Chapter 11

Tori's POV:

Morgan's cheeks flushed pink.

"Me? Oh goddess, no!" She shook her head emphatically, and her eyes shone with genuine reverence."I have nothing but complete respect and admiration for Alpha Lucas. He's our pack leader, our protector."

She protested, her voice rising an octave higher than usual. "That's—that's practically blasphemy!"

Morgan continued to gush about Lucas Grayson's accomplishments. Her reaction was so dramatic that I couldn't help but smile slightly. I hadn't expected Lucas Grayson to have such devoted admirers among high school students.

Tracy, my wolf, chuckled in my mind. What an innocent little wolf.

The classroom chatter died down as Mrs. Blake returned to the front of the room.

"Before you all leave today," she announced, "I want to remind everyone that we'll be having our entrance assessment exam next week. This will cover all the material from the first two weeks of class, with particular emphasis on lunar phase calculations and their effects on different wolf classifications."

A collective groan rippled through the classroom. Even Morgan slumped in her seat, looking genuinely distressed.

"I'm doomed," she whispered, dropping her head into her hands. "Completely doomed. My entire happiness index at home depends on my grades. Mom will give me that disappointed look, and Dad will start his 'back in my day' lectures. My brother won't let me go out and play anymore."

Looking at her distressed expression, I couldn't help but offer some reassurance.

"There's still time," I said quietly. "The first two weeks' material isn't that extensive. If you focus on reviewing the core formulas and practice the calculations, you could still do well."

"Really?" Morgan asked, her eyes lighting up with a flicker of hope.

I nodded. "If you have any questions, you can always ask me."

Glancing at my watch, I realized my shift at Moonlight Shadow was about to start. "I have to go," I said, quickly gathering my things. "My work starts in twenty minutes."

"Wait!" Morgan called, scrambling to pack her colorful notebooks. "I'll come with you!"

Before I could respond, she had slung her backpack over her shoulder and was following me out the classroom door.

"I can study at the café," she explained, matching my brisk pace. "This way, I can ask you whenever I encounter something I don't understand."

By the time we arrived at Moonlight Shadow, Morgan had already claimed a corner table, spreading her notes in a chaotic rainbow across the surface while I tied on my apron and began my shift.

Greg, the manager, glanced between Morgan's study setup and me. "Friend of yours?" he asked.

"Classmate," I replied. "She's studying for an exam."

He nodded, his expression softening. Greg had always had a soft spot for studious kids. "If it gets slow, feel free to help her out. Just keep an eye on your tables."

"Thanks," I said, truly grateful for his understanding.

Morgan overheard our conversation and beamed. "Thank you, sir! I promise I won't distract her too much." She then promptly ordered two coffees, insisting on paying full price despite my offer of an employee discount.

"Can't have your boss thinking I'm just here for free stuff," she whispered with a wink.

The first hour of my shift was busy, with a steady stream of customers keeping me on my feet. I caught glimpses of Morgan frowning at her notes, occasionally tugging at her curly hair in frustration. She looked up hopefully when I passed by, but I could only offer apologetic smiles as I balanced trays of drinks.

Finally, as the evening progressed, the crowd thinned out. After delivering a final round of drinks to a table near the window, I untied my apron and slid into the seat across from Morgan.

"Okay," I said, pulling her notebook closer. "Show me where you're stuck."

Morgan pointed to a complex formula for calculating how the waxing gibbous moon affects an Omega's transformation abilities. "All of it. I'm stuck on all of it."

For the next half hour, I walked her through the basic principles, breaking down the formulas into simpler components.

As we worked through more problems, I realized Morgan was actually quite intelligent. She grasped concepts quickly once they were explained properly, and her questions were thoughtful and precise.

"You explain things so much clearer than Mrs. Blake," she said, successfully completing a practice problem. "How did you get so good at this?"

"Maybe if you stayed awake during class, you'd learn just as well from Mrs. Blake," I teased gently.

Morgan laughed instead of being offended. "No, Mrs. Blake's voice is like an actual sleeping potion."

Just as Morgan was about to ask another question, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I glanced at the screen and felt my stomach tighten. Hannah's name flashed across the display.

I stared at the phone, letting it ring. Whatever it was, I was certain it wouldn't be pleasant.

The ringing eventually stopped. A moment later, my phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

How dare you ignore my calls? Perhaps your grandmother doesn't need her medication this month after all.

I felt the color drain from my face. Tracy growled deep within my consciousness, anger rising at the blatant threat.

How could someone be so coldly calculating? To use her own mother as leverage against me showed a level of heartlessness I still struggled to comprehend.

From childhood, Hannah had never shown me an ounce of maternal affection. I was raised by my grandmother while Hannah pretended I hardly existed.

I'd even asked my grandmother once, when I was eight, if I was adopted.

The sadness in her eyes as she shook her head still haunted me. "Your mother was pregnant with you when your father abandoned her," she had explained gently. "The shock and grief complicated the pregnancy, and giving birth to you left her with lingering health issues. She... associates you with that loss and pain."

My grandmother had stroked my hair then, adding, "It's not your fault, little one. Never think it's your fault."

"Tori? What's wrong?" Morgan asked, leaning forward with concern in her eyes.