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CHAPTER 14
~Spring's POV~
The next day passed in a blur. Classes came and went, and the chatter in the hallways was like background noise I couldn't focus on.
Definitely not after everything that had happened. Not after the laptop, the cut, the tears—mine and hers.
Still, something about today felt lighter. Maybe it was because I hadn't had to fight alone this time.
Smiles filled my eyes and face but more importantly, I was looking forward to a nice, peaceful bath at home.
When I stepped out through the school gates, the sun was just beginning to lower, its orange light stretching across the pavement like a welcome mat.
A breeze lifted the ends of my hair as I walked down the steps, adjusting the strap of my backpack.
That's when I saw the car. I had seen it in the Kaine family compound before. The tinted window rolled down before I even reached it, and Rhys leaned out with his usual calm expression—but this time, there was something like mischief dancing in his eyes.
"Need a ride?" he asked.
I blinked. "You didn't have to—"
"Get in, Spring," he said, already reaching over to unlock the door.
I smiled and slid into the passenger seat at the front. The moment I closed the door, he handed me a small white box, neatly tied with silver ribbon.
"What's this?" I asked, even though I already had a feeling.
He didn't answer. Just gestured for me to open it. I untied the ribbon slowly and lifted the lid.
Inside sat a brand-new iPhone. It was a sleek, ultramarine phone, and still wrapped in its factory plastic. The moment I saw it, my breath caught.
"You didn't—Rhys…" I looked up at him. "You didn't have to do this."
"I did," he said firmly, leaving no room for an argument. "After what happened to your last one."
"I—I never told you about that."
"You do not need to before I realise it, Spring. I admit I entered your room to check on you and saw it."
"I see…" I said lowering my gaze. "But… I already got a replacement," I said hesitantly. "The guy who dropped it gave me a new one. As an apology."
Rhys's expression immediately dropped. "What guy?"
"A friend," I answered quickly. "He accidentally broke it and gave me another one to make up for it," I lied, completely covering Beatrice out of the equation.
Rhys stared at me, his jaw tightening just slightly. "Spring," he said slowly, "don't take things from strangers."
"He's not a stranger," I murmured, not entirely sure if I believed that.
"You don't know his intentions," he continued, hands gripping the wheel even though the engine was still off. "You'd rather accept something from someone you barely know than from your family?"
I shrank a little into my seat, guilt nudging at my ribs.
"You have three brothers," he said, not raising his voice, but the weight behind his words was firm. "Three. Trillionaire. Brothers. Anything you want, anything you need—it's yours. You don't need to look anywhere else. Not ever."
I looked at him quietly, fingers curling around the edge of the box. The phone inside glinted under the sunlight that filtered through the windshield.
"I didn't mean to offend you," I said softly. "I just didn't want to seem ungrateful."
His expression softened, just a little. "I know. But you don't need to protect other people's feelings at the expense of your own. Especially not strangers."
I nodded, the lump in my throat felt small but noticeable. "Thank you… for this."
He reached out, ruffled my hair, and then let his hand drop.
"Besides," he added, smirking, "mine comes with better specs."
I let out a small laugh. "Compared to a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?" Rhys's expression darkened briefly, and I cleared my throat. "Cough… Of course it does."
Rhys nodded. "Yes. Customised and engraved," he said proudly, tapping the edge of the box. "Check the back."
I turned the phone over and spotted the delicate engraving near the camera: S.K. — my initials. Then, in smaller text, the box was written: Don't break this one.
I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
He grinned. "Had to make a point."
I shook my head and looked out the window, hiding the smile tugging at my lips.
For all his coldness and formality, Rhys had a way of showing care that felt… genuine. Quiet, but strong. Like steel wrapped in silk.
The car pulled onto the road. And just like the previous day, it wasn't awkward. It was peaceful.
I glanced at the phone again and thought of everything it represented, trust and family and for the first time in a while, I let myself lean back and simply breathe.
Because I wasn't just Spring Kaine anymore. I was someone who had people standing behind her now.
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Ding. Ding. Ding.
The sound of my phone's soft alarm pulled me out of sleep, the vibrations barely noticeable beneath my pillow.
My fingers fumbled for it, eyes still half-closed. I turned the screen to my face, blinking at the brightness.
"Happy 18th Birthday, Spring!"
The notification banner glowed on the lock screen, followed by a cascade of birthday wishes from Rhys, Eryx, and Kaius.
Their messages were sweet—Rhys had even sent a second one three minutes after the first, just to make sure I didn't miss it.
I smiled faintly… but it didn't last long because something else stirred, something wrong.
My chest tightened, as a heavy gasp escaped my lips and a strange, foreign pressure built beneath my skin like something was crawling inside me, waking up all at once.
I sat up fast.
My breath caught in my throat as a sudden wave of heat rolled through my body.
My spine arched without meaning to, and I clutched at my chest as if my ribs were too tight, like they couldn't contain whatever was pushing from the inside out.
"What the he—" I gasped.
My voice sounded off, raw and not entirely my own, like an echo beneath.
I tried to stand, but my legs buckled the moment they hit the floor. I stumbled, grabbing the edge of my bedframe for support as my vision blurred momentarily, then sharpened.
Sharpened too much.
The darkness of my room wasn't dark anymore. I could see everything. The dust in the air. The faint flicker of a candle downstairs. The heartbeat of the house as my own heart thundered in my ears.
Something different, old and familiar whispered inside me. It wasn't a voice, not at first—it was a feeling like a calming, raging presence.
Or no… a spirit—spirit I had once known.
I swallowed hard, eyes darting across the room. "This… this isn't Spring's body reacting… this is—"
I paused, staring down at my hands. My fingernails were trembling and then suddenly they shifted.
With a sickening crunch, they elongated, stretching like needles of bone through my skin. Sharp, silver-tipped claws curled from my fingertips, and I gasped as pain shot up my arms.
I fell to my knees with a choked sob, cradling my hands as if that would make the pain stop—but something inside me rejoiced.
No, not me, her—the… the wolf.
The shift was beginning and immediately, the truth slammed into me.
"I thought Spring was human," I whispered, the words dry on my tongue. "She wasn't supposed to be anything else—she didn't even know…"
But the clawed fingers in front of me said otherwise.
I stared at them, chest heaving, as realisation poured over me in cold, chaotic waves.
"She's a…"
My breath hitched as heat surged down my spine again. My muscles trembled, bones rearranging beneath skin. The pain lanced up my arms, shoulders, and back in a brutal, raw and unstoppable way.
"…a werewolf?"