Chapter 19: Truths and Lies

Amelia's POV

The girl from the library—Isabelle—had appeared beside me, her expression cool and collected as she faced the three guys who towered over her.

"This isn't your business, Chen," Jason said, though I noticed he took his foot off my papers.

"Actually, it is," she replied, casually pulling out her phone. "I'm documenting student interactions for my parents' next book. You know my parents, right? Professors Chen? The ones who teach History of Power Dynamics and sit on the university disciplinary board?"

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Even these idiots knew the Chen professors by reputation—they were academic celebrities whose research on supernatural hierarchies had made them both respected and feared on campus.

"Whatever," Tyler muttered, backing away. "We were just talking."

"Sure you were." Isabelle knelt down and began gathering my papers. "And I'm sure the Dean would love to hear all about your friendly conversation tactics."

After they skulked away, Isabelle handed me my papers, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry about earlier. That came out all wrong."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked suspiciously.

"I was at the Luna Festival," she said quietly. "I was wearing a green dress. I called the medical team when you collapsed."

My breath caught. "That was you?"

She nodded. "I saw what happened right before you fell. The way you looked at Alexander... and the way he looked at you." She paused. "My parents have taught me that history is written by the victors, but that doesn't make it true."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that what I saw that night doesn't match what everyone's saying happened." She offered a small smile. "And I thought maybe you could use someone who doesn't automatically believe the official story."

For the first time in weeks, I felt a tiny crack in the wall of isolation that had built up around me. "You actually want to hear my side?"

"My parents raised me to question dominant narratives," she said with a shrug. "Plus, I need a biology study partner, and I heard you're the best."

I studied her face, searching for any sign of deception. "You do realize being seen with me is social suicide, right?"

Isabelle's expression turned serious. "My mom always says that courage isn't about standing with the majority when they're right—it's about standing alone when they're wrong."

"The coffee shop across from the science building is quiet this time of day," she suggested. "If you want to talk, I'm buying."

I hesitated, clutching my rescued papers to my chest. Trust didn't come easily anymore—not after Daniel's betrayal, not after watching Alexander turn his back on our bond, not after losing everything.

But something in Isabelle's direct gaze made me nod slowly. "One coffee," I said cautiously. "But if this is some kind of joke—"

"It's not," she promised, her expression suddenly serious. "Some things matter more than campus politics. The truth is one of them."

As we walked across the quad, the stares and whispers continued, but somehow they seemed to matter less. For the first time since the Luna Festival, I didn't feel completely alone.

"Amelia! Wait up!"

I froze at the sound of Daniel's voice. He was jogging across the grass toward us, his face flushed and hair perfectly tousled—the same look that had made my heart race just a month ago. Now it just made my stomach turn.

"Go ahead," I told Isabelle, "I'll catch up."

She hesitated, then nodded. "I'll grab us a table. Text if you need backup."

Daniel reached me just as Isabelle walked away. He was breathing hard, like he'd been chasing me across campus.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he said, his voice dropping to that familiar concerned tone he used whenever he wanted something. "We need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about." I clutched my papers tighter, willing my voice to stay steady.

He stepped closer, invading my personal space in that entitled way Alphas often do. "I heard what Alexander did to you and Nathan. The blood oath, cutting off your resources, sending Nathan to the borders... it's harsh, even for him."

I stiffened, surprised he knew the details. "And why would you care?"

"Because despite what you might think, I do care about you." His eyes softened, though his posture remained dominant. "Alexander told me everything after he dragged us back to Westbrook. The mate bond. How the Moon Goddess chose you."

"So what?" I snapped back. "You think that changes anything between us?"

"People are talking, Amelia. As far as everyone knows, we're still a couple." He glanced around at the watching students. "You've been ignoring my calls, avoiding me. It doesn't look good."

"You cheated on me with my friend," I hissed. "Then tried to kill me in the forest. I think that voids any relationship we had."

"Lower your voice," he commanded, his Alpha tone slipping in. "Nobody knows about that, and it needs to stay that way."

"Or what? You'll try to kill me again?"

His jaw tightened. "I wasn't thinking clearly that night. My wolf took over. Alexander already punished me severely for that. Stripped my rank for two weeks. Made me prove my loyalty all over again."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"No, but you should understand that Alexander made it very clear where he stands on this. He called Vanessa before the Pack Council for 'moral indiscretions against pack law.' Her family was humiliated. The university put her on probation."

"And now you've dumped her," I said flatly.

"Of course I have," he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Alexander made it clear she's unacceptable."

I couldn't help but laugh. "So what do you want from me, Daniel?"

"We need to present a united front," he insisted, stepping even closer. I could feel his Alpha presence pressing against me. "Look at you, Amelia. You've lost everything—pack support, your home, your status. These rumors are destroying what's left of your reputation. If we get back together, my position protects you."

There was a hint of genuine concern in his voice, but it was overshadowed by entitlement, the assumption that I would naturally see the logic in his proposal.

"You're struggling," he continued, his voice softening. "I can see it. Let me help you. We can start over, put this behind us."

"You tried to kill me," I reminded him coldly.

"And I've paid for that mistake," he countered, an edge creeping into his voice. "But we can move past this, Amelia. For your sake as much as mine."

"What exactly are you proposing, Daniel? That we pretend the last month never happened?"

"I'm proposing we be practical," he said, his tone suggesting I was being childish. "Your life is in shambles. You need protection, resources. I need to restore my standing with Alexander. This benefits us both."

"How generous," I replied sarcastically. "And what do you get out of this arrangement, besides Alexander's approval?"

"You," he said, with a confidence that made my skin crawl. "We were good together, Amelia. And Alexander clearly cares what happens to you, even if he can't acknowledge the mate bond publicly." He reached for my hand, his grip firm when I tried to pull away. "Think about it. This is your best option right now."

It wasn't a request. It was an Alpha telling an Omega what was going to happen. The entitlement, the assumption that I would naturally fall in line—it was everything I'd come to hate about pack dynamics.

"I'd rather struggle alone than be with someone who betrayed me and then tried to kill me," I said, wrenching my hand from his grip.

His expression hardened. "You're being emotional, not rational. Look around you, Amelia. You have no allies here. No protection. How long do you think you can last like this?"

"I'll manage," I said coldly.

I stared at him, seeing clearly for the first time the person he truly was—not the charming boyfriend I'd thought I knew, but this calculating, self-serving Alpha who viewed everything as a transaction, a power play.

"We're done here," I said, turning to leave.

He caught my arm, his grip just this side of painful. "Think about what I'm offering, Amelia. Protection. Security. A way back into the pack's good graces. You won't get a better offer."

"Well, well, isn't this cozy?" A sharp voice cut through our conversation like a knife.