw tight.
She—freaking Raine—had managed to shake him.
The realization made my stomach twist in a way I didn't like.
My wolf's hackles raised at the sight of him like this. He hesitated, she muttered, ears flattening. He should have put her in her place. Why didn't he?
I didn't know. And I didn't like it.
A slow, simmering rage built in my chest, an ember waiting for the right moment to become an inferno.
Raine had just made the biggest mistake of her life, and I was going to make sure she paid for it.
I leaned back in my seat, drumming my perfectly manicured fingers against the table as I considered my options. There were so many ways I could ruin her.
Destroying her reputation? Too easy.
Spreading rumors? Child's play.
No—if I was going to take her down, it had to be slow. It had to be painful. It had to be so complete that she'd wish she'd never opened her mouth in the first place.
My wolf let out a pleased hum, her presence curling around my thoughts like smoke. Yes, she murmured. Make her regret it.
And Ronan? He'd see it too. He'd see how pathetic she really was, how worthless, how completely beneath us.
He'd forget whatever strange interest he had in her, whatever stupid, fleeting curiosity had made him hesitate.
Because that's all it was. A momentary lapse in judgment.
A distraction.
One that I was going to erase.
I glanced back toward Ronan, who still hadn't said a word, his face unreadable. The fact that he wasn't immediately lashing out, that he hadn't already made some snide remark about putting Raine back in her place, unsettled me.
I didn't like it.
Not one bit.
So I leaned in, lowering my voice just enough so only he could hear.
"You're not going to let her get away with that, are you?" I murmured, my lips curling slightly. "That was embarrassing, Ronan."
His fingers twitched.
Good.
"She thinks she can talk to you like that?" I continued, keeping my tone light, almost teasing, though there was venom just beneath the surface. "You should put her in her place before people start thinking she actually matters."
A low, warning growl rumbled through him. His wolf.
I stiffened.
For a brief second, I swore I saw the flicker of gold in his irises, the telltale sign that his wolf was just beneath the surface, watching. But… why?
Ronan's gaze snapped to mine.
And for the first time, I didn't like what I saw there.
There was something dangerous in his eyes. Something sharp and unreadable. Something that made my stomach churn in a way I did not like.
Then he smirked.
But it wasn't his usual smirk. It was slow, deliberate, like he knew something I didn't.
"Don't worry about Raine," he said lazily, leaning back in his chair. "She's not your concern."
His wolf let out a low, possessive growl—one that sent a chill down my spine.
My lips parted slightly.
Not my concern?
Excuse me?
My own wolf bristled at his dismissal. He's protecting her, she snarled, tail lashing. Why?
I opened my mouth to protest, to remind him exactly who Raine was—who I was—but he had already turned away, his focus elsewhere.
And that's when I knew.
Something had shifted.
Something I didn't like.
I clenched my fists under the table, barely holding in my frustration as my wolf growled in agreement.
Fine. If Ronan wasn't going to do anything about her, then I would.
Raine thought today was a victory. That she had won.
But she had no idea what she had just started.
Because I wasn't going to let her win.
And by the time I was done with her, she'd regret ever opening her mouth in the first place.