"Are you seriously sitting out here again?"

I kept my eyes glued to my bruised knees.

Maya crossed her arms, her shadow falling over me. "I asked you a question, Maeve."

"Leave her alone, Maya," Jackson sneered, leaning against the chain-link fence. "If you get too close, the defect might be contagious."

"I just don't understand how a seventeen-year-old Omega still hasn't shifted," Maya said. "It's unnatural. Are you sure you're even a werewolf?"

"I'm sure," I said.

"Prove it." Maya kicked a pebble at my sneaker. "Shift right now. Show us a single claw."

I pulled my oversized sweater tighter around my shoulders. "Class is starting soon."

"Don't ignore me!" Maya barked.

She snatched my backpack from the ground.

"Give that back," I said, standing up.

"What are you going to do about it?" Jackson asked. "Bite us with your human teeth?"

Maya unzipped the main pocket. She dumped the contents onto the dirt. Pencils, textbooks, and my worn leather notebook tumbled out.

"Oops," Maya laughed. "Clumsy me."

"You're pathetic," I muttered.

Jackson stepped forward, his eyes flashing yellow. "Watch your mouth, Omega. You have no rank. No pack. You're nothing."

I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted copper. Fighting back meant a trip to the nurse's office. I just needed to survive senior year.

"Hey!" A voice rang out across the courtyard.

The hostility vanished from Jackson's face. Maya immediately smoothed her hair.

Kael Prescott jogged toward us. The golden boy of Oak Creek High.

"Is there a problem here?" Kael asked.

"No problem, Kael," Maya said, her voice instantly turning sweet. "Just helping Maeve organize her bag."

"It didn't look like helping," Kael noted.

He crouched down and began gathering my scattered pens.

Jackson scoffed, kicking the dirt. "Come on, Maya. Let's go inside. The air out here stinks of failure."

They walked away, leaving me alone with the most popular Alpha in school.

"You shouldn't let them talk to you like that," Kael said.

He handed me my math textbook.

"I didn't want to cause a scene," I said.

"A true Alpha doesn't let his packmates suffer."

I stared at his outstretched hand holding my notebook. "I'm not exactly pack material, Kael."

He dropped his hand, offering a sympathetic smile. "You're too hard on yourself, Maeve. Give it time."

"Time ran out two years ago."

"My father always says a late bloomer just has deeper roots." Kael tapped the cover of my diary. "Keep your chin up. Senior year is going to be great."

"Hey, Kael!" A group of cheerleaders waved from the cafeteria doors. "We saved you a seat!"

He turned back to me. "See you around, Maeve."

I watched him jog away.

I sat back down under the oak tree and opened the diary.

*Year three. Day one. He actually defended me.*

My pen scratched against the paper. I traced his name on the page. Three years of writing about him. Three years of hoping his gentle nature meant he could look past my broken wolf.

I closed the book and pressed it to my chest. Just one smile from Kael made the morning's torment bearable.

The warning bell rang, forcing me inside.

Homeroom was a nightmare of assigned seating.

I took a desk in the back corner.

A girl named Sarah sat next to me, then immediately dragged her chair three inches to the right.

"Don't want to catch the dud gene," Sarah whispered to her friend.

I stared straight ahead.

"Maeve," Mr. Harrison called out from the front desk. "Do you have your health clearance form?"

The whole class turned to look at me.

"Yes, sir," I said.

"Bring it here."

I stood up and walked to the front.

"Still marking you as unshifted?" he asked, not lowering his voice.

"Yes."

"Seventeen is quite late. The school board requires a medical note if you don't shift by eighteen."

"I know."

"Just making sure." He stamped the paper.

I walked back to my desk. The whispers followed me.

"She's basically human."

"I'd be so embarrassed."

I opened my diary again under the desk. I needed an escape.

*Kael's eyes are so kind. He doesn't look at me like I'm a disease.*

The second bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom.

I packed my bag and headed for the main hallway.

The corridor was packed, buzzing with first-day energy. Lockers slammed. Friends shouted across the aisle.

Then, the noise died. Completely.

"Get back," a junior hissed, grabbing her friend's sleeve.

"Don't look at him."

The crowd parted like the Red Sea.

Thorn Mercer stepped through the double doors.

He wore a battered leather jacket. His dark eyes scanned the corridor, cold and empty.

"I heard he almost killed a guy in the neighboring territory," a sophomore whispered to my left.

"My brother said the teachers are terrified of him," another replied.

The Black King. That was what they called him.

I pressed my spine against the metal lockers. I just wanted to blend in.

Thorn kept walking. His heavy footsteps echoed against the linoleum.

