Page 59 of The Moonborn's Curse

The pup yelped in shock; his body locked in a tight submission hold.

The yard fell silent.

Seren let him go and stepped back, her breath steady.

She turned—and felt eyes on her. Her chest felt like there was a spark there. The fine hairs on her forearm stood on end.

Hagan watching her.

Or rather, trying not to watch her.

He wasn't sparring. He was off to the side, his arms crossed, expression unreadable. But Seren knew he was paying attention.

Even if he didn't want to.

Even if he was avoiding looking directly at her, his gaze kept flicking back to her long plait as it swayed down her back.

He tried not to care.

He wasn't involved, not really.

But he knew what was happening to her.

Locked in the bathroom.

Someone shifting into wolf form and peeing on her backpack.

Her homework going missing.

None of it was his doing.

But he didn't stop it, either.

And that gnawed at him.

Instead of dealing with it, he clung to Lia, stuck close to her side, and let her words drown out the uneasy guilt that curled in his chest.

But no matter what he did—

His attention kept drifting back to her.

To Seren.

Seren exhaled, rolling her shoulders.

She had won this round.

But that didn't mean they would accept her.

Garrik called for the next match.

"You, with her."

Seren turned, somehow expecting to face Lia, but Garrik's gaze wasn't on her—it was on another girl.

Clio.

Seren didn't know much about her, but she could see the difference immediately.

---