Chapter 9

STELLA STELLA "Soooo," Elle wriggles her brows as she sits right next to me. "Spill it!" "There's nothing to spill, really." Somehow I feel shy being interrogated like that. "Of course, there isn't! Xavier Grayson gives girls a princess carry every freaking day!" she giggles, "NOT!" "What can I say? He is a gentleman." I limp to the wardrobe and start to undress. It's painful as my body is severely bruised. That's how being hit by a car should feel like, not by some girl from the senior year! I mean, she isn't even that big! How on Earth did she do all that? I turn and see Elle looking at me in horror as I am now standing in just my underwear. "Sh*t, Stella, I didn't think it was that bad!" She shudders nervously. "Are they sure the school doctor is enough to treat that?" She is clearly concerned, and it makes me smile a little. Since my parents died, I didn't get to experience too much of that. I had my friends at home, but my terrible aunt prohibited us from seeing each other outside of school, and I was completely alone for so long. It's nice to suddenly be cared for by people. "They are just bruises, silly," I smile at my new best friend. "I guess I am not wearing a bikini this week, but considering the weather here, that's not much of a loss." She smiles proudly at me, and there is no more pity or worry in her eyes. That's more like it. "Then, going back to the original topic," she giggles. "What do you think about our boy Xave?" I roll my eyes at her but eventually give up. "He is nice," I admit and think about it some more. "And handsome, of course. And freakishly strong…" "Yeah, yeah, he is." She nods eagerly, and her eyes tell me that she wants to hear more. "But I haven't come here to find a boyfriend," I say. "If anything, if there comes a chance for me to leave this place and go back home, I would do it in a heartbeat. And that's a reason to not get involved with anyone here. It'll cause more trouble than happiness. You know what I mean." She looks at me as if she is surprised but tries to contain it. "But don't you feel like you really like him?" she asks. "Like something pulls you to him? Like together you would…" "Of course not!" I laugh, and her face falls. "That would be crazy! I mean, the guy has the best abs I've ever seen, but it's not love at first sight or anything. He is just a sweet guy. No more and no less." She looks puzzled at first, and I wonder why she cares so much about it. Does she want us to double date the brothers or something? I pull on my favourite oversized beige sweatshirt, which reaches my mid-thigh and ripped high waist denim shorts with over-the-knee socks. Soft and comfortable. And just what I need after everything. "You know what?" Elle jumps up. "I am sure that you will like him more very soon. Maybe even to the point of staying here forever!" "Yeah, sure," I snort at her. "Dream on, girl!" In a few minutes, Elle goes to shower, and I snuggle in my bed, preparing to have a very well-deserved nap. However, a knock on the window glass alerts me. I limp to it and open it, only to find a paper bag full of medicine in front of it. I look at the contents, and to my surprise, most of them help get rid of bruises; others are painkillers. I look around again, but there is no trace of the roof doctor. But since it's the roof, it could only be one guy. A smile curls my lips without me realizing it, and a warm feeling in my chest makes my mood a little bit better. "Thank you," I shout, looking out the window, but I am unsure if Xavier is still there. That dummy… *** Skipping breakfast and going for a walk was not a bad idea. That school feels like a prison, and I need some fresh air. Surprisingly, my injuries from yesterday turned out to be not as bad as I initially thought. The bruises are almost gone, and I can walk without limping today. I thought I'd be bedridden for days. Luckily, that's not the case, and I heal pretty quickly. Or Xavier gave me a magical ointment yesterday. Ha-ha, the chances of that are slim, though. I came to the field where we played the damn hockey game, walking right into the centre of it. I am pretty sure that this is where Maddie hit me, as there's still ruined grass in the place we collided. That girl is a cow. Literally. I look around and see the pieces of wooden structure that I landed into… But something is wrong. Have they moved it? There's no way I flew that far! It's at least fifty feet! I come close to the place and see broken pieces everywhere. "It's just not right…" I mutter to myself. "Of course, it's not," I hear an unfamiliar male voice that startles me. "They should have cleaned it up as soon as it happened." I turn in the direction of the voice and see a tall and handsome man in his late twenties. He has ebony black hair, stylishly trimmed into a low fade haircut, the longer part combed to one side, and at least three days old stubble decorates his face with sharp but beautiful features, also trimmed to perfection. His hazel eyes are on me, and it makes me uncomfortable for some reason. "Are you the new student who got…" He pauses to choose the right word. "Sent flying across the field?" I help him out with an awkward chuckle. "I heard it was brutal." He smiles, his eyes not leaving me for a second. A slight shiver goes down my spine, and I pull the sides of my unbuttoned coat together as if I am cold. This encounter seems… strange. "I survived." I smile politely and start walking away. "What is your name once again?" the man asks, and I turn to look at him. "I didn't say it in the first place," I shrug, wishing to come back to the academy building. "And yet I would really like to know it." He insists and gives me a very charming smile. "Stella," I say finally. What can I do? He is probably working here. Besides, the guy is hot, and I am not immune. But for some weird reason, Xave comes to my mind, and I feel slightly guilty. I wonder why. "Nice to meet you, Stella." The stranger offers me his hand. "My name is…" "CAIN!" I hear Xavier's voice behind my back and flinch as if I am really at fault here. I slowly turn and