Scarred Wolf Queen Chapter 54

**Briony's POV**

I stepped forward and hugged Layla, her tears dampening my shoulder. The simple contact brought a wave of conflicting emotions I couldn't quite name.

"I never meant for my problems to mess up your relationship with them," I said, pulling back to meet her eyes. "You get me in a way no one else does. But those guys—they just don't understand what these choices mean to me."

"You look like crap," Layla said, wrinkling her nose. "Let me guess, Noah and Benjamin camped outside your door?"

"How'd you know?"

"They blew up Ethan's phone all night," she laughed, wiping away the last of her tears. "Whining about the hard floor and cold air. Apparently they fell asleep against your door like two guard dogs."

I couldn't help smiling at the mental image of Benjamin and Noah—normally so composed—curled up outside my bedroom.

"I'm not going back with them, no matter what," I said, voice dropping. "They need to get that I'm not their property. I can make my own damn decisions."

Layla smoothed my messy hair. "Maybe give them some time? It was pretty sudden."

I shook my head. "I've talked about becoming a Sentinel since day one. They just never took me seriously."

We made it through morning classes in a weird standoff—the guys always nearby but never directly talking to us. They kept looking my way, then pretending they weren't when I caught them.

At lunch, we grabbed the farthest table we could find. Layla kept trying to cheer me up with stories while the boys sat in the center of the cafeteria, occasionally glancing over.

"You can't avoid them forever," Layla said halfway through her sandwich. "Eventually you'll have to talk."

"I'm not avoiding anyone," I bit into my apple, ignoring her skeptical look. "If they want to talk, they know where to find me."

"Speaking of finding you," Layla said, "they don't know about your window escape route, right?"

"Nope. They think blocking the doors is enough," I took a sip of water. "They forgot I've been sneaking out windows to avoid my dad for years."

"Don't underestimate them," Layla warned. "They'll figure it out, especially now that they're watching you like hawks."

I shrugged, pretending I didn't care, though she was right. The triplets were smart—they'd catch on soon enough.

"Did you get Alpha's message about patrol duty?" Layla asked.

I nodded. "Everyone who's awakened has to help, even students. Things must be worse than they're letting on."

After our last class, I was at my locker with Layla standing guard when a cloud of sickeningly sweet perfume announced Victoria's approach. She had her usual sidekicks trailing behind, all wearing smug smiles. Clearly, she saw the rift between me and the guys as her golden opportunity.

"Look who finally got kicked out," Victoria sneered. "I always knew they'd get tired of your little act. Someone like you doesn't belong here."

I ignored her, focusing on organizing my books.

"Don't play deaf," she said louder, trying to draw a crowd. "You think you're special? You can barely keep up in training, always getting knocked down, needing special help! Your tough-girl act is over."

The lie was so ridiculous I almost laughed. I stayed quiet, but Layla glared at Victoria.

"Maybe check your facts?" Layla snapped. "Briony's beaten everyone on that field, including your so-called 'future mates.'"

Victoria's face twisted. She turned to me, voice rising: "You're back to being nobody again! Look around—no one cares about you, not even your brother standing over there watching. You never belonged. Why don't you just disappear?"

I finally looked up, keeping my expression cold. "If you're done, move. I've got stuff to do."

"Victoria, that's enough." Noah's calm voice carried a warning that made her instantly switch gears.

"I was just sharing some hard truths," Victoria smiled sweetly. "Sometimes friends need honest communication, right?"

I took the chance to close my locker and walk away with Layla. Once we were clear, Layla fumed, "You just let her get away with that crap? She was trashing you in public!"

"Fighting back just gives her the attention she wants," I said. "Besides, I'm curious how Noah handles this. They finally have a chance to take a real stand."

We paused to look back. Noah stood there while Victoria rambled on, her face smug. He wasn't exactly defending me, but he wasn't fully backing her either—just staying carefully neutral.

"Don't expect much," Layla said softly. "They're too used to playing both sides."

I took a deep breath. "Come on, Griffin's waiting."

At the training grounds, Griffin was organizing patrol duties. The triplets and Ethan were already there, huddled in a corner far from us.

"Given the circumstances, we're reorganizing patrol teams," Griffin announced. "Each young warrior will partner with a senior warrior. This gives experienced fighters rest while you gain practical experience."

He scanned the crowd. "For students, we'll try to work around your classes. When necessary, you may leave school early or arrive late. The school's been notified to allow this for warriors with good grades."

He emphasized, "This isn't a free pass to skip studying. Your coursework still needs to be done on time. As summer approaches, we'll rotate partners monthly so those leaving for special training can learn the process first. Check your assignments on the board. Some of you start tonight."

While waiting in line to check the roster, I saw the triplets talking to Griffin before leaving without even glancing our way.

When we finally reached the board, Layla immediately groaned. "So obvious! They're totally doing this on purpose!"

I looked where she was pointing—we'd been assigned to completely different patrol teams.

"Four in the morning?" I sighed. "That's targeting my training time. Though I guess it saves me setting an alarm."

"This was absolutely deliberate," Layla shook her head. "They've noticed the tension between you and those guys. They're hoping separation will cool everyone down, make you focus on duty instead of grudges."

I felt conflicted—relieved to escape the triplets, but guilty for feeling that way.

"Let's go. I'll walk you home first, then meet Ethan," Layla said, patting my back. "At least let me get you home safely."

I rolled my eyes but agreed. As we reached the exit, Layla asked, "Back to your dad's house, not the pack house?"

"No," I shook my head bitterly. "That was never home. The Beta residence belongs to my father and Noah. Even my room at the pack house feels more like home than where I grew up."

I glanced toward Silver Pines in the distance. "Going back to the pack house feels wrong right now. I need space. Besides, you'll all be leaving this summer anyway. Might as well get used to being alone."

Layla hesitated before asking, "This might get me in trouble, but... what about the Mating Ball?"

"What about it?"

"You're still going, right?" she spoke quickly, eyes worried. "You promised to go with me since it's my first, maybe last time. But with everything so messy now, I wasn't sure if your plans changed..."

Her voice trailed off uncertainly.