I stared at the glowing screen of my phone.

*Did you really think a human school would hide your scent? See you soon, defective.*

My thumb hovered over the block button. I tapped it, deleted the thread, and shoved the device deep into my pocket.

"Earth to Elowen." Liam waved a hand in front of my face.

I blinked, pulling my focus back to the crowded cafeteria. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you were coming to the pep rally tomorrow," Liam repeated. He stole a fry from my tray. "Jasper just announced a surprise exhibition game for Friday night."

"A game against who?"

"Some elite private academy. The Iron Hounds."

I dropped my fork. It clattered loudly against the plastic tray. "Where is Jasper right now?"

"Weight room. But you can't go in there—"

I pushed away from the table, ignoring the rest of his sentence, and sprinted down the hallway.

The gym smelled of stale sweat and floor cleaner. Jasper Miller, the team captain, stood by a bench press, racking a heavy barbell. Sweat stained the collar of his grey t-shirt.

"Jasper."

He turned, wiping his forehead with a towel. "Hey. Elowen, right? Maya's friend."

"You have to cancel the game on Friday."

He chuckled, tossing the towel onto a nearby bench. "Nice to see you too. And no, I don't think I will."

"I'm serious." I stepped closer, keeping my voice low so his teammates wouldn't hear. "You don't know who you're playing."

"I know they're undefeated in their district." Jasper picked up a water bottle. "I know they challenged us. That's all I need."

"They will destroy you."

Jasper's smile vanished. He stood up straight, towering over me. "We won state last year. We don't get destroyed."

"They aren't normal." I grasped for a human excuse, my nails biting into my palms. "They're huge. They play dirty. They'll put half your roster in the hospital."

"Are you a scout for them or something?"

"I know them. Their captain, Kael. He's dangerous."

"Kael is the one who called Coach this morning." Jasper crossed his massive arms. "Said he wanted to test his defensive line against the best. We accepted."

*He called this morning.*

The reality hit me like a physical blow. Kael didn't just stumble upon Crestview High. My parents had scrubbed my records. They paid in cash for our new house.

He used his family's money.

I backed out of the weight room and pulled my phone back out, dialing my father's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Dad, he found me."

"Are you sure?" My father's voice crackled through the speaker.

"He hired a private investigator," I said, pacing the empty stairwell. "That is the only way he found my enrollment records so fast. He set up an exhibition game with the Crestview football team. The Iron Hounds are playing here on Friday."

"I'll track down the agency he used," my father replied, his tone hardening. "But right now, I am calling the school board. I'll tell them the opposing team has a history of extreme violence."

"It won't work. Jasper is obsessed with college scouts, and the coach already signed the agreement."

"Then you don't go to school on Friday."

"If I hide, he wins." I gripped the railing. "He'll just keep coming back. He used this game as a Trojan horse to enter human territory legally. If I run, he might take his anger out on these kids."

"Those human boys will be slaughtered on that field, Elowen."

"I tried to warn the captain. He won't listen." I rubbed my temples. "I'm going to class, but I'm skipping the game. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me."

"Stay inside the building. Do not go near that field."

"I won't."

I hung up.

Friday afternoon arrived with a sickening level of excitement. Blue and gold streamers hung from every locker. Students painted their faces in the hallways.

Maya leaned against my locker, adjusting a blue foam finger. "So, tailgate at five?"

"I'm going home." I shoved my math book into my bag.

"You're kidding." Maya dropped her arm. "The whole town is turning up for this. Jasper promised a blowout."

"Not my scene."

"Come on. The opposing team just arrived." She pointed down the hall. "Their bus is massive. The guys walking off it look like literal giants. You have to see them."

A chill shot down my spine. "They're here?"

"Yeah. Walking through the main entrance right now to use the visitor locker rooms."

"Jasper!" a voice yelled from down the hall.

I looked past Maya. Jasper jogged down the corridor, wearing his varsity jacket.

"Elowen," Jasper called out, stopping in front of us. "Last chance. I saved you a seat in the front row. Come watch us crush them."

"I told you," I said, zipping my bag shut. "I won't be there. And if you have any brain cells left, you'll forfeit right now."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "You worry too much. See you on Monday."

He jogged away, disappearing around the corner.

"You are so stubborn," Maya complained. "Just come for the first quarter."

"I have to go."

I turned toward the side exit, desperate to escape the building before the visiting team made it inside.

The heavy double doors at the end of the corridor swung wide open.

The scent hit me before the sound did. Pine needles and aggressive, suffocating dominance.

"Move." A harsh voice cut through the human chatter.

I snapped my head up.

Kael stood at the end of the hall. He wore a black and silver letterman jacket, his broad shoulders taking up half the walkway. Four other Moonlight Academy wolves flanked him, their eyes scanning the sea of oblivious humans.

