4.The Morning After Ruin

POV: Mira

I woke up before my alarm.

For a moment, I didn’t know why.

The ceiling above me was pale gray in the early morning light, quiet and harmless. The dorm room was still. No voices. No footsteps in the hall. Just silence, so thick it pressed against my ears.

Then I felt it.

The emptiness.

It sat right in the center of my chest, where the bond used to be.

My breath came out shallow.

Slowly, I lifted my hand and pressed my palm there.

Cold.

My fingers drifted up to my collarbone.

The mark was still there—

—but faint.

Fading.

Like it was already forgetting him.

My stomach twisted.

A voice echoed in my head, sharp and clear, like it had been carved into bone.

I, Alpha Kevin Cornell, reject you.

My hand dropped.

No. Don’t think about it.

I reached for my phone instead. The screen lit up, white and blinding in the dim room. Notifications flooded the display.

Tags. Mentions. Messages.

So many.

My thumb hovered.

Then tapped.

Comments filled the screen.

Scrolling. Scrolling. Scrolling.

> psycho

liar

freak

attention seeker

disgusting

trapper

desperate omega

she drugged him

she forced him

someone expel her already

My chest tightened with every swipe.

The words blurred together, melting into one long stream of hate.

My reflection stared back at me from the black edge of the screen—small, pale, tired. My eyes looked bigger than usual. Fragile.

I swallowed hard and locked the phone.

The room felt heavier now.

Like the air itself knew.

A whisper slipped out before I could stop it.

“I shouldn’t have said yes.”

The words barely existed.

Then—

The door slammed open.

“MIRA!”

I jolted upright.

Chloe stumbled inside like a hurricane stuffed into human skin.

Her curls exploded in every direction. One sock was pink. The other had cartoon ducks on it. She clutched her phone in both hands like it might detonate.

“IT’S EVERYWHERE,” she gasped.

My heart dropped. “What is?”

“EVERYWHERE!” she repeated, already climbing onto my bed. “WHY ARE THERE EDITS?!”

“…Edits?”

“WHY ARE THERE SLOW-MOTION EDITS?!”

She shoved the phone in my face.

Video.

Me.

On the floor.

Covered in punch.

Crying.

Someone had added dramatic music.

Another edit zoomed in on my face as I fell.

Another replayed Kevin’s rejection in slow motion with captions:

REJECTED.

EXPOSED.

OBSESSED OMEGA.

My stomach lurched.

Chloe vibrated beside me, furious.

“I WILL FIGHT THEM,” she announced. “I WILL PERSONALLY FIGHT EVERY PERSON WHO MADE THESE.”

I blinked. “There are thousands.”

She cracked her knuckles.

“I said what I said.”

Despite everything—

My lips twitched.

She wasn’t embarrassed for me.

She was mad for me.

That mattered more than she probably realized.

The door opened again.

Tina walked in.

Unlike Chloe, she wasn’t rushed. She wasn’t loud. She closed the door quietly behind her, eyes already scanning the room.

But she didn’t look at my face.

“Mira, I apologize again for not being there when you needed me. I left the party early because my mom called—there was an emergency at home. I’m truly sorry.”

I forced a smile. “Tina, it’s okay. You already apologized last night.”

“Wait, what’s that?” Chloe suddenly sniffed the air around me.

“You smell it too, don’t you?” Tina murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I noticed it last night when she came back. I meant to ask her about it… but I forgot.”

Both girls looked at me suspiciously.

My spine went rigid.

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said nervously.

Chloe blinked. “She smells like trauma… and fruit punch.”

Tina ignored her. She stepped closer. Her head tilted slightly, like she was aligning puzzle pieces only she could see.

“You met someone.”

Not a question.

My mouth opened. Closed.

“I—no.”

The lie came out thin. Weak. Transparent.

Tina’s eyes flicked to mine. She knew.

Of course she knew.

She didn’t call me out. Didn’t press. Didn’t expose me.

She just said quietly,

“Whoever it is… they’re strong.”

A chill slid down my spine.

Before I could respond—

The warning bell rang outside.

Time to face the world.

The campus walkway felt different today.

Heavier.

Like the ground knew my name and disapproved.

Students stood in clusters along the path. Some talking. Some whispering. Some pretending not to stare.

Phones were already out. Recording. Watching. Judging.

I kept my gaze forward.

