<h4>Chapter 127: 127-Goodbye!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Guys, she’s waking up!" I heard a loud scream that jolted me awake. I was taking my time opening my eyes, but the way Lucy’s voice pierced through my ears, I opened them with my fists clenched, as if I could fight a Lycan with two soft punches.


    However, before me stood all the people I call friends—or acquaintances, or ex-lovers to each other, probably.


    I’m not sure.


    They were just there, huddled around me near the river. Why was I near the river?


    "What’s going on? Are we all dead?" I asked, a loud gulp running down my throat, so difficult to swallow.


    "No, but you almost got my sister killed," came Penn’s voice. He stepped into view, his body bearing a few injuries that seemed to be in the process of healing. He was only wearing pants, his abs and muscles on full disy. Apparently, he had been taking a shower in the river.


    "Did you not hear your sister tell you that Hnie threw herself before the Lycan to save her friends?" The voice belonged to Lamar, who stood next to him in khaki pants, also wet. Both had sustained injuries, but like Penn, Lamar was already healing.


    "What happened?" I whispered under my breath, utterly lost.


    "Last night, after you passed out, the boys came to help," Jenny began, her voice soft. Lucy sat beside me, holding my hand between hers, constantly trying tofort me.


    "Who was the first werewolf—" I had just opened my mouth when Penn smirked in a taunting way, turning his head to look at Lamar, who rolled his eyes.


    "Tossed away like a little bi**h," Pennmented, causing everyone to turn their heads to him and then back at me. He should have taken the hint to stay quiet.


    "Then my brother came, and then—" Jenny paused as Gavin emerged from the river, wearing blue pants.


    "I should have known you’d do something reckless," Gavin remarked, his hands on his waist.


    "You came looking for us?" I asked, genuinely impressed. I wasn’t too happy with myself, but the fact that he still came to look for both Lucy and me, even after we betrayed him, left me speechless.


    "That’s what friends do, Hnie. He didn’t do anything remarkable. You’re the one who’s crazy for making the Lycan go after you. It’s one thing to wander somewhere and risk stumbling upon something deadly, but it’s an entirely different thing to call danger directly to yourself to save your friends," Jenny said, silencing everyone with her statement.


    She then turned to the group, as if seeking their approval to continue. "However—"


    I frowned as I checked my body, realizing that I hadn’t sustained any injuries, apart from a few scratches.


    "However what?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Jenny.


    "The Lycan tried to take you away with him," Lucy blurted out, cutting to the punchline.


    "Huh?"


    "Maybe he wanted to save me forter?" I tried reasoning it out, still unable toprehend what she meant.


    "Lycan don’t save their food. They eat fresh," Penn interjected. "I mean, the live person." He added quickly, ensuring no one thought he was only mocking me.


    "Are you all alright? How did you guys fight the Lycan?" I asked curiously, looking at the boys. They exchanged smug looks, but Jenny scoffed loudly.


    "They all got their asses beat. They were wailing like—" She shut up abruptly when her brother shot her a harsh re. "The sun came up, and the Lycan had to retreat. It’ll stay in hiding until the next full moon," she said with a shrug.


    That’s when I remembered the detail I should have noticed earlier.


    I felt the mate bond—with a monster. And that monster was now in hiding.


    What the fuck?


    "Hnie, are you okay?" Lamar quickly knelt down to check on me as I zoned out.


    "Of course she is. She got my sister kill—" Penn began another tantrum, but Gavin and Lucy hissed at him simultaneously.


    "Your sister is fine," Lucy nearly yelled, clearly annoyed.


    "Huh, says the one who’s the reason everyone even went into the woodsst night," Penn replied, showing no ability to read the room.


    "What? Am I saying anything wrong? These two fight, she cheats on him, they fight again, she runs into the woods, and gets everyone’s life in danger. Wow! You really are a troublemaker, aren’t you? The devil in disguise," hisments directed at Lucy silenced everyone for a moment.


    I stood up to face him, but Lucy’s tug on my shirt held me back.


    "We should head back to the hostel," Lucy said softly, perhaps admitting her guilt. But what hurt the most was that her mate didn’te to her defense—and he couldn’t be med for it.


    She had brought this upon herself, but she never asked any of us toe looking for her. I did it on my own, as did Jenny and the rest of them.


    "Guys, let’s get ready for Professor Emmet’s ss. I heard he’s only teaching today, and then his brother, Professor Kaye, will be taking over for the next three weeks," Jenny said, trying to change the subject.


    As she spoke, I began feeling strange—almost like I was going to throw up.


    When we reached the hostel, I took a quick shower before joining the others outside, acting as though we hadn’t almost been killed in the woods the night before.


    We all silently agreed not to talk about what happened, at least not where anyone else could hear us.


    The warden wouldn’t be very pleased to hear we had an encounter with the Lycan.


    We silently walked to our ssroom, but I noticed Penn holding Jenny back from approaching us. I guessed he thought we were troublemakers and that his sister would get hurt if she kept hanging around us.


    However, the minute we sat down, I saw Sydney stand up to announce something.


    "Today, we will receive our ss monitor badges—" her words started to fade as a sharp pain began to grow in my stomach. I felt oddly dizzy, to the point where I knew I needed to make a run for the bathroom.


    So I did.


    While Sydney stood beaming, I rushed past her, hearing her offended exmation, but I had no time to stop. In fact, I even ran past Professor Emmet without giving him more than a fleeting nce.


    "Hnie—" I heard him call after me, but I was in too much of a hurry.


    I dashed straight to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. That’s when something terrible hit me, freezing me in ce.


    There was so much blood between my legs.