Eleanor' POV:

The she-wolf in front of me was dressed to the nines, swaying her hips as she approached with that all-too-familiar sneer.

She was my mother-Ivy.

"Mom," I called out a bit stiffly.

"I asked you-what are you doing back here all of a sudden?" Her eyes shot daggers at me. "Don't tell me you got kicked out?"

I clutched my hands, silence pressing down on my chest like a weight. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Look at the mess you've dragged us into!" Ivy snapped. "We can't even hold our heads up around the other werewolves!"

"I'm warning you, Eleanor. Your tie with Alpha Carl was something your grandfather gave his life for. Your job is simple-take care of the alpha, give him kids, continue the Stormfang line. Got it?!"

"I'm ending the mate bond," I said flatly, the corner of my mouth pulling into a cold smile. "So yeah, looks like your grand plan's about to go up in smoke."

I couldn't stand another second of her yelling, so I turned on my heel and headed straight for the house.

Carl's family couldn't stand me, but honestly? That was mostly thanks to mine-with the one exception of my grandmother. Ivy had been using my bond with Carl to squeeze more and more out of them, always asking for more like it was owed to her.

"Eleanor!" Ivy's voice exploded behind me, full of anger as she stormed over. "How dare you break the mate bond with Alpha Carl? Are you out of your damn mind? Get back here right now!"

"What's all the yelling?" Jack stepped out just then, clearly irritated. "The whole house can hear you screeching!"

I stood by the door, quietly looking at him. "Dad."

"Eleanor? What the hell are you doing back here?" Jack looked stunned. "After what you pulled, Carl still didn't kick you out of the pack, and you have the nerve to come home instead of groveling and fixing your mistake? Turn around and go back!"

For them, the bond between Carl and me was never about love-it was leverage. I was just a pawn, something for them to trade for power and status. To them, all I was good for was being Carl's plaything, forever stuck in a role I never chose.

"I'm ending the mate bond," I said, clenching my fists. "I came back to-"

"Smack!"

A sharp slap landed across my face.

Pain exploded through my cheek, my head spinning. I staggered, barely staying on my feet as blood welled up in the corner of my mouth.

Jack's face was twisted with rage. "I won't allow it!"

I held my face with a shaking hand, taking in a shaky breath. "I'd rather die than be Luna another second."

"If you even think about doing that," Jack yanked my shirt hard, his eyes full of menace, "I'll break your damn legs and throw you out of the pack. You wanna live like some rogue the rest of your life?"

"Doesn't matter what you think. My mind's made up."

"I'll kill you!" Ivy screamed as she charged at me. She grabbed my hair, yanking me to the side, then slammed me to the ground and began hitting me over and over. Her claws tore through my skin like paper. All I could do was curl up and protect my vital parts-my body barely had any strength left in it.

She pressed harder, choking me with both hands. I gasped for air, clawing at her arms. "You think you can defy me and get away with it? You ungrateful brat. Do you have any idea how many girls dream of being a Luna?"

"Eleanor, run!" My grandma Zoe dashed in, shoving Ivy aside. "Get out of here, now!"

She motioned frantically while yelling at me, trying to shield me. Tears blurred my eyes.

I looked at her-at the only one who still loved me. My chest felt like it had been crushed into shards, every piece cutting deeper into what little strength I had left.

Her frail hand pushed me forward, and without another glance, I wiped my tears and bolted out the door.

"You damn old hag! No dinner for you tonight! Starve for all I care!" Ivy spat behind me, screaming in rage.

I bit my lip hard, forcing back the tears stinging my eyes. Deep down, I swore to myself-I'd survive this hell and bring Zoe out of it with me.

Looking a complete mess, I stumbled out of the mansion and made it to the front gate-and that's when I saw Carl.

A pile of cigarette butts littered the ground near him while a wolf shifter crouched nearby cleaning up the trash.

"Ready to come back with me now?" Carl's tone was sour, his smirk cold as he stared me down. "You ran off without a word."

