Chapter 6

Lucas's POV

I watched Ellie walk away, her shoulders straight and her steps measured despite the hurt I knew she was feeling. Something twisted in my gut—guilt, maybe, or the remnants of our friendship pulling at me.

"What was that all about?" Samantha's voice cut through my thoughts, her fingers tightening around my arm.

"She wants her pendant back," I said, closing my locker with more force than necessary. "The wooden one she gave me last year."

"That ugly thing you sometimes wear?" Samantha's nose wrinkled. "Why does she suddenly want it back now?"

"She says it's a family heirloom."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Right. And she just happens to remember this the moment she sees you're happy with someone else." She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "She's trying to keep her hooks in you, Lucas. Can't you see that?"

I frowned, staring down the hallway where Ellie had disappeared. "We've been friends since we were kids, Sam. It's not that simple."

"It is that simple." Samantha stepped in front of me, blocking my view. "Look, I know you care about her, but she's been controlling you forever. The way she watches what you eat, how she's always checking up on you..." She shook her head. "That's not friendship, that's possession."

Her words hit something raw inside me. Hadn't I been thinking the same thing lately? How Ellie was always there, always watching, always worrying? Always nagging about transformation control sessions that I kept missing. She was being paranoid about the whole thing.

Sure, I almost lost control at that basketball game last month, but that wasn't my fault! If she hadn't been getting so friendly with Aiden near the bleachers, I wouldn't have been distracted. My wolf got jealous, that's all. Now she's acting like I'm some ticking time bomb, like I can't handle my own emotions. Was she trying to control that too?

Transforming during the full moon was our tradition, our heritage—why should we have to suppress it? So what if humans saw werewolves as monsters? I just needed to be careful not to get caught. I didn't need Ellie's constant reminders and worried glances. I could handle myself just fine.

That's right! I only get one chance a month to run free, and they want to control that too? Unbelievable! Conall, my wolf, rumbled in approval somewhere deep in my consciousness. It was the first time since I'd gotten close to Samantha that my wolf had actually agreed with me about anything.

"Lucas? Hello?" Samantha waved her hand in front of my face. "Where did you just go?"

I jerked back to attention, heart racing. For a second, I'd forgotten she was standing right there while I was having an internal conversation with my wolf.

"Sorry," I said quickly. "Just thinking about how right you are. But the pendant really is important to Ellie's family."

"Then why did she give it to you in the first place?" Samantha challenged. "If you give it back now, you're letting her win. You're saying she can just take back her gifts whenever she feels like it."

I ran a hand through my hair, conflicted. "What am I supposed to do? Just refuse?"

A slow smile spread across Samantha's face. "No. You're going to give it back to her, but in a way that makes it clear you're done with her games."

"What do you mean?"

"Crush it under your foot while she watches," she said simply. "Break it into pieces right in front of her. Let her know you're choosing me, not her manipulation."

I stared at her, shocked. "Crush it? Sam, that's... that seems extreme. That pendant means a lot to her family."

Samantha's confident expression faltered. She looked down, suddenly seeming smaller, more fragile. "I thought you were on my side," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have nothing? No family heirlooms, no childhood home, no parents who care?"

She leaned against the wall, wrapping her arms around herself. "I got a call from my foster mother this morning."

I stiffened. Samantha rarely talked about her foster mother, but the few stories she'd shared had been enough to make my blood boil.

"What did she want?" I asked, immediately concerned by the change in Samantha's demeanor.

"She wants me to come home this weekend," she said, her eyes downcast. "It's the anniversary of when she took me in. She likes to remind me how grateful I should be."

"You don't have to go," I said immediately.

She gave me a sad smile. "I do, actually. She's still my legal guardian until I turn eighteen next year." She took a shaky breath. "You know what she did last year? She made me kneel on rice for three hours while she listed all the ways I've been a disappointment. Then she made me thank her for 'saving me from the gutter.'"

I felt a surge of protective rage. "That's abuse, Sam. You should report her."

"To who? She's a respected community leader. Nobody would believe me." She wiped at her eyes. "Besides, it's just one more year. Then I'm free."

I pulled her into a hug, feeling her fragile body tremble against mine. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she murmured against my chest. "It's just... when I see people like Ellie, who've had everything handed to them their whole lives—loving parents, nice homes, fancy schools—and they still act entitled..." She pulled back to look at me. "Do you know what I would give to have had just one day of her perfect life?"

Her words made me see Ellie in a new light. She had always had everything—supportive parents, financial security, good health. Even her "allergy" to silver was minor compared to what Samantha had endured.

"That pendant," Samantha said suddenly. "She doesn't deserve to have it back. Not after the way she's treated me."

I hesitated. "It is her family's, though."

"So what? She gave it to you. It's yours now." Samantha's eyes hardened. "If you give it back, you're choosing her over me. You're saying her feelings matter more than mine."

"That's not fair," I protested.

"Isn't it?" She stepped back, wiping away the last of her tears. "Every time you put her first, it's like telling me I don't matter. Like I'm disposable, just like I've been my whole life."

Guilt washed over me. "You're not disposable, Sam. You matter to me—a lot."

"Then prove it," she said quietly. "Show me I'm not just your second choice."

The class bell rang, startling us both.

"We'll be late for class," I said, glancing at my watch.

"Lucas." She caught my arm, her eyes suddenly intense. "Promise me you won't just hand that pendant over to her. Promise me you'll show her she can't control you anymore."

I looked down at her pleading face and felt something harden inside me. "I promise."