CHAPTER 55: THE EAVESDROPPER.

Elias Greyson was supposed to be asleep. But he wasn’t.

Instead, he was lying flat on his bed in the dim dormitory, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, listening to the muffled sounds drifting through the wall.

Muffled voices. Four of them.

He frowned. The sound was coming from Luca’s room. Which meant Luca, Killian, Cassian, and Rafe were in there. Arguing again.

Elias tilted his head, straining his ears. Most nights he ignored them, he’d learned long ago that Whitethorn’s golden boys kept to themselves. But tonight... tonight was different. Their voices were raised. Urgent. Almost... angry.

Elias slid quietly out of bed, padded across the hall, and stopped just outside their door.

At first it was just noise, low, tense mutters. But then he caught it. One word, clear as crystal through the crack of the door:

"Old wolf...seventh pact."

Elias blinked. Seventh what? He pressed closer, holding his breath.

Another voice, Cassian’s, snapped, "If we’re doing this, then we do it right. Bella deserves the truth."

Seventh pact. Bella. Truth.

The words tangled in his head, his pulse quickened.

This wasn’t just their regular late-night boys talk. This was something bigger, more intense.

Without thinking twice, Elias shoved the door open.

—

The slam of the door echoed through the room, startling the four boys. Elias Greyson leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms and raising one eyebrow like he’d just walked in on their secret meeting.

"Well, well. What have we here?"

"Elias," Killian muttered, dropping his fists to his sides.

Of course it had to be Elias Greyson. Nosy, sharp-eared, and annoyingly persistent. He was notorious for spreading wild gossip around the school.

"What have you boys been talking about?" Elias repeated, stepping inside the room.

"Perfect," Cassian groaned audibly. "Just who I was hoping to see tonight."

"Save the sarcasm," Elias said smoothly. "You guys were talking loud enough to wake the entire dormitory. So tell me..." his eyes scanned the room slowly, "...what exactly are you talking about in here?"

The four of them glanced at each other. For a moment, no one spoke.

Killian was the first to recover. Forcing his voice to be steady and casual, he replied, "Nothing important."

Elias arched a brow. "Nothing? Because I could’ve sworn I heard you boys plotting something."

Cassian tilted his head in surprise, then he plastered a grin across his face. "Plotting? Us? Elias, please. We were just talking about comics."

"Comics?" Elias repeated flatly.

"Yes, comics," Cassian insisted, nodding with mock seriousness. "You know, small booklets? with different characters?"

Elias blinked. "...at midnight?"

"Elias, what better time to discuss comics than when we’re gathered together like this in our room, or is the best time when we’re in class?"

"Except it didn’t sound like you were discussing comics at all." He folded his arms. "I’m certain you were plotting something."

Cassian threw his hands up. "Oh my God, he doesn’t believe us. Bro, chill, we weren’t even arguing about anything serious, we were just arguing about the comic we read today in the library, Twilight wolf-pack drama. Sam Vs Jacob."

Rafe leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Obviously Sam would win. Jacob wouldn’t stand a chance."

"Don’t drag me into your cover-up," Elias cut in sharply. "I heard you."

Luca finally lifted his head from where he’d been sitting in brooding silence. His tone was calm. "Then enlighten us, Elias. What did you hear?"

Elias squinted. "Something about... a pact."

Cassian immediately snapped his fingers, grinning. "Exactly! The wolves pact in Twilight. I told you it’s nothing serious. I take it you’ve not read that comic before, that’s why you’re confused."

"You’re lying," Elias said, shaking his head. "You’re the one trying to confuse me."

He folded his arms. "I was at the library today. I didn’t see any of you there."

"What time did you go to the library?" Killian asked.

"After the second period. Chemistry class. I don’t go to Chemistry class, so I went to the library instead. And you guys weren’t there."

"Exactly. Because we went by 3pm. After school."

Luca leaned forward, his expression exaggeratedly offended. "If at all we were discussing real pacts like you claim, do you honestly think we’d be stupid enough to sit here and do that? With the walls this thin? Can you hear yourself?"

Killian nodded solemnly. "He’s right. Elias, if we were plotting something actually dangerous, don’t you think we’d at least whisper?"

