Chapter 7: The Silence Is Driving Me Crazy

Kyle’s POV

It had been two days since the party. Two days of complete silence from the girl a few door down mine. Two days of no snarling comebacks, no slamming doors, no heavy boots stomping down the hall like snow was coming. Two days since Dana Varynn vanished behind that door and shut the shield damn world out.

And I hate how quiet it has gotten. Not because I missed her.

I didn’t.

I didn’t miss her constant growling or the way she challenged us. I didn’t miss the tension that curled around her like live wire, or the way her eyes always flashed like they were about to explode.

But I noticed the silence.

And that pissed me off more than anything. It meant I was thinking about her, which I shouldn’t be.

She wasn’t my problem. Zade was the one who screwed up, not me. He was bonded with her, and then he rejected her like some cowardly prince running from a prophecy. If anything, I should be glad she was out of sight. It meant I didn’t need to look at her eyes—those wild, wrecked eyes—and remember the way she shattered when she walked out of that party.

But here I was, pacing like some idiot who cared.

I kicked the corner of the wall as I turned into the hallway near our rooms. My boots thudded against the tile floor louder than usual because no one else was moving around. Damian had gone silent too—brooding somewhere in his cave of books and suspicion. Alex was pretending not to be bothered, but I caught him hesitating in front of Dana’s door once earlier, frowning like somehow had just rewired the whole universe without telling him.

And me?

I couldn’t focus on anything.

I’ve tried sparing. Tried running laps. I even tried sitting still and meditating like our old combat master used to force us to do before.

None of it worked.

She was still there, in my head. Behind that door, not making a sound. It pissed me off. That wasn’t normal. Not for someone like her though. I haven’t known her long but that wasn’t normal at all.

She was fire. Chaos. She didn’t sit still. She didn’t shut up. I believed if she was silent, it meant something was wrong. And the fact that I couldn’t tell what it was—or why I gave a damn—was driving me insane.

I paused outside her door again. For the second time today.

I didn’t knock. I wasn’t that desperate. I just stood there, arms crossed, listening for anything—movement, breathing, a sneeze. Nothing.

Maybe she left. Snuck out in the middle of the night and bailed.

I almosted hoped that was true. It’d be easier than the alternative—that she was lying in bed, broken in a way none of us knew how to fix.

Because the truth was… Zade didn’t just reject her. He ripped something out of her. Something sacred. That kind of damage didn’t just fade. Especially for someone like Dana, who carried pride like an armor and didn’t know how to bend without breaking.

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes.

“Get it together.” I muttered to myself under my breath. She wasn’t my responsibility. She wasn’t even my friend. She was just… there. In the room in the same hallway as mine. In the space between my thoughts. I’m the stupid crack between irritation and curiosity.

I heard footsteps and opened my eyes. It was just Alex around the corner wiping from one of his fancy glass bottles like he was taking morning tea.

He glanced at me and arched a brow. “You look like you’re about to rob someone.”

I rolled my eyes. “Go away.”

“You’re lurking outside Dana’s door now?” He asked, way too casually.

“I’m not lurking.”

“Right. You’re just aggressively standing outside her door.” He said flatly.

I pushed off her door and turned to leave. “Screw off.”

“She’ll come out when she’s ready.” I heard Alex call after me.

I didn’t answer though. Because I didn’t know if it was true. And also because part of me hated that he noticed too.

—

I spent the rest of my afternoon trying to distract myself with sparring drills, but even that didn’t work. Every movement felt tight, forced, like my body didn’t want to cooperate with my brain.

And worse? My wolf was agitated. Restless in a way that I didn’t understand. Not angry. Just… unsettled. Like it knew something I didn’t. Like it was waiting.

By the time evening rolled around, I was done pretending I didn’t care.

I was on my way back from the gym, slowed for half a second thinking about her, then kept walking. That’s when I heard it—voices down the hall near the bleachers. Two kids whispering like the thought no one could hear.

“I think she’s still crying over Zade.” One said with a smile in her voice.

“Oh please. She probably realized she was too much. Even Zade dumped her.”

“Crazy bitch. I bet her wolf is chewing her up inside.”

I stopped mid-step.

My hand curled into a fist before I even processed what I was doing. I turned on my heel and stalked towards them without a word.

They didn’t notice me at first, not until I was right in front of them.

“Say that again.” I said quietly.

They both froze. The shorter one looked like he might piss himself.

The taller one turned slowly, his eyes wide. “W-We weren’t talking about–”

“You were,” I cut in, “So say it again.”

“I didn’t mean anything,” he stammered. “We were just joking around, man. Chill.”

I didn’t move. Just stared. They bolted a second later. Tripping over themselves to get out of the hallway. I stood there for a long time. Jaw clenched so hard it hurt.

Not because I cared about what they said. But because some part of me wanted to punch their teeth in anyway.

Not for me.

But for her.

—

Later that night I sat by the window in my room, staring at the court yard. The stars were out—faint but clear. The moon was low, barely silver, but still watching.

My wolf finally settled a little.

Still uneasy. And still on edge.

But quieter now. Like it knew something was shifting.

And maybe…maybe I did too.