Chapter 17

Another day at Grimstone had crawled by, and thankfully, Dolores hadn't crossed paths with Axel's infuriating smirk. Relief washed over her as the school bell chimed, signaling the end of the day. She sank onto a bench outside, the setting sun painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. Just a few more minutes until Alistair finished his swimming practice, and they could head home.

Suddenly, a voice jolted her from her peaceful reverie. "Isn't the day just lovely, Dolores?" Chloe's cheerful voice rang out, accompanied by Nadia, their laughter drifting across the quad.

Dolores offered a smile, a hint of smugness peeking through. "Lovely indeed," she confirmed, savoring the peacefulness of Axel's absence. "No sign of a certain annoying shadow."

Chloe and Nadia exchanged a knowing glance before joining Dolores on the bench. A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the chirping of crickets and the distant rumble of the soccer team warming up for practice. Finally, Chloe decided to pry.

"So," she began, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "how's the art project with your mysterious partner, Ivan? Any sparks flying?"

Dolores sighed, the smugness fading from her expression. "Mysterious is one way to put it," she admitted. "More like an iceberg. Hard to breach, impossible to crack."

"Yikes," Nadia chimed in, her brow furrowed. "Sounds challenging. Have you two even brainstormed ideas yet?"

Dolores shook her head, frustration creeping into her voice. "Not a single one. We haven't spoken much outside of the history project with his sister, and even then, it's mostly grunts and curt replies."

Chloe, ever the optimist, patted Dolores on the shoulder. "Don't give up so easily! Maybe Ivan just needs a little warming up."

Chloe leaned closer, exchanging a knowing look with Nadia.

"Isn't Ivan just..." Chloe began, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "...brooding and ridiculously handsome?"

Dolores shrugged, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. There was no denying Ivan's attractiveness, even with his perpetually furrowed brow and closed-off demeanor.

"Absolutely," Nadia chimed in, her eyes sparkling. "Plus, he's single, right?"

Dolores bit her lips, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Single? Shocking news," she said sarcastically. "It's not exactly like his brooding aura screams 'available.'"

A sly grin spread across Chloe's face. "He is," she declared confidently. "But here's the thing – his overprotective twin sister, Imogen, keeps a tight leash on him."

Nadia nodded in agreement. "She wasn't always like that, though. Apparently, there was some incident that changed everything."

Dolores' ears perked up. This "incident" – Emmeline had mentioned it too, explaining Imogen's repeat year. Could it be connected to Ivan's distant personality?

Leaning forward, she pressed for more information. "Incident? What kind of incident?"

Chloe lowered her voice even further, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "More like an accident, really," she explained. "Happened when Imogen and Ivan were sophomores. Something went down."

Dolores felt a pang of curiosity. What kind of accident could have such a profound effect?

Chloe shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We don't know all the details," she admitted, "but it was bad enough to land Imogen in the hospital for months with a broken leg."

Dolores frowned. A broken leg? Imogen seemed perfectly mobile now.

"They weren't sure if she'd ever walk again," Nadia added, a somber note creeping into her voice. "But miraculously, she recovered fully."

Chloe waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, back to single Ivan! You and Imogen seem to be getting along well on the history project," she said, nudging Dolores playfully.

Dolores felt a surge of annoyance. "Project partners, Chloe," she emphasized. "Not exactly friends."

Chloe snorted. "Sure, sure," she teased. "But listen, Ivan's basically a tall glass of cranberry juice, brooding and handsome all at once. You can't tell me you haven't noticed."

Dolores felt a blush creep up her cheeks, her heart pounding a little faster than usual. "No, I—" she stammered, flustered by Chloe's directness.

"Oh, come on, Dolores," Nadia interjected with a knowing smile. "Don't tell me you don't feel a little something for him. "

Dolores' cheeks burned even hotter.

The teasing continued, Nadia and Chloe erupting in a fit of giggles at Dolores' flustered reaction. Her cheeks felt like they were burning, a brilliant crimson that rivaled the setting sun.

"Guys, stop it!" she pleaded, swatting at them playfully. "Honestly, it's not like that."

Deep down, though, a sliver of doubt lingered. Did she have a feeling for Ivan? The stolen glances, the way his presence sent a nervous flutter through her stomach – it couldn't all be for nothing, could it?

"But it could be," Chloe countered, her voice laced with playful persistence. "Why not give it a shot? Maybe all he needs is someone to chip away at that icy exterior."

Dolores sighed, her gaze falling to her worn sneakers. "It's not that simple, Chloe. We don't exactly click. Besides, he's from one of those wealthy families, and me…" she trailed off, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm just a scholarship kid."

Chloe scoffed. "Dolores, come on. Ivan might be brooding, but he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who cares about money. And you? You're brilliant, funny, and way more interesting than half the stuck-up rich kids here. Don't underestimate yourself."

Nadia chimed in, her voice firm. "Chloe's right. Don't let your background hold you back. "

The playful banter with Chloe and Nadia faded into a distant hum as Dolores found herself staring intently at the imposing black brick facade of one of Grinstone's building. Her gaze drifted upwards, landing on a specific window high above, a part of the building that housed the senior dorms. A shiver danced down her spine, a feeling of being watched settling over her.

