Jamie knew what he was leaving behind.

Ellie's safety.

The Maravish household.

Lottie.

Her name rung his ears.

Lottie.

He could almost hear her sweet voice, her bouncy curls swaying lightly in the wind.

He shook his head. He couldn't let himself get distracted. Not by her.

He gritted his teeth. A sharp pain impaled his chest.

Come back Jamie... please...

Come back to me.

He couldn't bare to hear her voice so empty, broken... lost.

A lone tear trickled down his cheek.

One bad wolf can hurt the pack.

Thank the Gods he had left the pack, then. He didn't want to hurt anyone more than already he did.

🐺

Lottie was calm down enough to return to her dorm. And found herself standing in front of Room 221, staring at the numbers for what seemed like forever.

How long was she going to keep doing this for? She needed to apologise to Ellie for running away. Ever since Jamie... both girls had been wary of the people the trusted. Including each other.

She sucked a deep breath, mentally preparing an apology speech.

She opened the door. Ellie was sitting on Lottie's bed, her dark clothes a stark contrast to the rosy sheets covering the mattress. She looked up, tears running down her cheeks. For a moment, she seemed shocked.

"Ellie, I-"

Lottie was cut off by Ellie hugging her tightly. She was left standing with her arms frozen by her side.

"Oh my God Lottie! You're here! I thought..." Lottie was surprised by Ellie sobbing into her shoulder. "I thought you left. Like him."

Lottie hesitated, before wrapping her arms around Ellie. "I would never leave you. Never." She whispered, rubbing her back. Ellie sniffed, hugging her tighter.

They stayed like that for what seemed like eternity. For once in the past week since Jamie left, they felt safe.

"Um, Ellie? Can't breathe" Lottie said.

Ellie laughed quietly, releasing her. "Sorry... but any word of this to anyone, and I'll hunt you down." She said, smiling.

Lottie held her hands up in defense. "As you wish, your Majesty." She mocked, bowing low. The two made eye contact and giggled. Ellie sniffed, rubbing her cheeks.

"You wanna go to dinner?" Ellie asked. Lottie paused. 

Too many memories of Jamie. 

She smiled sadly, shaking her head. "Let's just stay here. Together." A distant memory of Christmas came to mind, "I'll even come with you to steal some chocolate, if you want." She said cheekily, winking. Ellie laughed.

"Sound like the best, Princess."

🐺

A figure slinked through the dark halls of the Ivy dorm that night. They had dove through the bushes, expertly dodging the school guards. Now pausing in front of Room 221, they traced a finger on the numbers, thinking of all the times they had heard of the famous princess sleeping in it. The Princess of Maradova, the blond, blue-eyed girl, a splitting image of her mother.

A snarl formed on their face. They turned and headed the way they had come from.

But not before slipping a letter into Lottie's PO Box.

Ellie Wolf... Eleanor Wolfson...

William Tufty... Liliana Mayfutt...

It was too simple, and the girls had to be kidding themselves if they thought that they were discreet.

After all, the shadow knew too more about them than they had realised.

The shadow chuckled, their teeth looking like wolf fangs, glinting in the moonlight.

With a growl of warning, they vanished.

But they had left behind a clue. A tiny paw print of a wolf, stamped on the wax seal of the letter.