He didn't look at anyone. He didn't have to. The oppressive weight of his aura forced everyone into submission.

I hugged my backpack to my chest.

Just keep walking. Pass me by.

A guy from the football team stumbled backward, bumping hard into my shoulder.

My bag slipped. The broken zipper gave way.

My books spilled across the floor. Again.

And my diary slid straight into the center of the aisle.

Right at Thorn's feet.

He stopped.

The entire hallway froze.

Thorn looked down at the worn leather cover.

"Sorry," I squeaked, dropping to my knees.

I reached for it.

A heavy boot stepped on the edge of the notebook.

I froze.

"Move," I whispered, my voice shaking.

Thorn didn't budge. He stared down at me.

"Is this yours?" His voice was gravel and ice.

"Yes. Please."

He crouched. The sheer size of him blocked out the fluorescent lights overhead.

"You drop things easily, Omega."

My jaw tightened. "It was an accident."

He picked up the journal. His long fingers brushed the binding.

"Give it back," I demanded. My heart hammered against my ribs.

Thorn tilted his head. "You're shaking."

"I'm not."

"Liar."

He flipped the book open.

"No!" I lunged forward.

He held it out of reach with effortless grace. His dark eyes scanned the open page.

The page where I had just written Kael's name.

A muscle twitched in Thorn's jaw.

"Kael Prescott," Thorn read aloud. The syllables sounded like a curse in his mouth.

"Shut up," I snapped.

A few gasps echoed from the bystanders. No one told the Black King to shut up.

Thorn's gaze snapped back to mine. The coldness in his eyes shifted into something sharp. Dangerous.

"You think the golden boy can save you?" he asked.

"That's none of your business."

He snapped the book shut. "He plays nice for the crowd. You're just a charity case to him."

I snatched the diary from his grip. "You don't know anything about him."

"I know enough." Thorn stood up to his full height.

I scrambled to my feet, clutching the book to my chest.

"Stay away from me," I said.

Thorn stepped closer. The scent of pine and impending storm washed over me.

"I wasn't the one who threw my secrets at someone else's feet," he murmured.

He leaned in, his voice dropping so low only I could hear it.

"But if you want to survive this year, little Omega, you'd

"Pass it to Kael!" a voice shouted from the sidelines.

I sat on the highest tier of the bleachers, my knees pulled tightly to my chest. Down on the green turf, Kael caught the football. He dodged a defender and sprinted past the fifty-yard line.

"He's so fast," Chloe, a junior sitting two rows below me, squealed.

"Obviously," Sarah replied, aggressively reapplying her lip gloss. "He's an Alpha. The absolute best in our year."

Kael spiked the ball in the end zone. The small crowd in the stands erupted into cheers.

I smiled, my fingers tapping the cold metal bench.

Then, Seren walked onto the field.

"Need some water, Kael?" Seren asked. She tossed him a plastic bottle.

"Thanks, Seren," Kael said. He jogged over to her, wiping sweat from his forehead. He flashed that signature smile. The exact smile I wrote about every single night.

"They look so perfect together," Chloe sighed, resting her chin in her hands.

"The future Alpha and Luna," Sarah agreed. "I heard they're going to the Autumn Dance together. He already bought the tickets."

My stomach twisted into a tight knot. I dug my fingernails into my palms.

"Hey, Kael!" Seren laughed. She playfully shoved his shoulder. "You almost knocked me over on that last play!"

"I'd never let you fall," Kael teased back, catching her hand for a brief second.

I stood up. The metal bleacher groaned loudly under my sneakers.

"Watch it, defect," Sarah snapped. She glared over her shoulder. "You're blocking my view."

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Why are you even out here?" Chloe asked, wrinkling her nose. "You don't even have a wolf to appreciate the game."

"I just like fresh air," I lied.

"Go get some somewhere else," Sarah ordered. "You're ruining the aesthetic."

I grabbed my backpack and hurried down the steps. I couldn't watch them anymore. My chest ached, a dull, heavy throb that reminded me exactly of where I stood in the pack hierarchy. Nowhere.

I reached the safety of the main hallway. The corridors were mostly empty during fifth period athletics.

I stopped in front of my locker and spun the dial. *32-14-9.*

The metal door popped open. I pulled my worn leather diary from the bottom of my bag.

"Writing another love letter you'll never send?"

I jumped, nearly dropping the book. Maya leaned against the lockers next to mine.

"What do you want, Maya?" I asked. I shielded the pages with my arm.

"Just checking on the pack's biggest disappointment," Maya said. "Skipping athletics again?"

"Coach said I could use the study hall."

