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.

Eleanor had no choice but to head back to the academy, but her mind was a complete mess on the way.

Martin had basically vanished. And once the police found out he might be a rogue, they straight-up refused to help. She couldn't even prove that he wasn't dangerous, just a regular werewolf.

But what could she do? She wasn't someone with resources or any kind of power. She could barely afford tuition, let alone launch a full-on search. She hadn't slept a wink last night, and now her head was pounding as she rushed to class.

With five minutes to spare, Eleanor finally made it to the classroom right before the bell rang.

Dragging her feet, Eleanor squeezed into a corner seat, hugging her books like a lifeline. The chatter around her caught her attention.

"Oh my god, did you hear? A snake got into the dorms yesterday!"

"I'm seriously worried. If Phoebe got bitten, what if there's more? What if there's one in our room right now?"

"What happened?" Eleanor couldn't help but ask.

A werewolf sitting nearby gave her a weird look, then muttered, "You really don't know? Last night Phoebe got bit multiple times by a venomous snake in her room. Even the healer couldn't help-she had to be rushed to the hospital."

A venomous snake showing up right in the dorm area? Eleanor's brows pulled together. She had a sinking feeling in her chest-something wasn't right.

"Eleanor, look what you've done!" A shrill, furious voice suddenly cut in.

She slowly looked up and saw Poppy storming toward her, face twisted in anger. Without hesitation, Poppy grabbed the books out of her hands and tossed them all onto the floor.

"Oh really? And what exactly did I do?" Eleanor asked flatly, giving her a cold stare.

"You're not even staying on campus, but you still requested access to the dorms. I actually thought you were living there for real," Poppy spat, her fists clenched tight. "Then boom-you leave a damn venomous snake in the room and nearly kill poor Phoebe!"

"You're a murderer! A psycho!" she shrieked.

Turns out Phoebe had let the snake out too early by accident last night. It had latched onto her the moment it was freed. Lucky break though-the snake wasn't that venomous. If it had been, she probably wouldn't have made it.

"Eleanor did that? That's insane..."

All the werewolves in the classroom glanced over, uneasy creeping into their eyes.

Eleanor stayed calm. "I was supposed to stay there... but you all made sure I couldn't."

"That's total nonsense!" Poppy snapped, her face dark and stormy. "How could a snake just show up in the dorms-right where we live? And it just so happened to come from your room. You're not even staying here anymore, so why is your stuff still in there?"

Eleanor didn't respond right away, her brows drawn together as she tried to piece it all together.

Poppy seized the moment to twist the story. "That was a venomous snake, okay? If the healer hadn't come fast enough, Phoebe would've died. You're basically a murderer!"

"Oh? Well then, go ahead and call someone to arrest me," Eleanor shrugged, completely unfazed. "If you're so sure it was me, get an actual werewolf tracker to check where that snake came from."

Poppy froze, pointing at her with a shaky hand, eyes wide. "You... you..."

"What? Scared now?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow, voice dripping with sarcasm. "If this is such a big deal, why didn't you report it to a detective or the cops? Unless... you're the one behind it and can't risk getting caught?"

Poppy clenched her jaw but didn't dare say anything back. Their whole plan had been sloppy-plenty of people already knew they'd bought a snake. If anyone really started digging into this, they'd get found out in no time.

Eleanor let out a cold laugh, pulling out her phone to make the call.

Poppy's face went pale, and she lunged forward, snatching the phone right out of Eleanor's hand. That's when she caught sight of the pattern on the back of it.

"Ah! This is the phone I lost two months ago!" she shouted, eyes lighting up.

Poppy's face twisted in a nasty grin, her eyes locking onto Eleanor like she'd just won the lottery. "See those initials? P. H. That's my name. You stole it, you thief!"

She was practically bouncing with joy. After all this time trying to catch Eleanor slipping, she finally had what looked like hard evidence of theft.

"I've even got the receipt to prove it's mine," Poppy added smugly, chin high, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Look at this pathetic little thief. Not only did she try to steal someone's mate, now she's out here swiping my phone too. Seriously? Stormfang Pack's Luna can't even afford her own phone? That's just sad and disgusting."

Just then, Professor Gibson walked in, his tone sharp as he scanned the chaotic classroom. "What is going on? Class has started."

"Professor Gibson," Poppy was quick to step forward. "I need to report Eleanor. She stole my phone."

The whispers among the students started immediately-eyes filled with judgment turned toward Eleanor. Most looked doubtful and skeptical. But a few still quietly stood by her, silently lending support.

"What's all this about?" Joshua Gibson asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. He looked like he already had a headache forming.

Eleanor was always that top student-the kind professors loved to brag about. Before the plagiarism mess, almost every professor had her back. But now? Completely different story. She'd basically become the embarrassment of the design school-professors included.

"Eleanor, do you want me to call your instructor to sort this out?" Joshua asked, straight to the point.

