Chapter 2 Detention

RYDER'S POV

Detention was the last place I wanted to be after hockey practice. Coach had spent the entire morning reminding me that a captain couldn't keep skipping leadership meetings, and apparently Headmaster Magnus agreed.

Instead of being on the ice where I belonged, I found myself pushing open the classroom door with my bag slung over one shoulder, already counting down the minutes until I could leave.

The first person I noticed was Violeta. She sat near the window with one leg crossed over the other, lazily twirling a pen between her fingers as though detention was beneath her. That wasn't unusual. Rules had never seemed to apply to her. My attention drifted past her and landed on the girl sitting alone at the back of the room.

Lena.

She wasn't looking around or trying to make conversation. She simply stared through the window, her fingers brushing against the pocket of her jacket every few moments. I remembered the folded letter she'd nearly cried over after the fight earlier. It couldn't have been just another piece of paper. Whatever it meant to her, she guarded it like it was the most valuable thing she owned, and for reasons I couldn't explain, I found myself wondering what kind of words could make someone hold onto a letter that tightly.

I dropped into the nearest chair and forced my attention elsewhere, but it didn't last. My wolf had been restless ever since I'd met her that morning, and every time I tried ignoring her, the uneasy feeling only grew stronger. It made no sense. She didn't even have a wolf, yet mine refused to settle.

The silence inside the room stretched for several minutes before Violeta finally decided she'd had enough. She slowly turned toward Lena, resting one arm on her desk as a smug smile crossed her face.

"You know," she began, tilting her head slightly while looking Lena up and down, "I'm still trying to figure out how someone without a wolf managed to get accepted into Knights Academy. I thought that was kind of the whole point of this place."

Lena calmly turned away from the window and met Violeta's eyes without the slightest hint of fear. She folded her arms across her chest before answering in an even voice that somehow carried across the entire room.

"Maybe the academy realized that having a wolf isn't the same thing as having character," she replied, her expression remaining completely unreadable.

A few students let out quiet laughs.

Violeta heard them.

The smile on her face stiffened as she slowly stood, smoothing her uniform before taking a measured step toward Lena.

"You've got a lot of confidence for someone who just arrived," she said, keeping her voice calm even though the threat beneath her words was obvious. "Most first years learn very quickly not to test my patience."

Lena rose from her chair as well, refusing to look intimidated despite the difference in reputation between them. She slipped her hands into her pockets and held Violeta's gaze.

"I don't test people," she answered quietly. "I just don't mistake fear for respect."

The classroom fell completely silent.

I leaned back in my chair, watching the exchange more closely than I intended to. I'd expected Lena to back down by now, but instead she looked completely unfazed. There wasn't any arrogance in her expression, only a quiet determination that made me wonder what she'd already survived before coming here.

Violeta's jaw tightened.

"You really don't know who you're talking to," she warned, taking another slow step forward until only a desk separated them. "People here have learned not to challenge me."

Lena didn't move.

"I know exactly who you are," she replied, her voice steady. "You're someone who's gotten so used to people being afraid of you that you've forgotten what genuine respect actually looks like."

The tension in the room became almost unbearable, and I was already preparing myself to step in if things turned physical again.

Before either of them could make another move, the classroom door opened and Headmaster Magnus walked inside. His eyes moved from Violeta to Lena before he released a weary sigh.

"I leave this room for a few minutes," he said, setting his files on the desk while fixing both girls with a disappointed look, "and somehow you've already found another reason to argue. Sit down. Now."

Neither of them protested.

They returned to their seats in silence, but as I watched Lena stare back out the window, I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last time she and Violeta would clash. Worse still, my wolf refused to stop paying attention to the mysterious girl who claimed she didn't even have one.

The rest of detention crawled by without another argument.

Headmaster Magnus remained inside the classroom, quietly working through a pile of documents while keeping one eye on the three of us. Nobody dared to speak again. Violeta busied herself with tapping a pen against her desk, though the occasional glare she sent Lena's way made it obvious the issue between them was far from over. Lena ignored every single one of them. She opened a notebook, scribbled a few lines, then returned to staring out the window, looking so lost in thought that I wondered if she'd forgotten anyone else was in the room.

When the final bell rang, everyone shot to their feet, eager to escape.

"Miss Ashwood."

Lena stopped halfway to the door and turned around, adjusting the strap of her bag before looking at the Headmaster.

"Yes, sir?" she asked respectfully.

"I'd rather you didn't spend your first evening wandering around campus trying to find your dorm," Headmaster Magnus said, his tone calm but firm. "The academy is much larger than it looks."

"I'll manage, sir," Lena replied with a polite smile. "You already gave me a campus map."

Before the Headmaster could answer, his attention shifted to me.

"Ryder."

I already had a bad feeling.

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to take Lena to the first-year girls' dorm."

I let out a quiet breath before scratching the back of my neck.

"Sir, I don't think that's necessary. She seems capable of finding her way."

Lena gave a quick nod in agreement and looked back at him.

"He's right," she said, speaking just as politely. "I don't want to inconvenience him over something this small."

Headmaster Magnus looked from me to Lena before shaking his head once.

"This isn't a discussion," he said evenly. "You're new here, Miss Ashwood, and Ryder knows the campus better than anyone. He'll walk you there."

Neither of us argued again.

The walk across campus started in complete silence. Students streamed past us in every direction, some heading to the dining hall while others made their way back to the dorms after practice. A few glanced at us before whispering to their friends, no doubt recognizing the two people who had caused a scene earlier that day.

Lena noticed it too.

She slipped both hands into the pockets of her jacket and released a quiet sigh.

"Do people always stare this much around here?" she asked, keeping her eyes ahead as if pretending not to notice the whispers.

I shrugged.

"They're curious. Give them a day or two and they'll find someone else to gossip about."

She smiled faintly.

"I hope you're right. Being famous on my first day wasn't exactly on my to-do list."

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"You picked the fastest way to make an impression."

She turned toward me with an amused look.

"I don't remember planning any of it."

"I believe you."

That seemed to surprise her.

"You do?"

"You looked just as shocked as everyone else."

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.

Then she smiled again, this time a little more naturally.

"I'm glad someone noticed."

By the time we reached the girls' dormitory, the sky had turned a warm shade of orange. Lena stopped at the entrance and turned to face me.

"Thanks for walking me over," she said sincerely, shifting her bag higher onto her shoulder. "I know this wasn't exactly how you wanted to spend your evening."

I slipped my hands into my pockets and offered a small shrug.

"I've had worse punishments."

A quiet laugh escaped her lips.

"I'll try not to get you detention again."

"I'd appreciate that."

She gave me one final smile before pushing open the dormitory door.

"Goodnight, Ryder."

"Goodnight, Lena."

I watched the door close behind her before turning back toward my own dorm.

By the time I finally climbed into bed that night, every part of my body should have been exhausted after practice. Instead, sleep refused to come. My wolf paced endlessly inside me, restless in a way I'd never experienced before, and every attempt to clear my mind only made things worse.

I didn't understand it.

I'd known Lena for less than a day.

Yet somehow, the image of her standing her ground against Violeta kept replaying in my head, and my wolf reacted every single time her face crossed my mind.

For the first time in my life, I couldn't tell whether my wolf had sensed danger...

...or whether it had recognized something I hadn't.