"Because you're too weak to run a single mile." Maya smirked, stepping closer. "What's in the book, Maeve? Still obsessing over Kael?"

"Leave me alone."

"He was just talking to Seren," Maya pointed out. Her voice was thick with fake pity. "Everyone saw them on the field."

"I saw," I said, keeping my gaze fixed on the metal shelf.

"Seren is a purebred Alpha female. You don't even have a wolf. Do the math, Maeve."

"I'm just writing," I said. My voice hardened. "It's none of your business."

Maya reached for the notebook. "Let me read it."

I shoved her hand away. "Don't touch it."

"Feisty for a human," Maya laughed, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "Keep dreaming, Omega. But don't expect a fairy tale ending."

She strutted away down the hall, her laughter echoing off the tile walls.

I grabbed my pen. My hand shook as I scribbled on the blank page.

*He smiled at her. But he defended me this morning. Maybe he just pities me. No. He told me to keep my chin up. He sees me. I know he does.*

I closed the leather cover and ran my thumb over the binding. This book was my only safe space. The only place I wasn't a broken, unshifted failure. In these pages, I was normal. In these pages, Kael and I actually had a chance.

I shoved the diary to the very back of the top shelf, hiding it behind my thick biology textbook. I slammed the metal door shut. I spun the dial three times, making absolutely sure the lock clicked into place.

The bell rang, shattering the quiet. Doors flew open down the corridor. Students flooded the hallway, their voices overlapping in a chaotic buzz.

I kept my head down, navigating the sea of bodies.

"Did you hear about Marcus?" a guy named Toby asked, shoving past me to talk to his friend.

"Yeah," the other boy replied. "Three broken ribs. The medics had to carry him out of the woods on a stretcher."

"Who did it?"

"Thorn Mercer. Marcus bumped into him at the border line last night."

"Just bumped into him?" Toby asked, his eyes wide.

"Thorn doesn't need a reason. The guy is a total psycho."

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop ten degrees.

The loud chatter died out instantly. The crowd parted ahead of me, pressing themselves against the lockers.

Thorn Mercer stalked down the center of the aisle.

He wore the same battered leather jacket from this morning. His dark eyes stared straight ahead, cold and unyielding. The shadows in the corridor seemed to cling to his broad shoulders.

"Move," a senior hissed. He yanked his girlfriend out of Thorn's path.

I froze. My feet glued themselves to the linoleum floor.

Thorn took another step. His gaze flicked to the side and locked onto mine.

My heart slammed against my ribs. The sheer force of his aura pushed against my chest, demanding immediate submission. My knees trembled.

"Out of the way," Thorn said. His voice was a low rumble that vibrated through the floorboards.

"I..." I swallowed hard, stepping backward rapidly.

My shoulder hit the cold brick wall.

Thorn didn't stop. He walked right past me. The scent of pine and impending storm washed over my senses, wrapping around me like a heavy blanket.

"Keep your head down, little Omega," Thorn murmured as he passed. The words were meant only for my ears.

I squeezed my eyes shut. My pulse raced uncontrollably. I waited until his heavy footsteps faded completely into the distance.

"He is terrifying," Chloe whispered. She suddenly appeared next to me, clutching her binder.

"I told you," Sarah said, adjusting the straps of her backpack. "Stay away from him. My dad says the Mercer bloodline is completely cursed."

"I don't plan on getting anywhere near him," I said. My voice was barely a squeak.

"Good," Sarah sneered. "Because he'd probably snap a weakling like you in half just for looking at him wrong."

I didn't argue. I hurried in the opposite direction, desperate to put as much distance between me and the Black King as possible. I just wanted to survive the day.

I turned the corner, heading back toward my locker to grab my history textbook for next period.

But as I approached my row, my steps faltered.

Jackson stood directly in front of my locker. He held a thick metal crowbar in his right hand.

"Hey, Jackson," Maya called out from down the hall. "Did you get it open yet?"

"Almost," Jackson laughed. He wedged the metal bar into the seam of my locker door and yanked hard.

The metal screeched.

"Stop!" I yelled, sprinting forward.

"Stop!" I yelled, sprinting forward.

Jackson paused, leaving the crowbar wedged in the metal seam of my locker. He turned, a cruel smile stretching across his face.

"Look who decided to show up," Jackson mocked. "I was just doing some maintenance for you, Maeve."

"Get away from my locker," I demanded.

Maya stepped in front of him, crossing her arms. "Or what? You'll growl at us? Oh wait, you can't."

"I'll report you to Mr. Harrison," I said.

