Chapter 8

With a direct stare, Ethan examined her face so deeply it felt like he was dissecting her core truth, she could feel him stripping off her protective layers. For a moment, it looked like he was about to call her bluff. She spoke in a defensive tone, "Look. You must think I have some hidden agenda, but stalking or causing trouble are not my intentions." “Okay.” She blinked. “What?” He raised an eyebrow. “The Vanessa part? That’s true,” he said, his tone nonchalant like he already knew. “A wolf—or maybe just me,” he added, sounding like he was way too impressed with himself, “can tell when someone’s lying.” Then his eyes moved over her slowly. “But the part about not being trouble?” He shook his head. “No. You are hiding something which I cannot figure out precisely." Lydia frowned. “You don’t even know me.” His face approached her as he spoke softly, "I understand one vital fact about you. You don't belong here, Little Trouble. Not at this party. Not in this school. Not anywhere near me.” The truth landed with more intensity than she anticipated, she lost her ability to respond for a brief moment. She felt her throat closing, yet she raised her chin. “Then why are you even talking to me?” “Good question.” And just like that, he stepped back and opened the door. “Go find Vanessa,” he said, his voice dismissive. “And stay out of my way.” He left her standing there motionless, her heart racing and her fists tightened. She quietly muttered, "Asshole" but the nickname he’d given her rang stronger in her mind. 'Little Trouble' Lydia managed to come out of the room, her body still reacting to Ethan’s effect. She was halfway down the stairs, ready to head back to her dorm and put this insane night behind her, when she noticed something strange. People were running. Not walking, not even hurrying—full-on running out of the house. “What the hell is this?” she muttered to herself, watching girls in perfect makeup and heels running toward the door like their lives depended on it. It seemed like all they did at this school was get dressed up, make out and then make a scene. She thought this place seemed very strange yet her curiosity overcame her judgment. You know what they say—curiosity kills the cat. Or the wolf, in this case. So, against her better judgment, she followed the crowd outside. And that’s when she finally saw what all the fuss was about. Students formed a wide circle on the open field behind the house. She initially believed the gathering formed because of a fight but discovered something different as she approached the scene. They were picking names. “Are they seriously drawing names out of a hat?” Lydia whispered to herself, trying to figure out what was happening. “It’s for the game,” someone said next to her, startling her. She turned to see a guy who looked like he was barely paying attention, his eyes fixed on the crowd. “The game?” she asked, frowning. “You will see,” he said with a smirk before turning back to the circle. The audience shouted their approval as a name was announced in the middle of the arena. “Give it up for your hunter...Ethan Laurent!” Her stomach flipped. The crowd roared as Ethan stepped forward, looking completely unbothered like this was just another routine victory waiting to happen. “And now for the runner…” The announcer reached into another black hat, taking his time as he shuffled through the papers before slowly pulling one out. “And what do you know? Looks like we’ve got ourselves a real challenge tonight.” A few people in the crowd laughed knowingly. Others murmured in excitement. The announcer grinned before calling the name. “Nikolas Cross!” The reaction was immediate; the crowd combined their cheers with playful whistles. Lydia witnessed the entrance of a standoffish man with broad shoulders and a smirk across his face. Nikolas extended his limbs casually like he was not taking this seriously at all. “Guess tonight just got interesting,” he said, his voice dripping with confidence. Ethan didn’t react. Nikolas grinned at Ethan, tilting his head slightly. “What’s wrong, Laurent? Not happy to see me?” Ethan stared at him, his golden eyes revealing nothing. “Didn’t realize they were letting losers play this year.” The crowd ooohed in response, but Nikolas just laughed, shaking his head. “You keep acting like you’re untouchable,” Nikolas said, rolling his shoulders. “But maybe tonight, things will change.” Ethan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You gonna start running or just keep talking?” Nikolas’s smirk widened. “Don’t worry. I plan on giving everyone a show. The crowd pushed forward, everyone trying to get a good view as Ethan and Nikolas faced off. The rivalry between them was obvious. Lydia watched from the