While discussing the play, my fingers unconsciously reached out, brushing aside that unruly lock of brown hair from his forehead. The gesture felt so natural, as if my fingers already knew every contour of his face. When my fingertips grazed his skin, faint blue sparks crackled again, like a desperate star in the night sky.

We both held our breath, as if the first one to inhale would lose this silent war.

"Come to my place," Luke's voice was husky, weighted down by something heavy. "We can focus on the project. My parents are out tonight."

It was a terrible idea. The kind of cliff you jump from knowing you'll shatter.

But I heard my own voice say, "Okay."

As if I'd been waiting for this chance to fall.

In Math class, Tabitha found her perfect moment for revenge.

"I heard you're dating," she whispered as the teacher wrote formulas on the board, her voice sweet as poison. "You think he'd actually want a freak like you?"

"I don't care what he thinks." It was the truth. What truly terrified me was what my mother would think—the woman whose life was destroyed by a werewolf.

"Liar." Her sneer was sharp as broken glass. "You smell like him all over. You've already—"

"Shut up, Tabitha."

She suddenly backhanded me across the face. The edge of her ring split my cheek, blood beading like tears of regret.

"Stay away from my man, you junkie's daughter."

William stood up from the back row, his gaze as cold as a winter gale. I realized then he'd witnessed the whole thing. Less than a minute later, the classroom door slammed open.

Luke stood in the doorway, his eyes fully molten gold, fangs protruding between his lips like an enraged beast. The air in the room seemed to freeze solid.

"You dare hurt her." His voice was a low, primeval thunder as he strode directly toward Tabitha.

Students scrambled back in fear, someone starting to whimper. Tabitha's face was paper-white, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Luke, don't." I stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

To my astonishment, he actually stopped. I felt a power I'd never known awaken in my veins—an ancient authority of the moon, breathing softly within me.

"Apologize to the teacher," my voice was calm, eerily so even to myself, "then leave."

Luke looked at me in disbelief, but finally turned to the stunned math teacher. "I apologize for disrupting the class."

As he left, he glanced back at me one last time. His eyes held possession, protection, and something close to reverence.

William murmured to Jim, "She calmed the Alpha's fury."

Jim looked at me, his expression complex. "The ancient moon has awakened, though she doesn't realize it yet."

I touched the cut on my cheek and found it already healed—just like my heart, scabbing over after each hurt, yet never truly mending.

Lunchtime found me forced to sit at the same table as Luke, Jim, and William.

Sometimes, I couldn't believe these idiots led a whole pack. It felt like I'd stumbled into the big cat exhibit at a zoo, with all the other students sneaking glances at us.

"You're too thin," Luke said suddenly, transferring a chicken breast from his tray to mine. "You need to eat more."

I stared at the chicken, my stomach churning. Not because he'd touched it, but because it was true—I hadn't had a proper meal in a while. Mom's drinking had gotten worse lately; the house held nothing but bottles and empty takeout containers.

"I'm not hungry," I said, pushing it back.

"Eat." His voice held the distinct command of an Alpha, but his eyes held concern.

As we were locked in our standoff, a pack warrior hurried into the cafeteria, whispering into Luke's ear. My sharp hearing caught the keywords: "rogue wolves," "border," "provocation."

Luke stood immediately, William right behind him. "Stay here," Luke ordered me. "Jim will protect you."

After they left, I looked out the window. The sky had darkened with gathering clouds, a low rumble of thunder in the distance. Damn it. Rain.

For normal people, it was just bad weather. But for a half-baked witch like me, storms made my magic unstable. Worse, I felt the rogue wolves' appearance wasn't a coincidence. Something dark was approaching our territory.

"So," Jim leaned back lazily in his chair, "you're the Alpha's special protected asset now?"

"Shut up, Miller."

He chuckled softly. "You know, you look familiar when you're angry."

The words felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I shot to my feet. "I'm going to the restroom."

"Need an escort, Your Highness?"

I flipped him off without looking back. In the restroom, I stared at my reflection. My green eyes glittered with a fury that made them look exactly like the man in the faded photograph from my memory. Mom was right. I’d inherited his entire curse.

Slipping out the window was easier than I’d expected. Jim probably thought I’d stay put inside the school building, but he’d underestimated my expertise in skipping class. As I roared out of the school gates on my bike, raindrops began to hammer against my helmet.

The storm was coming. And I had to get home before my magic spiraled out of control.

Mom wasn't home. Good news, and bad news.

I burst into her workroom and yanked the cloth cover off the scrying pool in the corner. Fed by moonlight and a witch's blood, its waters could show me anything happening within our territory.

An image formed in the water: Luke and his warriors were facing off against three rogue wolves at the border. The rogues had wild, crazed eyes and saliva dripped from their muzzles—clearly under the influence of dark magic.

"Dammit." I bit my finger and let my blood drip into the pool. This was forbidden magic, the kind Mom had explicitly banned me from using. But it was too late for caution.

"By my name, I grant you strength," I chanted, feeling the magic drain from my fingertips. "By my blood, I swear your safety."