Fauna:
"You don’t have that weak wolf, as I thought you would have," he remarked.
After I transitioned back, the headmaster and I walked toward the main road, leaving the woods behind us. We moved slowly because it felt like we both had things to say.
"Well, you’re just like I heard about you. Very brutally honest," I replied, smiling to myself.
"That is because the bottom line is that I am praising your wolf," he answered.
I smiled again and gently fidgeted with my fingers.
"What is bothering you, my daughter?" he asked, his tone loving.
Why had our own parents not given us love and protection like other n did. It felt as if the wrong people had been given the gift of children.
"What makes you say I have sothing on my mind?" I asked him, slowing my steps so we would not reach our destination or the others too quickly because I really wanted to speak with him.
"I notice you’re not very happy about your marriage, about your acceptance to Haiden," the headmaster observed, his hands tied behind his back, his posture straight as always.
"He ca to reject . He only pitied ," I muttered, swallowing hard.
"I understand what you’re feeling, but let’s be honest," he began, keeping his hands behind him. "Yes, he said he was going to reject you. Yes, it may have seed like he pitied you."
He paused and drew a slow breath before continuing.
"But the look he showed when he watched you in pain, when you ca out of the basent..." His eyes softened. "I have only seen that look in a few people."
As he inhaled deeply, I tilted my head to show he had my full attention.
"One of them is ," he confessed. "That is how I looked at my mate when they injected her with the vial."
It was truly odd for to hear soone convince that he did not look at with hatred, because previously I had only heard people remind that he did not like , that he looked at as if he were disgusted with , and that I should move on.
So I was not sure which of them was telling the truth. I just wished the headmaster was, because he was more experienced and honest.
When he finished, I lowered my gaze.
"I’m so sorry that our families did that to you, your family, and your people," I said.
That was what I had learned after being taken out of the mansion. I had only uncovered a few details, but I intended to speak with Ian and ask him everything.
Everything our families had done, and how the creation of the North had been for entertainnt, had stemd from an evil person’s idea.
"I think we should hurry up," I whispered, taking a deep breath.
The headmaster slowly placed his hand on my head, almost like giving a blessing. Then he pulled away and led us out.
When I stepped onto the road again, my eyes landed on Haiden. He had been pacing anxiously and stopped the mont he saw .
His shoulders straightened and he moved toward .
"You’re looking much better. It seems like the transition—" he began.
I cut him off and walked past him without slowing down.
"We should hurry up, Ian," I said, addressing Ian instead.
Haiden grunted behind .
"Yeah, let’s go," Haiden replied.
We got into the car together. The headmaster was driving and Ian sat in the passenger seat, while Haiden and I climbed into the back.
Ian was telling about the origin of the Academy. I shifted toward the middle of the seat, still trying to keep distance between Haiden and .
Ian turned around in his seat, letting his father drive while he looked back at .
"Oh yeah, so basically," he began, then launched into the full story.
I was shocked by what I heard. For the next half hour, we talked back and forth without stopping.
"Ian, can you please just look ahead?" Haiden grumbled. "At this point, we need to sit in silence."
He complained about us talking nonstop.
I noticed the headmaster adjusting the rearview mirror to look at Haiden.
"It’s not my fault that your mate wants to know things from ," Ian remarked with a chuckle.
I leaned back in my seat, smiling at Ian’s comnt, then turned to look out the window.
After a few minutes of silence, Haiden gently tapped the back of my hand. I pulled my hand away quickly and frowned at him.
"I’m also a crusader, and I know all the details," Haiden muttered under his breath. "If you’re so curious and want to know about the Academy and everything, you can ask ."
"Why would I want to hear anything from you?" I shot back, shrugging before looking away again.
"Well, for starters, we are husband and wife," he replied angrily.
There was so much anger in his voice.
"Do you not know? I did so well in the North," he added.
I let out a deep groan to make it clear that I did not care.
"Ian, Headmaster, would you please tell my wife that I was one of the best crusaders at the academy?" he asked, then took one step forward, dragging the two innocent people into the silent war we were having.
Ian turned around and passed without a glance, still cracking his knuckles, then he smirked.
"I do not rember such a thing, but sure," Ian replied.
As soon as Ian said that, his father chuckled softly. I had never seen the headmaster laugh, so I could tell the two were having a great ti.
"Headmaster, would you please remind her that I was really great out in the north?" he requested, turning to the headmaster to take his side.
"Son, all I know is that you were always angry," the headmaster comnted, and I could hear the teasing undertone in his voice.
Haiden grunted and pulled back.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.
He still could not get my attention.
"Ain’t it fun when your mate’s attention is being forcefully pulled away to soone else?" Ian remarked, and I realized what he was trying to do.
He was paying Haiden back for all the tis Haiden and the others had tried to get Clentine’s attention by chasing after her.
"Take a turn here," I instructed the headmaster, leaning forward slightly. "There is a road with a few shops. Not many people use it unless they want to buy sothing. This is where Grant enters our pack."
I was informing him where they could catch the man who had all the details about Nook.
The headmaster turned the car. His warriors and lurkers behind us followed, heading straight onto the road.
That was when they stopped the cars in a way that blocked any escape.
We stepped out and waited for the man to appear.
I tried my best to stay away from Haiden and avoided standing near him, but he kept moving closer as if trying to stand beside .
"Can you just stop moving away from ?" he finally snapped.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward us.
Haiden grabbed my arm and pulled aside, away from the cars and the others.
"What is it?" I snapped, freeing my arm and challenging him with a bitter look on my face.
"Why are you ignoring ?" he finally asked, looking at directly.
I was shocked to see so much emotion in his eyes. It caught off guard.
"Do you not know?" I asked.
Before I could even pause, he was already pressing for an answer.
"No, I don’t," he argued. "You wanted to marry , and now that we are married, you’re ignoring ."
He pointed at his chest. His muscles and biceps tightened with anger.
"That is because you married out of pity. You were going to reject , Haiden," I replied.
I paused as emotions rushed to my eyes and ford into tears.
"I thought you were avoiding because you did not want to fall for ," I continued, holding his gaze. "Until you spoke of rejection, and I realized you never loved ."
A tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away.
"That is not true," he murmured.
His voice was low and strained.
"That is the truth. You cannot twist it any longer," I hissed at him.
"You always made it seem like you were just angry because of my father, but if that were the case, you would have been angry with Mariana too. All your anger was toward , which made realize that you truly despised , that I was annoying to you, that I was," I paused when I noticed he had started to clench his fist, as if warning not to say another word.
"You never loved . I was just too blind to see that."
I grunted under my breath while he kept glaring at .
Then he took a deep breath and placed his hands on his waist.
"No, that is not the truth," he replied confidently.
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