"Professor Gibson, I didn't steal the phone," Eleanor said firmly, not backing down. "I bought it from a street vendor near school just two days ago. The guy said someone didn't want it anymore. Cost me only three hundred."

"I even have the receipt, and the vendor can vouch for me. If Poppy really thinks I stole it, feel free to check. You'll see I didn't do anything wrong." She quickly fished the crumpled receipt from her pocket.

"Well, in that case," Joshua exhaled, clearly relieved as he nodded, "hurry up and take your seat. We've got class to start."

Poppy pouted, shooting Eleanor a glare before slumping back into her chair, clearly fuming.

The werewolves all went quiet at once, shuffling back to their spots without another word.

"Maybe she did steal it," Poppy grumbled, refusing to let it go. She leaned toward the werewolf beside her. "She probably got the shopkeeper to cover for her. Seriously, she's the Luna of the Stormfang Pack, and she's out here buying a secondhand phone for three hundred bucks?"

She knew full well Eleanor didn't have the guts to steal a phone. She just couldn't stand not being able to pin something on her. So now, she had to take a shot at Eleanor's pride-calling her broke, hoping it would sting.

The werewolf next to her just gave a half-hearted nod. "Yeah, sure."

Poppy kept throwing in quiet jabs, but Eleanor acted like she didn't hear a word.

After class, Poppy stormed out of the room, looking ticked off. She ducked into a corner of the hallway and quickly dialed Katherine.

"Babe, I have some news you're gonna love," she said with a wicked little grin.

Caught up in the thrill of gossip, she had no clue Eleanor was standing silently just a few feet behind her.

Eyes narrowed, Eleanor pulled out her phone and hit record. She wanted to know exactly what Poppy would say.

"You would not believe how pathetic that loser is right now," Poppy said, practically buzzing. "So, my old phone, the one I lost? Apparently, some thief sold it to a secondhand shop. And guess what-I saw Eleanor bought it today. She didn't even peel off the stickers!"

"Wait, she's really that broke?" Katherine's voice came through, shocked. "And what about the snake thing last night? Did it bite her or what?"

Poppy muttered, clearly annoyed, "Ugh, drop it already. She suddenly moved off campus. That snake bit Phoebe-she's still in the hospital. Eleanor is just disgusting, seriously. Anyone who gets near her ends up screwed. Don't worry, Katherine. I'll figure something out. As long as she's still at the academy, she's not getting off easy."

"Even if we can't get her expelled, I'll make sure she totally loses it. Consider it my little gift for you and Carl," she said with a smug little laugh before hanging up, turning around with a hum.

Only to freeze-Eleanor was right there, just a few feet away, staring her down coldly.

Startled, Poppy yelped, slapping a hand over her face. "Ahh!"

Once she came back to her senses, she glared at Eleanor and snapped, "What is wrong with you?!"

"So, it was Katherine pulling the strings all along," Eleanor said, voice calm and even. "Which not only clears me of planting the snake, but also shows this whole setup was Miss Snow's doing. That's your so-called genius Alpha's daughter?"

"Don't drag her into this!" Poppy shot back, eyes sharp. "Like anyone's gonna believe what you say."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow, then casually hit play on her phone. From the speaker, Poppy's voice rang out, "Don't worry, Katherine. I'll figure something out..."

"You seriously recorded that?" Poppy went pale. "Shit, you bitch, delete it now!"

She totally didn't see that coming. In her head, Eleanor was just some brainless girl trailing after Carl.

Frantic, Poppy lunged at her, but Eleanor smoothly stepped aside, letting her fall forward awkwardly.

"I already sent it to someone else to keep safe. Even if you snatch my phone, it won't matter," Eleanor said, voice sharp with a smug edge. "You really think I'd be dumb enough to let you destroy something like that?"

"You think Alpha Carl won't come after you?" Poppy snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "He'll do whatever it takes to protect Katherine. She's his favorite, don't you get it? Now delete the damn thing, skank!"

She was practically screaming, but still didn't dare lay a hand on her in the hallway.

"Say that again," Eleanor said coldly, her lips curled in a smirk.

Poppy looked up, ready to throw more insults, but froze when she met Eleanor's eyes. Gone was the timid, clueless girl. What stood there now was someone cold, sharp, and dangerous-like she wouldn't hesitate to destroy her.

"You..." Poppy swallowed hard, fear creeping in. She couldn't believe a delta's daughter could scare her like this. "What are you gonna do?"

"It's nothing serious. But if I hear you trash-talking or messing with me again, that recording's going out immediately."

"How dare you!"

"Go ahead, try me."

"It's just a few words. That's not even proper evidence," Poppy muttered, though her voice shook and she couldn't hide the trembling.

"Oh yeah? Then be my guest." Eleanor's tone was cool and unfazed.

She turned on her heel and walked off, head held high like a queen-calm, fierce, and not looking back.