KAMILA'S POV
I've never truly understood Artemis' friend, Ace.
He was a philanderer, even worse than my mate, willing to sleep with anyone in a skirt who succumbed to his good looks and irresistible charm, and yet...
Yet, during moments like this, when it's just him and me, he shows a side of himself that I still find hard to believe. He becomes so sweet and kind, even going so far as to do me favors, almost like a little boy nursing the biggest crush.
Despite his excessive gestures, I continually turn him down, hoping he'll realize how stupid it is and kill this silliness himself.
He picks me up in his arms with ease, and I let him for once.
Being a future pack warrior, he's stronger than most wolves of his rank. I have to commend him for that; it makes him worthy enough to stand by Artemis' side.
The moment we start moving, I'm forced to hold onto him. He briskly walks towards the nurse's office, carrying me silently in his arms
From the corner of my eyes, I spot Artemis again, and he's gone back to her. He says some words, and her countenance drops drastically into horror.
She breaks into tears, and, just like that, he engulfs her in a warm hug for the second time today. He does it with such ease that I'm momentarily surprised by the depth of compassion he can show her.
The fact that even I, his actual mate, has never had the privilege of experiencing this hurts even more. Am I really that hard to love?
"Don't watch those two; you'll only get worse." Ace comments now as though reading my mind.
I blink the liquid in my eyes away, reconstructing my stoic expression.
"It's none of your business." I bite back.
The last thing I need is anyone's pity, especially not from him.
We walk in silence all the way to the school clinic. The quiet gives me ample time to reflect on my current, pathetic state: bruised, battered, and being carried by someone who isn't my mate because he's too preoccupied with casting googly eyes at someone else.
If I knew this would be the outcome, I should have never sent that threat to that omega filth that hangs around the human like a lost puppy.
I suspect she told Seraphina that I was the one behind the blackmail. After all, I intentionally left my family's insignia on the threatening letter. I did that to make sure she knew exactly who she was messing with, should she dare to disobey.
How low have you fallen, Kamila? You're worse than a disgrace. How fortunate you are that Mother and Father can't see you in all your shame right now.
Finally, he carefully sets me down on the bed, as if terrified I might crack like an egg the moment he lets go. And when he does, he busies himself with fluffing my pillows to make me comfortable.
"You don't have to do all that. You may leave now."
Yet he doesn't - ignoring my orders and drawing a small stool to sit by my side.
"I'll keep you company until the nurse shows up." He responds, and I ignore him, choosing to deny his existence while he wastes his time here.
However, all of this is ultimately in vain. I hope that eventually he'll give up. Yet minutes pass-roughly 30 of them.
He hums a song quietly to himself, doing nothing more than sitting there, his energy unwavering, and it drives me crazy.
"Can you please stop that incessant humming?" I yell now, finally losing my shit and patience with him.
He looks at me, wide-eyed, clearly surprised by the sudden outburst he wasn't expecting.
"You seem stressed." He comments.
"You're the one making me stressed!"
"Is this about Artemis spending time with Seraphina?" He asks, and I pause now, recoiling and feeling a bit of my anger subsiding.
I told myself not to worry about it-anticipating his usual lack of care and support-to avoid setting myself up for disappointment. And yet, that doesn't dull the sting one bit.
If anything, my predicament becomes even more unbearable. I find myself questioning everything, wondering if I am undeserving of the love I see on TV - Romeo and Juliet, Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Jack and Rose.
I ponder if I'm truly so unappealing and appalling.
"Did he even ask about your leg?" Ace prods further, drawing the tears I've tried so hard to push down.
"Enough, okay?" I snap, feeling myself grow all the more vulnerable. "I get you have this stupid crush on me, but none of this will do you any good. I'm mated to Artemis, your fucking best friend, and even if I wasn't, your status and mine are too far apart to even consider this foolery." I put it all in his face; his delusions and stupidity, hoping it pulls him down to earth to face reality.
I bet he doesn't like me; I'm just another conquest he's yet to secure-a prize he'll never attain, not even in his next life.
Like all boys, the allure of the unattainable is enough to draw them in like zombies, hungry for something they know they can never have. That's all it's ever been.
And Artemis, sated by the conquest of my heart, has lost interest in me. I've become like a used-up rag, merely gathering dust on his shelf. Makes me wonder what would happen when he wins over the human's heart.
What would happen if he gets to fuck her? He'd toss her aside, no doubt. That's always the case with Artemis. Hit it and quit it.
Now, I fully expect Ace to get offended, to realize just how much of a rude bitch I am, and to walk out like everyone else-finally leaving me alone, to myself.
But no, he just sits there, staring at me with an intensity that's almost unnerving. His gaze only makes me feel more awkward and bare.
"I get it. You're into him, and him alone. I wouldn't dare to come between you two-unless I had a death wish. But my heart shreds a little each time I see you so deeply wounded. You keep getting hurt, Kam. I've tried to ignore it, but I can't any longer. So, I won't. All I ask is that you lean on me when you can't stand on your own. Let me be your support."
"You're stupid." I finally turn away from him again, facing the other direction and ignoring the racing in my heart.
