No one noticed when I climbed back through the window.
The room was dark and silent, just like always. I shut the window carefully and leaned against it for a moment, catching my breath. My body ached from running, from shifting, from everything I didn't understand.
I didn't bother changing. I just dropped onto the bed.
Sleep came instantly.
Heavy. Deep.
Noctryx's POV
I woke to silence.
The lake was still, the air cold against my skin. For a moment, I didn't move. I just lay there, staring at the sky filled with scattered stars.
Too quiet.
Something felt off.
My hand brushed against something near me. Paper.
I sat up and picked it up slowly.
A note.
Those ocean-blue eyes would look magnificent if they were filled with love.—From Purple.
My grip tightened around it.
No one would dare leave something like this for me. No one.
I moved to throw it away, but paused.
A scent lingered on the paper.
Lavender. Vanilla.
Soft.
And beneath it… something deeper. Something broken.
It clung to the note, quiet but heavy.
I didn't throw it.
Instead, I stared at it a little longer.
Who wrote this?
A low growl echoed in my mind.
Noyx.
Uneasy. Alert.
But not angry.
Something else stirred beneath it. Something sharper. Possessive.
It settled in my chest before I could push it away.
That scent… it shouldn't matter.
But it did.
Whoever left this note got in without being noticed.
Past the borders. Past the guards.
Past me.
My jaw tightened.
One thought followed.
An omega.
Ren's POV
A knock pulled me out of sleep.
Sharp. Repeated.
I forced myself up and opened the door.
Marco stood there, tall and still, his eyes fixed on me.
"Breakfast. Now."
I rubbed my eyes, still half-asleep.
"I just woke up. Give me ten minutes."
His gaze hardened.
"I said five."
I opened my mouth to reply, but his hand shot forward, gripping my wrist.
Tight.
Pain spread through my arm.
"I said five."
"…Okay."
He let go, and I shut the door quietly.
I got ready as fast as I could.
The dining room was already full when I walked in.
Everyone was seated, talking, eating, laughing like everything was normal.
I walked in quietly and took my usual seat near the end of the table.
No one looked at me.
I looked down at my plate.
Bread. Butter.
Nothing else.
Across the table, plates were full—eggs, meat, fresh bread, fruits. Maids moved around, serving more without being asked.
I reached for a garlic bread.
A voice cut through the air.
Cold.
"What do you think you're doing?"
My hand stopped.
"I'm still hungry," I said quietly.
"I think you've had enough."
The maids walked past me and placed more food in front of Elena.
No one spoke.
I looked up.
"I said I'm still hungry."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I said no."
My fingers curled slightly against the table.
"And who are you to decide that?"
Her chair scraped loudly as she stood.
"What did you just say?"
I met her gaze.
"You don't control me."
"Ren."
My father's voice cut in, cold and final.
I turned to him.
"When your mother says no, you listen."
Something inside me snapped.
"There's food everywhere," I said, my voice steady. "And I'm not allowed to eat?"
Silence fell across the table.
Everyone was looking at me now.
My stepmother moved first.
Fast. Angry.
Everyone expected me to stay seated.
I didn't.
I stood.
And something shifted.
It spread before I could stop it.
My scent.
Strong. Overpowering.
The air changed.
Breathing became heavier.
She stopped mid-step.
Her body trembled.
Fear filled her eyes—not at me, but at my wolf.
I felt it then.
Deep inside.
Awake.
Wild.
My pulse raced. Heat rushed through my veins. My vision darkened, then burned red.
I took a step forward.
She stepped back.
No one moved.
Not even my father.
My wolf pushed harder, anger rising fast and sharp, clawing through my chest.
For a moment, I almost lost control.
My hands clenched. My jaw tightened.
Then I turned.
And walked out.
No one stopped me.
No one spoke.
But I felt it.
Their fear.
Their silence.
And the way something inside me had just changed.