Chapter 25 25
Caesar's POV
Sean’s words hit me like a physical blow.
"I still don't approve of him for you."
His voice had cut through the suffocating silence of the principal's office.
My fingers curled into fists, nails biting into palms. Anger didn't just rise in my chest, it exploded through my veins.
Jenna shot her brother a look sharp enough to draw blood, and he had the sense to straighten up in his chair. I could tell she was doing everything possible to hold herself together.
I let out a slow breath and shifted my gaze to the principal whose face had gone pale.
The principal cleared her throat, stumbling over her words as she tried to regain control of the room.
"Mr. Greywood, I assure you we take bullying very seriously—"
"Here's what's going to happen." My voice cut through her excuses like a blade through silk. Every head in the room turned toward me. "Both boys will receive equal disciplinary action. And before you even think about arguing, understand that I'm not requesting. I'm informing you."
The principal's practiced smile crumbled.
Jenna's gaze found mine, I studied the look on her face, it was a mix of gratitude and warning tangled together but I kept my attention fixed on the woman behind the desk.
"Scholarship students have been reporting issues for years," I continued, letting each word land with weight. "Nothing's been done. That ends today. You're going to fix this. Now."
"Yes, Alpha." She caught herself, fumbling. "I mean, future Alpha. I'll see to it immediately."
"Good." I shifted slightly, my attention sliding to Mrs. Bailey. "And you."
The woman went rigid, her expensive jewelry suddenly looking like chains.
"Your son receives the same disciplinary action given to Sean. If you refuse, this becomes a pack issue." I paused, letting the threat settle. "And we all know whose reputation will suffer more in that scenario."
Color leached from her face. Her lips pressed into a thin, bitter line.
I didn't enjoy this—wielding power like a weapon, but I'd burn the whole damn school down before I let anyone make Jenna feel small. If they hurt her, they have to answer to me.
"I believe the meeting is over." Jenna stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor.
She thanked the principal with frost-edged politeness and ushered Sean toward the door. I followed, but the moment we crossed into the hallway, Sean grabbed his sister's sleeve.
"I'm not apologizing until he apologizes too." His chin jutted out stubbornly.
Jenna closed her eyes, exhaustion creeping into her features. "Sean—"
"I'm not doing it."
"You don't have to," I said.
They both turned.
"I already handled it," I continued. "The principal will suspend him for provocation. Same duration as yours."
Sean's eyes widened. "Suspend him?"
"Yes."
"…Wait, seriously?"
"Yes."
He stared at me, something shifting in his expression. Then he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, "Still don't approve of you… but that was kind of awesome."
"Sean!" Jenna groaned.
Despite everything, I laughed. The sound felt strange in my chest, where everything else felt heavy.
"It's fine, Jenna. We don't need anyone's approval to be together."
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Good. Because you definitely don't have mine."
Jenna covered his mouth with her hand and dragged him toward the exit. "We're going home. Now."
\---
Outside, the afternoon sun felt too bright, too normal for everything that had just happened.
Jenna stopped on the pathway, shoulders dropping as she exhaled deeply. Relief softened the hard lines of her face for the first time since last night's phone call.
"Thank you," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
"You don't need to thank me." I stepped closer. "I'm your mate."
Her cheeks turn pink as she smiled. For one fragile moment, the world felt balanced again. Peaceful. Like the chaos of yesterday had been nothing but a bad dream.
Sean ran ahead, kicking rocks along the pavement, and Jenna turned to call after him, I tried to walk toward her but,
A sharp pulse shot through my head without warning.
It came hard, fast and blinding.
I stumbled backward, my vision fracturing into fragments of light and shadow.
A memory slammed into me with the force of a freight train.
A hand suddenly grabbed my throat.
“Hold him down." A voice barked.
The metallic smell of blood flooded my senses.
A woman's voice screamed at me: "Caesar, run!"
Darkness swallowed everything whole.
My lungs seized. My heart didn't just race—it thrashed against my ribs, trying to claw its way out of my chest.
"Caesar?"
Jenna's voice cut through the haze. Her hand found mine.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
I forced my eyes to focus. Her face swam into view, worry etched into every feature.
Sean had stopped too, frowning back at us.
"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter.
I wasn't fine.
The memories were fragments of truth I couldn't ignore anymore.
Someone had tried to kill me.
And whoever it was—they were close. Someone in the pack. Someone I trusted.
\---
We drove back in tense silence. Jenna insisted on driving after seeing my hands trembling. Sean passed out almost immediately in the backseat, his soft snores filling the car.
The hum of the engine should have been soothing.
But it wasn't.
"Jenna." My voice came out rougher than intended. "Don't tell anyone what happened today."
Her eyes flicked toward me, confusion creasing her brow.
“Why?" she asked.
"Just trust me."
She hesitated, searching my face for answers I couldn't give. "Okay."
I leaned back, closing my eyes, trying to make sense of the fractured images still burning behind my eyelids.
My phone vibrated.
I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
Unknown Number
My blood turned to ice.
The phone kept on ringing as I stared at it, paralyzed by something I couldn't name.
Before I could decide whether to answer, the call dropped.
A notification appeared on my screen.
1 New Message
My thumb hovered over the screen.
I opened it.
And my world tilted as I read the words.
'You should've died the first time. But don't worry—the next attempt won't fail.'
Below the text, an image loaded.
It was a photograph of me, Jenna and Sean.
It was taken from across the schoolyard. Today. Just minutes ago.
My throat went dry.
"Caesar?"
Jenna's voice sounded distant. "What's wrong?"
I couldn't speak, my breath seized in my chest.
"Caesar, what happened?”
I slowly turned the screen toward her and I immediately regretted it, the car lurched violently as she slammed on the brakes. I caught her before her head could hit the steering wheel, my arm bracing against her shoulder.
Her knuckles went white as bone as she gripped the wheel, staring at the image.
I turned around to check on Sean, he was still sleeping, blissfully unaware of what had just happened.
When I turned back, Jenna's eyes met mine.
Terror and fury warred in her expression.
"We need to get back to the packhouse," I said quietly.
"Now!” I shouted to pull her back together.
She swallowed hard. "Caesar—"
"Just drive Jenna."
She didn't argue.
The car roared back to life as she pressed the accelerator, but my mind was already miles ahead.
This wasn't random.
This was a warning.
Someone had been watching us.
And the question that made my blood run cold wasn't who.
It was when.
When would they strike next?
And would I be able to stop them before they took everything from me?