Chapter 6: The Group Chat

Ezra's wolves carried Jasper back across the river before dawn.

They set him down at the Redwood gate, wrapped in a blanket, and walked away without a word.

I did not go to see him.

I went to school.

"You don't have to," Ezra had said at the lodge door, keys in his hand. "No one would blame you."

"They'd talk."

"They'll talk either way."

"Then I'm going to be there while they do it."

He drove us himself.

He pulled up at the front doors of Ridge Academy in the black truck, in front of every student on the steps, and got out to open my door.

Every head turned.

"Don't," I murmured.

"I'm not holding your hand," he said. "I'm opening a door."

He did.

I stepped out with my chin up, and Clover hopped down after me with her phone already in her fist.

"Come find me at lunch," Ezra said, and drove away.

A wave of whispers followed us down the hall.

I heard the word *stain* twice.

I did not flinch.

By lunch, the cafeteria had gone quiet whenever I walked past a table.

I sat down anyway.

Celia came in at twelve-ten.

She had dressed in white.

Her eyes were red and her hair was brushed to a shine, and four girls from the Redwood senior class walked behind her.

She stopped at our table.

"Mimi," she said, loud enough to carry. "I came to say I forgive you."

Clover put her fork down.

"You forgive her," Clover said.

"For what you did to Jasper. I know you were hurt. I'm not angry." Celia put her hand over her heart. "Come home. Dad will forgive you if you ask."

The room was listening.

I could feel it.

Half of them were on her side already.

She was golden and sorry and I was the girl who had made the Beta's son crawl.

Keep reading free with an account. Start "I don't accept you" — he shouted it in front of everyone from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.