Ava gripped the edge of the desk, her knuckles white as she struggled to keep her breathing steady. The weight of the headmaster's words still hung in the air. She had been summoned to his office unexpectedly, and Orion Blackwood didn't waste time with pleasantries.
"You have no idea what you're walking into," he had said, his voice low but firm.
Her mind reeled as she tried to decipher his cryptic warning. Her presence at Lunar Heights had always been a delicate balance, but this felt different—heavier, more dangerous.
The door creaked behind her, and she stiffened. Damon's scent hit her before his voice did—earthy and sharp, like the woods after a storm.
"You're not supposed to be here," Damon said, his tone clipped.
Ava turned slowly, her heart thudding in her chest. Damon stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders casting a shadow over the room. His eyes narrowed, scanning her as though she was a puzzle he couldn't solve.
"Neither are you," she shot back, hoping her voice didn't betray the fear bubbling beneath her defiance.
Damon stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His movements were deliberate, calculated, as though he didn't trust the space they occupied.
"Orion called you here," he said, his voice softening slightly. "What did he want?"
Ava hesitated. "It's none of your business."
Damon's jaw clenched, the vein in his neck pulsing as he crossed the room. He stopped a few feet from her, his eyes locked on hers. "It is if it involves you."
She faltered under his gaze but quickly straightened. "Why do you care?"
The question hung between them like a live wire, sparking tension that neither seemed willing to touch. Damon's expression shifted, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face before he spoke.
"Because you're hiding something," he said finally.
Ava's stomach dropped. Damon's words weren't an accusation—they were a statement, a truth he had already accepted.
Before she could respond, the door burst open. Lucas strolled in as if he owned the place, a smirk plastered across his face.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" Lucas drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. His gaze flicked between Damon and Ava, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Did I interrupt something?"
Damon stiffened, his body radiating tension. "What do you want, Lucas?"
Lucas ignored him, his attention fixed on Ava. "You've been busy, haven't you, Montclair?"
Ava frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Lucas took a step closer, his smirk widening. "Word travels fast around here. It seems our little babysitter's daughter has caught the attention of more than just the student body."
Ava's heart sank. The way Lucas said it, with that smug certainty, made her stomach churn.
"Lucas," Damon warned, his voice a low growl.
But Lucas didn't back down. Instead, he leaned in closer to Ava, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'd be careful if I were you. Secrets don't stay buried for long at Lunar Heights."
Ava met his gaze, refusing to flinch. "Is that a threat?"
Lucas straightened, his smirk fading. "It's a fact."
The tension in the room was suffocating. Damon stepped between Ava and Lucas, his stance protective. "You've said enough. Leave."
Lucas raised his hands in mock surrender, but his eyes gleamed with mischief. "Relax, Damon. I'm just trying to help."
With that, he turned on his heel and strolled out of the room, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
Ava exhaled shakily, her hands trembling at her sides. Damon turned to her, his expression softer now.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded, though she didn't trust her voice enough to speak.
Damon studied her for a moment before stepping back. "Whatever Orion told you… be careful, Ava. This place isn't what it seems."
Before she could respond, Damon walked out, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Later that evening, Ava sat on the edge of her bed, replaying the events of the day in her mind. Orion's warning, Damon's protectiveness, Lucas's veiled threat—it all swirled together, forming a storm she couldn't outrun.
A knock at her door jolted her from her thoughts. She hesitated before opening it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Lila standing there, her face pale.
"You need to see this," Lila said, her voice trembling.
Ava followed her down the hall, her unease growing with every step. They stopped outside the common room, where a small crowd had gathered around a bulletin board.
Lila nudged her forward, and Ava's breath caught in her throat.
Pasted across the board was a photo of her—an old one, from years ago—standing in front of the Alpha's house. The caption beneath it read:
"The babysitter's daughter—more than meets the eye?"
Ava's vision blurred as whispers filled the room. The walls felt like they were closing in, the weight of their stares crushing her.
Lila grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "We need to leave. Now."
But Ava couldn't move. Her secret was out, and there was no escaping the fallout.