Third Person POV (Ongoing):

"Your withdrawal request landed on my desk. Are you seriously planning to quit school?" Leo shut the door behind him and pulled out a document, his tone flat and unreadable.

Eleanor stared at him, completely thrown off. "Professor Donovan, I never filed for withdrawal. I get that this situation has caused trouble for the academy, and I'm willing to accept whatever punishment comes with it, but I'm not planning to leave."

"And I was hoping to ask about the housing issue," she added quickly, fingers nervously twisting together. "I know you're disappointed in me, and I'm not here to justify myself-I probably don't even have the right to-but... I'm just asking for another shot."

Eleanor could swear on everything she didn't turn in any request. The moment he said that, she had a pretty good idea who might've done it-Vivian was the only one who'd benefit from her being pushed out. Good thing she had made the trip back to campus before the application was pushed through.

"Professor Donovan, please," Eleanor looked at him with a quiet desperation in her eyes.

"Eleanor, just look at you." Leo's brows creased as he watched her. He'd always known she was a top student, seriously dedicated and even supportive of fellow werewolves. Seeing her so earnest now, caught in this mess, made him hesitate. Maybe Eleanor really wasn't the type to cheat. Leo let out a long sigh.

"I'll give you another shot," he said, taking back the expulsion request. "But I can't make the punishment disappear."

"Whether you graduate or not is up to how you deal with the plagiarism issue. Don't mess up again if you want any chance of clearing your record.

"And that argument with Poppy? Don't ever let that happen again."

Leo's face was set, his eyes scanning Eleanor's tired, worried expression.

Something occurred to him just then-her beef with Katherine might've put her on Crystal Pack's blacklist. But even if she was being treated unfairly, with a plagiarism charge hanging over her head, there wasn't much he could do.

Leo had to protect his own position, too. The Crystal Pack had so much sway over the Academy that they basically had a seat on the board. If they wanted him out, he'd be gone in a second.

And the Stormfang Pack wasn't exactly low-profile either. Neither side seemed to like Eleanor right now. That gave him a major headache.

"Thank you," Eleanor said quietly, grateful.

Leo pressed his fingers to his temples and waved her off. She hurried out of the office.

Eleanor rinsed her face with cold water in the washroom, then went to apply for a dorm room and bought some basic necessities on the way.

Every werewolf she passed by threw mocking looks, made rude noises, or just flat-out sneered at her.

She acted like she didn't notice a thing, hugging her newly bought stuff tightly as she walked toward the dorms.

As she pushed open the door with her head down, a whole bucket of water crashed down on her. Soaked from head to toe, Eleanor froze with her mouth open, panic rising as she looked around.

Ugly laughter echoed through the hallway.

"Haha! Got her again! If I knew she was this clueless, I'd have filled it with boiling water. One splash and poof-no more slut trying to steal everyone's man!"

Poppy stood proudly with her hands on her hips, eyes gleaming as she looked over the drenched mess that was Eleanor. Several unfamiliar werewolves beside her were red-faced from laughing too hard.

Eleanor's hands were trembling. She glared at them, her eyes iced over. She'd never lived in the school dorms before; she had no idea this could even happen.

A few other girls stood not far away, clearly uncomfortable, but no one stepped in. They were too scared to tick off Poppy, so no one did anything to stop it.

Eleanor's chest heaved as she stood there, face darkening, before she completely lost it-she dropped what she was holding and lunged forward.

Phoebe's eyes lit up like it was Christmas. She scrambled to get her phone, fingers fumbling in excitement as she aimed to record the fight. Eleanor was already hanging by a thread at the academy. One video was all it'd take to kick her out for good.

"What do you think you're doing?" Eleanor suddenly pivoted, snatched the phone right out of Phoebe's hand like lightning.

She frowned, gave the screen a quick glance, then flung it to the floor without hesitation.

"You bitch!" Phoebe shrieked, totally furious, but didn't dare come any closer or shout back. The look in Eleanor's eyes? Cold enough to chill anyone to the bone. Phoebe actually took a step back.

Poppy, on the other hand, just sneered like nothing could touch her. "Figures the Stormfang Pack would toss you out. No wonder you're crawling back to live at the academy. Too bad you ended up stuck with us, huh?

