Scarred Wolf Queen Chapter 122

**Briony's POV**

I moved to the corner of the room to check my messages privately. Whatever Robert sent, I'd rather not have an audience.

His texts detailed plans for the forest bonfire and asked about food preferences. The final message seemed apologetic for possibly bothering me.

Ignoring his self-appointed nicknames, I typed: *Sorry for the late reply. Had some family stuff to handle. As for drinks, neither Aria nor I are picky - just not big on regular beer.*

He replied instantly: *Thought my eagerness might've scared you off. I come on too strong sometimes.*

The conversation flowed surprisingly well after that. When I asked if his approach worked on all girls, he turned the question back to me. I told him bluntly his techniques had zero effect and suggested we start as "normal classmates" since we'd barely met.

"Would you run with me Thursday?" he asked.

"Sure. What time should Aria and I meet you?" I deliberately emphasized I wouldn't be coming alone.

He suggested fitted workout clothes, which I immediately shot down. "Not happening. Standard training pants only."

"Leave something to my imagination at least," he joked.

"Pretty sure your mind has enough fantasy material already," I replied.

"All ruthlessly crushed by you," he pretended to be wounded.

I couldn't help smiling. "Nice line, but save it for girls who actually enjoy being chased."

"Wouldn't miss a chance to make you smile," he replied, then added, "Don't you like being pursued?"

His conversation style was actually pleasant. Though slightly overconfident and flirty, he never crossed boundaries. I genuinely enjoyed the harmless back-and-forth.

We exchanged a few more messages before I reminded him about my assignments. He seemed understanding, saying he looked forward to seeing me tomorrow. I just replied with "Maybe" and "Goodnight."

"He's absolutely gone for you," Aria remarked from my bed, watching my face.

I shook my head. "Maybe. Or this could be a trap. Haven't you considered they might be kidnapping girls?"

"But he seems so normal - why pick us specifically?" she asked, confused.

"If I were them, I'd use the same strategy," I explained. "Send your most charming guys to approach targets, create exclusive-feeling invitations. Everything looks normal, but how do we verify? We don't know anyone in their circle. It's too convenient. I can imagine desperate-to-fit-in girls jumping at this chance. Good-looking guys with smooth talk just makes it more tempting."

"So we should go Thursday?" Aria asked thoughtfully. "If they are rogues, you think they'll make a move then, or wait?"

"Hard to tell," I frowned. "But we should run this by Taric and Conrad. It'll distract Conrad from worrying and might help find clues about Mia." I grabbed my notebook. "Speaking of which, I need to finish these assignments."

"Did you convince teachers to stop giving you high school work? Can't believe they let you handle all these courses without a break."

"It's not the teachers," I sighed, opening my notebook. "It's the principal and that board member. They're more childish than actual teenagers. I don't get why the principal hates me, but the board member's clearly influenced by his daughter. I understand her hatred - I broke her control and exposed her. Her dad's an ambitious Delta whose brother should've had the position. I'm Beta Raymond's daughter, technically outranking them, plus I'm close with future leaders and the current Alpha and Luna. Of course they feel threatened."

I caught myself sighing again and made a mental note to break the habit.

"No wonder you want out of that place," Aria said softly. "That board member's daughter gave you those scars, didn't she?"

This was confirmation more than question. I just nodded.

"When we visit your pack - which we will - I'm teaching that girl a lesson," Aria's eyes flashed.

I took a deep breath, fighting another sigh. The thought of returning to Polaris City, seeing everyone again, knotted my stomach. I wasn't sure if the feeling was good or bad.

"Why go back at all?" I questioned.

"Stop hiding those hot friends," Aria laughed. "Layla keeps talking about meeting her 'little lover,' and Sophia and I want to see these boys in person. I've seen the photos in your room. Private lessons on the training field would be interesting - not that I care about watching cute guys fight, but the view wouldn't hurt." She tried looking serious but burst out laughing seconds later.

"Plus, I can't wait to see that girl's face when she sees you now," she snapped excitedly. "If she was intimidated before, I want to watch her jaw hit the floor. Your aura gets stronger daily, even Derek and Rowan say so."

"She won't care about my changes," I shook my head, picking up my pen. "She's good at hiding emotions when needed. And I'm not special, so don't exaggerate. I know I look better now - I'm not blind. My muscles are more defined since joining Sentinel training, but I'm nothing compared to you, Layla, or the others."

"When those guys go crazy for you, she'll be furious, and I need front-row seats," Aria laughed again. I couldn't help rolling my eyes before grabbing my study materials.

"Let's tell Taric and Conrad about Robert's invitation," I suggested, "Then I can join the Thursday planning while finishing assignments."

Taric and Conrad agreed the coincidence seemed suspicious. To keep us safe, they'd deploy more Sentinels around campus. Aria and I suggested bringing Mark and Cyrus as regular students, but Taric shelved that idea - he didn't want to scare off the rogues. If male Sentinels obviously protected us, we might lose valuable leads.

The next few days flew by. Robert and I texted almost nightly. Aria predicted phone calls next, but I kept my distance, avoiding dating signals. Still, I enjoyed our conversations - we chatted throughout the day about school, interests, and future plans, everything flowing naturally.

If he was genuinely interested, he'd succeeded in getting my attention. If the rogues chose him for this task, they'd picked well. Peter was entirely different - he looked disgusted whenever we got close, which confused me.

Aria and I stayed neutral - neither overly friendly nor cold. Meanwhile, Robert and Brandon seemed comfortable around us, voluntarily escorting us between classes "for safety."

As Thursday approached, I grew nervous. Rationally, I knew this wasn't a real date, but it was my first specific invitation from a guy. The pack boys didn't count - they always moved in groups that Layla and I naturally joined. Robert had specifically invited me, and I needed Aria along because facing this alone felt overwhelming.

Though I'd promised to wear loose pants, I found myself wanting to look nice. This feeling was strange because I never felt that special flutter around him or anyone else. I didn't want hand-holding or other intimate gestures, but I enjoyed his attention - a purely friendship-based feeling that felt special in its own way.