Chase's eyes narrow dangerously. "You're claiming responsibility for her? Caspian Jett, heir to one of the oldest Alpha bloodlines in the region, publicly claiming a random student?"
"I'm claiming responsibility for a member of my pack," Caspian says, and he doesn't back down even slightly under Chase's stare. "My family are substantial donors to this Academy, as I'm sure you're aware. I'm quite certain Headmaster Owen would be interested to hear about Council enforcers harassing students on school grounds without proper authorization or supervision."
The threat is barely veiled and I can see Chase processing it, weighing whether pushing this is worth making an enemy of the Jett family.
For a long moment, no one moves. Chase stands there assessing the situation with cold calculation, looking at three males who are clearly ready to fight him if he pushes this any further. Looking at me behind them, still shaking from my first shift and barely able to stand without support. I can see him trying to decide if whatever he thinks he saw is worth pushing through three protective wolves to confirm.
I should feel something about Caspian claiming me publicly like this. I should process what that means, what he just risked by putting himself between me and the Council. But I'm too exhausted, too scared, too confused to think beyond the immediate threat of Chase discovering what I am.
Finally Chase takes a step back, though his expression makes it clear this isn't over. "This isn't the end of this conversation. I'll be watching all of you very closely from now on."
"You do that," Knox says, his voice still completely flat and somehow all the more menacing for it.
Chase gives us one more long assessing look before turning and disappearing back into the trees. The second he's out of sight, all three males visibly relax slightly, though none of them drop their defensive positions until we can't hear his footsteps anymore and his scent has faded.
"We need to move," Caspian says quietly, urgently. "Now. Before he changes his mind and comes back with backup."
"Wait," Nico says, and there's something in his voice that makes everyone freeze. He's looking at me with an expression I can't read. "We should just tell him. Tell Chase what she is. Let the Council handle this."
My blood runs cold. There it is. The betrayal I was waiting for.
But before I can even process the fear, Knox moves. He's right in Nico's face, close enough that Nico actually flinches back. "If you say one word about what you saw tonight," Knox growls, his voice low and dangerous, "I'll kill you. Do you understand me?"
"Knox," Caspian starts, but Knox doesn't look away from Nico.
"I'm not joking. One word to anyone about what color her wolf is, and you're dead." There's no heat in Knox's voice, no anger, just cold statement of fact. "She's pack now. Caspian just claimed her. That means she's under our protection whether you like it or not."
Nico stares at Knox for a long moment, and I can see something shifting in his expression. The broken bond between us pulls tight under my ribs and I realize he can feel it too, that uncomfortable aching connection that formed wrong and won't go away. Finally he looks away from Knox and back at me.
"I wasn't going to tell him," he says quietly. "I just wanted to see if you two were actually serious about protecting her."
"We're serious," Caspian says. "Now move. We need to get back before anyone else comes looking."
They help me walk back toward the Academy, Caspian keeping one arm around my waist while Knox and Nico flank us. My legs barely work and I'm shaking from exhaustion and shock and the aftermath of my first shift. I have so many questions but can barely string thoughts together well enough to form them.
The walk back feels longer than it should. Every step is an effort and without Caspian holding me up I would have collapsed several times. The cold is getting through now that the adrenaline is fading. I'm shivering in my shorts and jacket.
When we're far enough from where we encountered Chase that his scent has completely faded, Caspian finally speaks again.
"You shifted silver."
It's not a question but I nod anyway, too tired to do anything else.
"Do you understand what that means?"
"The Council hunted silver wolves to extinction," I manage through chattering teeth. "They think we're too dangerous to let live."
"They're not entirely wrong," Knox says from my right side. His voice is still flat but there's something almost protective in how he's positioning himself. "Silver wolves are more powerful than normal shifters. Stronger, faster, harder to kill. And you're broadcasting power you don't even know how to use yet."
"Which is exactly why the Council wanted them all dead," Caspian adds grimly. "They don't like anything they can't control, and silver wolves are notoriously difficult to control."
"Chase saw something," I say, because I need to know how much danger I'm in. "I could tell by how he was looking at me. He knows there's something different."
"But he didn't see enough to be sure," Nico says from my left. He's being careful to keep some distance even while walking beside us, aware of my wariness. "If he'd actually seen silver fur clearly, he would have taken you in for questioning immediately. Council protocol wouldn't have let him walk away without confirming."
That should make me feel better but it doesn't. Chase suspects something, and that's almost as dangerous as him knowing for certain.
We make it back to the Academy grounds without running into anyone else. The building is dark and quiet, everyone asleep and unaware of what just happened in the forest. The males walk me all the way to my dorm building and only then does Caspian finally let go of me.
