<h4>Chapter 26: Morning arrest...</h4>


    <strong>Charis</strong>


    I was kissing Kael by the poolside in a dream when I felt someone gently tapping my shoulder.


    I blinked, squeezing my eyes shut at the sunlight already filtering through the window. My body still ached from the tension of the night before. My eyes were sore as if I hadn’t just woken up, and the nket had twisted around me like a cocoon.


    The tapping came again, more insistent this time.


    I turned my head.


    ter was standing beside the bed, dressed in his pyjama bottoms and a ck shirt from the previous day. He didn’t look like he’d gotten any sleep, though. Our eyes met for a moment—his face gave away nothing of what he was thinking or feeling after our fight.


    "Get ready," he said. "You’ll bete for breakfast and sses today."


    I rubbed my eyes and stretched, still gathering my thoughts. Then it hit me —it was morning and the academy wouldn’t slow down just because I’d had a long night of emotional whish. I jumped to my feet, suddenly aware of how much time had passed.


    I hurried to the bathroom, and there, waiting on the counter, were a few familiar items: my favourite brand of shower gel, cleanser, toner, and moisturiser, a small tube of lip balm, and a cleanb.


    There was deodorant specifically formted for teenage boys, a masculine-scented body wash and even hair products designed to help maintain a shorter, more masculine hairstyle.


    On the corner of the counter, I found fresh clothes waiting for me: a pair of baggy jeans, a casual navy blue button-down shirt, and a baseball cap. It wasn’t so much, but it was enough to warm my heart. ter had thought about me. Despite everything that had happened between usst night, he was still looking after me.


    I smiled to myself, making a mental note to thank himter.


    Stripping down, I stepped into the shower. When I was done, I stood before the mirror and reached for the bandages I used to bind my chest. But as I began unwrapping the towel around my body, I caught sight of my reflection and winced.


    Fresh bruises dotted my elbow and the top of my back —likely from my fall during the rogue wolf attack yesterday. But more concerning were the welts from my father’s belt, which hadn’t healed properly and still looked inmed.


    Unlike most wolves, Shadewolves healed painfully slow, three times slower than the average Omega wolf and keeping the wounds covered hadn’t helped either.


    Still, I couldn’t focus on that now. Grimacing, I grabbed thepression bandage and tried to wrap it around myself when the bathroom door suddenly opened.


    "Charis?" ter called out, poking his head in, apparently about to say something, but he stopped mid-sentence when his gaze fell on my back. His eyes moved from the fresh bruises to the unhealed welts, then to the bandages in my hands.


    He stared at me for several long seconds. Then gently, he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.


    "Do you...need help?" he asked quietly.


    I nodded gratefully and handed him the bandages. My arms were stiff from my new injuries, and wrapping myself properly was always a challenge even under the best circumstances.


    ter came to stand behind me and began working with the bandages. When one of the strips brushed against a particrlyrge welt, I couldn’t help but suppress a small gasp of pain.


    He sighed heavily. "Wait here," he murmured, setting the bandages aside.


    He returned momentster with a first aid box. Without saying anything else, he opened it and began cleaning the wounds gently, applying antiseptic that stung but would prevent infection.


    "Does he still hit you?" he asked quietly.


    I nodded, then quickly added with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "It’s fine, though. He doesn’t hit me all the time. After the baby..." I caught myself, trailing off. I didn’t want us to fight again.


    "I’m fine, really," I rushed on. "The welts will heal eventually. They always do."


    He didn’t say anything. He just concentrated on treating my wounds. After that, he started wrapping my chest with the bandage, ensuring the binding was secure without being too tight.


    Once he finished, I turned to face him, to thank him at least. Our gazes met for a moment; he looked like he was going to say something important. But then he cleared his throat and looked away.


    "You should dress," he said, his voice slightly rough. "The first bell for breakfast has already rung."


    I nodded, watching as he left the bathroom. I pulled on the jeans and shirt he’d provided. Everything fit perfectly, and I had to admit that I looked convincingly masculine in the outfit.


    I left the bathroom to see him staring at his phone. He brushed past me without saying a word as he entered the bathroom, probably to shower. Taking a deep breath, I sat on the bed and flipped through the orientation book guide to see what activities were scheduled for the day.


    We hadbat training, strategic nning workshops, and something called ’leadership assessment’ on the schedule, and I hoped to the moon that it would be normal and not involve us doing bizarre things.


    Lunch was going to be a pic at some grove.


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting my reading. I rushed towards it, expecting to see Rhett’s cheerful face or Kael’s cold gaze – my heart fluttered at the thought. But when I opened the door, instead of Kael or Rhett, it was a tall man in the academy sentinel uniform. His face was stern and unreadable.


    "Are you Eamon Riggs?" he asked in a voice devoid of any warmth.


    I nodded, confusion and growing rm growing in my chest. "Yes, sir."


    Without another word, the sentinel produced a pair of handcuffs and quickly cuffed my hands behind my back.


    "Hey! What —"


    "You need toe with me."


    "For what? What’s going on?"


    The man didn’t answer. I looked back toward the bathroom, torn between calling for ter and not wanting to cause more trouble. But the sentinel was already tugging me down the hallway.


    "Can I at least grab my jacket? I get cold a lot," but he didn’t respond.


    By this time, we hade out of ter’s living quarters and were walking through the corridors. Other students stopped to stare; some of them were already whispering among themselves.


    Just as we passed the hall leading to the dorms, I spotted Kael writing on the notice board.


    "Kael!" I screamed with all the air in my lungs. He turned once, took in the situation and turned back to the board.


    "Kael,e on," I called out desperately as we arrived at where he was standing. "Do me a favour and tell ter that I’m being taken away. He was in the bath when this big guy came for me."


    "Not my problem, Riggs," he said quietly. "Deal with it."


    "Please..." I begged, digging my feet in and trying to buy more time, but the sentinel, tired of dragging me, suddenly swooped me up and ced me on his shoulders.


    We passed the dining hall where students were already gathering for breakfast, the academic wing and several administrative areas.


    Finally, we stopped in front of a door marked ’Headmistress’ with the academy’s official seal.


    The sentinel knocked once and waited for permission to enter.


    "Come in," came a crisp female voice from inside.


    The door opened to reveal an office that radiated authority and menace in equal measure. Behind a massive oak desk sat Headmistress Vale, dressed in her usual style. I spotted Marcus and Peter sitting on a settee in one corner of the office.


    And sitting opposite the headmistress’s table was Alpha Raymond Riggs—the Alpha of Duskveil Pack, ter’s father.