"Go ahead," Jackson laughed. "Tell him the big bad wolves are picking on the poor little human. He won't care. No one cares about a defect."

He gripped the crowbar and yanked. The metal screeched again.

"I said stop!" I lunged toward him.

Maya shoved me back. My shoulders hit the opposite row of lockers.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Maya snapped.

"Mr. Harrison is coming!" a freshman shouted from the stairwell.

Jackson dropped the metal bar. It clanged against the tile floor.

"Saved by the bell, Omega," Jackson sneered.

Maya grabbed his sleeve. "Leave it. Let's go."

They bolted down the corridor. I skidded to a halt in front of my locker. The dial was heavily scratched, the metal casing dented, but the lock held firm. I sagged against the neighboring unit. Safe.

I skipped the cafeteria for lunch break and headed straight to the courtyard for self-study. I needed space. I spent forty minutes under the oak tree, reviewing chemistry notes, convinced the worst was over.

I was wrong.

When I returned to the main corridor, the locker door swung wide open on a broken hinge.

"No," I whispered.

I dropped my backpack and fell to my knees. My hands tore through the remaining contents. Binders. Pens. Gym clothes.

The thick biology textbook lay discarded on the linoleum.

The space behind it was empty.

My leather diary was gone.

I stared at the empty shelf. A ringing sound started in my ears. Three years of secrets. Three years of writing Kael's name. Every desperate, pathetic thought about my broken wolf. Stolen.

I stood up, my knees shaking. The hallway buzzed with students heading to fifth period.

I grabbed the shoulder of the nearest guy. Toby from math class.

"Did you see who did this?" I asked.

He yanked his arm away. "Watch it, Maeve."

"Someone broke into my locker. Please, Toby. Did you see them?"

"I just got here." He adjusted his backpack strap. "Maybe your invisible wolf ate it."

"It's a leather notebook," I pushed, stepping into his path. "Who took it?"

"Toby, please. You sit next to me in math. You know I don't bother anyone."

"Yeah, and you don't contribute anything either," Toby replied. "Look, Maeve. The Alpha line doesn't care about you. Why should the rest of us? Maya is a high-ranking female. You're a zero. I'm not getting on her bad side for a zero."

He shoved past me.

I stumbled, catching myself on a trash can.

A couple leaned against the trophy case nearby, whispering and pointing at my busted locker.

I marched over to them.

"Excuse me," I said.

The girl rolled her eyes. "What do you want, defect?"

"My locker was pried open. Did Jackson come this way?"

The guy sneered. "Why do you care? You don't have anything worth stealing. Unless someone finally decided to throw out your trash for you."

"It's a journal," I said. "It's really important to me."

"A journal?" The girl laughed, covering her mouth. "What do you write in there? Tips on how to stay human? Or maybe a list of reasons why you're a disappointment to the pack?"

"Just tell me if you saw them."

"We didn't," the guy said, stepping between me and his girlfriend. "Move along, dud. Go fetch Kael. He likes playing hero for strays. Maybe he'll fetch your little book."

"He's not playing hero," I snapped.

"Oh, right," the girl mocked. "He's totally in love with the girl who can't even grow claws. Keep dreaming, Omega."

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I backed away from them.

I spotted Sarah and Chloe near the water fountain.

I marched straight up to them.

"Where is it?" I demanded.

Sarah stopped filling her plastic bottle. "Excuse me?"

"You know Jackson and Maya were messing with my lock earlier," I said. "Where did they go?"

"Are you barking at me, Omega?" Sarah asked. Her eyes flashed a faint yellow. "You forget your place."

"I just want my notebook back."

Chloe snickered. "Why are you so panicked? Is there a little secret in there? Maybe a love letter to a certain Alpha?"

I dug my nails into my palms. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please," Sarah scoffed. "Everyone sees the way you stare at him during athletics. You're practically drooling. It's disgusting. Kael is destined for Seren. You're destined to be a lone wolf outcast."

"I just want my property."

"Go check the trash," Sarah said. "That's where garbage belongs."

"Did Maya take it?" I asked, my voice rising.

"Lower your tone," Sarah warned, stepping closer. "You have no right to question us. You don't belong in this pack. You barely belong in this school. If Maya took your pathetic little diary, she did you a favor. Maybe she'll teach you not to aim above your station."

"Tell me where she is."

Sarah shoved my shoulder. "I said back off."

I stumbled backward. Nobody would help. They wanted to see me break. They wanted the entertainment.

I jogged down the hall, checking the empty classrooms.

I found a freshman girl packing her bag in the corner of the art room.

"Hey," I said, panting.

She jumped. "Oh. Hi."

"Did you see