"I can find my way back on my own," I muttered, sniffling. I tried to brush past him, keeping my distance. But out of nowhere, Carl grabbed my arm and yanked me back hard. I let out a pained grunt as I stumbled right into him.

"I came here to drag you back myself," he growled next to my ear. "Don't be stupid, Eleanor."

"You're out of your damn mind!" I wrestled to break free, but his grip only tightened, making my arm throb with pain.

I sucked in a shaky breath, furrowing my brows. My voice trembled, "Even if you saved me eleven years ago, even if I was in love with you for seven years and stayed with you for three... you helped destroy me in Stormfang Pack. I lost everything because of you. Isn't that enough to repay what I owed you?

"I already sold the necklace you gave me. I'll pay you back that money when I can.

"I'm doing everything I can to stay away from you. Why can't you just leave me alone?

"Please, Alpha Carl, I'd rather die anywhere than in front of you!"

Tears streamed down my face as I shoved his hand away. Just being near him made my stomach churn, like I might throw up any second. My whole body would start shaking-yeah, it was that bad.

I used to love him like crazy. And now? I hate him just as fiercely.

Carl didn't give a damn about what I said. He grabbed me roughly and dragged me toward the car. "You're coming with me."

There was no point fighting back. I was too weak.

Inside the car, I pressed myself against the door, trying to stay as far from him as physically possible. Even a few inches felt better than nothing.

He ignored how uncomfortable I clearly was and tossed a new laptop and phone onto the seat next to me. "I bought these for you."

"I don't want them," I said coldly, my voice flat.

"I gave them to you, so you're taking them," Carl snapped.

"I said I don't want them!" I screamed, my voice cracking.

Before he could say another word, I rolled down the window, grabbed both the laptop and phone, and hurled them out. They hit the ground and shattered on impact.

"Eleanor, what the hell is wrong with you now?" Carl snapped, shooting me a furious glare. Clearly, I'd pushed his buttons. He lunged at me, shoving me down into the seat. "Keep acting like this and I'll fuck you right here!"

"Don't touch me! You make my skin crawl!" I shouted, twisting away.

"Crawl?" Carl let out a cold laugh and yanked at my clothes. "Don't act like you're some innocent little thing.

"Oh, right-wasn't it you begging to sleep with me before and I turned you down?

"Well, guess what? I'm making that happen now."

His hands tore through my clothes, exposing me in a blink.

Carl's grip locked around my throat while I fought him off with weak, trembling hands. His fingers moved over me, brushing past my underwear-and I felt a wave of nausea crash over me. I was shaking all over.

Total despair wrapped around me like a chokehold.

Eleanor' POV:

Carl yanked down my bra, his hands seizing my breasts, kneading them roughly.

I gasped in pain, a wave of unwanted pleasure surging from my chest, mixing with the despair that twisted deep inside me.

Pleasure and anguish ignited within me, tangled and uncontrollable. I curled in on myself, trying to resist, but my body betrayed me.

The werewolf driving slammed the partition shut, locking us into our dark, private space.

"Please..." I choked out, my voice barely a whisper.

Carl didn't answer. Instead, his hand slid into my panties. The delicate fabric tore beneath his fingers.

He began to stroke me, slow and deliberate, teasing the slick folds of my core. His palm brushed across my thighs and hips in cruel, lingering circles.

"I hate this," I whispered, but my body was already trembling beneath his touch.

My legs quivered, and heat pooled between them. My breathing grew frantic; I bit my lip, trying to stay silent.

Carl chuckled darkly and pressed harder, faster. I couldn't stop the cry that tore from my throat.

Tears slid down my cheeks as I trembled under his hand, my body shaking with betrayal. And then-release.

Warm wetness spilled from me as I climaxed, my mind going blank, my muscles giving out entirely.

Carl pulled away, his touch vanishing. My thighs trembled, my entire body limp and drained.

I thought he would take me then, force himself inside-but he didn't.

Instead, he sat back, his jaw tight, his eyes cold and unreadable.

I curled into myself again, arms wrapped around my chest, finally free of his grasp-but not the fear.