Don’t react. Don’t look. Don’t listen.

Then—

My wolf stirred.

I looked up.

And saw him.

Klaus.

He stood at the center of the crowd with his friends, like he was the sun. Girls hovered all around him, like they couldn’t stay away. They surrounded him without even touching him, laughing at everything he said, blushing at every word that left his lips.

He pointed and gestured for one of them to come closer. She came without hesitation, eyes shining like she’d been chosen.

He bent toward her ear, lips brushing its shell as he whispered something. Her eyes widened, lips parted, a soft gasp escaping before she could stop it.

The girls around them squealed, clutching each other.

He pulled back slowly, savoring her reaction. Then, lazily, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering too long.

Their eyes locked. The air between them tightened.

She couldn’t look away. He didn’t want to.

His gaze darkened, slow and dangerous, testing how much she could take before she broke.

My jaw tightened. Seriously?

One whisper, and she looked ready to melt.

I looked away, trying not to roll my eyes, but the tight knot in my chest wouldn’t loosen.

When I turned again,

he was walking toward me.

Closer.

Closer—

My breath caught.

He didn’t slow. Didn’t hesitate. Didn’t even glance at me.

He passed right by.

Like I wasn’t there.

Like he didn’t know me.

Like last night hadn’t happened.

My stomach dropped so fast it hurt.

A small thought whispered in my head:

He changed his mind.

Inside me, my wolf whimpered softly.

Before I could stop it, I turned slightly to watch him go.

That’s when someone spoke beside my ear.

“Still obsessed?”

My whole body stiffened.

Kevin.

He stood close enough that I could feel his warmth through the air. Smug smile. Relaxed posture. Hands in pockets like he didn’t have a single worry in the world.

He glanced at the watching students before leaning closer.

“Careful,” he murmured. “People might think you’re stalking me again.”

My fingers curled. My wolf snarled.

He straightened, satisfied, and walked away, smiling.

Around me—

Whispers. Not voices.

Some students stared at me like I was dirt. Others spat on the floor when they saw me.

“Psychotic bitch!” someone shouted.

Tina didn’t hesitate—she flipped the middle finger.

Some boys snickered as we passed. “Oh my God, the stalker is here!”

It was… too much.

But I refused to break. Don’t show them weakness. You’ve done nothing wrong.

The taunting continued as we walked down the hallway. In fact, it only got worse. Before we’d even taken three steps, a group of girls blocked our way.

I knew them well. They were my curse: Bella’s lackeys.

“What the hell, Glory?” Tina stepped forward, jaw tight, already on edge. “Move, or I’ll knock your teeth out.”

Glory chuckled, calm and cruel. “You think I’m scared of you, Tina? I’m not scared of anyone.”

“Guys, move,” Chloe said softly, her voice almost hiding behind me. “We’ll be late for my woodclock lecture if we don’t hurry.”

“Shut up, Omega,” Glory spat back, glaring at Chloe. “How dare you talk when we are speaking!”

I stepped forward, voice sharper than I expected. “Leave my friends alone.”

Glory froze, staring at me like I had grown a second head. Then she turned to the other girls. “She actually has the guts to speak after what she did to Alpha Kevin,” she yelled, face twisted with rage.

I sighed. “Whatever is happening between me and Kevin is none of your concern.”

The girls gasped.

“Do you believe her?” one sneered, turning to the others.

“She has no shame,” another said.

“She’s so annoying,” one muttered.

“Let’s teach her a lesson she’ll never forget,” another hissed.

“You have to go through me first,” Tina said firmly, stepping in front of me again.

Then, suddenly, two girls grabbed her, holding her tightly on both arms.

Before I could react, two more grabbed me.

Chloe screamed and ran, leaving us behind.

I struggled, tried to pull free, but they were stronger. Even Tina, though a Beta like them, struggled.

Glory stepped in front of me, her hand grabbing the top of my blouse. “You’re going to listen to me,” she hissed, voice low and dangerous. “We don’t want you anywhere near our department, our faculty, or this school.”

Something inside me snapped. “You can’t tell me what to do!” I blurted before thinking. I didn’t care how many there were. All I knew was anger. Pure, unfiltered anger.

Glory’s eyes widened. “What? Did you just talk back to me?” She raised her hand to slap me.

I closed my eyes, bracing.

But then…

“Stop.”

My heart dropped. I opened my eyes.