The rest of the morning passed like a blur.
Classes happened. Teachers taught. Students whispered.
But Aarvin?
He heard none of it.
His mind was trapped replaying the same three seconds:
Riyan's hand on his shoulder.
Riyan announcing to everyone, "If anyone touches him, I'll handle it."
And the entire hallway freezing in fear.
It didn't feel like protection.
It felt like a spotlight.
A blinding one.
The More You Fear, the More They Look
At lunch, Aarvin sat alone at the far end of the cafeteria, trying to disappear behind a cold tray of food.
But disappearing wasn't an option anymore.
Students kept glancing at him.
Some with curiosity.
Some with envy.
Some with straight-up fear.
He could hear fragments of their whispers even from across the room.
"He's really Riyan's brother?"
"Looks too soft."
"He must be dangerous."
"He's definitely not normal if the Wolves are watching him too."
Aarvin shut his eyes.
He wanted to scream,
"I don't want this!"
But he swallowed it down.
Again.
The Wolves Move First
The cafeteria door opened.
The Iron Wolves entered.
Even the air pressure seemed to change.
Zane Lockhart walked in first, scanning the room like he owned it. He didn't need noise. His silence was loud enough.
His eyes flicked toward Aarvin.
Aarvin looked away instantly, gripping his fork so tightly it bent slightly.
But the Wolves didn't approach him.
Not yet.
They were watching.
Evaluating.
Trying to understand why Riyan Hale — who trusted almost no one — had drawn a boundary around his little brother.
Aarvin felt like prey under a microscope.
Naomi's Unexpected Move
A sudden shadow fell across his table.
Aarvin opened his eyes—
Naomi Lane was standing there.
Calm.
Quiet.
Unreadable.
He straightened quickly. "Uh… hi."
Naomi didn't sit.
She simply looked at him like she was measuring something.
"You're not eating," she said.
Aarvin glanced at his untouched food.
"I'm… not hungry."
Naomi hummed—a soft, thoughtful sound.
"You should eat. Oakridge drains you fast."
Aarvin blinked.
Was that… advice?
Or a warning?
Before he could reply, she stepped closer and said quietly:
"Don't let their version of you become your version of you."
Aarvin froze.
How did she know that's exactly what he was struggling with?
Naomi leaned in just enough for only him to hear:
"This school worships power and fears weakness. But both are illusions. People here only understand noise."
Aarvin whispered, "What should I do?"
Naomi looked at him, really looked at him, with eyes that felt like they were peeling away every layer he tried to hide.
"First," she said softly, "Stop acting like your brother's shadow."
Aarvin stiffened.
Naomi's voice dropped, gentler this time:
"You're not Riyan, Aarvin. And you're not a threat. Let them learn who you actually are."
He swallowed hard.
"Do you… think they will?"
Naomi held his gaze.
"No.
But you should still try."
Then she walked away just as quietly as she came.
The Wolves' Decision
Across the room, Zane Lockhart watched the entire interaction.
Not with jealousy.
Not with anger.
With pure analytical interest.
He turned to his closest Wolf and murmured:
"That boy… is more complicated than he looks."
The Wolf asked, "Should we leave him alone? Or keep observing?"
Zane's lips curved slightly.
"Observe.
Anyone Riyan protects that fiercely… isn't ordinary."
Trouble Finds You When You Don't Want It
As lunch ended and students began leaving, Aarvin packed his things quickly.
But before he could stand—
someone slammed a tray onto his table.
A loud metallic clang echoed.
Aarvin flinched.
Three boys stood in front of him.
Not Wolves.
Not fighters.
Just regular students who'd suddenly grown bold under the influence of rumors.
"So you're the Hale kid," one of them said.
Aarvin's heartbeat spiked.
"I—I don't want any trouble."
"That's the thing," the boy smirked, "Trouble doesn't care what you want."
The second boy added:
"We just wanna see… what made Riyan so protective."
Aarvin's stomach dropped.
Not again.
Not today.
He clutched his bag—
But before the boys could take a step closer,
a hand landed on Aarvin's chair.
Strong.
Controlled.
Unmistakably dangerous.
Riyan.
Except—
when Aarvin turned,
his breath caught.
It wasn't Riyan.
It was Adrien Hale.
Calm. Cold. Calculated.
Riyan's cousin.
And someone even the Wolves stayed cautious around.
Adrien's voice was quiet—but lethal:
"Back away."
The boys froze instantly.
"W-We weren't doing anything—"
Adrien took one step forward.
They ran.
Without a word.
Aarvin looked up at Adrien, shocked.
"Why… why did you step in?"
Adrien studied him for a long moment.
Then he said:
"Because Riyan isn't the only one who cares what happens to you."
Aarvin's breath caught.
And for the first time that day…
he didn't feel alone.