Chapter 51 Unsettled.
ARDEN
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I woke up feeling warmer than usual. Has someone fired the heater inside the dorm already?
With that, I snuggled deeper into the warmth, feeling myself falling into slumber once more.
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My cheek was pressed against something solid, but beneath it, a steady rhythm was heard. That was when all the sleep in my body was flushed down the drain.
My eyes snapped open, and I finally found the source of the warmth. Cade, in all his shirtless glory, was lying in front of me.
One of his arms was under me, while the other was placed lazily on my waist.
1 gasped quietly and tensed.
His arms loosened, but he didn’t wake. He looked peaceful, brows slightly furrowed even in his sleep. Unconsciously, I reached and smoothed out the lines between his brows.
11 relaxed slightly, making him appear more boyish. That also made me smile; however, when I realized what I was doing, I quickly closed my eyes and cursed internally.
Oh my goodness. What was I doing?
Images from last night came back–me stumbling in his arms, clinging to his shirt, my fingers digging into his back, crying against his skin, and my lips brushing his neck as I’d begged him to take me.
It wasn’t me.
It was the heat inducer. I swear.
1 bit my
lower lip in horror, carefully shifting out of his embrace. I was still in my clothes–wrinkled with the faint scent of the drug lingering in the fabric.
I tiptoed across the massive room, grabbed my jacket, and slipped outside.
The sun was already high in the sky over the Elite campus. I ran through the cool morning air, darting into a bus stop, and proceeded to go to my dorm.
Maisey, who was alreaily at the front desk, looked at me with raised eyebrows, but I didn’t give her any attention as I ran toward my room.
I quickly opened the door, and before I could even close it, I heard a sharp gasp.
“Arden!”
Tessa bolted toward me, eyes glassy with panic, and wrapped her arms tightly around my shoulders.
“I was so worried!” she whispered harshly. “I’ve been calling you since last night. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they–did anyone–7
“I’m okay.” I breathed, hugging her back.
Tesa pulled back and cupped my face, checking for bruises. “How did you get away? We heard from someone in the cleanup
am that Kieran and his friends tried to do something. They said something was off, and then Owen-”
My heart dropped “What about Owen?”
Tessa winced. “He went to confront Kieran this morning At the Elite Mansions”
“No!” I ran toward the closet, fumbling for a clean shirt. “He shouldn’t have gone there. Kieran’s insane.”
“He said somer had to do Tessa said, biting her lip. “And Arden
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Chapter 51 Unsettled.
“What?”
Alpha Cade.”
“You you smell like Alpha
I froze.
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Then, I sniffed my sleeve.
Dawn it
“Did something happen between the two of you? I didn’t see it at the Aftersound.”
“No!” I said quickly. “Nothing happened. I was… in his room, yes, but–he saved me, Tessa. That’s all. I swear,”
She nodded quickly. “Okay, okay. But we need to go now, I couldn’t stop Owen because I was still trying to contact you
I rugged on a hoodie, spritzed perfume to mask the scent of Cade, and threw my hair up into a bun. We burst out of the dorm, feet pounding the stone paths as we sprinted across campus.
The Elite Mansions towered ahead. But even from a distance, I could hear the shouts.
“Owen!”
I rushed forward.
The moment we turned the corner, I saw it. Owen was on the ground–bruised, lip bleeding, cheek swollen. Kieran towered over him, his fist raised, aiming for another hit. Beside him was Trevor, who was kicking Owen before he could next to them was once again Sienna, appearing to be enjoying the show.
“What the hell!” I screamed, rushing in and shoving Kieran back.
He stumbled slightly, eyes red, one cheek marked by what looked like Owen’s earlier blow.
“He started it!” Kieran spat. “He came into my mansion throwing punches.”
get up, and
Owen wiped blood from his lip and tried to lunge again. I had to wrap my arms around his waist, holding him back with every ounce of strength I had.
“No, no more! Stop it!”
“I’m fine,” Owen muttered, though he clearly wasn’t.
Tessa knelt beside him, helping him sit upright. Her eyes burned with tears when she saw the blood on his temple.
“You’re bleeding, you idiot,” she hissed.
Kieran smirked and stepped forward
“You freaks think you can walk in here and accuse me of
“Back off,” I snapped.
“You don’t get to touch my friends,” I snarled.
–
“Is that so Trevor asked in a teasing tone. “How about this?”
Ije tried to kick Owen again, but this time, Tessa covered him, so Trevor’s shoe scraped against her knee.
“What is your problem?” I exclaimed, holding onto Trevor’s collar.
That was when a commanding voice sliced through the air.
“What is going on here?”
Iveryone turned to the source of the voice.
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Chapter 51 Unsettled
Alc. Winters
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We were all seated in Mr. Winters private office.
