The Rejected True Heiress (Liora) novel Chapter 90

Liora

My bed felt more like coffin, it’s usual silky sheets encirling me like hands.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that hallway, Bianca’s smirk, the way they all laughed when nothing happened.

When I opened them, I was still here.

Still wolfless.

I tried a hundred and thirty times that night. And failed, a hundred and thirty times. My wolf was gone, or hiding so deep I couldn’t reach her. Maybe it was just because I hadn’t shifted in so long. Maybe I’d built my own wall without realizing. That had to be it.

By morning, the numbness had settled in so deep it almost felt like calm. Almost.

After class, while everyone else filed out for lunch, I found Mia leaning against the lockers, her inky hair piled into a messy clipped look, flipping through her notebook for old notes.

Always the book worm.

I plopped down next to her, handing her a juice from the vending machine, chewing on the straw of my own. “Question.”

“Answer.”

“How do you do it?”

She looked up, shoving the straw in her drink. “Do what?”

“The training I know you go to,” I said. “The whole… wolfless wolf thing. There’s a way for you—us, to try and wake it up, right?”

Her brows rose slowly. “This from the girl who said she’d never waste her time with it? I thought you were a proud wolfless? You’re already plenty strong.”

“Yeah, well, I’m asking now,” I said, sucking down some juice, voice cool even though part of me hated how desperate it sounded.

Mia shut her notebook, studying me for a long beat before shrugging. “Well, I can’t teach you, considering I can’t, but as you know, there’s an after-school program I go to for Wolfless. We do journaling, therapy stuff, sparring… all of it’s supposed to trigger something. Sometimes it works. Most of the time, it doesn’t.”

“And you go how often?”

“Every week,” she said. “Doesn’t mean I’ve changed.”

I nodded once. Not exactly promising…but it was my only lead. “Show me.”

I nodded thanks to the guy and left the mat without a word, grabbed my water, and walked to the far side of the gym where the bleachers cast a shadow.

None of this was helpful. Besides, I already had my wolf, not trying to unlock it for the frist time. This could just be a waste of time.

“Liora.”

A whisper, low enough that I almost thought I imagined it made me stiffen.

I turned, and before I could say a word, someone’s hand closed around my wrist and pulled me into the narrow space beneath the bleachers.

I almost struck, but stopped when I saw him.

Callum.

For a second, we just stared at each other, the thud of sparring footsteps muffled like a distant heartbeat.

“What—” I breathed, before my brow snapped down. “You shouldn’t be here. Let go, before Bianca finds out and the school throws me out over another scandal I didn’t ask for involving you!” I growled, pulling my wrist back.

“First off, even if I wasn’t here you’d find a way to trouble. So quit blaming me. And this,” he said, his voice tight and gesturing to the bleachers. “Was the only way I could talk to you without half the school listening in. Give me a break.”