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When at last he pulls back, just far enough to meet my dazed stare, the look in his eyes steals what little breath remains in my lungs. The blazing azure depths are a swirling vortex of hunger, tenderness, awe... and something deeper, more profound.
My chest rises and falls in shallow gasps as we simply stare at one another. Ryan's hands are still buried in my hair, keeping me anchored against him. I make no move to pull away, still trembling in the aftershocks of that earth-shattering moment we just shared.
"This..." His voice is a deep, gravelly rasp against my swollen lips. "This can never happen again."
The words are like a slap of ice water, jarring me out of the sensual haze fogging my mind. I blink dazedly, unable to formulate a coherent response.
Ryan's expression is full of conflicting emotions—longing, regret, resignation. His fingers tighten in my hair with a fleeting caress before he finally releases me, taking a deliberate step back to put distance between us once more.
He exhales a ragged breath, dragging one hand through his tousled hair as he regards me with that piercing, inscrutable stare. "You need to understand the world you've stumbled into, Jenna. What you saw with Liam and the others? That's just a taste of the prejudice you could face simply for being human in the presence of shifters."
My mind flashes back to the blatant hostility and disgust in their sneers, the way Liam referred to me so derisively as a "human pet." A shudder wracks my frame at the memory.
Ryan must notice because his expression softens minutely, his eyes holding a glimmer of reluctant compassion. "I wish I could shield you from that ugliness, but the truth is... you're a spark in a powder keg just by being here."
His words should anger me, or at least sting with their brutal honesty. Instead, I can only gape at him, a cold knot of dread coiling in the pit of my stomach. Is that really how I'm perceived here—a dangerous disruption simply for being human?
"So what happens now?" My voice emerges in a small, unsteady rasp. "Do I... do I have to leave?"
Ryan seems to read the fear flickering through my gaze because his expression contorts with an unreadable emotion. "No, you can stay. But you should go back to your room. Get some rest."
It's not a request or even a suggestion. It's an undeniable command from the alpha, one that vibrates through me with a visceral sort of compulsion I can't resist or defy.
I nod shakily and force myself to turn away, my legs rubbery and unstable as I retreat down the dim corridor. My entire body still hums and tingles from Ryan's scorching touch, the lingering heat of his kiss permanently seared onto my tingling flesh.
When I finally emerge into the open evening air, I draw in deep, gasping lungfuls as if I've been submerged underwater. Hannah is there, waiting by the front entrance with anxious eyes, and the moment she sees me, she rushes forward to gather me into a tight, steadying embrace.
"Oh god, Jenna... what happened? Are you okay?"
I cling to her slender form, struggling to find my voice amid the whirlwind of confusion and yearning still roiling inside me. "I... I don't know," I finally manage in a tremulous whisper. "I really don't know."
Chapter 4
Jenna
I stride through the front doors of Whispering Pines Elementary, my sensible flats clicking confidently against the polished floors. The familiar scent of pencil shavings and chalk dust envelops me like an old friend, and I can't help but smile. Despite the chaos of the last few days, this place remains a constant – a sanctuary where order reigns supreme.
"Jenna!" Sarah's warm voice greets me as she rushes over, her curls bouncing with each step. "How are you holding up?"
I offer her a reassuring smile, touched by her concern. "I'm okay, all things considered." My thoughts drift to the devastating fire that claimed my cozy home, leaving me with only the clothes on my back. "Hannah has been kind enough to take me in at the Thorne estate until I can get back on my feet."
Sarah's eyes widen slightly. "The Thorne estate? As in... the wolf pack's territory?" She lowers her voice, casting a furtive glance around the empty hallway. "Are you sure that's wise? You know how some of them can be..."
I swallow hard, my throat tightening at the implications of her words. Sarah's apprehension is understandable, a remnant of the lingering tensions that still exist between humans and the supernatural community, even five years after The Unveiling.
"Hannah is my best friend," I remind her gently. "I trust her pack, even if their customs are...unorthodox at times." My mind drifts to the memory of Ryan's lips crashing against mine, his touch igniting a fire within me I've never experienced before. I quickly shake the thought away, my cheeks flushing. "Besides, it's only temporary."
"If you say so." Sarah doesn't look entirely convinced, but she offers me a supportive smile nonetheless. "Just be careful, okay? I'd hate to see you get hurt."
As we part ways, her words linger in the back of my mind like a persistent whisper. Is she right? Am I treading into dangerous territory by immersing myself in the inner sanctum of the Whispering Pines pack?
My thoughts are interrupted by the shrill sound of the morning bell, and I force myself to focus on the day ahead. The familiar routine of teaching provides a welcome distraction, and I lose myself in the innocent joy of my kindergarten students as they eagerly absorb each new lesson.
But the peace is short-lived.
Halfway through the morning, a commotion erupts near the cubbies, drawing my attention. I turn to find little Aiden, one of my most rambunctious pupils, growling fiercely at another student. The other children shriek with a mixture of delight and terror, their high-pitched voices filling the classroom.
"Aiden, sweetie, you need to calm down," I say in my most soothing voice, crouching down to his level. His hazel eyes, now tinged with flecks of amber, meet mine with a wild, unrestrained gaze.
