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.

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.