“If you were me, would you stay?” Selene’s words still echo in my mind as I watch her walk away, her back straight but the weight on her shoulders impossible to miss. She didn’t look back—not even once.

And I know. I know she won’t look back on Monday either. She’ll go back to ignoring us at school, shutting us out, pretending we don’t exist. The same walls we barely managed to break through will be rebuilt, thicker and higher than ever.

It feels like someone reached into my chest and tore my heart out. I glance over at my twin, Ryan. The look on his face tells me he feels the same. The crushing guilt. The knowledge that we let her down in every way that mattered.

And worst of all? She’s not wrong. If I were her, I wouldn’t stay either. I wouldn’t want to be in a place where every day felt like proof that I wasn’t wanted. And knowing now—really knowing—that she’s been tortured under our noses, even by our own father... My wolf stirs inside me, restless and furious. Alpha wolves can sense lies. And there wasn’t a trace of dishonesty in her story.

Ryan shifts beside me, his voice tight with panic. “What do we do? She can’t leave, Aaron. We can’t let her leave.”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “We need to talk to Dad. And all the adults. Somebody had to notice something. No way everything she said went completely under the radar.”

I turn, motioning for the others to follow as we head back toward the forest's edge where Leo, Ethan, and Devin wait. Leo looks wrecked, his face pale and drawn. He meets my gaze as we approach.

“What did she say?” Leo asks, his voice thick with guilt.

“She told us to make things better for everyone else,” Ryan mutters, his voice low. “Said it’s too late for her. All she wants is to graduate, find her mate, and get the hell out of here.”

Leo swears under his breath, dragging his hands through his hair. “She can’t leave,” Devin says desperately. “She can’t. She... she keeps us all together. I know you guys feel it too—she’s like... like our center of gravity.”

"I feel it," Ethan mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. "But why now? We’ve been around her all our lives, and this never happened before. It’s not a mate bond, and it’s not just one of us feeling this—it's all of us. What’s changed?”

I glance at Ryan, and he gives me a grim nod. “We need to talk to Dad. And maybe even Mom. Something’s going on, and we need to figure it out. Mom’s been spending extra time with Selene, and we need to know what she knows.”

Kylie clears her throat from behind us, and we all turn toward her. “You’ll want to start with the Luna and Delta Kyle,” she says quietly. “They’ve helped her heal from some of the worst beatings.”

Ryan’s head snaps toward her, his jaw tight. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because it wasn’t my story to tell,” Kylie says coolly. “But now that you know? Let’s be clear. The school is covering things up. Selene told me she stopped going to teachers for help because they either got punished or fired if they tried to help her. And the administration always manages to spin the story so it looks like she’s the problem. She’s labeled as the ‘spare beta’ desperate for attention, and no one takes her seriously anymore.”

Kylie leans forward, her expression sharp. “You want to help her? You need proof. Get into the school’s security footage—if they haven’t erased it already. And maybe talk to the kids she’s been training. They adore her. I think she’s been taking hits to protect them, making sure they know how to defend themselves for when she’s gone.”

“She’s not leaving.” Ryan’s voice cracks. “We can’t let her leave.”

Kylie ignores him. “The person behind this has serious influence—more than just a high school bully. Someone powerful enough to manipulate records and scare teachers into silence. That’s why Selene won’t give you names. She knows you’ll try to play heroes, and it’ll only make things worse for her. Retaliation is real, and she’s already lived through it.”

Leo clenches his fists. “We should’ve seen it. All of it.”

Ethan’s voice is cold and sharp. “We let this happen. She’s been carrying this alone, and we didn’t notice. We’ve been so caught up in ourselves…”

I nod, a bitter taste in my mouth. “We need to make this right. And to do that, we need help. Let’s go.”

In the Alpha’s Office

We storm into Dad’s office without knocking. He looks up from his desk, startled, as Beta Daniel frowns at us.

“Boys,” Dad says, raising an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“We need to talk,” Ryan says, his voice steely. “And we need Delta Kyle, Gamma Brett, and Mom here too. Now.”

Beta Daniel scoffs. “We don’t have time for teenage dramatics—”

“This isn’t a request,” I cut him off, my wolf stirring dangerously.

Mom enters the room a moment later, her sharp eyes scanning us. “Where’s Selene?” she asks immediately.

“Probably holed up at home,” Leo mutters. “She burned through a lot of energy last night.”

Mom’s face tightens with worry, but she doesn’t push. “What’s going on?”

Kyle and Brett arrive next, both looking concerned. “What’s this about?” Kyle asks, glancing between us.

I level my gaze at him. “How long have you been helping Selene with her injuries?”

Kyle’s expression hardens. “Long enough. Why?”

“Did you know about the whipping?” Ethan asks coldly.

Kyle’s jaw tightens. “Yes. I gave her salve for the silver burns.”

Mom gasps, covering her mouth. Gamma Brett’s face goes pale.

“Did you know that wasn’t the first time?” Devin asks, his voice razor-sharp.

Brett leans forward, his expression grim. “What do you mean, wasn’t the first time?”

Leo, already on edge, explodes. “She was whipped, burned with silver, and left to die in the woods. And none of us even noticed she was missing for two damn days!” His fists clench, and I grab his arm before he lunges at Beta Daniel.

“Well, maybe she brings trouble on herself,” Daniel sneers.

Leo snaps. He slams Daniel into the wall, fists flying, before Kyle and Brett pull him off. “Don’t you ever talk about her like that again,” Leo snarls. “She deserves better than you.”

Dad looks at Kyle, his face grim. “Tell us everything.”

Kyle sighs, recounting the years of injuries, training sessions, and Selene’s refusal to ask for help. By the time he’s finished, the room is thick with guilt and regret.

“We failed her,” I mutter, my throat tight. “All of us.”

Mom wipes her tears as I ask, “What now?”

Dad looks at us, his expression hard. “Now, you fix it. Not just for Selene, but for every pack member who’s been ignored. If you want to lead this pack, it starts today.”

After the Meeting

As we leave the office, the weight of everything hangs heavy on us. Ryan exhales shakily. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Leo nods. “But we’ll start with Selene. We owe her that much.”

My wolf rumbles in agreement. We’ve let her down for too long. It’s time to be the leaders we were supposed to be.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s not too late to make things right.