The moon was full, but my wolf felt darker than night.
I couldn't sleep. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe in my tiny dorm room where the walls felt like they were closing in.
Darius's threat echoed in my head. You'll answer for this, even if I must claim you myself.
Gideon's manipulations twisted through my thoughts. The false rumors. The lies designed to push Darius to the edge.
And the bond. Always the bond. Pulsing. Aching. Demanding I submit to what the moon goddess had decided for me.
I needed air. Space. Distance from all of it.
So I snuck out.
The Academy had rules about students wandering campus after dark. But right now, I didn't care. My wolf needed to run. Needed freedom from the tangled webs two Alphas had woven around me.
The forest behind campus called to me. Dark. Quiet. Safe.
Or at least safer than staying in my room where Darius could corner me again. Where Gideon could send more messages. Where the bond could keep tightening like a noose.
