Chapter 7
We were in the empty art room after last period and he didn't ask again the same way.
He'd pushed two desks together to cover the stain on the far table where my wrist had hit the metal edge last week. Light came flat through the high windows. Dust in air. My bandage was gone now, only faint scar line left where his light had sealed skin. He turned my hand over, thumb resting just below scar, not pressing.
"You said you fell against the locker," he said.
I didn't answer at first. I watched his watch. Black dial caught window light. Gold bezel ticked quietly.
"I did," I said.
He let go. Pulled his chair back half inch. "Fall leaves scrape. Not slice."
My chest tightened. Room smelled like pencil shavings and old paint water.
He said, "Who was in front of lockers with you?"
Silence stretched. I heard hallway locker slams outside, kids laughing at far end. My vest hung over back of chair, crest facing wall. I didn't want to look at it.
He waited. Didn't fill silence for me.
"Maren," I said finally. Voice small. "Maren Croft was there."
His hand stilled on desk. "Maren Croft."
"And Jace. And another girl. I don't know her name. Sophomore maybe."
He looked at me sharply over his gold-rimmed glasses. "What did Maren say before?"
I swallowed. Throat dry. "She said I shouldn't wear the vest. Said omegas without a wolf don't get to wear crest. Said I was faking to get attention. That I should quit pretending I belong in advanced track."
He didn't move. Jaw tight.
"She grabbed my arm," I said. "Said let's see how fast you heal then. Pulled me toward edge of locker door. It was open. Metal's sharp where hinge is. She didn't let go when I pulled back."
I held wrist up without thinking. Scar faint pink line now. "I told everyone I slipped. I didn't want report. Didn't want them to say I started it."
He exhaled slowly. Not surprise. Recognition.
"Croft," he said. His voice lower. "Her family funds north wing. Her older brother is head alpha candidate this year. Her mom sits on uniform council."
I nodded. I knew. Everyone knew. Crofts donated display cases that held crests.
"That's why you didn't want medicine from nurse," he said. "Incident report goes to council."
"Yes," I said. "And they'd pull my vest. Say I caused fight."
He stood, walked to window, hands in pockets. Light cut across his white shirt. For first time I saw tension in shoulders he tried to hide.
"Did she cut you on purpose?" he asked without turning.
I squeezed eyes shut. "She didn't need blade. Locker edge did it. But she held me there. She watched it bleed and said that's what happens when you pretend."
He turned around. Face focused, concerned, same look from that night in warm lamp light when he held my wrist and healed it.
"That night you said you needed to see wound because omega without wolf spirit can't heal right," I said. "You were right. It wasn't closing. Still hurts sometimes."
He came back to desk, crouched so eyes level with mine. Gold-rimmed glasses caught light.
"Maren knows you heal fast but not clean," he said. "She counted on you hiding it. So no one checks."
I nodded, tears finally slipped. I wiped them fast.
"Can't tell principal," I said. "She'll say I lied about fall. Crofts will back her. I'll lose crest and get detention and everyone will know I'm omega without wolf and think I asked for it."
He reached, not for wrist this time, but covered my hand with his. Warm. Watch pressed gently against my skin.
"We don't accuse public," he said. "Not yet. That puts target on you bigger than scar."
"What do we do then?" I asked.
He glanced at my vest on chair, then back to me. "We document. We keep healing right. And we make it so she can't do it again without witnesses who matter."
My breath shook. "You know her family. You know weight."
"I do," he said. "That's why we don't rush. Croft name protects her. Doesn't protect truth if truth has time stamp and clean care log."
He let go, stood. "Come over tonight. Apartment side. I'll show you how to change gauze right. No more hiding infection risk."
I looked at scar line again. Faint but there. Proof I didn't imagine.
May you like
I said, "Okay."
Outside, bell rang. Door to art room stayed shut. Footsteps passed. No one opened it yet, but I knew tomorrow we'd have to walk past same lockers.