My mind drifted back to the night we became mates-a night that had felt like sweet torment, one that left me breathless and aching in ways I couldn't explain. I had surrendered to him then. I had wanted him.

But not now. Not like this. I don't crave him anymore.

His tenderness? Never meant for me. That was always Katherine.

"Cut it out. Don't look at me like that," Carl snapped. "It's not like I actually fucked you."

"I was just teaching you a lesson, so you'd quit losing it on me all the time. You think I wanted this?

"And God, look at your body. So bony it's depressing. Like hugging a damn skeleton."

He kept going, eyes full of disgust as he stared at me, naked and exposed. I lowered my head, trying to block out his words.

This wasn't the usual him. He wasn't acting cold and silent like before, but somehow, it felt even worse.

My clothes had been torn up by him, and I didn't dare move an inch.

Eventually, he seemed to notice I had nothing on. He took off his jacket and tossed it at me. "Put it on."

I took it without a word and wrapped it around my thin frame.

He kept staring, that mocking smile growing sharper. "Don't you hate me? So why are you even wearing my clothes? You act like I disgust you, like you couldn't run far enough from me-this monster of a werewolf."

"You tore my clothes," I lifted my head slowly, voice full of dry sarcasm. "Guess that means I get to wear yours now. Or would you actually prefer me walking around naked?"

"Sharp tongue as always, Eleanor," Carl gave a low chuckle. "But you're only allowed to follow my rules now."

He wasn't wrong. So I shut up. That's pretty much been my go-to lately-just acting like he doesn't exist. Silence was safer. Especially with him. I couldn't trust what I'd do if I kept talking.

Neither of us said another word the whole way back to his private villa. As soon as we got there, I headed straight upstairs and tossed his coat aside like it burned.

After a shower and a quick lie-down, nearly an hour had passed.

"Luna," a knock came from outside, one of the staff. "Alpha's been waiting a while."

I took a deep breath, opened the door, and forced myself downstairs to face Carl.

The servant silently led me into the dining room. Carl was already sitting there, water glass in hand like nothing had happened.

"I'm planning to go back to campus tomorrow," I said, sitting down and grabbing a strip of bacon.

I didn't bring up the whole bond thing. After how unhinged he'd been today, it was clear I needed a better play-something subtle.

Carl scoffed. "You do realize that plagiarism mess blew up, right? And you still want to go back?"

"Exactly," I replied calmly, chewing as I talked. "I've got work to finish. I'm getting that diploma, one way or another."

"Think whatever you want," Carl suddenly snapped, slamming his cup down hard before storming upstairs.

His face looked like thunder, like something I'd said just hit a nerve. I raised an eyebrow, totally confused.

Still, seeing him that pissed off weirdly made me feel a lot better.

"What the hell is Carl freaking out about now?" I tilted my head, still puzzled. "Does he seriously think I shouldn't even try going back to the academy?"

I couldn't wrap my head around his need to control everything I did. He used to barely care, and now he wants to be all up in my business?

I finished my dinner slowly, like I had all the time in the world, then headed upstairs too.

*****

Next morning, I left early, just told the housekeeper where I was going.

The design academy wasn't exactly close to the Stormfang Pack, so the ride took a while.

As soon as I stepped on campus, someone shouted, "Eleanor's here!"

That one yell drew all eyes to me. "No way, is that Eleanor? She actually showed up?!"

"She basically trashed the academy's rep... what a joke."

Keeping a straight face, I walked toward the entrance as a wave of nasty whispers and insults crashed over me.

They were clearly shocked to see me, but mostly, there was so much disgust in their eyes.

I hadn't set foot in the design academy for a whole month. Ever since the plagiarism scandal blew up, I'd dragged a ton of negative press onto the school. They clearly didn't want me around anymore. But today, I had no choice-I had to come sign some papers agreeing to the academy's punishment.

The Starluxe Competition was the biggest deal out there-everyone knew it was the gold standard.

Being accused of plagiarism during the finals? Yeah, that hit like a truck. The fallout was brutal. If it weren't for my track record-stacked scholarships and top achievements as a top werewolf designer-I would've been booted out without a second thought.