Elias narrowed his eyes. "But it didn’t sound like comics. You were dead serious. I was outside the door for a while. That argument or whatever it was doesn’t sound like mere comics discussion."

Luca cursed under his breath.

Rafe, who had been quiet for a while, spoke again. His voice was low and steady. "Think about it, Elias. Four of us in here, late at night, talking about some pact. Either we’re insane, or we’re joking around with a story. Which do you honestly think makes more sense?"

Elias hesitated. "...you could be insane."

"Wow," Cassian muttered. "Love the support, man. Thanks."

Killian rolled his eyes. "Look, if you’re that interested, we could tell you what section to get this comic from in the library. You’ll see exactly what we’re saying."

Slowly, Elias exhaled, the suspicion fading from his eyes. He huffed a laugh. "You lot are insane. Sitting here at midnight arguing about wolf comics? No wonder you don’t have girlfriends."

"Glad you’re finally catching on," Rafe said dryly, rolling his eyes.

Elias shook his head, backing toward the door. "Well, keep your little comic club down, yeah? Some of us are trying to sleep. And maybe next time, go out to the field if you’ll yell like that."

"Noted. We’d do just that." Cassian replied.

Elias pointed at them all, mock warning in his tone. "I still think you’re freaks for yelling about wolves in the night."

"And we still think you’re nosy for barging into our room uninvited," Cassian fired back.

That earned him another laugh as Elias turned for the door. "Whatever. Just... keep it down before the prefects think you’re summoning something."

Cassian flashed him a toothy grin. "Like we promised, we’ll keep it down moving on."

Elias snorted and pulled the door shut behind him, his footsteps fading down the corridor.

The second he was gone, all four boys exhaled at once.

"That was close," Killian muttered.

"Too close," Rafe agreed, his voice grave.

But Luca’s eyes were still burning, sharper than ever. "Doesn’t matter. Tonight, we stick to the plan. And this time, no one—" his gaze cut toward the door—"is going to stop us."

___

The old classrooms of Whitethorn academy hadn’t been used in years. Dust coated the desks, cobwebs stretching across the ceiling. The faint smell of mold lingered in the air.

It was the perfect place to meet unseen.

Elias brought out a rusting key and slipped it through the keyhole.

After 3 trials, the old door finally creaked open. He stepped inside, glancing over his shoulder once before shutting the door.

A figure came in shortly after, and sat on the table closest to the blackboard.

"You’re here," the figure said softly.

Elias’s smirk sharpened. "Of course I am. I have something for you. You’d love this."

"Well?" The figure tilted its head. "What did you hear?"

Elias’s pulse quickened. This was the fun part. The reveal. "They’re hiding something. I heard it clear as day before I barged in. They were arguing something about an old wolf... seventh pact. And they mentioned Bella’s name too."

The figure went still.

Elias continued, stepping closer, lowering his voice. "They tried to cover it up, they said—

"Hold on. You said they were talking about what?"

"Bella? They were talking about Bella, the new girl."

"No, before that."

"The old wolf seventh pact?"

"Yes, that. Are you sure you heard them correctly?"

"Umm yes. I’m certain I heard old wolf, I also heard seventh pact."

Turning to face him squarely now, the figure asked again. "What else did you hear?"

"I barged into the room and confronted them, then they denied everything." Elias let out a short laugh. "They lied. Tried to cover it up with some nonsense about comics. Twilight wolves, can you believe that?

But I know what I heard. They weren’t joking. They were dead serious. And they didn’t want anyone else to know."

The figure was silent, considering.

Elias’s eyes gleamed. "I don’t know what this ’pact’ is about, but it’s important. They’re desperate to hide it. Which means... it cannot be something ordinary."

The figure leaned forward slightly, a thin veil covering part of its face. "Elias, you will keep listening to them. Pay closer attention now. Eavesdrop as much as possible. Keep watching. We need to know everything."

Elias’s smirk turned razor sharp. "Already planned on it. Whitethorn’s golden boys won’t see me coming."

His heart thudded with excitement. I may not know what this seventh pact thing is. But one thing is certain. I’m interested in those boys’ business and I must see this thing to the last, he thought to himself.

"Elias," the figure called one last time. "Don’t fail me."