Chapter 134: more than a crush

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: more than a crush

Kate nudged Amelia hard in the ribs.

"You’re drooling."

Amelia snapped her mouth shut and turned to glare at her friend.

"I am not. I’m just... admiring. It’s harmless."

Kate let out a snort as she slammed her locker shut.

"Harmless? Please. You look at those three like you’ve already picked out your wedding dress." She shook her head, amusement written all over her face. "You know you have zero chance with them, right? Half the confident girls in this school have already tried their luck, and none of them lasted more than a month."

Amelia’s fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She glanced down the corridor, where the three boys were still gathered, then quickly looked away when one of them shifted in her direction.

"I never planned on confessing anyway," she muttered. "Besides, I don’t think they’d even believe me if I told them I liked all three of them. It sounds insane even to me."

"At least you have some self-awareness."

"Shut up." Amelia nudged her with an elbow, but the embarrassment lingering on her face made the threat less convincing. "I should just focus on finding my actual fated mate someday instead of wasting my time staring at people I’ll never have."

Kate gave her a sideways look.

"That’s probably the smartest thing you’ve said all day."

"You’re supposed to be my friend."

"I am your friend. That’s why I’m trying to save you from embarrassing yourself." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Amelia rolled her eyes, though a reluctant smile tugged at her mouth.

Kate adjusted the strap of her bag and glanced toward the exit.

"Come on. It’s getting late. If we don’t leave now, the security guards will start locking the side gates, and I’m not interested in explaining why we’re still wandering around after school."

Amelia nodded, giving the corridor one last glance before following her.

They walked toward the exit together, weaving around the few students who remained. Amelia tried to concentrate on Kate’s complaints about their assignments, but her attention kept drifting back to the three figures behind them. She knew Kate was right. She had no reason to believe any of the boys would ever look at her the way she looked at them.

Still, knowing that didn’t make her feelings disappear.

She was just about to answer one of Kate’s questions when the atmosphere changed.

Amelia slowed.

The sky had been clear only moments ago, but darkness was spreading across it with unnatural speed. It wasn’t the gradual dimming of an approaching evening.

"Kate, do you—"

A scream cut through the hallway.

"Rogues!"

"Run! There are rogues inside the school!"

For one stunned second, nobody moved. Then the corridor erupted into chaos.

Students screamed and scattered. The sound of running feet thundered against the floor, mixed with frantic shouting and the crashing of something heavy farther down the building.

Kate grabbed Amelia’s wrist.

"Come on!"

They barely managed a few steps before a wave of panicked students surged between them. Amelia felt Kate’s fingers slip from hers, and she reached desperately through the crowd, trying to catch her friend’s hand again.

"Kate!"

"I’M HERE!"

Kate’s voice came from somewhere to Amelia’s left, but another group of students rushed between them. Someone struck Amelia’s shoulder, forcing her sideways, and by the time she regained her balance, Kate had disappeared into the crowd.

Amelia’s heart hammered against her ribs.

How did rogues get inside?

The school had security teams, protective barriers, and strict rules about who could enter the grounds. An attack like this shouldn’t have been possible, especially without warning.

A deafening crash sounded behind her.

Amelia turned just as a massive figure slammed into her from the side.

Pain burst through her shoulder and back as she struck the wall. Her bag flew from her hand, and she crumpled to the floor, struggling to draw a full breath. For a moment, the corridor spun around her.

She barely had time to look up before the rogue advanced.

It was half-shifted, its body twisted between human and wolf, with claws protruding from its fingers and elongated jaws hanging open. Saliva dripped from its mouth as its wild eyes fixed on her.

Amelia scrambled backward, pushing against the floor with trembling hands.

"Stay away from me!"

The rogue lowered its head and growled. The sound vibrated through the corridor, making her stomach clench.

Amelia tried to stand, but the pain in her shoulder forced her back down. She could hear more fighting nearby, along with screams that made it difficult to tell how close the other rogues were.

The creature lunged.

Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact.

It never came.

A furious snarl erupted directly in front of her, followed by the metallic scrape of something grinding against teeth.

"Run!"

Amelia’s eyes flew open.

Dean stood between her and the rogue, gripping a thick metal rod with both hands. One end was jammed into the creature’s open mouth, preventing it from snapping its jaws shut around him. His arms strained as the rogue shoved against him, its claws scraping across the floor while he fought to keep it back.

"Dean!" Amelia gasped.

"Don’t just stand there! Get out of here!"

His voice was harsher than she had ever heard it, but his eyes never left the creature. The rogue jerked its head violently, nearly tearing the rod from his grasp. Dean planted his feet and shoved back, his jaw clenched with effort.

Amelia forced herself upright. Her legs shook beneath her, and her injured shoulder throbbed, but she knew she couldn’t stay there and make his job harder.

She stumbled away, glancing back just before the crowd swallowed the corridor between them.

Dean was still holding the rogue back.

He was risking his life to give her time to escape.

The realization struck Amelia harder than she expected. These boys barely knew her, and yet Dean had stepped between her and a creature that could have torn her apart without hesitation.

She pressed a hand against her aching shoulder and kept moving, her chest tight with an emotion she couldn’t quite name.

Another shout drew her attention farther down the corridor.

She turned and saw Enzo hauling Reid upright near a shattered doorway. Reid’s shirt was torn at the side, and blood had already soaked through the fabric. His face was pale, but he was still trying to push Enzo away.

"Leave me," Reid said through gritted teeth. "Go protect the others."

Enzo tightened his grip around his brother’s arm.

"Not a chance."

"Enzo, I’m serious. I can barely stand. You’re wasting time dragging me around when you could be helping someone else."

"And I’m telling you to shut up."

Enzo pulled him closer, keeping Reid’s weight from collapsing onto his injured side. His expression was cold, but Amelia could see the tension in his shoulders and the way his gaze kept darting over Reid’s face, checking for signs that his condition was getting worse.

Reid tried to straighten.

Enzo immediately caught him before he could fall.

"Stop fighting me," Enzo snapped. "You can argue when you’re not bleeding all over the floor."