Chapter 5 Claws In Public
Lena’s POV
The walk from Elara’s office was quiet at first, but the tension clung to me like a second skin.
I still couldn’t believe what I had just heard.
“Witches and werewolves can’t share a dorm?” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. “That has to be the most ridiculous rule I’ve ever heard.”
Beside me, Zara let out a dramatic sigh. “Tell me about it. Elara has always been like that, strict, controlling, and completely obsessed with tradition. It’s exhausting.”
I glanced at her. “And you’re just okay with it?”
She scoffed. “Of course not. But what can I do? It’s the system.” She paused, then nudged me lightly. “Although… the way you spoke to her back there?” A grin spread across her face. “That was bold. I liked it.”
I shrugged, trying to act indifferent. “Someone had to say it.”
Zara laughed. “You’re going to shake this school, Lena. I can already tell.”
Before I could respond, her stomach growled loudly, echoing in the hallway.
She froze.
I raised a brow.
“Don’t say it,” she warned.
I smirked. “Hungry?”
“Starving,” she corrected instantly. “Come on, cafeteria. Now.”
She didn’t even wait for my response before grabbing my wrist and dragging me along.
The cafeteria was louder than I expected.
Voices overlapped, laughter echoed, trays clattered against tables. It was chaotic, alive. Students filled almost every seat, divided into their little groups.
Witches. Wolves. Vampires.
Even without being told, I could feel the difference.
Zara and I grabbed a table near the center. She immediately dug into her food like she hadn’t eaten in days, while I leaned back slightly, observing everything.
This place… It wasn’t just a school.
It was a battlefield pretending to be peaceful.
“You’re staring again,” Zara said between bites.
“I’m observing,” I corrected calmly.
She rolled her eyes. “Same thing.”
I was about to respond when the atmosphere shifted. The noise dipped. Whispers spread. And then I saw her.
Diane.
She walked in like she owned the place, her squad trailing behind her like loyal shadows. Her eyes scanned the room, sharp and calculating… until they landed on me.
And just like that, I became her target.
“Here we go,” Zara muttered under her breath, tensing beside me.
Diane approached slowly, her heels clicking against the floor with each step. Her lips curled into a mocking smile.
“Well, well,” she said, folding her arms. “If it isn’t the rejected stray.”
Zara immediately straightened. “Watch your mouth…”
I placed a hand on her arm, stopping her.
“I’ve got this,” I said quietly.
Zara hesitated, then slowly leaned back, though her eyes stayed locked on Diane.
Diane tilted her head, studying me like I was something beneath her.
“You’ve got nerve, I’ll give you that. Walking around like you belong here after embarrassing yourself like that.”
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs slowly. “Funny,” I said calmly. “I was just thinking the same about you.”
Her smile faltered slightly.
“You try so hard,” I continued, my voice smooth, controlled. “It’s almost painful to watch. All that confidence… and yet, you still reek of insecurity.”
A sharp silence fell over the cafeteria. Zara blinked. Diane’s squad shifted uncomfortably.
Diane’s eyes darkened. “What did you just say?”
I leaned forward slightly, meeting her gaze without hesitation. “I said you’re insecure. And desperate.”
A gasp rippled from nearby tables.
Diane’s expression snapped.
“You think you can talk to me like that?” she snapped, stepping closer.
I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch.
“Why not?” I replied coolly. “You’re not exactly intimidating.”
That was it. Diane raised her hand, her face twisting with rage.
“Say that again and I’ll…”
Her hand never landed. A firm grip caught her wrist mid-air. Everything froze. I looked up.
Adrian.
His jaw was tight, his blue eyes turned cold as he held Diane’s wrist effortlessly.
“Don’t,” he said, his voice low but commanding.
Diane’s anger flickered into something else, something almost desperate. “Adrian, she…”
“I said,” he cut in, his grip tightening slightly, “don’t.”
The entire cafeteria was watching now.
Every single person. Diane glanced around, clearly aware of the attention. Her pride was on the line.
“Let go of me,” she hissed.
Adrian released her slowly, his expression unreadable. “Leave,” he said.
Diane blinked. “What?”
“Leave,” he repeated, louder this time.
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Diane’s face flushed with humiliation. “You’re choosing her over me?”
Adrian’s eyes hardened. “I’m not choosing anyone. I’m telling you to leave.”
She hesitated. For a moment, it looked like she might argue again. But then she noticed the eyes on her. The whispers. The judgment.
With a sharp turn, she stormed off, her squad scrambling after her. The tension lingered even after she was gone.
Adrian finally turned to me. For a second, neither of us spoke.
Then he scoffed lightly. “You really don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?”
I raised a brow. “And you really don’t know how to mind your business.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“You should stay away from Diane,” he said, his tone almost warning.
I let out a small laugh. “I don’t need your advice.”
His jaw tightened. “You think I helped you back there?”
I tilted my head. “Did you?”
“Listen… I don’t care about you or your business,” he said coldly.
Something about the way he said it almost made me believe him but his expression betrayed him.
“Good,” I replied. “Because I don’t need you to.”
For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes. Then it was gone. He turned and walked away without another word.
Zara let out a breath beside me. “Okay… wow.”
I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly.
“Yeah,” she continued, eyes wide. “You just insulted Diane, got saved by Adrian, and somehow insulted him too. In one sitting.”
I shrugged. “Productive lunch.”
She burst out laughing. But before I could respond, a presence approached our table. A girl stood there, her posture straight, her expression neutral. But something about her felt… off.
Her eyes lingered on me. “You are Lena,” she said.
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” I replied slowly.
She nodded once. “I am Professor Hawthorne's assistant.”
Zara frowned slightly.
The girl continued, her voice steady.
“Professor Hawthorne's requests your presence.”
I straightened slightly. “Now?”
She made a brief pause.
“In his office,” she said.
The words settled heavily in the air. My brows furrowed.
“His office?” I repeated.
Zara looked just as confused. I glanced back at the girl, my mind racing.
Why would the professor want to see me?