"Get used to it-I'm gonna make your life hell every single day. Forget about having anything clean ever again.

"You're scared of being expelled, I'm not! Even if we both get punished, only one of us is gonna lose everything-and it won't be me!"

The more she spoke, the more smug she looked. And why wouldn't she be? She'd basically bought her way in. Expulsion? Not even on her worry list.

Poppy only cared about getting that degree from the design school-didn't matter how nasty she had to be. As long as she could kick Eleanor out for good, even if it meant getting expelled herself and switching schools, she was fine with that.

Poppy was feeling real smug, unlike Eleanor who was hanging by a thread.

Eleanor clenched her fists tight, forcing herself to stay calm. She took a deep breath and took two steps back, staring at Poppy with a cold, blank face. She hated being humiliated like this, but had no choice but to swallow it.

"I bet you won't dare lay a hand on me," Poppy sneered loudly, still giggling. "Relax, if you don't wanna get expelled, then just stay put and be my personal punching bag. I'll shred your clothes, dump garbage on your bed... No one's gonna help you. So enjoy the ride, you shameless bitch."

Her shrill voice echoed in the hallway. Eleanor just stood there, face unreadable.

Poppy tossed her hair, tone full of disdain. "Come on, Phoebe, let's grab something to eat."

She tugged Phoebe along and they disappeared down the corridor. Eleanor knelt down to pick up her things. A passing werewolf quietly handed her a few tissues.

"Thanks," Eleanor murmured, wiping off the spilled water. Then, she silently made her way to the dorm office.

She asked if she could switch dorms, but this was the only one with availability. Unless she wanted to hunt down an apartment off-campus.

Eleanor was getting seriously anxious. Her wallet was already stretched thin-she still had debts to pay off and needed to set aside some money for Zoe's living expenses. After that, there was barely anything left. Renting a place off-campus just wasn't realistic.

The design school was smack in the middle of the priciest area, and there was no such thing as cheap housing nearby. Even the trashiest place would set her back thousands of dollars a month.

With no other choice, Eleanor trudged back to her dorm. But when she opened the door, her heart sank. Everything was trashed. Her towels were filthy, like someone had used them to scrub the floor. Her shower gel and shampoo? Poured out completely. The bed was a disaster-covered in broken stuff and random garbage.

She didn't say a word. Just quietly tossed the junk aside, trying to put the room back in some order.

"Hey..." The girl from the room next door peeked in, looking nervous. "I... I heard Poppy and her crew are planning something for you tonight. Like, a whole prank just for you. They even dragged more people into it...

"If they start something and you fight back, and everyone blames you... it could get ugly."

Her voice was shaky. Eleanor felt a heavy weight sink in her chest. This was probably exactly what Poppy and Phoebe had in mind.

Eleanor forced out a tired smile, about to thank the girl, but she had already hurried off.

She knew she couldn't confront Poppy head-on now. Deep down, she had a pretty good idea who was really behind all this-Katherine.

The plagiarism scandal only got Eleanor scolded-it didn't get her expelled.

Katherine had been hoping she'd be completely kicked out, lose all dignity, and live the rest of her life in shame. That way, she'd be able to step right over her and show everyone just how messed up Carl's mate's reputation was.

Eleanor packed up her stuff and made up her mind-she was moving out to rent a place. Even after hunting for the most budget-friendly apartment she could find, the only thing available was a tiny room on the top floor.

Once she paid all the costs, half of her savings were gone just like that.

Dragging her suitcase in, Eleanor finally collapsed onto the bed she'd painstakingly cleaned and set up. But the more still she stayed, the more that heavy sense of anxiety crept in.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the latest news. The chatter about her had already died down, replaced by a breaking story.

[Ashclaw Pack's Alpha Ethan Lawrence was ambushed yesterday and has now been confirmed dead...]

Eleanor felt a sudden, sharp stab in her chest.

The moment Eleanor saw the news, she felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She clutched her chest, confused about why she suddenly felt so uneasy.

