Bright morning. It's a new day. I pulled my backpack over one shoulder and headed for the door, already halfway gone in my head with school sitting heavily in my thoughts, and not because of classes, nor was it because of homework, but because of a pair of blue eyes I hadn't been able to stop thinking about since yesterday.
The front door opened before I could even reach for the handle. Lucas's car idled at the curb, already waiting for me.
Of course he was.
I stepped outside as the cool morning air brushed against my face, just enough to stop me from smiling like an idiot. Lucas leaned out of the driver's seat, one arm draped lazily over the door.
"You planning on standing there all day, or are you getting in?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes. "Good morning to you too."
I reached for the door-
"Ethan!"
My mother's voice cut through.
I groaned inwardly and turned just in time to see her rushing out of the house, apron still tied around her waist, hair half-pinned like she'd dropped everything just to stop me.
She grabbed my arm gently, her eyes scanning my face as if she was staring into my soul.
"Be careful today," she said. "Please, baby."
"I'm always careful, Mum," I muttered.
She didn't look convinced, but she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, and then stayed in that position for a while.
"Mum," I protested, stepping back. "I'm not a baby anymore."
She smiled sadly. "Don't say that. You'll always be my baby."
"I can take care of myself," I insisted. "Nothing's going to happen."
She opened her mouth to argue-
Beep.
Lucas hit the horn. I shot him a glare, but he just grinned.
"I have to go, mum," I said quickly, shifting away from my mother's grasp. "I'll be fine. Really. You don't have to worry about anything at all."
She sighed, brushing invisible dust from my jacket. "Make sure to come straight home when school is over for the day. Okay?"
"I will."
That was a lie, and we both knew it.
I gave her a quick wave and climbed into the car, shutting the door behind me. As Lucas pulled away, I caught a glimpse of her standing in the driveway, arms folded around herself.
I hated that look.
Still... my chest fluttered as excitement bubbled up inside me. I was going to see Derek again. Even if he might be Ashbound.
The drive was quiet for a while. Lucas drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror more often than necessary.
"You're smiling," he said eventually.
"I am not."
"Oh, you are. I just wonder what's making you smile like that."
I scowled at the window. "Mind your business."
He chuckled but didn't press.
We reached the school earlier than usual. The parking lot was still mostly empty, morning dew clinging to the pavement like a thin sheen of glass.
Lucas pulled up near the entrance. "I'll be nearby," he said. "You call if anything feels off and you need me to get you."
"I will, but you don't have to act like my parent and be worried about me," I replied, already opening the door. "I know a lot of you in the pack feel I'm weak."
"That's not what I meant."
I paused, then nodded. "I know. Thanks."
He looked surprised for a moment, then waved me off. "Go. Before you're late."
I stepped out of the car and slung my backpack properly onto my shoulders. As Lucas drove away, I turned toward the building, my heart picking up speed with every step. I was almost inside when-
"Ethan!"
I froze. Then I turned.
Bri came running toward me, her red hair bouncing, face lit up as if she'd just won something. She skidded to a stop in front of me, breathless and grinning.
"I was hoping you'd be here early!" she said. "We weren't able to exchange contacts after school, so we could talk while we were home."
"Yeah," I said. "I had to leave. Besides, you saw that someone came to pick me."
"Yeah." She tilted her head, staring at me. "Everything okay?"
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
I reached into my bag and pulled out the folded shirt she'd lent me yesterday after Derek had spilled juice on mine.
"I cleaned this up and just want to say thank you for helping me out yesterday," I said. "You can have it back now."
Her eyes widened, then she laughed. "Oh my God, I didn't think you'd actually return it."
"I wasn't just going to keep it."
She waved a hand dismissively. "You can. I've got like ten of those."
"I really should-"
"Ethan," she said, smiling brightly. "Keep it."
I opened my mouth to argue, but she shook her head. "Seriously. By the way, it suits you better."
Heat crept up my neck. "Fine. But only because you asked me to."
She laughed again, clearly pleased, and hooked her arm through mine as we walked inside.
"So," she said casually, "are you worried about what Derek's planning to do to you today?"
I snorted. "I'd love to see what he tries."
She stared at me, chuckling. "You say that like you want him to."
"I'm not scared of him."
"That's not what I asked."
We stopped at my locker. I spun the dial, my ears half-tuned to the hallway, eyes scanning instinctively. Bri noticed. Of course she did.
"When do you think he'll get here?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent.
She smirked. "I'm not his mother, Ethan. Derek will pop up when Derek wants to."
"Why are you so impatient?" she asked suddenly. "And why do you care so much?"
I shrugged. "Just curious about who's been threatening me."
"That's a weird way to talk about someone."
"Then I guess I'm a weird person."
Before she could respond, an arm suddenly hooked around my neck. My entire body went rigid, and Bri stiffened beside me.
"Hey," a voice drawled.
I instantly recognized the voice. It was Derek. Still, for some reason, I couldn't get his scent.
He nodded at Bri first. "Morning."
Then he turned to me, and because I had my head turned to him already, our faces were barely inches apart.
I could see every detail, like the faint scar near his eyebrow, the way his lashes cast shadows against his cheeks, the startling blue of his eyes. One wrong move and our lips could-
Heat rushed through me, sudden and overwhelming. My chest felt tight, breath shallow. Everything inside me buzzed, like static under my skin. Derek must've noticed because he shoved me back roughly, stepping away.
"What the hell? Why are you so close?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I was still staring.
"Stop looking at me like that," he snapped. "Ugh... It's creepy."
Bri let out a nervous laugh. "Derek-"
"Watch your back," he said to me quietly, eyes sharp now. "I mean it."
Then he turned and walked off, disappearing into a group of his friends as if nothing had happened.
Bri grabbed my arm. "Ethan, that could've gone really bad."
"He wouldn't hurt me," I said automatically.
"You don't know that!"
I watched Derek's retreating figure, my heart still racing.
I told myself it was nothing, that he wasn't an Ashbound, and that I wasn't falling for him.
I told myself a lot of things, and believed every single one.
