THE NEXT MORNING
VANESSA'S POINT OF VIEW:
I didn't know what I was doing until I was already at the door. It was early. Too early for most students to be up, which made it the perfect time. Fewer eyes. Fewer questions. Just quiet. I stood frozen in front of the small, wooden door to the herbology room, my fingers trembling near the handle. I hadn't even knocked yet. The air tasted sharp in my lungs. One knock. That was all it would take.
"Why am I doing this?"I asked myself.
"You need help."My wolf said.
I didn't even know what I was hoping for. But still I knocked.
"Come in." Said a gentle voice from within.
I stepped inside, trying to make my breathing steady, trying to remember to act like Villiam. Shoulders back. Chin high. Mask secure. Teacher Laura sat behind her desk, leafing through a stack of notes and old, dried leaves. She looked up when I entered, and her smile was soft, genuine.
"Villiam Blackstone. This is a surprise." She said.
"Sorry." I muttered, already regretting it. "I shouldn't have-"I started, heading towards the door.
"Nonsense." She said quickly, standing up and gesturing to the seat across from her. "Sit. If a student comes to me outside of class, especially you, I take it seriously."
I sat stiffly, hands on my knees, eyes fixed on the cracks in her wooden desk.
"What's on your mind?"She asked.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came. I hated this. I wasn't even sure how to form the question. Everything sounded like a trap.
"Take your time." She said. "No rush."
I glanced up, and her expression wasn't just patient, it was kind. Not fake. Not judgmental. Not the way most looked at me.
"I wanted to ask about… Lycan omegas." I said quietly.
Something shifted in her gaze just slightly. Surprise, maybe. Interest.
"You're the first student who's brought that up in years after a lesson." She said thoughtfully. "They're rare. Not just in body, but in presence. Why do you ask?"
"I just…" I clenched my fists and then released them. "If someone like that existed… Would they be able to hide what they are?"
Laura leaned back in her chair, watching me carefully.
"It would be difficult. Lycans radiate power. It's not just about scent or biology, it's energy. The way they hold themselves, the instinct others feel around them. It's like gravity. But... sometimes, I suppose, one could hide it. For survival."She said.
I nodded slowly, heart pounding.
"And male omegas? Are they real? Not a myth? I only know things like you have told us yesterday."I admited.
"Yes." She said with a small nod. "Very rare. Even more secretive. Most don't live openly, if they even survive childhood. The world... hasn't been kind to them."She said.
I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. "What would happen if someone was both?"I asked nervously.
Now she paused. Her fingers gently rested on the edge of her desk, her voice low and even.
"That would be someone who's had to live their entire life in shadows." She said. "Always hiding, always looking over their shoulder. Not because of what they are, but because of what others might do to them."
I said nothing. Just stared at the floor. Then her voice softened more, almost too soft.
"Villiam… are you afraid?"She asked.
The words pierced right through me. I couldn't lie. Not here. Not with her voice so steady, so safe.
"Yes."I admited.
"Are you afraid of me?" She asked, gently.
I shook my head. She was quiet for a long moment. Then she stood slowly, walked around the desk, and sat on the edge near me, still giving me space.
"I don't know who you are under that mask." She said quietly. "And I won't ask, unless you want to tell me. But I know fear when I see it. I know pain when it's sitting in front of me pretending to be strength."
My eyes stung. I turned my face away quickly. I hated this. Hated how her kindness broke through my walls faster than cruelty ever could.
"You're not wrong to be careful." She continued. "But you're not alone either. You don't have to carry all of this in silence."
I couldn't help it; the tears fell before I could stop them. Silent. Angry. Embarrassed.
"I didn't want to be this." I choked out. "I didn't ask for any of it."
"I know." She said softly. "And none of this makes you wrong, Villiam. It makes you stronger than most could ever dream to be."
She didn't reach for me. Didn't touch me. Just sat there. A quiet presence. A shield in a storm.
"I want to help you." She said. "Not because I know what you are… but because I see who you are."
And that… that was almost worse. Because for the first time, I felt like someone might see me, and not hate what they found. I sat stiffly in the chair across from teacher Laura, my hands clenched in my lap. She hadn't said anything after my last question.
"Is it possible for an omega to challenge an alpha... and win?"I asked her a moment earlier.
"Depending on how strong omega is." She said. "Depending how weak alpha is, but it's dangerous to say the least."
Her gaze had shifted. Not in fear, not in confusion, but something sharper. Something like recognition. Then, slowly, she stood and walked over to the door. I flinched when the lock clicked shut.
"What are you doing?"I asked.
"You're not in trouble." She said, voice low. "But I think you and I need to speak… with honesty now."
I felt my throat tighten.
"You're not just asking out of curiosity, are you… Villiam?"She asked.
The name landed between us like a stone. I didn't answer. Laura crossed the room again and sat beside me, not across. Not as a teacher, but as someone trying to reach me.
"I've seen omegas who survived. I've seen what that takes. But you…" Her voice softened. "You ask questions no ordinary student would think to ask. You move like someone who's hunted and hidden more than they've been taught."
I stared at the floor, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
"Villiam." She said, gently this time. "That's not your name, is it?"
My eyes stung again.
"No." I whispered.
I froze for a moment. I told her, haven't I? At that moment, I understood there was no way of going back.