Ethan. That name rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place it. Honestly, she didn't have much of an impression of those wolves she barely ever talked to. But she definitely knew about the Ashclaw Pack-powerful and mysterious, way beyond what the Stormfang Pack could match.

Carl had mentioned Ethan before, with that usual jealous tone. "Such a young Alpha, and I've heard he's never even taken a mate."

He and Carl were around the same age, yet somehow Ethan got all the fear and respect Carl dreamed of.

She hadn't expected him to be killed. Were Alphas this vulnerable too?

Eleanor was just about to click on the article for more details when her phone suddenly froze for a few seconds. She gave it a quick shake and waited for the screen to go back to normal-only to find the article had vanished, like it had never been there.

She tried searching for keywords, but found nothing. No posts, no chatter. It was like the news was just something she imagined. A chill ran down her spine, and for a second, she felt genuinely scared.

"Maybe I just imagined it," she muttered, trying to calm herself down. "I've probably been too tired lately and misheard the name."

She didn't even know the alpha from the Ashclaw Pack, so there was no reason to care this much. Still, dying that young... it did leave her with this weird sense of sadness.

Eleanor dropped her phone with a sigh. After resting for a bit, she headed back to class.

Once class was over, Poppy and Phoebe sneaked off, looking way too suspicious.

"Hurry! Let's throw it on that bitch's bed-this time she's gonna freak out!"

"Wait, you do it. Katherine's calling me."

Poppy shot out the order like she was the boss, then stepped aside to answer the call. Her whole vibe changed in a second-super sweet and all smiles. "Hey Katherine, what's up?"

"Got that Eleanor problem taken care of yet?" Katherine asked lazily, like she didn't really care but wanted an update anyway.

"Don't worry, we're on it. Even if she doesn't get kicked out today, I'll make sure she suffers. Phoebe filmed the whole thing-I'll send it to you. She looked like a soaked mutt, it was hilarious!"

"Good job. Keep it up."

"We also got a few snakes," Poppy said smugly. "We'll toss them in her bed-she's gonna scream like hell tonight."

"Perfect. Just mess with her as much as you can," came Katherine's icy, venomous voice over the phone. "Even if she dies, I'll take care of it. Once I'm back and Carl and I are officially mates, I'll bring you both something nice."

"Thanks, Katherine! You're literally the best," Poppy replied cheerfully.

After hanging up, she could barely wait to see Eleanor's face when everything went down.

But Eleanor had left campus earlier and was already heading back to her apartment. The nearest bus only went so far-she had to walk the rest of the way alone.

She hugged her backpack tightly as she got off, nerves creeping in.

The area wasn't exactly friendly, barely anyone lived nearby, and there were barely any working streetlights.

'Ugh, great,' Eleanor thought nervously. 'Guess I was too focused on saving money to think about how sketchy this place gets at night.'

Her face turned a little pale as she picked up her pace, practically sprinting until she reached the top floor of her building.

But even the hallway lights were out. She muttered in frustration, "I should've asked for a discount or something..."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her keys, then grabbed her phone to use the faint glow as a flashlight, the weak light bouncing against the worn floor tiles.

"What the heck?" She jumped back, startled. "Ahh!"

Eleanor let out a sharp scream, stumbling backward in panic.

Lying on the ground was a blood-covered werewolf, barely breathing, and she had just stepped on him. She was shaking all over, every instinct screaming at her to run.

Just as she lifted her foot, the werewolf suddenly grabbed her leg. Eleanor screamed again, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. "Help! Someone-please! Help me!"

Her voice echoed through the dim hallway, but no one answered.

Frantic, she fumbled for her phone, ready to call for help, but her mind went completely blank-she couldn't even remember the emergency number.

Then, the werewolf spoke, his voice faint and raspy. "Help... me..."

She froze. That weak, broken voice tugged at her. Taking a shaky breath, Eleanor slowly looked down, her voice trembling. "W-Who are you?"

"Help... me," he murmured again, barely audible.

His injuries were bad-deep gashes across his body, his skin pale, barely hanging on.

For a moment, her fear eased. She focused on his face, smeared with blood, strands of hair stuck to his forehead. He looked pitiful. Too pitiful to leave behind.

Eleanor took a deep breath, then crouched down and picked up the black wallet lying nearby.

