Skylar's POV

The reflection in the mirror reflected my emotions. My eyes, usually a muted grey, were blazing with a vibrant bluish silver, a telltale sign of the anger simmering just beneath the surface. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to take deep, steadying breaths. Slowly, the bluish silver faded, until all that was left were my usual, unassuming grey eyes.

I couldn't afford to lose control. Not here. Not now.

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door, and I stiffened. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't heard anyone approach. The door creaked open, and one of my classmates, Lydia, poked her head inside.

"Skylar, there you are," she said, her voice laced with concern. "Mr. Lawson asked me to find you. He wants to see you in his office."

I frowned. Mr. Lawson was my history teacher, one of the few who didn't treat me like an outcast. But why would he want to see me now? I was one of the top students in his class—what could he possibly need to discuss with me?

"Did he say why?" I asked, my voice cautious.

Lydia shook her head. "No, he just said it was important. You should probably hurry; you know how he gets when people are late."

That much was true. Mr. Lawson hated tardiness, and I wasn't in the mood to get on his bad side. I nodded and gathered my things, shoving them back into my bag.

"Thanks, Lydia," I muttered as I passed her, heading for the office.

The hallways were empty; everyone else was already in class. My footsteps echoed off the walls, the sound unnervingly loud in the silence. As I approached Mr. Lawson's office, I noticed the door was slightly ajar, a faint light spilling out into the hallway.

I hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open.

The first thing I noticed was the smell—a sharp, chemical scent that made my nose wrinkle. The second thing I noticed was that the office was completely empty. No Mr. Lawson, no papers strewn across the desk, just a small, plastic bucket perched precariously on the edge of the door.

Before I could process what was happening, the bucket tipped over, and a thick, cold liquid rained down on me. I gasped, stumbling backward as the liquid soaked through my clothes, dripping onto the floor in thick, oily splatters.

It took a moment for the shock to wear off, for me to realize what had just happened.

Oil paint.

They had dumped oil paint on me.

Laughter erupted from behind me, and I whirled around to see Grayson and his gang standing in the hallway, doubled over with mirth. Lydia, who was with Audrey, was there too, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched me struggle to wipe the paint from my face.

"Look at the little omega," Grayson sneered, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "Did you really think Mr. Lawson wanted to see you? You're not even worth his time."

My heart pounded in my chest, fury surging through me. I could feel my eyes shifting again, the bluish silver threatening to break free, but I forced it down. Not here. Not in front of them.

"Grayson, you bastard," I spat, my voice trembling with barely restrained rage. "You think you can keep doing this to me? You think there won't be consequences?"

Grayson's smirk faltered slightly, but he quickly masked it with a mocking grin. "What are you going to do, Skylar? Run to your daddy? Cry to the Alpha?"

The other boys laughed, echoing Grayson's taunts.

I took a step forward, my hands trembling with the effort to keep myself in check. "You'll regret this, Grayson. I swear to you, you'll pay for it all. You'll someday wish you never crossed me."

For a moment, the hallway was silent, the air thick with tension. Grayson's eyes narrowed, his amusement replaced with something darker, more dangerous.

"You think you can threaten me?" He hissed, stepping closer until he was inches from my face. "You're nothing, Skylar. You're just a pathetic, weak little omega who can't shift, and you'll always be beneath me."

Before I could react, his hand shot out, gripping my throat and slamming me against the wall. My vision blurred as the pressure on my windpipe increased, and I struggled to breathe, my hands clawing at his iron grip.

I gasped for air but his strength was too much. I could feel my eyes getting blurry.

"You think you're special?" Grayson whispered, his voice cold and cruel.

My vision darkened, spots dancing before my eyes as my oxygen supply dwindled.

In a last, desperate attempt, I reached out with my mind, sending a frantic call through the pack link.

"Alpha Amir... please... help me."

The seconds stretched into an eternity, each one bringing me closer to the edge of consciousness. Just as I thought I would black out, the door to the office burst open with a thunderous crash.

"Grayson! Enough!" Alpha Amir's voice roared through the small room, filled with authority and anger.

Grayson's grip on my throat loosened instantly, and I collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath. My vision slowly cleared, and I looked up to see Alpha Amir standing over Grayson, his expression a mixture of fury and disappointment.

"Leave. Now," Amir commanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Grayson hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering between me and his father. But the look on Alpha Amir's face brooked no argument. With a scowl, Grayson turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, his lackeys trailing behind him.

