Chapter 12

My heart starts to beat faster as I look into Vedant’s eyes. Does he know something about my wolf? I had only ever told Lynn and Felix about Molly, knowing that they would keep my secret.

I promised Molly that I wouldn’t let the pack know I had a wolf. Had winning this stupid fight cost me her secret?

I don’t know Molly’s exact reasons, but I trust her. I need to stop Vedant from finding out. I wrack my brain for something to say, but nothing comes.

After a minute of this Vedant shifts awkwardly as he breaks the silence. “I was just wondering how you were able to beat Alice so easily.”

Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, it was just a fluke. Maybe the extra strength from the mate bond is what allowed me to do it.”

Vedant nods, thinking. “I saw you training even though you didn’t have a partner. Do you want to be a warrior?”

I squint at Vedant for a second, making sure he didn’t sustain a head injury in his own sparring match before nodding. Why does Vedant suddenly care if I want to be a warrior?

Vedant looks away, lost in thought. I think about saying something more, but think better of it, choosing instead to make my way off the field.

As I make my way back toward the school my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, surprised to see a new text from Lynn.

Lynn: There’s something I really need to talk to you about, but I can’t do it over text. Can you meet me in the forest, just past the creek?”

I look over the message again, confused. Lynn hasn’t spoken to me since she told me about Vedant’s order and now, she is asking to meet. Even though she felt bad about it, she had taken Vedant’s order to shun me seriously.

Her texting me now doesn’t make sense. I read the text again. What could Lynn possibly have to tell me that couldn’t be said over text.

Is she in trouble?

I quickly send her a message agreeing to meet. We may not be speaking, but if there’s even a small chance that Lynn is in trouble, I need to be there for her.

I grab my back from my locker and head to that secluded spot in the forest. When I arrive, I look around, but don’t see anyone. “Lynn?”

My blood chills as the sound of laughter emerges from the forest a few yards away from me. A second later, Alice and her group of friends step out from behind a large patch of trees. My heart thunders in my chest and I take a step back in the direction I came from, ready to bolt.

Before I can turn Alice raises her hand high in the air and waves it around. I squint and see that she’s holding Lynn’s phone. “Don’t you want to know what happened you little Omega friend?”

Every instinct in my body is telling me to run, but I need to find out what happened to Lynn. I do my best to keep the quiver out of my voice as I respond, “Where is she?”

Alice laughs coldly, “You must think you’re so powerful after beating me. You probably evem think you’re strong enough to be Vedant’s Luna. If you’re really as strong as you think you are, you should be able to find her yourself.”

My eyes dart across the expanse of forest before me, before landing on a tree just off to the right. I dart over to it without hesitation. “Lynn?”

I feel my foot snag, and then the air goes flying from my lungs as I am swung upside by the snare. I had walked right into Alice’s trap.

Alice and her friends laugh as they stare up at me cruelly. “Maybe you’re stronger than you look, but you’re certainly not very smart are you?”

They laugh again, and then Alice gestures for one member of the group to move forward. My stomach drops when I realize he’s holding a stick. He hands it to Alice.

“This is going to be fun.” Alice rears back and I close my eyes just as the stick makes contact with my stomach with a thud.

By the time the third person takes their turn with the stick it’s almost easy ignore the sound of my ribs cracking under the weight of their blows. I inhale sharply, as another hit lands, but grit my teeth. I will not beg them for mercy.

I crane my neck toward the hot afternoon sun, hoping that the heat will cause me to lose consciousness before the pain will. Sweat drips down my body catching in my hair, and I feel myself start to drift.

I start to welcome the reprieve that unconsciousness will bring when I am startled back to reality by a rush of cold, dirty creek water.

Alice and her friends laugh. This happens a few more times, before my system can’t take any more and I mercifully pass out.

I wake up several hours later in a hospital bed. It takes my eyes several minutes to adjust to the bright hospital lights, but when they do I am shocked to see Vedant in the chair beside me. I feel my face go cold when I turn to see Alice on the other side.

She notices my eyes open and a second later her sharp voice hits my ears, “Oh good you’re awake! I was so worried.”

Vedant looks up from where he was dozing on his chair quickly comes to stand over me. “You were hurt so badly? What happened?”

Alice laughs, “Nothing happened, we were playing around in the woods and Chiara accidentally hit a tree while using the rope swing.”

Vedant looks between me and Alice, unconvinced. He gestures to the door. “Alice, I think you should leave.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary Vedant? I only want to make sure Chiara is alright.”

Vedant shoots her a look, reluctantly Alice stands up. She moves to grab her things from behind Vedant, and as she does, she drags her finger across her throat, mouthing Lynn’s name.

I suppress a shudder. Alice leaves and Vedant moves to close the door behind her.

“What happened Chiara?”

I think about Alice’s threat. I still don’t know where Lynn is, and I won’t do anything that could put her in further danger. After what I had endured today, I don’t doubt that Alice would kill Lynn in a heartbeat if it meant hurting me.

I do my best to fake a smile. “Nothing, Alice is right. I should have been more careful on the rope swing. I was looking behind me and by the time I realized I was headed for a tree, I didn’t have enough time to shift my weight.”

“Chiara…”

“It’s true. I swung into a tree.”

My heart races as I see the look on Vedant’s face change from one of concern, to something else, something I can’t place. His voice is cold when he speaks again. “Take off your clothes.”