The only person who knew about Logan and me being step-siblings, aside from our family, was Warwick. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, and my pace quickened as I stormed away from the lingering crowd. My hands shook with fury as my mind spun with the possibility that Warwick had been the one to leak this. But why? What was he playing at?
I had been careful, so careful, to keep the truth about me hidden-especially from someone as dangerous as Warwick. Yet now, my secret about Logan was out. How long before the other, far more dangerous truth followed? My secret of being a werewolf?
A knot tightened in my stomach. If the rumors about Logan and me were circulating, it was only a matter of time before things spiraled out of control. The weight of this realization pressed down on me like a boulder.
I clenched my fists at my sides, the anger bubbling up inside. Warwick. Of course, it had to be him. He was the only one who knew. The only one I had let close enough to glimpse my secret, and it all went back to that one night-our date.
I didn’t waste any time. My legs moved before my mind could fully process what I was doing. I was going to find Warwick. If he thought he could betray me, spread rumors, and play his twisted little games, he had another thing coming.
My thoughts raced as I made my way across campus, cutting through the school’s courtyard, my heart pounding with a mix of fury and dread. Warwick. He was the only one who could’ve spread the truth about Logan and me. I had been so careful, so guarded, and yet here I was-exposed. I felt like a fool for trusting him, even for a second.
When I finally found him leaning against the wall near the gym, his phone in hand, his eyes flicked up to meet mine. He looked almost bored, the picture of calm and indifference, but I knew better. I marched straight up to him, my fists clenched at my sides, barely able to contain the whirlwind of emotions brewing inside me.
“What the hell did you do?” I demanded, my voice low but full of venom.
Warwick raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my outburst. “Audrey, darling, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked, his voice dripping with false charm.
I wasn’t having it. I took a step closer, refusing to be intimidated by his calm demeanor. “You leaked it, didn’t you? About Logan and me. You’re the only one who knew, Warwick.”
His smirk faded, and he stood up straighter, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “What are you talking about?” he asked his voice growing serious.
“Don’t play dumb with me!” I snapped. “You’re the only person who knew about Logan and me being step-siblings, and now it’s all over school. Did you really think I wouldn’t figure it out?”
For a moment, there was a tense silence between us. Warwick’s eyes darkened, and something shifted in his expression, but it wasn’t guilt. It was… hurt?
“Are you seriously accusing me of this?” he asked, his voice quieter now, but there was an edge to it. “You think I would do something like that to you?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” I shot back. “You’ve been acting weird ever since that night. You’re the only one who could’ve spilled it.”
Warwick’s face hardened, and he stepped closer to me, his voice low and intense. “Audrey, I swear on my mother’s life, I would never do anything to hurt you. I didn’t tell anyone. I would never betray you like that.”
I froze. There was something raw and genuine in his voice that made me pause. He had never brought up his mom before-ever. The vulnerability in his eyes sent a wave of confusion crashing over me. Was it possible he was telling the truth?
“I love you, Audrey,” he said, his voice softening. “I’ve loved you from the moment I met you. I would never, ever hurt you like this.”
My heart stuttered in my chest, and for the first time in days, the anger ebbed away, replaced by doubt. Could I have been wrong?
My breath caught in my throat. Warwick’s words hung in the air, heavy and raw. I stared at him, searching his eyes for any trace of deception, any sign that he was lying. But all I saw was sincerity, his usual arrogance nowhere to be found.
Could he really love me? Could I have been wrong to blame him?
My thoughts were a jumble, a storm of doubt and confusion. I had come here so sure of myself, certain that Warwick had betrayed me, but now… now I wasn’t so sure. His words played over and over in my head. I swear on my mother’s life.
“I…” I struggled to find my voice. “I don’t know what to think, Warwick.”
He took a step closer, his hand reaching out as if to touch me but stopping short, hanging in the air between us. “You know me better than that, Audrey. You know I’d never hurt you like that. If anything, I’ve been trying to protect you.”
I frowned, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Protect me? From what? From Logan?”
Warwick’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with something dark. “From everyone. You don’t realize how dangerous things are for you. You’re not just some girl, Audrey. You’re a werewolf.”
I stared at Warwick, my heart pounding in my chest. “Protect me?” I scoffed. “How exactly would you protect me, Warwick? You’re just human.”
“I might be, but I can protect you.”
I stared at him, searching his face for any hint of a lie, but all I saw was sincerity. The rawness in his eyes, the way he said he’d never hurt me-it wasn’t something I could just brush off. For a moment, I let myself believe it. Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Warwick wasn’t the one who betrayed me.
I let out a shaky breath, my anger starting to fade. “If Warwick didn’t tell, then who did?” I thought to myself.