The morning sun bathed Bellemont High in a golden glow, the kind that made everything look perfect if you didn't look too closely. Rows of cars lined the student parking lot, their shiny exteriors gleaming under the clear California sky. Groups of teenagers clustered near the school entrance, laughter and chatter filling the air. From a distance, it looked like any other high school morning. But for Logan Thorne, it was just another day of playing his role.
Leaning casually against the hood of his sleek black car, Logan surveyed the scene before him with practiced ease. His leather jacket hung open over a gray T-shirt, a perfect mix of effortless and intimidating. He was the kind of guy people noticed, even if he didn't want them to. Tall, broad-shouldered, and with a jawline sharp enough to cut glass, he carried himself with the confidence of someone who knew he was in charge.
Logan had long ago mastered the art of blending in, of appearing normal when everything about him was anything but. Beneath his cool exterior, his mind ticked through the day ahead: classes, practice, and, later, a pack meeting he was already dreading.
"Logan!"
The familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He glanced up to see Jordan, his best friend and, unofficially, his second-in-command. Jordan was grinning as he approached, his blond hair ruffled by the breeze.
"Big game Friday," Jordan said, clapping Logan on the shoulder. "Think we'll crush Valley High this year?"
Logan smirked, though his mind was elsewhere. "We always do."
Jordan launched into a rant about their rivals, but Logan wasn't listening. Something had caught his attention—a flicker of movement in the crowd. A girl. She was walking quickly, clutching her books to her chest like a shield. She wasn't anyone he recognized, but something about her made him pause.
He straightened slightly, his sharp eyes following her. She had dark brown hair that fell in soft waves over her shoulders and wore a plain cardigan over jeans. Unremarkable, at first glance. But when she turned her head, their eyes met.
Logan felt a jolt, like static electricity snapping against his skin.
She looked away just as quickly, disappearing into the throng of students, but Logan couldn't shake the feeling. It wasn't just her appearance—though there was something oddly captivating about her wide, expressive eyes. No, it was something deeper. Something... wrong.
"Logan?" Jordan's voice broke through his thoughts.
"What?" Logan asked, turning back to his friend.
Jordan raised an eyebrow. "You okay? You zoned out there for a second."
Logan forced a smirk. "I'm fine. Let's get to class."
---
Ellie Carter moved through the crowded hallway as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself. She hated mornings like this, when the crush of students made the air feel stifling. She kept her head down, clutching her books tightly against her chest, and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
"Ellie! Wait up!"
Ellie glanced over her shoulder and saw Mia, her best (and only) friend, hurrying to catch up. She slowed her pace, allowing Mia to fall into step beside her.
"You're walking fast today," Mia said, slightly out of breath. "What's the rush?"
Ellie offered a small smile. "No rush. Just... trying to get to class."
Mia rolled her eyes. "You're always so serious. It's the first week of school—lighten up a little."
Ellie shrugged, but she didn't respond. How could she explain the sense of unease that had been gnawing at her all morning? She didn't even understand it herself.
They passed a group of cheerleaders laughing near their lockers, and Ellie felt the familiar pang of not belonging. It wasn't that she wanted to be like them—she didn't—but sometimes she wondered what it would feel like to blend in so easily. To not feel like an outsider every second of the day.
As they turned a corner, Ellie's gaze drifted toward the parking lot. She wasn't sure why, but her eyes seemed drawn to a figure leaning against a car. Logan Thorne.
She'd seen him around school before, of course. Everyone knew who Logan was. He was the kind of guy who seemed untouchable, like he belonged to a world Ellie could never understand. She'd never paid much attention to him—until now.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the noise around her faded. Her heart seemed to skip a beat, and a strange warmth spread through her chest. She didn't know what it was, but it unsettled her.
Ellie quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing.
"Earth to Ellie," Mia said, snapping her fingers in front of Ellie's face. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing," Ellie said quickly. "I'm fine."
But as they walked toward their first class, Ellie couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted.
---
Logan sat in the back of the classroom, his usual spot, where he could keep an eye on everyone without drawing too much attention to himself. But today, his focus wasn't on the lecture or the students. It was on her.
Ellie Carter.
He'd heard her name once or twice before, but she'd never been on his radar. She wasn't part of the social crowd, the kind of people who demanded his attention. She was quiet, unassuming. But now, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
There was something about her that set his instincts on edge. A feeling he couldn't explain, like a faint hum in the back of his mind. It wasn't danger—not exactly. But it wasn't normal, either.
The door to the classroom opened, and Ellie slipped inside, her head ducked as if she were trying to make herself invisible. Logan's eyes followed her as she moved to an empty seat near the window.
She didn't look at him, but he could feel her presence, like a faint pull he couldn't ignore.
"Logan," a voice hissed.
He turned to see Jordan giving him a confused look.
"What?" Logan asked.
"You've been staring at that girl for five minutes," Jordan said, smirking. "Didn't know she was your type."
"She's not," Logan said quickly, though even as he said it, he wasn't sure if it was true.
Jordan raised an eyebrow but didn't press further.
Logan leaned back in his chair, his gaze flicking back to Ellie. He didn't know what it was about her, but he was determined to find out.
That night, as Logan sat alone in his room, he replayed the moment their eyes met. He couldn't shake the feeling she'd stirred in him, or the sense that she wasn't just another girl at Bellemont High.
Meanwhile, Ellie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her dreams had been strange for weeks now—fragments of images she couldn't understand. Wolves. A forest bathed in silver light. And now, Logan Thorne's piercing gaze.
Neither of them knew it yet, but their lives were about to collide in ways that would change everything.