Inside were a driver's license and a few bank cards. Eleanor pulled them out and gave them a quick glance.

*****

Meanwhile, over at the Ashclaw Pack-

"Still no sign of the Alpha?" Zane asked tightly, pacing in frustration. "I can't feel his presence at all..."

Ethan had gone out alone and ended up ambushed by rogues. Ever since, there had been zero contact. When the Ashclaw wolves arrived at the scene, all they found were a few rogue bodies and blood everywhere.

The original plan was to fake Ethan's death, use the news to smoke out whoever orchestrated the attack. But his vanishing act wasn't part of that plan.

Zane had been calling around nonstop, trying to track him down, but there was nothing. Just radio silence.

He was on the verge of losing it. Only he, Ethan, and a couple of loyal Deltas knew about the plan. The rest of the Pack had no clue, and now everything was falling apart. Whispers were swirling, unrest brewing.

Former Alpha Thomas had no choice but to step back in and take charge.

Former Luna Camila was devastated-she'd almost fainted from the shock. But Zane couldn't bring himself to tell the truth, not yet.

*****

Back near the apartment, inside the local werewolf clinic.

Eleanor was dozing off in the chair beside the bed, completely unaware that the injured wolf on it had already regained consciousness.

Ethan clutched his head, wincing as he slowly sat up, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar room around him. A sharp, splitting pain throbbed through his skull like it might explode, and the wounds across his body ached with every tiny movement.

His mind was a chaotic reel of images-feral rogues, brutal attacks, everything mashed together in a blur of confusion.

Thud!

Eleanor's head hit the corner of the bed. She let out a small groan, rubbing her temple as she stirred awake.

Ethan turned his head, puzzled, and spotted that familiar, slightly flushed round face.

'Who is she?' The thought blinked through his foggy mind.

"Oh my god... You're actually awake," Eleanor said, visibly relieved, still massaging the side of her head. She looked over at Ethan's confused expression and let out a breath.

"When I brought you here, you seriously freaked me out. You were bleeding like crazy, but now you're almost healed?

"Did some rogues jump you or something? Need me to call the cops?

"Also, I checked your driver's license... says your name's Martin Hunter?"

Her tone was casual, almost too calm, as she observed Ethan from the edge of the bed with curious eyes.

He didn't look threatening at all. In fact, there was something harmless in his dazed stare. His face was way too good-looking, with an innocent edge that made her guard lower bit by bit.

His jet-black hair was tucked neatly to one side, showing off a pair of clear green eyes, deep like a forest after rain.

'He's ridiculously handsome,' Eleanor thought, blinking as she waited patiently for him to say something.

Ethan had been staring at her in silence for what felt like forever. Then all of a sudden, he reached out and grabbed her sleeve. "Miss..."

His voice was soft, kind of pleading. It made Eleanor freeze. Startled, she jumped up, trying to shake his hand off.

But Ethan held on tight, refusing to let go. "Can you take me home? Please?"

"Let... let go first," Eleanor stammered, clearly flustered. "You're holding on too tight."

"I don't remember anything. Right now, you're all I've got. Can you please... take me with you?"

That second question, full of confusion and helplessness, made something soften in her. Eleanor sighed, not sure what to do.

She knew she should walk away. But how could she just abandon him? He was hurt, vulnerable... and clearly had no one else.

"Please... just take me home." Ethan's voice was stubborn but desperate.

Ethan had no memory. He couldn't remember who he was, not a single thing from his past.

Eleanor figured he must've hit his head or something-he talked like a clueless little kid. Totally didn't match his calm and grown-up looks.

Sure, his driver's license proved he was legally an adult-just barely younger than her-but the way he acted? Pure child.

"Come on, take a deep breath," Eleanor sighed for the hundredth time. "I'm calling the healer to take a look at you."

Ethan gave a small, slow shake of his head, looking at her like a lost puppy.

She had no idea what to do with him, so she pressed the call button next to the bed.

The healer showed up quickly. Eleanor met them halfway and gave a quick rundown while Ethan stayed on the bed, never taking his eyes off her.