I dare not meet those brown eyes, eyes that radiate a sincerity so unsettling it terrifies me. I fear what he might find hiding in the depths of my own gaze.
"I know. If you want me to leave, I will give you some space so you don't get stressed anymore." He says exactly what I wanted to hear minutes ago.
But now, my feelings about it have subtly shifted. Still, I say nothing, too scared-or perhaps too terrified-to consider any other possibility.
"Goodbye, Kam." He says finally, getting up from the chair he's been sitting on.
I hear his footsteps receding, growing more distant with each step. As much as I want to turn around and offer him a chance to stay, even for just a second longer, I don't. I hold myself back, convinced that no good could ever come from it.
This is how it's meant to be.
***
SERA'S POV
(FROM A FEW MINUTES EARLIER)
The moment we arrive at school, I fight the urge to drop to my knees and kiss the ground beneath. Never in a million years did I think I'd miss this hellhole so much, particularly after yesterday's attack.
From my vantage point, I see Kamila up ahead. She dismounts from her own wolf, limping forward, only to be immediately swarmed by a crowd of admirers gushing over her 'valiant' return.
I can't help but chuckle, wondering if they'd still consider her valiant if they'd seen how frantic she was about being stuck outdoors.
Before I can even consider dismounting my wolf, a blur of motion catches my eye. It's Artemis, weaving through the crowd with an urgency that steals my breath away.
Time seems to slow-or perhaps it's the lack of a decent meal that's messing with my head and heart-because, for a moment, my heart skips a beat, flutters at the sight of his distressed form.
Did he miss me?
An impulse I can't explain almost drives me to go to him first - it had to be the pull of those desperate blue eyes.
However, without a word, he beats me to it, pulling me down from the wolf and into his arms as if I'm the missing piece he's been desperately searching for.
Like I'm the sole anchor to his sanity.
His hug is tight, protective, and perhaps the best thing I've felt in the last 24 hours. I let it happen, embracing the warmth, the safety, and even the urge to hold him closer to myself.
He's crushing me, but for some reason, I don't dare complain. Maybe because being in his arms isn't half as bad as I'd expected.
"Sera..." Artemis sighs, a certain weight resting on those syllables, like it was both a relief and an unspeakable ache. He breathes in my scent deeply, and I...I feel a burst of mixed emotions from the past few hours - exhaustion and pain topping it.
Abruptly, Artemis pulls away and holds my gaze for a second, then he clears his throat, as if composing himself - sneaking an embarrassed smile.
Before I can get my next words out, he says, "Give me a moment - I'll be right back."
And just like that, he disappears into the crowd.
My heart doesn't stop racing, and this surge of strange feelings fills it to the brim. I can't explain it, and I don't want to, so I force my attention to the cheering crowd.
Now, where's Olivia?
In moments like this, she would always come running towards me first, engulfing me in a hug after spending the night steeped in worry.
I'd get scolded, and then I'd have to apologize until she forgave me for being careless enough to confront Kamila on my own. There's no way she'd believe me if I told her that Kamila and I have somewhat reached a common ground.
Or at least, I hope we have.
Seconds stretch into minutes as I wait, watching the crowd quickly disperse. Yet, there's not a single sign of Olivia.
Strange.
Growing restless, I start to walk around. Just when I decide to head back on my own, I spot Artemis in the distance. He's approaching slowly, a solemn look etched on his face.
My heart beats slightly faster for some reason, seeing him again.
"Hey," he says, offering a small, sad smile as he stares at me with those electrifying blue eyes. Have they always been this intense?
Instantly, a tension descends that freezes me in place. It's suddenly strange to talk to him, even if we've only spent a day apart from school.
The hug lingers in my memory, that subtle glimpse of his vulnerability, and my cheeks heat up - must be the weather.
"Hey."
"I... I thought you..." He stops, takes in a hard breath, then tries again with a certain raw depth. "You have no idea how...worried I was. I'm glad you're still in one piece - you really might be indestructible after all." His words strain to be lighthearted, but the aching truth that lays bare right now makes my heart stutter, and relief floods through me.
What do I care if he was actually worried that I might have died out there? Since when has his state of mind ever mattered to me?
"Y-yeah, um... Maybe I'm superhuman." I try to laugh, but nothing's funny - nothing.
"I heard what happened? Are you okay?"
"It was crazy but at least we survived, right?"
In a desperate need for distraction, my eyes scan the lingering crowd for Olivia. Anything to divert my thoughts and prevent my gaze from lingering on him too long.
Could she be mad at me?
"Have you seen Olivia?" I ask now, drawing the conversation away.
His face instantly crumbles, sucking away the light in his blue depths. He diverts his gaze for a brief moment, before returning them to mine with a terrifying new reality.
"About that..."
"What? What's wrong?"
"I need to tell you something, but you have to promise me that you won't freak out so much." He pleads, which only adds more to the crippling suspense.
"What are you talking about? What's going on?" I ask again, and he's still reluctant to speak.
My heart starts to pound deafeningly in my ears, worsened by the weight of his silence.
"Where's Olivia!"
"She was attacked last night. She went out looking for you when news of your disappearance was reported. They found her unconscious, lying just outside the girls' dorm room not long afterward."
"W-what..."
"Olivia's in a coma."