The teacher arrived shortly after, an older woman named Mrs. Rae who was known for being both fair and too tired to deal with teenage drama. She glanced around the room, took attendance without so much as commenting on Ava's absence, and started her lecture on pack law with her usual dry tone.
The class dragged on. I tried to focus, taking notes, underlining key phrases about blood oaths and rank ascension rights, but my mind kept drifting back to the hallway, to the feel of Ava's shoulders under my palms, to the wide, stunned look in her eyes when I'd finally snapped.
I hadn't meant to pin her.
I hadn't even planned to say anything.
It just… happened.
And now she was gone.
But it wasn't just the memory of that moment tugging at my brain. Something felt wrong—off, like the silence around her absence wasn't just awkward but calculated. Everyone noticed it. No one commented. It was like we were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Still, the class went on. Pages turned. Pens scratched paper.
Until chaos shattered the silence.
Two boys—both from mid-ranked families—exploded into an argument so fast no one even had time to stop them.
The fight started with shouting.
And ended with claws.
Desks were shoved. One chair flew. A few girls screamed, and a group of guys stood up trying to break them apart. But it wasn't just a random brawl. This was something else.
Turned out one of the guys colt had been dating this girl, Jana, for almost a year now. Everyone knew they were close. Always together. Practically inseparable.
But this morning was Jana's eighteenth birthday.
And that meant her wolf had awakened.
Which also meant… she found her mate.
And it wasn't Colt.
It was the other guy—Devin.
Apparently, Devin had taken one look at her in the hallway this morning, felt the bond snap into place, and claimed her on the spot.
Right there in front of Colt.
Lissa filled me in later, wide-eyed and half-grinning like she'd just watched a full-on soap opera play out live. She said Devin barely hesitated—walked right up, wrapped his arm around Jana, and kissed her like no one else in the world existed.
Colt, understandably, didn't take it well.
He shouted. Shoved Devin. Accused Jana of betrayal.
Jana tried to explain, but it didn't matter. Mate bonds don't care about previous relationships. They override everything. When the bond clicks in, it's fate. Period.
But try telling that to a heartbroken boyfriend who thought he had forever and just watched it get snapped away by biology and Moon-damned instinct.
The fight didn't last long. Security pulled them apart before too much blood was spilled. Both guys ended up being escorted to the nurse's office, still snarling and glaring at each other like caged animals. Jana left quietly. I didn't see her for the rest of the day.
"Mate drama," Lissa said as we walked toward our lockers. "Better than a telenovela. Honestly, I don't know whether to cry or cheer."
I snorted. "That's love for you. Turns feral real quick."
She chuckled. "That's wolves for you. The second the bond kicks in, the whole world turns inside out. Boom. Claimed. Devotion. Jealousy. Rage. Chaos. It's like watching instinct hijack common sense."
I didn't say anything after that.
Because deep down, I wasn't sure how I felt about it either.
About mates.
About bonds.
About how fast everything changed when the right—or wrong—person looked at you and the universe snapped into place.
Was that what would happen to me? If my wolf ever came? If the bond ever clicked?
Or would I just keep drifting, wolfless, watching everyone else pair off and lose their minds?
The day limped along after the fight, quieter than usual. I guess no one wanted to be the next scene in the drama, especially not with Ava still missing and rumors swirling in the background.
I kept looking over my shoulder.
But she never showed up for the rest of the class.
It wasn't like her to stay gone. Not for this long. Not without sending someone else to bark in her place. I couldn't help wondering if she was nursing a bruise somewhere. Or maybe… something else.
Part of me was relieved.
The other part?
Worried.
Because if I knew anything about Ava—it was that silence meant planning.
And that terrified me more than any insult ever could.
When the final bell rang, Lissa and I walked out together, shoulders brushing occasionally as we moved through the hallway. It wasn't crowded anymore—most students had already rushed out to catch rides or shift home.
"I'm glad you didn't disappear after what happened," Lissa said suddenly.
I looked over at her, confused. "Why would I disappear?"
"Some people crack under pressure. You didn't. That says something."