He let go of her sleeve, just to grab her hand instead. His fingers closed around hers tightly, like he was terrified she'd leave if he didn't hold on.

Once the healer stepped out to get the meds, Eleanor finally turned to really look at him.

That face-no wonder every she-wolf out there would swoon. He had sharp, elegant features that gave off this naturally noble vibe, but right now, that face was filled with wide-eyed innocence.

And those green eyes? Locked onto her, like she was his whole world. He trusted her completely, no question.

Eleanor finally gave in, sighing in defeat. "Alright, I'm not going anywhere. Don't stress. Memory or no memory, I'll stick with you and help figure out where you belong."

Ethan stayed quiet, lost in thought. A few blurry images flashed through his mind-but this time, it wasn't blood and chaos. He saw a little girl standing in front of him, eyes a warm amber and full of curiosity. Her brown hair was neatly braided, nothing flashy about her, but her smile... it was beautiful.

His gaze drifted toward Eleanor, almost instinctively. They looked so much alike.

"We knew each other as kids," he said slowly. "You're my... sister."

Eleanor frowned, confused and a bit overwhelmed. She didn't know how to respond. The only handsome boy she had memories of from her childhood was Carl. Before meeting Ethan, Carl used to be the standard for 'handsome wolf' in her head.

'He's just messed up in the head,' she thought, frustrated. 'Probably mistaking me for someone he used to know. I've never seen him before in my life.'

Right then, the healer from earlier walked back in, carrying a few bottles of medication and started setting up the IV for Ethan.

Eleanor took the chance to step out with the healer, heading toward the office. She needed to figure out what was really going on with Ethan.

When Ethan saw her leaving, his eyes stuck to her back like he didn't want to let her go. It made Eleanor feel a little awkward.

"I'm not sure, Miss Reynolds," the healer said seriously, tone full of concern. "It looks like he might have some brain trauma, but there's nothing wrong physically. It could be psychological-maybe from stress or emotional shock. It's hard to say when he'll recover. My suggestion is to take him home, let him rest, and just bring him back in for checkups."

"No, we're not actually..." Eleanor started to explain.

Before she could finish, a young werewolf burst through the door, panting. "He's freaking out-asking for Miss Reynolds! Please, come quickly, Miss Reynolds. We can't control him!"

Eleanor froze for a second, then quickly followed the girl back to the room.

As soon as she reached the doorway, she saw Ethan yelling like mad in the middle of the room. "Let go of me!"

He was radiating this dangerous energy, and the healers around him clearly didn't dare take a step closer. His eyes were cold and wild, like he could snap at any second. He'd yanked the IV right out of his arm, and blood was dripping down onto the floor.

"Martin, Martin!" Eleanor called out anxiously, rushing over to grab his shoulders. Thankfully, he didn't fight her off. "I'm right here."

Seeing how anxious Ethan was made Eleanor's chest tighten painfully.

It instantly brought her back to her own rough childhood-thrown out by her parents, scared, helpless, constantly on edge. Eleanor knew all too well what being abandoned felt like. That kind of hopelessness? She'd lived it. More times than she could count.

"Where did you go?" Ethan clung to her tightly, pressing his head into her shoulder. "Don't leave me."

"I didn't leave you," Eleanor said softly, heart aching.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I promise. But can we get your IV set up first?"

Ethan went quiet for a moment, the aggressiveness slowly fading from his face.

The healers, who had been frozen in fear, finally started to move again, cautiously.

"Please don't go," Ethan said, still staring at her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded.

Eleanor let out a quiet sigh. "I... won't."

But worry nagged at her. She'd have to leave soon. Classes were in a few hours, and she'd only just returned to campus yesterday. Skipping again would definitely raise red flags.

While she hooked him up to the IV again, Ethan kept holding onto her, not letting go for even a second. He practically melted into her arms, soft and obedient like a big teddy bear.

Eleanor tried to peel him off gently, but one look at his pitifully handsome face, and her hands froze. She couldn't bring herself to push him away.

"Martin, you can let go now," Eleanor said softly, trying not to sound too impatient.

Ethan looked up at her, clearly uneasy. "You're leaving me...? You don't want me anymore?"

