Chapter 5

TESSA.

I walked into the lecture hall the next morning, earlier than usual.

Scanning the rows, I spotted Nova in the middle column, headphones on, bobbing her head slightly to whatever track she was drowning in. A smile tugged at my lips as I slid into the seat beside her and tapped her shoulder.

She tugged one earbud free, with a surprise look on her face. “You came early.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, because I passed out immediately I got home yesterday and didn’t wake up until five this morning. Yesterday drained me.”

Nova smirked. “Not easy being a campus celebrity.”

“Don’t even start,” I muttered, pulling out my phone. “I hate the attention. I just want to be invisible again.”

Her grin widened. “You made it worse yesterday. Damien’s never gonna let that slide—”

The room fell silent before she could finish.

I glanced around, confused, and found every pair of eyes fixed on the door. Before I turned, Nova nudged my leg and murmured, “Speak of the Devil.”

A hand landed on my shoulder, casual, like he owned the right to touch me. My skin crawled instantly. I hated it—hated when anyone thought they could put their hands on me without permission.

I turned my head, eyes narrowing. “Hands off.”

He chuckled, not moving his hand. His voice was low and dripping with mockery. “You need to understand something, sweetheart. I’m not Jaxson, the clown you humiliated. I don’t get shown up. I don’t get cut. I came to give you a warning, and maybe an offer.”

Before he could continue, I shoved his hand off me and stood, fire burning in my chest. “Get lost, asshole.” My voice carried across the room. “A warning? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

A few gasps rippled through the lecture hall. Some students leaned forward, hungry for drama; others hid behind their phones, already recording.

Nova tugged at my wrist under the desk, her fingers tight like a plea, but I didn’t look at her. My eyes were locked on Damien’s.

His jaw flexed as he leaned closer, his voice sharp enough to cut glass. “What makes you think you’re untouchable? Just because I didn’t crush you yesterday doesn’t mean you get to mouth off. I’ll burn that ego of yours to the ground. And not even those wannabe Serpents you just joined will save you from me. So watch your mouth, little girl.”

My pulse kicked hard against my throat. Fear licked the edges of my chest, but I refused to give him the satisfaction. I stepped closer until only inches separated us. “You came here for trouble, and you’re pissed I won’t hand it to you? You’re sulking because I refused to race? Because you can’t handle rejection and now you’re throwing a tantrum?” I tilted my head, lips curling. “Pathetic. Get the fuck out of my face.”

A ripple of murmurs broke through the class. Someone whispered, “She’s insane.” Someone else muttered, “She’s dead.”

Damien’s smirk became razor-sharp, and his eyes were darker than before. He didn’t care about the audience; he wanted me to feel it.

And I did. My body was tense, my fists curled, but I stood my ground.

Before he could respond, the professor strode in. “Class, sit down.”

Damien straightened, that slow grin never leaving his face. He leaned down until his lips brushed my ear. His whisper was ice and venom. “You just made yourself my business. See you after class, princess.”

He pulled away and strolled out of the class, his crew trailing behind him like shadows, laughing low.

I sat down hard, anger boiling in my veins. Who the hell did he think he was?

The room buzzed with tension. Whispers, phones tapping, eyes darting my way. Nova’s hand clamped on mine under the desk, her nails digging in. She mouthed, You okay? Her eyes held a storm of fear and disbelief.

I nodded stiffly, jaw tight. My hands trembled, but I forced a shrug. “Don’t worry. He’s full of air. He won’t get to me.”

Nova’s lips pressed thin. Her eyes flicked to the entrance. “He didn’t come to scare you,” she whispered. “He came to mark you.”

A chill crawled down my spine. “What do you mean?”

“He doesn’t forgive slights,” she said. “He collects them. You just made his list.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling heavily in my chest.

The professor’s voice blurred in and out after that. My mind was stuck on Damien’s words, on the dark promise in his eyes.

When the class finally ended, Nova nudged me. “You looked lost the whole time.”

“I just hate when someone tries to get a reaction out of me on purpose,” I muttered. My shoulders slumped. “I feel drained. I should go home.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “Just avoid him. Don’t feed into it. But know this, he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. So don’t say anything next time. Just walk away.”

I nodded. “I’ll try. But my anger issues might not let me.”

We headed out to the parking lot, and my stomach dropped. Damien was leaning against my bike, a lollipop stick hanging from his lips.

“Fucking hell,” Nova muttered. “He’s not going to stop.”

Damien’s head lifted as we approached. His smirk widened, slow and taunting. He pulled the sweet from his mouth and pointed it at me. “You took your damn time. I don’t like waiting.”

I walked closer, forcing calm. “Get off my bike.”

He laughed, sharp and mocking. “You’re cocky, I’ll give you that. But you really don’t know who you’re poking at. You don’t know me, sweetheart. Not yet.” His voice dropped, colder than steel.

I stepped right up to him, my patience gone. “And you don’t know me, Damien. So get off while I’m asking nicely.”

His grin vanished. The lollipop stick hit the ground.

Without warning, his hand shot around my throat. His grip clamped down, squeezing until my air thinned.

I clawed at his arm, my lungs burning. Nova’s scream tore through the lot. “Let her go! What the hell, Damien? You’re gonna kill her!”

I kicked, pushed, and fought, but my strength bled fast. My head spun, vision blurring at the edges.

Then—CRACK.

A fist smashed against Damien’s cheek, the sound sickening and sharp. His grip snapped open, and he stumbled back, crashing to the ground.

My knees buckled, but a hand caught me before I could fall. Strong and Unyielding.

Blinking through the haze, I lifted my head and met Jaxson’s eyes. His face was twisted with rage, jaw tight, knuckles bloody from the punch.

He pulled me upright, his voice low and furious. “Are you okay?”