Raine pov
Sleep had been a lost cause. Every time I drifted off, flashes of last night came back—shadows stretching between the trees, the low growl that curled around my spine.
I woke up tangled in my sheets, the early light creeping through my window. My limbs were stiff, heavy with exhaustion, but I forced myself up. Staying in bed meant risking my mother barging in, and after last night's argument, I wasn't in the mood for another round of her bickering.
Moving quietly, I slipped out of my room, careful to avoid the floorboards that creaked. The house was silent, my mother and sister still asleep.
By the time I stepped outside, the cold morning air helped shake off the last remnants of my restless night. But something else clung to me—a strange, lingering awareness I couldn't shake.
Halfway to school, I felt it
A Presence That Should Terrify Me—But Doesn't.
A prickle at the back of my neck. The heavy weight of a stare pressing between my shoulder blades.
I didn't turn around.
My pulse should have spiked. I should have felt afraid, knowing someone was trailing me in the quiet, empty streets. Instead, my heartbeat settled into a steady rhythm.
I felt watched.
But not in a way that sent fear curling through my veins.
It was something else entirely.
Something protective.
I quickened my pace, but the presence never faded. Whoever it was, they weren't trying to be subtle.
It wasn't until the school gates came into view that I finally turned around.
Nothing.
Just an empty street stretching behind me.
But the feeling remained.
The second I walked through the doors, Lena was on me.
"You look like hell." She arched her brow. "Worse than usual."
"Gee, thanks," I muttered, shoving my locker open.
She didn't let it go. "Did something happen?"
I hesitated, debating whether to tell her about what happened last night—the way I knew someone had been following me but felt... safe instead of scared.
But that wasn't even the worst of it.
Because deep down, a part of me thought I already knew who it was.
"Raine," Lena pressed.
I exhaled. "It's nothing."
Her stare was sharp, but before she could call me out on the lie, the intercom crackled overhead.
"All students are to report to the auditorium immediately."
Lena frowned. "Well. That's never a good sign."
By the time we reached the auditorium, the tension in the room was palpable. The entire town had gathered, whispering in hushed voices.
When Alpha Killian stepped onto the stage, silence fell. His presence commanded attention—broad shoulders, calculating eyes that swept over the crowd like he was assessing everyone.
"There was an attack last night," he announced, his voice low but firm. "Something was in the woods."
A ripple of unease moved through the crowd.
"We don't know what it was," he continued. "But until we do, I'm issuing a strict warning. No one wanders alone. Stay aware. If you see or hear anything unusual, report it immediately."
My mother, sitting across the room, stiffened.
Her eyes darted to me, wide with something close to disbelief.
Now she believed it.
Now that the Alpha himself had spoken the words.
But when I said it last night?
She had dismissed me without a second thought.
A bitter taste curled at the back of my throat.
As people began murmuring among themselves, shifting uncomfortably in their seats, a prickle of awareness crawled up my spine.
I know that feeling now.
I turned my head—and locked eyes with Ronan.
He was watching me. Intently.
And it had something unfurling in my stomach
Unlike the usual arrogance in his gaze, there was something else lurking beneath the surface. Something unreadable.
My stomach twisted.
I tore my gaze away, but the weight of his stare lingered.
Even as people scattered, murmuring in hushed voices about the announcement, I knew he was still watching me. The heat of it prickled against my skin, making it impossible to forget he was there. But I forced myself to keep my head down, pretending I didn't notice.
Pretending I didn't feel safer under his stare when I should have felt the opposite.
My mother had been completely shocked by Alpha Killian's words. She turned toward me, her expression unreadable.
"You were telling the truth?"
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "I told you that last night."
She didn't say anything.
She didn't apologize.
She just turned away and walked off, leaving me standing there, swallowing down the sting of it. I wasn't surprised. I should have expected it.
But that didn't mean it hurt any less.
I needed to find Lena.
She found me first.
I barely made it halfway down the hall when she grabbed my arm, pulling me aside with more force than I expected.
"Start talking."
Her eyes were sharp, filled with a mix of frustration and worry, and my stomach twisted guiltily.
"Lena—"
I swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Lena, I need to tell you something but can we go somewhere private."?
She nodded, grabbing my wrist and tugging me into an empty classroom.
"Okay, spill."
I took a deep breath. "I was attacked last night."
Her entire body went stiff. "What?"
"You didn't tell me," she cut me off, voice quiet but firm. "You got attacked last night and you didn't tell me?"
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. "I didn't want to worry you."
Lena exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "That's not your decision to make, Raine."
I flinched. She is very mad at me
"I'm sorry," I mumbled.
For a second, she didn't say anything. Then, she sighed and shook her head. "I get why you didn't. But you're not dealing with this alone, okay? We both are."
I hesitated. "Lena—"
"No." She grabbed my shoulders, her blue eyes blazing with determination. "No arguing. We are going to figure out what the hell happened last night. Together."
I stared at her, my heart swelling a little. Even when I messed up, even when I pushed her away, Lena never left.
I nodded. "Okay. Together."
A slow grin spread across her face. "Good." Then her expression darkened slightly. "Even though this is absolutely terrifying."
A laugh bubbled up before I could stop it. "A little."
"A lot."
We shared a look, and just like that, the tension melted.
And even though the fear was still there, beneath all of it was something else.
Excitement.