He wouldn't budge, clutching her hand tightly like his life depended on it. The look in his clear eyes made her forget about pulling away.

'He's forgotten way too much,' she thought with a sigh. 'It's like taking care of a little kid.'

Still, she really needed to go. She blinked and said gently, "I just have some stuff to take care of, that's all."

"Oh." Ethan didn't look convinced, and he definitely didn't loosen his grip.

Eleanor realized she'd have to wait until he fell asleep. But he didn't. He just sat there all night staring at her like everything was fine. By the time the treatment was finally over, Eleanor was exhausted, and reluctantly paid for the past few days.

"I'm seriously broke..." she muttered under her breath as she pulled Ethan into a cab heading to the police station.

Just as they got in, her phone rang again. She frowned and picked up. The voice on the other end sounded smug. "Eleanor Reynolds? I represent the NOVARA Challenge. We've received your trophy. There's still five thousand in prize money that needs to be returned-make sure it's paid back by noon today, or we'll be taking legal action."

His voice was harsh, laced with heavy sarcasm and contempt.

Eleanor let out a breath, clearly unsure if she could even come up with that kind of money. She was just about to say something when-

Ethan snatched the phone right out of her hand and growled, voice low and dangerous. "Talk to her like that one more time and I swear I'll kill you!"

Eleanor froze, caught off guard by his sudden outburst. His face darkened, eyes cold.

"You thief! You think you can threaten us? All we want is the money back!" The guy on the other end exploded, clearly pissed.

The NOVARA Challenge wasn't exactly a big event, and Eleanor only got five grand for winning it. Until today, they hadn't been able to reach her, and now that they finally had, the guy wasn't even hiding how nasty he was being.

But Ethan had no clue what he was ranting about. "You don't get to bully her!"

That was all he could offer-empty threats with no real bite. The guy muttered something and promptly hung up.

Eleanor stared at the phone, something warm blooming quietly in her chest. No one had ever stepped up for her before. No one had ever tried to protect her like that. She didn't understand why she was even born into the Stormfang Pack in the first place, or what she'd supposedly done wrong.

Since she was a kid, Eleanor had always been the outsider, the one no one wanted around.

Her parents Ivy and Jack couldn't stand her. They picked on her all the time, and that was when she was just a little kid. Eleanor got stuck with all the chores-laundry, cooking, even taking care of her sister-like she was some kind of omega.

She always wore her sister's hand-me-downs and ate whatever leftovers they didn't want. Only Grandma Zoe cared about her, but Zoe was too weak to do anything about it.

Since the minute she was born, real love had been a rarity in her life. Then Ethan showed up like a beam of light cutting through the gloom inside her. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Ethan looked at her with concern, his voice soft. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, shaking her head and quickly wiping her face.

That clueless look on Ethan's face only made her worry more.

The guy remembered nothing, and his mind clearly wasn't all there-there's no way he could survive out there on his own. She had no clue where his pack was, maybe super far. If something happened, would they even make it in time? Was she really just going to drop him off at the station and walk away like nothing?

If no one showed up claiming to know him, things could get even messier. The thought made her stomach twist.

Soon, the car rolled to a stop outside the station. With nerves tying her stomach in knots, Eleanor took Ethan's hand and led him inside.

She glanced at him one last time before deciding to tell the officers everything. Then, letting go of his hand, she took a breath and started to sneak away.

"Eleanor!" Ethan reacted instantly, rushing forward to grab her arm.

Eleanor, clearly anxious, tried to calm him down. "You need to go back to your pack."

"I'm not going," he gripped her tighter. "So it's true... you just want to get rid of me."

His eyes were full of hurt as he let go and bolted, not even glancing back. Eleanor stood frozen, watching helplessly as he ran off.

"Don't run!" she shouted after him in panic. "Martin, I've got school, I really can't take care of you! I don't have money, I can't give you a proper life, Martin..."

She took a few hurried steps, but by then Ethan was already gone.

"Miss Reynolds?" A wolf from the station stepped out holding a file. "We've looked into it. Martin Hunter is an orphan with no pack. In other words, he's a rogue."

Eleanor's face crumpled. That news hit hard, and a pained groan escaped her lips.