"Well, well," Kael announced loudly, stepping over a fallen cheerleader's pom-pom. "Look at this quaint little place."

He didn't need to search the crowd for long.

His amber eyes locked directly onto mine.

A slow, cruel smile spread across his face.

I broke eye contact with Kael and ducked into the swarm of students.

"Elowen?" Maya called out. "Where are you going?"

"Nurse," I tossed over my shoulder. "I'm going to throw up."

I didn't wait for her reply. I pushed through the sea of blue and gold jerseys, keeping my head down. The heavy scent of pine rolled through the corridor, suffocating the smell of floor wax and cheap perfume. I needed to get to the clinic, fake a fever, and call my mother to pick me up.

I turned the corner toward the administrative wing. The hallway was completely empty.

"Leaving so soon, defective?"

Rhea stepped out from an alcove, blocking my path. Two other girls from Moonlight Academy, Tasha and Briar, flanked her. They crossed their arms, sealing off the corridor.

"Move, Rhea." I kept my voice steady.

"Or what?" Rhea mocked. She closed the distance between us. "You're going to slap me again? Try it. Let's see how long you last without your daddy's money protecting you."

"I don't want any trouble."

"Too late." Rhea shoved my chest.

My spine hit the metal lockers with a loud crash. Before I could recover, she grabbed my left forearm. Her grip felt like a vise.

"You think you can hide among these weaklings?" Rhea sneered. "You think a human school makes you safe?"

"Let me go." I yanked my arm, but she held fast.

"I should drag you into the cafeteria right now." She leaned in close. "I should stand on a table and tell every single human in this pathetic building exactly what you are. A wolfless freak. A genetic mistake."

"They wouldn't believe you."

"They'd believe a demonstration." Her amber eyes flashed. Her fingernails elongated into sharp points, digging through the fabric of my sweater and piercing my skin.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips. Blood welled up beneath her claws.

"Hey!" a deep voice echoed down the hall.

Rhea's head snapped up. Her claws instantly retracted.

Jasper jogged toward us, his brow furrowed in anger. He wore his varsity jacket, his heavy footsteps echoing on the linoleum. "Is there a problem here?"

Rhea’s hostile expression vanished. She flashed a dazzling, innocent smile. "No problem at all! Just catching up with an old friend."

She linked her arm through mine, pressing her bloody fingers against my ribs. The hidden threat was clear. *Play along, or I expose you.*

"Elowen?" Jasper stopped in front of us. He scanned my pale face. "You know them?"

"Tell him, El," Rhea urged. She squeezed my ribs. Hard.

Pain shot through my side. I forced a nod. "Yes. We went to middle school together."

"Right." Jasper didn't look convinced. His gaze dropped to my trembling hands, then back to Rhea. "Well, she's sick. Coach asked me to walk her to the clinic."

Jasper reached out and grabbed my right hand, pulling me firmly away from Rhea’s grip.

Rhea let go, taking a step back. She pulled her phone from her pocket.

*Click.*

The camera flash briefly blinded me.

"Cute," Rhea laughed, tapping the screen. "A human knight in shining armor. I'm going to send this to Kael. Let's see what he thinks of your new boyfriend touching you."

"Don't do that," I warned, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Oops. Sent." Rhea smirked. She turned on her heel. "See you on the field, Jasper. Good luck."

Tasha and Briar snickered as they followed her around the corner.

The moment they disappeared, I tore my hand out of Jasper's grip and sprinted for the side exit doors.

"Elowen, wait!"

I slammed my body against the crash bar. The heavy doors flew open. Cold afternoon air hit my face, but it did nothing to cool the panic burning in my chest. I ran down the concrete steps and hit the pavement of the parking lot.

Jasper caught up to me near the visitor bleachers. He grabbed my uninjured shoulder, spinning me around. "Hold on."

"Leave me alone, Jasper."

"You're bleeding." He pointed at my left arm.

I looked down. Four deep, crescent-shaped punctures leaked crimson down my wrist, staining the cuff of my sweater.

"I scratched myself on the locker," I lied, covering the marks with my other hand.

"Bullshit." Jasper stepped into my path, blocking my route to the street. "You begged me to cancel the game. You said they were dangerous. Then those girls corner you, and now you have wounds that look like animal bites. Tell me the truth."

"You need to forfeit the game. Right now."

"Not until you tell me what is actually going on." He crossed his massive arms. "Who is Kael? And why did that girl say he owns you?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words died in my throat.

A massive roar shattered the afternoon quiet.

It didn't come from a human throat. The sound was deafening, a furious, guttural explosion of rage that echoed from the visitor's locker room. The noise vibrated through the brick walls of the school, rattling the metal bleachers beside us.

Jasper spun toward the building, his eyes wide with shock. "What the hell was that?"

I backed away, my blood running cold.

"He saw the picture," I whispered.