<h4>Chapter 90: A Call</h4>


    Hailee’s POV


    I reached home from school, but as usual, Mother wasn’t there—she was at the pack mansion.


    Arriving in my room, I tossed my bag on the bed and decided to work on some assignments. I even started doing Nathan’s as well since he hadn’t attended sses today.


    Just as I was halfway through a question, my phone buzzed loudly on the desk.


    A call.


    The number shing on the screen was unfamiliar.


    I hesitated for a moment, then swiped to answer.


    "Hello?"


    There was a short pause before a deep male voice spoke. "Hi, Hailee... it’s me, Robert."


    My brows furrowed instantly. "Robert?"


    The voice was calm, almost like it should have been obvious. "Your betrothed... from the arranged marriage."


    I froze, my pen slipping from my fingers.


    So he’s the one.


    "We met twice, but that was when we were little—"


    "Hold on." I cut him off, standing abruptly from my chair.


    Of course, I remembered Robert.


    Robert... the heir to the Eastern Lycan Kingdom. We had met twice in the past during royal gatherings, and both times, I couldn’t stand him. Even as a boy, he had been unbearably arrogant—carrying himself like the entire world was beneath him.


    He was three years older than me, yet he acted as though that gave him the right to talk down to everyone around him, including me. I remembered the way he’d frown when I’d disagreed with him about something silly and the way he always made it seem like he was doing everyone a favor just by existing.


    And now... this was the man they had chosen for me?


    "Robert..." I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to stay calm so I wouldn’t just explode at him. "It’s never happening. I’m not getting married to you, so don’t waste your time."


    There was a pause before a low chuckle came through the line, dripping with arrogance. "You’re joking, right? Girls—royal-born or not—would kill for this chance."


    I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. "Not this girl. Not Hailee. And you know that. I’m not like the others... I’m special, remember?" My tone carried a sharp tone, reminding him of exactly who he was talking to.


    His amused tone dropped instantly into a growl. "I heard you’ll be back in two months." His voice was low, almost threatening. "I’ll be waiting for you, Hailee."


    Before I could even respond, the line went dead.


    I lowered the phone slowly, my chest tight with irritation. Just perfect. As if I didn’t already have enough chaos in my life. Now I had this to deal with.


    I set the phone down on the desk with a little more force than I meant to. My jaw was tight, my pen still lying where it had fallen.


    I tried to turn my attention back to the assignments, staring at the half-finished question in front of me, but my mind refused to focus. All I could hear was Robert’s arrogant voice echoing in my head.


    I’ll be waiting for you, Hailee.


    With a frustrated sigh, I shoved the notebook aside and grabbed my phone. Without overthinking it, I scrolled to Callum’s name and hit call.


    He answered almost immediately. "Hey, sunshine."


    "Hey," I said quickly, forcing a lighter tone. "Do you think... maybe we could do the movie now instead ofter? I’ve got somewhere I need to be afterward."


    There was a beat of silence, then his voice lit up with that familiar boyish excitement. "Yeah, of course! Come over now."


    "Thanks," I said with a small smile he couldn’t see.


    After grabbing my bag and tossing my books inside, I headed straight to his ce, pushing Robert’s voice as far from my mind as I could.


    When I got to Callum’s house, he was already waiting at the door, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.


    "Took you long enough," he teased, stepping aside to let me in.


    I rolled my eyes but smiled faintly. "I came as fast as I could."


    The moment I stepped inside, the familiar scent of buttered popcorn hit me. A big bowl was already sitting on the coffee table, next to two bottles of soda and a pile of snacks.


    "You weren’t kidding about starting early," I said with a softugh.


    "Of course not," Callum replied, plopping onto the couch and patting the seat next to him. "If we’re having a movie day, we’re doing it right."


    I sank down beside him, trying to rx, though my mind still tugged at the thought of Nathan’s dateter... and Dane’s walk... and now Robert. My life was bing a ticking time bomb.


    Callum hit y, and the opening credits filled the screen, but I kept sneaking nces at my phone in myp. Every few seconds, my thoughts drifted far away from the movie.


    Callum noticed. "Hey," he nudged me gently, "you okay? You seem... distracted."


    I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just... a lot on my mind."


    He studied me for a moment, clearly curious, but then gave me a small smile and turned back to the movie. "Well, at least try to enjoy this. No drama here—just you, me, and bad acting."


    I let out a smallugh at that and tried to focus on the film. It was a romanticedy—the kind that didn’t take itself too seriously but still managed to pull you in. The jokesnded just right, and a few ridiculous moments had both of usughing out loud.


    "That’s totally you," Callum teased during a scene where the female lead was dramatically arguing with a street vendor over the price of flowers.


    I gasped, nudging him lightly. "Excuse me? I’m not that dramatic."


    He grinned. "Oh, you are. But it’s cute."


    I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips.


    At some point, I shifted so I could rest against him, and he draped an arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer. The warmth of his body and the soft, steady rhythm of his breathing wrapped around me like a nket.


    His fingers gently threaded through my hair, slow and soothing, like he had all the time in the world.


    "You’refortable?" he asked softly.


    "Mm-hmm," I murmured, my voice already heavy with drowsiness.


    Thebination of his warmth, the light scent of his cologne, and the soft touch of his fingers stroking through my hair made my eyelids grow heavier and heavier. The sound of the movie faded into the background, reced by the steady beat of his heart under my ear.


    Before I knew it, my breathing had evened out, and I drifted off, fast asleep in his arms.


    I stirred slowly, the soft glow of the TV still flickering in the dim room.


    My head was still resting against Callum’s chest, his arm loosely draped around me. For a moment, I thought I had only drifted off for a few minutes—until I noticed the window.


    It was dark outside.


    My eyes widened instantly. I sat up a little, blinking in surprise. "What time is it?"


    Callum nced at his phone. "Nine."


    "Nine?!" I repeated, my voice pitching higher in panic.