~

A plume of smoke curled from Axel's cigarette, twisting like a phantom finger against the windowpane before dissolving into the afternoon light. Below, on a sun-drenched bench, Dolores remained the sole focus of his attention. He traced the outline of her brown hair with his gaze, a simmering tension coiling in his gut.

A sardonic chuckle shattered the silence. Elijah, leaning nonchalantly against a desk, tilted his head towards Axel. "Lost in admiration for the new girl, are we?" he drawled, his voice laced with amusement. "Though considering your usual treatment, 'admiration' might be a bit of a stretch."

Axel whipped around, his glare sharper than a shard of ice. Elijah held up his hands in mock surrender, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Easy there, Ax," he said, his voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Just making an observation."

Taking a long drag from his cigar, Elijah puffed out a ring of smoke that mirrored the one Axel had just released. "Dolores," he mused, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Such a delicate name for such a firecracker. Makes you wonder how long it'll take to break her ."

Malachi, perched atop a table with an air of studied detachment, rolled his eyes. Unlike his companions, he wasn't a smoker, thanks to a healthy dose of paranoia about his lungs. Smoking, as everyone knew, was a slow-acting death sentence, and frankly, Axel didn't give a damn. He didn't give a damn about a lot of things.

"Here we go again," Malachi muttered, his voice laced with weary resignation. "Smoking and Elijah's morbid fascination with new students. Can't you two find a new hobby?"

Axel scoffed. "Like what, Mal? Braiding each other's hair and gossiping about who fancies who?"

He hated everything, everyone. His father, for instance. The man despised smoking with a fervor that rivaled a holy crusade. Axel, in turn, reveled in defying his every expectation. He wasn't about to become some preppy, privileged stereotype of a future Alpha. Hatred was a constant companion, a dull ache that pulsed through his veins. It manifested in varying degrees, but Malachi and Elijah, for all their flaws, were mercifully spared the brunt of it. Elijah, though, with his annoying brand of charm, could occasionally push his buttons.

A calloused hand landed on Axel's shoulder, grounding him. Elijah's voice, laced with amusement, cut through the haze of his thoughts. " Not interested in the new girl yourself, are you, Ax? Because if not," his grin widened further, "consider her claimed."

A dark chuckle rumbled from Axel's chest, sending shivers down Elijah's spine despite the playful smirk still plastered on his face. "Don't even think about it," Axel growled, his voice laced with a possessiveness that surprised even himself. He knew Elijah was just messing, but the thought of Dolores with anyone else, especially the infuriatingly charming Elijah, sent a surge of unexpected anger through him.

"Whoa there, big guy," Elijah said. "Just teasing. " he added, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Calantha won't be happy," Elijah prodded, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Might even bring out those cute little claws of hers."

The mention of Calantha tightened Axel's jaw. He knew Elijah was right. Calantha still harbored a not-so-secret feelings for him, and the thought of her jealousy sparked a flicker of something… complicated… deep within him. Calantha wouldn't dare hurt Dolores, not physically anyway. She was far too controlled for that. But the possessiveness that flared at the mere suggestion of another claiming Dolores' attention was a new feeling, unsettling and confusing.

Axel tilted his head, staring at the smoldering cigar between his fingers. A wave of nausea washed over him as he noticed a faint burn mark blooming on his arm, a painful reminder of his father's "punishments." The man was a tyrant, his mind twisted with a brand of cruelty that seemed to have wormed its way into Axel's own psyche. He closed his fist around the cigar, anger twisting his features.

Fury replaced the amusement in Axel's gaze as a blush bloomed on Dolores' face. He slammed his eyes shut, the growl of his beast rising in his head like a storm brewing. Unlike Elijah and Malachi, who'd embraced their wolf forms months ago, Axel remained stubbornly human. It was a constant source of frustration, his father's disappointed pronouncements echoing in his mind. "Taking too long," the old man would sneer. Gods, Axel wished he could send the man straight to hell.

Elijah's voice, deceptively casual, cut through the tension. "Can't quite make out what the newbie's gossiping about, but I bet it involves a certain fiery someone. Ivan, right?"

Axel's eyes snapped open, fury replacing the simmering resentment. He loathed Ivan and his entire brood, a hatred fueled by generations of conflict. A smug grin spread across Elijah's face as he leaned closer, his hand tightening on Axel's shoulder. "Maybe she's picturing how it would feel to kiss Ivan, or even—"

He never finished the sentence. Axel's fist landed squarely on his jaw with a sickening crack. Malachi sprang to his feet, a startled cry escaping his lips. Elijah, however, just laughed, a maniacal. The blood trickling down his nose seemed to vanish almost instantly, a testament to his wolf's healing abilities.

"Is that all you got, Ax?" Elijah taunted, wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye.

Axel flicked his cigarette nonchalantly, the embers sparking defiance. "No," he said coolly, "there's definitely more to come."

Malachi, ever the peacemaker, threw his hands up in exasperation. "Guys, chill! Can we not have one day without a fight?"

Elijah dabbed at his now-healed nose, a playful glint returning to his eyes. "Maybe Axel has a thing for broken noses," he mused, a smirk twisting his lips.

Axel let out a dark chuckle, the amusement as cold as his stare. "Perhaps," he said cryptically. The secret feud simmered beneath the surface, a tangled web of history and hatred waiting to be unraveled.