I slowed down, automatically glancing at the familiar faces of the werewolf students who used to praise me. Now they looked different-some disappointed, some mocking, most just flat-out furious.

Even if things weren't how they imagined, it didn't matter. In their eyes, I was scum. A disgrace to the academy. A shameless werewolf who should've just disappeared.

"There she is," someone muttered under their breath. "Quick, shut the door. Don't let her in. Gross!"

I was just about to reach the studio door when that hit me. Before I even got close, the door slammed hard in my face.

My chest tightened. I reached out, giving the door a soft push-it didn't budge.

Then came the voices-snappy and angry, two female werewolves, no mistaking the disgust in their tone.

"Damn it, get lost! We don't want fakes who steal others' work in our academy!"

"Yeah, you should be ashamed! You stole Katherine's boyfriend, secretly became Carl's mate, and now you're even plagiarizing her work? Seriously, I've never seen a more shameless and toxic wolf than you."

They were Katherine's friends-Phoebe Finch and Poppy Harrington. As far back as I can remember, those two were always glued to Katherine.

The day Carl and I became mates, Phoebe and Poppy blasted a bunch of photos of Carl and Katherine all over campus, dragging me for "stealing" him. They hurled insults at me, claiming I used my grandfather's death to guilt the Stormfang Pack into making me Luna.

Back when I was doing well at the academy, a lot of wolves had my back. No one bought into those lies. But now that I've been labeled a plagiarist, they all fell silent-no one's standing up for me anymore. They're just joining Phoebe and Poppy, piling on.

Still... not everyone turned away.

"Phoebe, Poppy, that's enough! Whether Eleanor comes back or not isn't your business."

"We believe she didn't copy anyone. I saw her design-it screams her style. Why does it have to be Katherine's? What if Katherine copied Eleanor instead, huh?"

"Get out!" Chaos erupted from inside the room.

Voices rose fast-it turned into a mess of yelling and fighting. I heard screams, angry shouts. Sounds like Phoebe and Poppy were dragged away. I reached for the door again-this time, it opened.

A few werewolves were tussling like maniacs on the floor while Phoebe stood nearby, totally losing it and yelling all kinds of stuff.

The moment I stepped in, Poppy's face twisted into a smug, nasty grin. My gut told me something was off, but it was too late to back out.

She whipped out a bottle of filthy water-clearly had it ready for this-and hurled it straight at me. It hit my head, soaking my hair with some sickening stench.

"Hahaha!" Poppy tossed the empty bottle aside, laughing so hard her face turned red.

The fighting and quiet werewolves all froze and backed away.

"Ugh, what the hell is that smell?!"

"I'm gonna puke-it's worse than a public toilet!"

I slowly lifted my head and stared coldly at Poppy's twisted smirk.

She crossed her arms and gave me a mocking look. "What, mad? Then hit me if you've got the guts!"

My fists clenched tight. That urge to snap? It was boiling over.

"Eleanor! If you hit her, you'll get expelled for real-don't do it!" A nearby werewolf shouted anxiously.

I froze for a split second, and it hit me-Poppy did this on purpose. She wanted me to snap, to mess up completely. But if I laid a finger on her now, I'd be finished. No coming back from that.

"You shut your filthy mouth," Poppy snapped, realizing I hadn't fallen for her act. She shot a murderous glare at the wolf who dared to warn me, then stormed up to me, jabbing a finger in my face. "Skanks like you seriously have no shame..."

"What is going on here?!" A furious shout came from outside the room.

The wolves instantly stepped aside. "Professor Donovan!"

Leo Donovan walked in at just the right moment, his face dark with anger as he took in the scene-his eyes bounced between Poppy and me, sharp and accusing.

The look he gave me was a painful mix of confusion and disappointment.

I pressed my lips together, the bitterness rising in my throat.

Once, I'd been the student he was most proud of. Now, all I brought him was disgrace.

"Eleanor," he sighed, voice low but heavy, "come with me. Let's talk in my office-about your withdrawal."

That look in his eyes made me want to disappear.

But right now, I had no other choice.

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.