EIGHTEEN

EIGHTEEN
"That’s basically thirty hours of combat training every single week," Ethan says, his voice laced with disbelief. "And you’re keeping up with that on top of school? And... everything else?"

He’s staring at me like I’m some kind of puzzle that suddenly grew new pieces overnight. When I glance around, I see the same look mirrored on every face—stunned, confused, like they’re all trying to recalibrate their understanding of me.

I shrug, feeling my skin heat under the weight of their attention. “I never really counted the hours, honestly,” I mumble. “But I guess that sounds about right.”

I look back to the fire, hoping they’ll move on. The warmth of the flames licks across my face, but I suddenly feel cold. I shift in my seat, subtly drawing my arms in, like maybe if I fold up small enough, I’ll fade from view. It’s silly, but the quiet weight of being seen—really seen—for the first time is heavier than I expected.

"Aren’t you top of the class too?" Max pipes up, squinting like he’s trying to remember some detail about me that’s been hiding in the back of his mind this whole time.

“And in advanced classes, right?” Jade jumps in right behind him. “I know we’re in the same English seminar.”

Great. So now we’re listing my resume.

“Alright, chill out. We get it—she’s secretly a badass genius,” Selene says, snapping out of her own stunned silence. She throws an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her side protectively. “Let’s not make it awkward.”

I lean into her because it’s easier than brushing her off, but my eyes stay glued to the fire or the dirt beneath my boots. I’d been doing fine tonight—floating just beneath the surface, no expectations, no pressure. And now? Now it’s like the curtain’s been yanked back. All my carefully guarded habits—the stuff that kept me safe—are suddenly on display.

"I think we're all just feeling a little exposed," Leo says with a half-laugh, wrapping his arm around Selene from behind and tugging her back against his chest. “Like we’ve been slacking without even realizing it.”

"Speak for yourself," Ethan says dryly, raising his beer with a smirk. “My ego’s doing just fine.”

Everyone laughs at that, including me—softly. The sound helps break the tension.

“Oh, please,” Leo snorts. “You’re the most competitive person here. I’d bet anything you’ll be trying to match her thirty hours by next week.”

Ethan doesn’t bother to respond. He just takes a long swig from his bottle, which is answer enough. I already know I’ll see him lurking around training sessions he’s never shown up to before.

And I don’t know how I feel about it.

Training has always been my sanctuary—the one place where nothing else matters. Not school drama, not family expectations, not the suffocating social rules of this pack. Just effort. Just sweat and instinct and improvement. It’s the only thing that’s ever made sense to me.

But if they start showing up there too? If they invade that one small space I have to myself?

I’m not sure I’d handle it well.

Just because they’re nice tonight doesn’t mean this lasts. People are quick to flip the script when it benefits them. Before this evening, they didn’t even know my name unless it was to whisper about me behind their hands. Raven made sure of that, drawing a clear line between me and everyone else—backed with threats no one was brave enough to challenge.

And my dad? He did his part too. Always made sure I wasn’t involved in anything leadership-related, never encouraged me to be anything more than quiet and obedient. The only reason I train with Luna Sage is because she pulled rank and insisted on it. As the only daughter of a ranked member, he didn’t really have a choice without disrespecting her authority. I’m pretty sure she and Delta Nolan had to bend the truth just to get me cleared for her advanced sessions—especially after I shifted and got my wolf.

After that, the conversation dips into a quieter rhythm. Nothing major, just snippets of chatter drifting over the fire—memories of past training sessions, jokes about old injuries, half-baked plans for the next pack run. I don’t say much. I just listen. Watch the flames. Feel the heat on my face and the chill on my back where the fire doesn’t reach.

And for a while... it feels good.

This isn’t what I imagined a high school party to be. No loud music blaring from a speaker someone barely knows how to use. No reckless kids taking shots until they throw up in the bushes. No grinding on tabletops or drama in the bathrooms.

It’s just us. A fire. The woods. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like maybe—maybe—I’m part of something.

I should’ve known it wouldn’t last.

Just as the thought crosses my mind—I can’t remember the last time I felt this okay—a shrill, exaggerated voice slices through the clearing like a blade.

“OMG, babes! Your favorite girls have arrived—now the real party can begin!” Raven’s high-pitched screech rings out, and I don’t even need to turn around to know who it is. The way her voice can curdle milk is unforgettable.

She’s standing just beyond the firelight, flanked on either side by her loyal satellites, Lena and Ivy. Their silhouettes are lit faintly by the torches that line the edge of the clearing, casting long shadows that slither across the dirt like they’re crawling in behind them.

I don’t move. Don’t flinch. Just stare straight ahead at the fire like it’s the only thing anchoring me to the earth.

Selene stiffens beside me. I feel it in the way her body subtly leans closer, like she’s bracing for a hit. Leo's hand flexes around her hip, grounding her. Across from us, Max and Jade share a look I can’t quite read, but it definitely says uh-oh.

Raven’s heels crunch over fallen leaves as she approaches, each step deliberate, loud. The clearing, which had been so full of soft conversation moments ago, falls into awkward silence. A few whispers linger at the edges, but even those taper off as her group saunters in like they own the place.

I’m not surprised. Of course she came. Of course she couldn’t let one night go by without stealing the spotlight. Especially not if she caught wind that people were paying attention to me for once.

My muscles tense on instinct, not fear—but readiness. Anticipation. Because I know how Raven works. She doesn’t start with punches—she starts with smiles sharp enough to draw blood.

“Wow,” she drawls as she reaches our circle. “Didn’t know this was a pity bonfire.”

And there it is.

She eyes me like I’m a piece of dirt that somehow made it onto her designer boots. Her gaze skims over the others, but always returns to me—focused, calculated.

No one says anything right away. Not Selene, not Leo, not even Ethan.

So I raise my chin a little and look her dead in the eye. I don’t say a word. I don’t have to. Silence can be just as powerful.

Raven’s smirk falters for the briefest second before snapping back into place. Lena and Ivy hover behind her, grinning like backup singers waiting for their cue.

“Well, we were so bored we figured we’d come liven things up,” she continues, brushing invisible lint from her sleeve. “It looked... dead out here.”

Ethan clears his throat. “We’re good, actually.”

His voice is even. Calm. But I catch the edge in it, the quiet warning.

Raven raises an eyebrow at him, like she’s surprised he even spoke. “You sure? Looked like y’all were about to start singing kumbaya or something.”

No one laughs. Not even Ivy, who clearly wants to.

Raven’s smile twitches again. Just slightly. Enough to tell me she notices the shift. That maybe, just maybe, she’s losing her grip.

And for the first time in a long while, I don’t feel small.

I feel steady.

Rooted.

And I wonder if maybe, just maybe, this night is about to change everything.