One Night

Chapter 13

Audrey & Thinl Person

Audrey’s POV

I settled onto the bench across from Avis, the sounds of the cafeteria around us fading into a dull hum. My tray of dry pasta and vegetables hardly felt appetizing, and I rarely ate in the cafeteria anyway–but I had forgotten to pack my lunch today. Not that I minded Avis’s company

“Here’s that design I was telling you about.” Avis said, sliding a paper across the table. “It’s not finished, but….….”

I took the paper and turned it over, my breath catching as soon as I saw the sketch. It was a beautifully tailored two–piece set, a matching top trousers with a hat as well, all drawn in Avis’s signature style.

“Avis,” I said, “this is fantastic.”

The mousey blonde’s checks reddened beneath my gaze. “You.. You really think so?” she whispered.

I nodded as I handed her sketch back to her. “You’re a really good designer, Avis. I’m surprised I haven’t heard more about you around the academy

Avis sighed, tucking her paper back into her bag. “I don’t l

n’t know. Li

Linda always told me that I wasn’t that good.”

“Yeah, well. Linda doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” I said as I speared a piece of pasta on my fork. “You should be more confident. You

and

ut of your mouth”

“Keep my name out of

Just as Avis was about to respond, the sound of a harsh voice caused us both to whip our heads up. I felt my stomach sink; there, striding across cafeteria with a few girls in tow who I didn’t recognize, was none other than Linda herself.

“Linda,” I said, ignoring her jibe, “did you get some new recruits since your last cronies ditched you!”

the

Linda visibly bristled at my words, her jaw tightening as she strode up to us. Meanwhile, Avis sat frozen in fear in her seat–and Linda, noticing this, broke into a smirk.

“Having a nice lunch, Avis Linda cooed, reaching out to pick up Avis’s carton of milk. “Here. You look thirsty.”

Before Avis or I could stop her, Linda was holding the milk up and.. dumping in directly onto Avis’s head, causing her blonde hair to plaster to her skin. Avis gasped, and the entire cafeteria went unerly quiet.

I jumped up from the table in shock, a biting insult burning on my lips. How dare Linda do such a childish thing? Especially to Avis, who had done nothing to deserve it!

But I didn’t have time to speak–because the next thing I knew, Linda was snapping her fingers and two of her new cronies were stepping forward and taking me by each arm. My tray clattered to the floor as they dragged me backwards, pinning me against the nearby wall. I was helpless against them, all thanks to my human nature versus their werewolf strength.

“You know, I never even wanted you in my group, Linda cooed as she watched Avis slowly wipe the milk from her eyes, still too stunned to speak. “But out of the goodness of my heart, I decided to give you a chance–I pitied you.”

“Linda,” I hit out through my y grit teeth. “Leave her

“Omegas are just so pathetic,” Linda continued, ignoring me. “Almost as pathetic as humans.”

With that, Linda turned toward me and slowly began to stride toward me. It was only then that I saw it the silver glint in her hand. The point of a small pocket knife.

“Let go of me!” I growled, struggling against the iron grips of Linda’s new friends.

“What’s even more pathenc,” Linda whispered, so close now that I could smell the mint on her breath, “is how you–a human–seduced a professor into giving you special treatment. What makes you think that kind of behavior would help you win the fashion show, hm? Hold her.”

At Linda’s command, her friends whirled me around and another one of her cronies grabbed my head and pressed it against the wall. The cold tile bit into my cheek, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Linda’s knife inching closer.

You won’t be seducing anyone soon,” Linda whispered. “Scars aren’t pretty, are they, Audrey?”

I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but nothing more than a choked whimper would escape. I felt the sharp tip of the knife begin to press into my check, my humbs working uselessly beneath the grips of Linda’s goons. All I could do was close my eyes and hope.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud, feral growl erupted through the cafeteria. I wasn’t sure what happened, exactly–all I knew was that I heard a scuffle.

Chapter 13

followed by the knife pulling away from my cheek and clattering to the floor.

When I opened my eyes, Linda was gripping her arm.

And Avis was wiping blood from her mouth.

You

bitch!” Linda shrieked. Her hand shot out, and she shoved Avis–hard.

This time, as I saw Avis fly backwards and slam into a table, hitting her head and instantly going unconscious, the scream that had been waiting on my tongue finally escaped. With newfound strength, I wrenched myself free from the grips of Linda’s new friends and surged forward. I kicked the knife out of the way and sent it skidding across the floor.

It was at that moment that I heard something a howl in the back of my mind. I whipped my head around, my ears pricking at the sound–perhaps someone was coming to help. Anyone.

But there was nothing. No one except for Linda’s friends stared at me, wide–eyed with their mouths agape

Figuring that I had been imagining things, I turned slowly to glare at Linda again.

Her face was pale.

Third Person POV

Edwin was sitting in his office when it happened. He felt his expression drop as his wolf roared angrily in the back of his mind.

“I sense something powerful,” his wolf said. “Something nearby.”

Edwin dropped his pen, instantly lurching to his feet as a million thoughts whirled through his mind. Something powerful. He had sensed it, too.

But it was gone just as quickly as it had come. Edwin’s wolf’s fury faded, leaving Edwin reeling in the middle of his office.

The Salver Star.. Could it be?

Meanwhile, the cafeteria had gone utterly silent. Linda clutched her arm, taking a trembling step backwards

Audrey simply blinked in confusion, her eyes having returned to their normal state. But Linda swore she had seen it–Audrey’s eyes had turned silver. It had been hardly more than a flicker, but Linda knew what she saw.

“You.“she whispered, narrowing her eyes at the human girl in front of her. “What the hell

Before Linda could finish, a sudden, excruciating pain filled her skull. Her shrieks echoed in the cafeteria, but faded in her own ears as she fell to the floor. Gripping the sides of her head, she gritted her teeth against the sudden pain.

“Call a supervisor!” someone shouted. “Call for help!”

But by the time the supervisor arrived, Linda’s pain had subsided; when they later asked what had happened, she…

Couldn’t seem to remember. It was all a blur.

It was later that day that Linda and Audrey roamed the quiet library, dusting shelves and rearranging books. That was their punishment for their fight–community service.

Linda grumbled under her breath as she shoved books haphazardly back onto the shelves, just wishing that this would all be over. It wasn’t her fault. that Avis had betrayed her! And it wasn’t her fault that.. Well, Linda couldn’t fully remember what Audrey had done.

But whatever it was, she knew it wasn’t her fault. Nothing was ever Linda’s fault

During Linda’s haphazard cleaning, she knocked a book off of the shelf. The spine fell open, and as Linda glanced down, she furrowed her brow: the page was blank. Empty.

“Weird,” she munered to herself. But a quick glance at the clock revealed that it was time to leave, so she didn’t even bother to pick up the book before strutting off.

Audrey, however, noticed. Peering from around the corner of a bookshelf, she waited until Linda was gone to walk over and pick up the book that had been so carelessly dropped. Perhaps it was a journal or a sketchbook that hadn’t been filled yet

But as soon as Audrey’s fingers touched the blank pages, black tendrils began to curl across the paper and form…..