Lola’s POV

Flint’s face was hard to read as he walked toward me, but I still held on to a small hope, that maybe he’d say something, maybe even get jealous about what happened with Morgan.

But he didn’t.

He reached for Amy’s hand and walked right past me without saying a word.

I froze.

The hallway was full of people, noise, movement, but at that moment, everything felt quiet. I watched their hands linked together and I felt hurt.

I quickly turned and walked in the opposite direction.

He had a girlfriend. I had to stop expecting anything else.

The last class of the day was a combined session, which meant students from different levels were grouped together.

Evelyn wasn’t there, so I walked in alone.

My eyes scanned the classroom and landed on the two seats by the back window. Flint and Amy were already there.

I didn’t look at them for long. Just enough to know where not to sit.

Last night was still fresh in my mind with Amy kissing Flint on the forehead. His intimacy with Amy was enough for me to avoid him.

I found an empty seat in the row behind them and quietly sat down.

I kept my eyes on the front of the room and did my best not to glance forward.

But I still noticed things.

Flint hadn’t said a word to Amy since I entered. I gave in once and glanced at him.

He looked gloomy, not paying attention to the teacher or to Amy.

I let my gaze drift to the side of his face, the way his jaw clenched slightly, how his hand rested on the desk.

I hated how much I noticed.

Flint had been part of my life for ten years. I’d fallen for him slowly, quietly, over time. Every small thing added up.

The way he always remembered how I liked my tea, the way he once shielded me from a rainstorm with his jacket, the calm in his voice whenever things got hard.

But then he said it. That night at dinner.

“She’s not my type.”

That one sentence hit harder than I expected.

Since then, I started avoiding him. Not in a dramatic way, just enough to protect myself. I didn’t sit near him, didn’t talk unless I had to.

I was trying to move on.

Meanwhile, Morgan was everywhere.

Girls laughed louder when he walked by, and he never seemed to be with the same one twice. He’d smirk, flirt, walk away like none of it mattered.

I didn’t understand why he’d suddenly started paying attention to me.

But what confused me more was Flint.

Lately, every time I was near him, he acted strange.

Sometimes he went quiet. Other times he looked like he was going to say something but didn’t.

I didn’t know what it meant.

And maybe I didn’t want to know anymore.

After class, I scrolled through my phone and saw a calendar reminder: my birthday was tomorrow. Eighteen. In our pack, that was the age when most people found their mates.

I tried not to get my hopes up, but it was hard not to wonder if this year would change everything. What if I didn’t feel any bond? Or worse, what if I already had, only Flint didn’t feel it back?

I kept thinking about it as I walked home alone, wishing that somehow, tomorrow would finally give me an answer, and maybe, just maybe, that answer would be Flint.

After school, I walked across the courtyard with my thesis tucked tightly under my arm. My hands were a little sweaty, even though the paper was already done.

I had read it twice, fixed the formatting, and even checked for typos this morning. I wanted it to be perfect.

The sun had started to dip, casting long shadows on the empty lawn. A few students were packing up, but most had already left.

The staff building felt unusually quiet, with only a faint echo from my footsteps.

I took the side hallway that led to the staff offices. It was quiet. Most students didn’t come this way after hours.

As I got closer, I heard voices coming from around the corner.

One of them was Amy’s.

I slowed down, steps careful, not because I wanted to eavesdrop, but because her voice sounded sharp.

“…I still think you only want to kiss your little adoptive sister," she said.

I stopped.

My chest tightened.

It took a second to process what I’d heard. The words didn’t feel real at first.

There was a long pause. I couldn’t hear Flint’s reply. His voice was low, muffled.

But that one sentence from Amy kept echoing in my head.

He wants to kiss his adoptive sister

Was she talking about me? Was she joking?

I didn’t want to assume but she’d said it so clearly.

My throat felt dry. My heart beat a little faster, and not in a good way.

I took a few quiet steps forward, my breath held tight in my throat.

Then I saw them.

Amy stood close to him, her fingers lightly resting on his chest. Her face was tilted up.

Flint didn’t move. He just stood there, completely still.

I waited for him to pull back, even a little. I thought he would turn his head or step away.

But he didn’t.

He let her stay close.

Then Amy leaned in and kissed him.

It wasn’t just a quick kiss. It lasted longer than it should have.

I stood there, unable to move. My chest felt tight, and my arms felt heavy.

The folder I was holding suddenly felt like it weighed a ton.

My fingers slipped without meaning to.

And the thesis I was holding fell from my hands.