Once they were gone, Alpha Amir knelt beside me, his anger melting into concern. "Skylar, are you alright?"

I nodded weakly, still struggling to catch my breath. The fear and adrenaline coursing through me made it hard to think, hard to focus on anything other than the fact that I was still alive.

"I'm so sorry, Skylar," Alpha Amir said, his voice thick with guilt.

"It's not your fault," I croaked, my voice hoarse from the strain.

Alpha Amir's expression darkened. "You did nothing wrong. This is on him, not you. I'll make sure to punish him."

I was too exhausted, too drained from the ordeal to muster the energy. All I could do was nod as Alpha Amir helped me to my feet.

The ride home was a blur, my mind numb and body aching. When I finally stumbled through the front door, my dad was there to greet me, his face pale with worry.

"Skylar, what happened?" he asked, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Why are you covered in paint?"

Instead of me, Alpha Amir explained everything and apologized. Upon hearing the truth, my father and mother hugged me. My wounds were already healing but the trauma I got from the abuse was too much.

My dad sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry, darling. If I could, I'd make him pay for every torment he's put you through. I hate that I have to protect you from the world by making you hide your true self. And I'm truly sorry this happened on your birthday."

He pulled me into another hug, and for a moment, I allowed myself to lean into his comfort, to let go of the weight I carried on my shoulders. But it couldn't last. Eventually, he pulled away, giving me a sad, resigned smile.

I just have to endure for five more months.

Skylar's POV

My father's fury was something to behold. It had taken every ounce of effort from both my mom and me to prevent him from tearing Grayson to pieces. A part of me, the darker part, wouldn’t have minded if he had. Grayson deserved everything that was coming to him.

Meanwhile, word had spread quickly, as it always does in the pack, that Grayson had been publicly chastised by his father, Alpha Amir, in front of the entire pack.

For an Alpha's heir, such a public rebuke was a humiliation of the highest order, one that could cripple a wolf's spirit. Wolves were prideful creatures, and to be shamed in such a way often caused their inner beasts to retreat, abandoning their human counterparts in silent protest. Grayson's wolf must be unresponsive now, leaving him vulnerable and furious.

'Serves the ignorant jerk right...'

'Keira! No profanity. What have I told you about this?' I reprimanded my wolf.

'Apologies, Skylar, but admit it. He is one, isn't he?' Keira shot back, her tone rebellious yet playful.

I couldn't help but laugh. Keira was my wolf spirit, the part of me that refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. She was fierce, unafraid to speak her mind, and never took anything too seriously—a trait I envied.

'No, Skylar. You don’t need to be more like me. You are already like me. We are one, remember? You possess that feisty spirit, just waiting for the right moment to unleash it. Trust me,' Keira's voice echoed in my mind.

Breakfast time.

My parents’ eyes were filled with remorse as they glanced at me over breakfast. The guilt in their expressions was heartbreaking. They blamed themselves for my situation, even though they had done everything they could to protect me. It wasn’t their fault—my fate had been sealed long before I was born, and nothing they did could change that.

"Are you alright, love?" My mother asked, her voice trembling slightly. I could see the worry etched into her features, the dark circles under her eyes from sleepless nights.

"I'm fine, Mom," I lied, forcing a smile. "Don't worry about me."

But they did worry. Every day, they watched as the pack's disdain grew, as the hatred directed toward me intensified. I was the girl who had caused Grayson, the future Alpha, disgrace, the girl who had brought shame to the entire pack by not being able to shift.

Their probing stares, filled with venomous disdain, were something I had grown accustomed to. It didn't matter who and what I was; to them, I was an outcast, a perfect target for their contempt.

I pulled the sleeves of my oversized sweater down further, making sure it covered my hands completely. The smell of cheap perfume clung to me, an overpowering scent meant to mask my true identity as a Nightshade Wolf. I had become adept at hiding who I was by faking Omega scent, and also by using loose clothing to conceal myself. Even at school, I kept my head down, hoping to avoid any more confrontations. I was grateful enough that even though life was hard there, Leon would always make it a little better.

But today, I wasn't so lucky.

Audrey, Grayson's girlfriend, sauntered over to where I was sitting, her entourage of mean girls in tow. She was the epitome of everything I despised—shallow, cruel, and utterly convinced of her own superiority. Another name to add to the ever-growing list of tormentors who seemed to derive endless pleasure from making my life miserable.

