Chapter 34
Lucas's POV
The ice pack against my chest had gone lukewarm twenty minutes ago, but I kept it pressed there anyway. Not because it helped—the bruise was already fading, faster than it should—but because I needed the excuse. The story. The plausible reason for sitting alone in the athletes' lounge at nine PM on a Friday night while the rest of campus celebrated the anniversary showcase.
I shifted on the bench and winced. The movement wasn't entirely fake. I'd hit that equipment rack hard enough to leave a real mark, even if my body was already erasing the evidence. The full moon was tonight. My senses had already sharpened to the point of pain, every emotion amplified until I couldn't tell what was real feeling and what was just Conall's instincts bleeding through.
Conall. My wolf-self had been restless all evening, prowling beneath my skin. I'd felt him surge during practice, felt my strength spike beyond what I could explain away as adrenaline or good genetics. Jake had looked at me weird when I'd dunked without a running start, both hands gripping the rim hard enough to make the backboard shudder.
So I'd made a choice. Better to "accidentally" crash into the equipment rack, give myself a legitimate injury to explain why I'd left practice early, than risk someone noticing the gold starting to edge into my eyes.
My phone buzzed. Mom, probably. I ignored it.
The door to the lounge creaked open.
I looked up, already knowing who it would be. I'd caught her scent in the hallway—vanilla and something sharper underneath, like fear-sweat. Samantha stood in the doorway, her jacket clutched in both hands, her eyes red and swollen.
Every protective instinct I had roared to life. I was on my feet before I registered moving, the ice pack falling forgotten to the floor.
"Samantha." My voice came out rougher than I intended. "What happened? Who—" I stopped myself, forced my breathing to steady. Getting angry would only make Conall harder to contain. "Is it Ellie? Did she—"
"No." Samantha shook her head quickly, taking a step into the room. "No, it wasn't... it wasn't her."
Something in my chest unclenched slightly. I hadn't wanted to believe Ellie would do something like this, even after everything between us. Even after I'd destroyed her family heirloom. Even after—
I cut that thought off hard. This wasn't about Ellie. This was about Samantha, standing in front of me with tears streaming down her face.
"Then who?" I moved toward her, closing the distance. "Samantha, talk to me. We said we'd be honest with each other, right?"
"It was Brianna," she said, her voice breaking. "She... she said my Prada bag was fake. In front of everyone. And then she had her security people take pictures, Lucas. Pictures of me, like I was some kind of—" Her words dissolved into sobs.
I pulled her into my arms without thinking, and immediately regretted it. She collided with my chest right where the bruise was worst, and pain exploded through my ribs. I bit down on the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood, anything to keep from crying out.
"I've got you," I managed, wrapping my arms around her even as my body screamed at me to let go. "It's okay. You're safe now."
She buried her face against my shoulder, her whole body shaking. I held her, one hand stroking her hair, trying to ignore the way Conall was cataloging every detail—her elevated heart rate, the salt of her tears, the tremor in her breathing.
"Why would Brianna target you?" I asked carefully. "Did something happen between you two?"
Samantha pulled back slightly, wiping at her eyes. "I don't... maybe because I'm with you? Maybe she's jealous, or her friends are, I don't know." She looked up at me, vulnerable and small. "All I know is that she humiliated me in front of half the campus, and I can't—I can't go back there, Lucas."
"Back where?"
"The dorms." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "She said if I don't move out, she'll post those pictures all over Campus Whispers. She'll make sure everyone knows about..." She trailed off, new tears spilling over.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "That's extortion. We can report her to—"
"Her father's on the Board of Trustees." Samantha's laugh was bitter. "Do you really think anyone would take my word over a Ford? I'm nobody, Lucas. She'll destroy me, and no one will care."
The helplessness in her voice made something crack in my chest. I knew what it felt like to be powerless, to have secrets that could ruin everything if they came to light. Different secrets, maybe, but the fear was the same.
"Okay," I said slowly. "Okay, we'll find you somewhere off-campus. An apartment, maybe, or—"
"I can't afford that." She was already shaking her head. "Even with my part-time job and the work-study, I'd need a co-signer, deposits, first and last month's rent..."
"I'll help." The words were out before I could think them through.
She looked up at me, hope and something else flickering in her eyes. "Lucas, that's... that's so generous, but I couldn't ask you to—"
"You're not asking. I'm offering." I squeezed her shoulders gently.
Her expression shifted, something more vulnerable creeping in. "Lucas... can I stay with you tonight? I just—I can't go back to that dorm. Not tonight. Please."
Panic shot through me like an electric current. I could already feel Conall scratching at the edges of my control, could feel the pull of the transformation that would start in just a few hours.
"Samantha, I..." I struggled to keep my voice steady. "I can't. Not tonight."
"Why not?" Her voice cracked. "I'm not asking for anything—I just need to feel safe. After what Brianna did, I can't face that building right now. I can't—"
"I have early practice tomorrow," I blurted out, the lie clumsy and desperate. "Coach scheduled a five AM session, and I need to be in my dorm for room check at midnight. It's a team rule before big practice days."
It sounded weak even to my own ears, but it was all I had. Because the truth—that in a few hours I'd be a wolf, that I couldn't risk her being anywhere near me when the change came—that was impossible to say.
"What about just... staying over sometimes?" Her voice was small, almost childlike. "Just until I get settled? This town isn't safe, Lucas. You see the news—all those muggings near campus, and that girl last month who—"
"Samantha." I kept my voice gentle but firm. "I promise I'll be there for you. Every day, if you need me. But I can't stay overnight. Not yet."
She was quiet for a long moment, and I watched her process it, watched her decide whether to push or accept. Finally, she leaned against me again, careful to avoid my injured chest this time.
"You'll visit me every day?" she asked quietly. "Promise?"
"I promise."
"And you'll help me look this weekend?"
"Absolutely."
"And Monday... your father's birthday dinner. Can I come with you?"
I froze.