face him, but he doesn't even look at me. His eyes are on the man with ebony hair. And he does not look happy to see him. "Mr Grayson," the stranger smirks. "I was about to come and meet you when I met this lovely young lady. And then I found out that she is the one who happened to be injured in yesterday's accident. How unfortunate!" "You are not allowed to speak to her as long as you are on my territory." Xave snaps. "Follow me! His what? His territory? That Cain guy, however, is looking at me and not at Xavier, a smile not leaving his face, making the whole situation even more awkward. Something is off here, and I am the only one who has no idea. "Of course," the man says and walks up to Xave, passing me and whispering, "We'll see each other later." I feel my cheeks flush at his words, and I turn around to see an expression of hurt on Xavier's face. Guilt pins my heart in my chest. "Stella, you missed breakfast," he says to me firmly. "Carter and Elle are looking everywhere for you." "Um, thanks. I just needed some air," I say, but he turns away and walks toward the main building with the man I've just met. Rude. However, when I remembered his face just now, I felt a pang in my heart again. XAVIER Seeing that snake next to Stella was a real challenge. The way he looked at her... Interested. Amused. Cain Russel, the Alpha of the Dark Crescent pack, is never interested in anyone! If he pays Stella this much attention, he either knows she is my mate, or he likes her himself. And I can't have any of it. We walk to the headmistress's office together, not saying a word to each other. We almost never do. Not much to talk about there. Our packs have been enemies for decades, and the truce we have now is a miracle, to say the least. If his sister hadn't been mated to a wolf from my pack, we'd be at war this very moment. However, the truce does feel temporary, so I will never be able to trust this guy. We walk into the office, and the headmistress, together with Greg and her secretary, are already waiting for us. Cain takes off his expensive black coat and throws it at the assistant girl, who catches it and leaves the room immediately. J*rk. "Morning, Ellen." He smirks and sits in the leather chair opposite her desk. "Mr Russel," the headmistress almost stutters. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" "Well, I am actually here on behalf of the Council," he throws a leg over his knee, getting himself comfortable and reminding us once again of his power. "Tell them next time they can just send a letter," I snort at him. "Now, that would be rude, wouldn't it?" He smirks once again. "Also, I wanted to see how my little sister is doing here after all this time." "You haven't been bothering with her for the last year, but now suddenly you are worried?" "Yes, Mr Grayson, families are complicated. You know that better than anyone." He looks me in the eyes when he says that, but I don't flinch at the hidden insult. Draco, however, wishes to have a word with him. I have to put him deep inside my mind, as it is not the right time. "So, why are you here exactly?" Greg steps in. He knows all too well not to let us interact for long. "Well, the Council is not happy with the expulsion of Miss Maddison Dixon. She is from a prominent werewolf family and…" "She is from my pack, and it is my pack's business." I interrupt him. "No need for the Council to get involved. Let alone you." "The Council helps to fund the school, and there are conditions for that," Cain says calmly. "They should be involved in decisions like that. After all, isn't she your future Luna?" He is testing me. Looking for a reaction, but I am not going to give it to him. "No," I say firmly, and Ellen and Greg look at me in shock, "She isn't going to be my Luna. She broke the rules, and she is out. End of story." "Hmm," Cain smirks yet again. "Such a pity. And I wanted to be the first to congratulate you. But may I ask … what changed your mind exactly?" "What makes you think I wanted her in the first place?" I chuckle. "I've never announced it. Never had plans to marry her. Why were you so sure?" "Just rumours, I guess," Cain shakes his shoulders at me. "Let's move on to another pressing matter. The human girl." "What about her?" I snap. I feel like I can't control Draco for much longer. Just a mention of Stella drives him crazy. "Well, I think keeping her here after what happened is dangerous. You should expel her too." The asshole is testing me again. "There is no reason to do that. She just arrived, and she hasn't broken any rules." "I just saw her wandering around the place of the accident that you didn't even clean up. She is starting to suspect something." He pretends to brush away some non-existing dust from his shoulder. "I talked to her, and she was fine with everything. There is nothing to worry about. You can just forget about her." I try not to sound too eager at this last phrase. "Well, the Council will trust you this once. But if we hear about any more trouble with that human girl, then I will be dealing with her instead of you. Consider yourself warned." Cain smiles at me, but that's a threat. I shouldn't have been so careless. He should have never even met Stella in the first place. "Oh, look at the clock. Isn't it time for you to leave?" I raise my brow and sigh heavily. "Not until I see my sister", Cain insists, and Draco almost jumps out. He didn't want to see her for nearly two years! Why now? "She should be at her lessons," I growl. "Luckily for her, I have all the time in the world!" he smirks. He is onto me. "This is the territory of the Eclipse pack!" I insist. "You granted me visitation rights when my sister joined your pack, and we announced a truce. Not to mention that I am here as a Werewolf Council member in the first place!" He raises his voice, which rarely happens. And this only lets me know one thing – he wants to stay for a reason. I just hope that Stella is not that reason. "Fine," I groan. "Just remember, the school has visiting hours. After 6pm, you should be gone." "Of course," he smirks. "I should be done by then."