bChapter /bb20 /b

Caleb’s PO.V

Sitting at the table, I tapped my fingers against the wooden surface, watching as Mia and Shane exchanged yful smiles and teasing remarks. Miaughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder as Shane leaned in just a little too close, whispering something that made her roll her eyes with a grin. The air around them practically crackled with their flirtation, and I couldn’t decide if it was amusing or exhausting.

Across from me, Jade was glued to his phone, his fingers scrolling mindlessly while he satpletely detached from the conversationb, /bprobably checking some sports scores or texting someone far more interesting than us.

I barely paid attention to any of them, my focus elsewhere, but I wasn’t surprised when Caroline suddenly turned towards me, her sharp eyes narrowing. “Caleb,” she started, her toneced with something suspicious, “why did you pick this ce?”

I looked at her, feigning innocence. “What do you mean?” I asked, though I already knew exactly what she meant.

She sighed, crossing her arms. “You knew Aurora works here.” Her voice was even, but there was an edge to it, like she was challenging me to lie about it.

I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. “So? It’s no big deal.” bI /bgestured toward the restaurant around us. “The food’s good, and we’re just helping increase their sales. I don’t see why you’re making a fuss over it.”

Caroline stared at me, unconvinced. “Oh,e on,” she scoffed. “You never cared about ‘helping sales‘ before. You’re deliberatelying here because of Aurora, and we both know it.” She tilted her head, her gaze scrutinizing me in that way that made it hard to dodge the truth. “That’s not like you, Caleb.”

I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck, but before I could respond, I caught sight of movement in the distance. My breath hitched slightly, but I forced myself to stayposed as Aurora appeared again, weaving through the tables with practiced ease, holding a notepad against her hip as she heads to another table.

Caroline noticed my sudden shift in demeanor, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “See?” she muttered. “That’s exactly what I mean. Why, Caleb?”

But before I can reply, Shane interrupted Caroline mid–sentence, his voiceced with irritation. “Caleb is just standing up for his gang,” he dered, shooting me a smirk before turning back to Caroline. “By bringing us here, we can finally get our revenge for what she did to Mia’s bag.” His words dripped with satisfaction, as if this whole thing was some sort of righteous justice instead of what it truly was–pure, childish pettiness.

Caroline’s face twisted with frustration. “That’s wrong, Shane. What happened was an ident. You know that.” Her voice was firm, but there was a desperate edge to it, as if she knew she was fighting a losing battle. I could see the way her hands clenched at her sides, her shoulders squared in defiance. She wasn’t afraid to go against them, even if she was outnumbered.

Shane scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning to Mia,pletely ignoring Caroline’s protest. “So,” he mused, a cruel smirk curling on his lips, “how should we do this? Any ideas?”

Mia folded her arms and let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, there are so many ways we could do it,” she mused, tilting her head in thought. “I mean, she’s already at the bottom of the food chain. We could make her beg. Make her crawl. Maybe ruin something of hers and see how she likes it.” Her lips curled, her eyes shing with amusement.

Shaneughed. “I like that. Public humiliation/maybe?” He nudged Mia, clearly enjoying this far too much, “Or something worseb?/b”

I sat there, seemingly indifferent, as they threw around ideas like they were nning a party instead of orchestrating someone’s downfall. My posture was rxed, my expression calm, but inside, something in me was snarling. My wolf stirred violently, a deep growl rumbling in my chest, barely contained. I didn’t like this. It didn’t like the way Shane spoke, the way Mia’s face lit up at the thought of tormenting someone weaker. My wolf howled, demanding I step in, demanding I put an end to this pathetic excuse for revenge.

But I silenced it. I locked down the anger rising inside me, pressing it down until it was nothing more than a dull throb in my veins. This wasn’t my fight. I wasn’t here to y hero. I was here to watch and wait, to see just how far Shane and Mia would go. Maybe then, I’d decide

what to do.

So I leaned against the wall, letting them believe I was indifferent, that I was just another one of them, another member of the pack who didn’t give a damn about Aurora. But my wolf knew better. And deep down, so did 1.

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