back, feeling out of place. She might be new here, but anyone could see this wasn't just some stupid game. These guys had something to prove. The announcer raised a hand. "You all know the rules! Nikolas has a thirty-second head start. If he makes it to the safe zone before getting caught, he wins." He paused, grinning. "But if Ethan catches him...well, we all know how this goes." The crowd burst into laughter. Lydia caught a few whispered bets being made—most were on Ethan, but some placed hopeful money on Nikolas, probably just for the payout. The whistle blew. Nikolas shot off like a bullet, his body moving before the sound even fully faded. He was fast—really fast—tearing across the field toward the woods, his muscles shifting. The crowd was screaming, hyped as hell. Some were cheering for him, some were just waiting to see blood. Ethan? Ethan hadn’t even moved. Lydia frowned. There’s no way he’s catching up. The air around Ethan was still, almost like he wasn’t even paying attention. His eyes closed, head tilted slightly like he was listening for something only he could hear. Nikolas was already halfway to the tree line. He’s going to get a big lead. Three seconds. Two. One. Ethan’s eyes snapped open, and then he moved or maybe moved wasn’t the right word. One second, he was standing in the circle. The next, he was gone—a blur of speed so unnatural it made Lydia’s breath catch. The moment he hit the woods, he shifted—partially. His claws sharpened, his golden eyes burning like embers. He wasn’t fully a wolf, but he wasn’t human either. He was something in between. The crowd screamed in excitement. Inside the trees, Nikolas was tearing through the undergrowth, jumping over fallen logs, pushing his legs to their absolute limit. He was strong, his breathing was controlled, and his movements calculated. But Ethan was stronger. Deadly. Stalking him. Nikolas must have sensed it because his body tensed—his head tilting slightly, his wolf instincts screaming that something was coming. Then he moved—hard left. It was a good call. Smart. The safe zone was straight ahead, but if he kept his direct path, Ethan would cut him off in seconds. He needed to throw him off and take an unpredictable route. For a second, Lydia thought it might actually work. Then Ethan appeared out of nowhere. Nikolas had no time to react before he was slammed sideways, the force of it knocking him completely off his feet. He hit the ground hard, rolling through the dirt before skidding to a stop. The impact was brutal. But he wasn’t done. Nikolas pushed up on his hands, shaking his head as he staggered back up. He snarled, his own claws extending now. “You don’t win that easy, Laurent.” Ethan didn’t look impressed. “You sure?” Nikolas lunged. Lydia felt the impact. They crashed together so hard that she swore she heard the crack of bone. Nikolas went low, trying to use his weight against Ethan, but Ethan barely stumbled. And then, in one brutal, effortless move—Ethan flipped him. Nikolas hit the ground again, this time on his back, and Ethan was already on him, pinning him down with a knee to his chest. It was over. The whistle blew, and the crowd erupted. “WINNER—ETHAN LAURENT!” The noise was deafening, students screaming, some jumping up and down. People were exchanging wagers and going crazy over the fact that Ethan showed no sign of fatigue during the race. Lydia exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath throughout the whole event. Nikolas groaned from the ground, still dazed, but Ethan just stepped back, brushing dirt off his arm like none of this had been worth his energy. “You might not be this lucky next time, boy.” Nikolas pushed himself up, spitting dirt. His eyes blazed with rage. "You held back," he snarled. "You think I need your pity?" Ethan turned away, but Nikolas wasn't done. He charged forward, swinging wild. "Fight me for real!" The crowd backed up fast as Ethan moved - one fluid motion and he was behind Nikolas, claws slicing through his arm. Blood sprayed across the grass. "Don't," Ethan warned, voice low. But Nikolas was past thinking. He spun around, fangs out, eyes feral. Someone screamed "Stop!" but it was too late. The two wolves collided again, this time with real violence. No game, no rules - just raw fury. Blood and dirt flew as they tore into each other. Or should I say as Ethan tore Nikolas apart? Nikolas fought like hell but Ethan wasn’t even trying. "Holy shit," someone yelled. "Hayes!" The shout made everyone's heads snap up. A few students started backing away - when someone like Hayes showed up, you didn't stick around to watch. "Crap, Hayes is coming!" The fighting stopped instantly, everyone ran to their dorms. Nobody wanted to deal with the head of administration.