Kieran, Trevor, and Sienna sat on one side. On the other side, Tessa and I sat stiffly, hands clenched over our knees. Owen had been sent to the clinic, barfing and disoriented. They were checking his head for signs of trauma.
“So,” Mr. Winters began. “Someone tell me the story.
Kieran was the first to speak, casually leaning back in his seat.
“He started it,” he said, gesturing vaguely toward the empty chair Owen should’ve occupied. “That dude came storming into my place throwing punches. I was just defending myself.”
Trevor nodded beside him, the perfect loyal minion. “We were just talking. Then he comes in swinging like some lunatic.
Tessa’s frown deepened. “It was only because of what they did to Arden. They drugged her last night when she was just cleaning up after the Ivory Solstice. It’s sexual assault.”
Mr. Winters sighed, tilting his head toward our side of the room. “Is that true?”
Kieran gave a snort. “Of course not. In Elite, we value proof. They don’t have proof of the assault.”
Sienna’s lips curved into a self–satisfied smile. “And Arden is factionless,” she added, sounding fake sweet. “So the rules of the school factions don’t govern over her.”
My jaw clenched. I wanted to slap that smirk right off her face.
Mr. Winters tapped his fingers against the desk. “She’s correct
“What?” I blinked. “It’s a crimel How is this even a discussion?
“Did something happen?” Mr. Winters asked evenly, gaze narrowing. “Did they really assault you? I was there at midnight, and no students were left in my mansion.”
I pursed my lips. In a way, nothing had happened because Cade laved me before they could do some genuine damage.
“They drugged me,” I said finally.
“We just gave her a drink,” Trevor shrugged. “She drank it willingly. If it was forced, then something else would have happened, right?”
I turned to him with a heated glare. “You know that’s not the truth.”
Mr. Winters sighed but didn’t speak. Instead, he picked up a remote and pressed a button.
This is the footage we recovered from the mansion entrance,” he said. The video played silently.
There was Owen marching toward Kieran’s place, fists already balled. Then, he punched Kieran cleanly across the face.
I closed my ryri.
“Kieran’s right.” Mr. Winters said. “It was an act of self–defense.”
“I
“But they ganged up on him” I snapped. “Clearly, Owen’s the one in jeopardy now–he’s barely conscious!”
“He only has a scrape on the cheek,” Tessa muttered bitterly, pertaining to Kieran.
“Arad what about Tessa?” I added. “She got kicked by Trevor
Mr Winters rubbed his temples, tired. “Regarding that the nature of the violation surrounds Arden–a factionless–so in theory, this does not fall under standard protections
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My mouth went dry.
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Coins
“As for the injuries… Since Owen initiated violence but was the one who was hurt more, I would suggest that they talk it out. Let’s not escalate this further, shall we?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
My fists shook..
Across from me, Kieran grinned. Trevor glanced down, smug, while Sienna ran her manicured nails through her hair like this was just another win in her perfectly charmed life.
I hated them. Every single one of them.
And worse. I hated how powerless I was. How, even now, Tessa had scraped her knees trying to protect me, and Owen was sitting in the clinic with a busted head because of me.
My eyes fell shut.
The door suddenly burst open with a loud slam.
“I have a complaint to make.”
“Alpha Cade,” Mr. Winters said slowly, sitting up. “What are you doing here? We’re still not finished with this meeting
“Cade?” I whispered the moment he entered the room. The others also straightened, surprised by his presence.
Cade remained expressionless. “I just heard you agreed to come to a settlement, right?”
“Perfect,” he muttered. “That means I can now make my complaints.
His eyes fell on Sienna. “Regarding Miss Sienna Graves.”
“What?” she asked, her voice faltering for the first time.
Cade stepped inside. “She’s part of my faction,” he started off. “And per Clause 3.6 under faction law, a faction leader may remove any member from their faction for behavior deemed disloyal, criminal, or disruptive to faction integrity. I have proof she helped facilitate the drugging of a factionless student–Arden.”
He pulled out a data chip and placed it neatly on Mr. Winters‘ desk.
My eyes widened. “How did you?”
He glanced at me but didn’t answer.
Mr. Winters inserted the chip. The screen changed to footage from the hallway where they tried to drug me, clearly without
Cade continued calmly: “Additionally, I’m proposing an equal settlement for the conflict that had just happened. Owen shall pay for Kieran’s hospital fees. And Kieran and Trevor shall pay for Owen’s.”
Kieran scoffed. “I barely have a scratch.”
“That’s how a settlement works,” Cade said simply. “lant it, Mr. Winters?”
My Winter‘ eyes darkened “Mr. Callahan, I suggest you do not get involved-
How can I not?” Cade’s voice dropped. “When one of my members has committed a crime–not just by Elite’s standards, but by general law This means that even if Arden is factionless and these actions are not covered by the laws of Elite, I’m sure it violates the rule of our land.”
Would you rather this video gets out to the public?”
He Hepped forward, now just a few feet from the desk.