"How dare you show your face here?" Audrey's voice was shrill, cutting through the chatter of the other students. "Everyone hates you for what happened to Grayson. You absolute witch!"

I looked up, meeting her gaze with as much indifference as I could muster. Audrey’s words were meant to wound, but I was past the point of feeling hurt.

"Is there something you need, Audrey?" I asked, my voice calm despite the fury bubbling just beneath the surface.

"You need to disappear, Skylar. Grayson was humiliated because of you! How does it feel to be the most hated person in the pack?"

"I wouldn’t know," I replied, shrugging. "But you’re giving me a good idea of how it feels to be the most pathetic."

Audrey’s face flushed red with anger, but before she could respond, the bell rang, signaling the start of our next class. I didn’t wait for her to spit out whatever venomous retort she had prepared. Instead, I gathered my things and walked away, leaving her fuming.

Shift class was a dreaded part of my school day. The class was designed to help young wolves learn to control their shifts and harness the power within them. But for me, it was nothing more than a public spectacle, a chance for everyone to mock the fact that I still couldn’t shift.

I stood at the back of the room, hoping to blend into the background as the instructor called out names for the next demonstration. But of course, blending in wasn’t an option when Grayson was in the same class.

I saw him out of the corner of my eye, his face twisted in a hateful sneer as he stalked toward me.

"Aren’t you going to join?" Grayson’s voice was low, dripping with malice. "Oh wait, you can’t shift. How could a pathetic creature like you bring me such humiliation? My wolf abandoned me for the past week. I can’t shift. I can’t fight. All because of you!"

His words hit me like a physical blow, but I refused to flinch. My anger flared, causing my eyes to shift to a bright, shining bluish silver—the unmistakable sign of my rage. And yet, I immediately concealed it before he could notice.

"Perhaps if you were half the man your father is, we wouldn’t be having this conversation," I retorted, my voice icy. "So, I suggest you back off before you embarrass yourself any further."

"How dare you?" Grayson snarled, taking a threatening step toward me.

He was about to hurt me when suddenly, a figure shadowed mine. That was Leon!

He faced Grayson, his eyes seething with anger.

"L-Leon..." I said, surprised.

"I'm not just going to watch him hurt you," he whispered as he eyed Grayson once again.

When I peaked, the Alpha's son smirked upon looking at my friend with eyes almost unreadable.

"Oh? The outcasts are hanging out again? You think you can protect her with that frail body?" He mocked Leon and the next thing I knew, he was already punching my poor friend.

I gasped in shock and tried to come in between but Leon, who had lost his temper, punched Grayson back with the same intensity. I could not believe it, and seeing how angry he was, something in the air shifted. I didn't know if I was imagining it, but I must be seeing things out of shock.

But then again... I must be really imagining things indeed because he collapsed again, saying his stomach hurt.

But didn't Grayson punch his face?

"Grayson! What is this again? If you don’t step away from them this instant, I will postpone your ascension to Alpha for another year," Alpha Amir came and commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Grayson froze, his eyes wide with shock. "What!? You mean I won’t become Alpha even after I find my mate? You can’t do that!" His voice was desperate, pleading.

"I can, and I will, Grayson. Don’t test me," Alpha Amir replied sternly. "You’re dangerously close to forcing me to make that announcement."

Grayson’s face twisted with rage, but he knew better than to defy his father. With a final glare in my direction, he stormed off, leaving the room in a tense silence. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling within me. Slowly, my eyes returned to their normal grey.

In the next class, I felt a presence beside me. It was Leon, whose cheek was a little swollen. But then, as I looked at him, I noticed that the purplish part was a little bit powdery. I wonder what did he put on his wound?

He was dressed in his usual nerdy clothes, his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, making him look like the unassuming bookworm everyone thought he was.

"Are you okay?" Leon asked, his voice soft and concerned.

I nodded, managing a small smile. "I’m fine... You're hurt because of me. And you weren’t even there on my birthday." I couldn’t keep the hurt out of my voice.

Leon’s expression softened, and he reached into his bag, pulling out a familiar chocolate bar. "I’m sorry, Sky. I had somewhere important to go. Also, I could not just watch that jerk bully you. But I have your favorite chocolate bar right here. Belated happy birthday, silly girl," he said, handing it to me with a sheepish grin.

I took the chocolate, feeling a bit of the tension ease from my shoulders. "Thank you, Leon," I whispered, touched by the simple gesture.