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I swallowed. My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. Go figure, he knew who I was thinking about.

“You could’ve been though, and that’s normal. She’s your girlfriend, Ryder. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“Sass…” He exhaled. “You already spend enough time overthinking. Let me give you one less thing to go mental about.”

“Did you just call me crazy?”

“No. I know what crazy looks like,” he answered with a half-laugh. “Me and the boys played some ball on a new field,” he added, more casual now. “Then I went home, took a shower, and went to bed… alone.” He gave me a pointed look. “After I ate the candy you bought me.”

I smiled at him. “Why am I not surprised?”

“What? You picked my favorite.”

“I literally grabbed the first things I saw.”

“Liar. You always remember the stuff I like.”

We reached the main building, the glass doors reflecting the steady flow of students heading inside, along with our reflection, walking close enough to look like something more.

Ryder pulled one door open, and I stepped through first and put a bit of space between us, letting the warmth inside wrap around me like a blanket.

The hallway buzzed with voices, footsteps echoing against old stone, folding into a familiar buzz.

We veered into a side corridor instead of heading toward the overpass. Ryder kept pace beside me, his hands now tucked in the pockets of his varsity jacket. His shoulders were relaxed, but I could feel the alertness in him. It was something I’d noticed more often lately.

“Are you okay, Rye?” I asked softly.

“How can I not be when you’re beside me?”

“You cheese puff. I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” He flashed a grin, sharp and boyish. Then it slipped, just slightly. “But you’re not okay, are you?”

I hesitated, pulse kicking when our eyes met, his once again way too knowing. “How can I not be when you’re beside me?”

His laugh was humorless. “One of these days, Sass, I’m going to have you alone, and I won’t let you go until you tell me everything you keep trying to bury.”

The promise in his voice scorched something deep inside that ached to be known, to be undone by him and only him. He suddenly leaned in like he was going to whisper a secret, breath warm against the shell of my ear. “The ferret isn’t carrying spawn, I take it?”

It took me a second to process the words; my body was too busy reacting to his closeness.

My breath caught, nipples tightening against the fabric of my bra, and all I could think about was the feeling of his mouth somewhere far less innocent.

Jesus . I was losing it. Maybe I needed to invest in some toys.

I dragged in a quiet breath that did nothing to steady me.

“Stop calling her that,” I murmured back, nudging him with more affection than annoyance. “And no. It was a false alarm, thankfully.”

“That’s good. I’m sorry about last night. I know you were trying to protect her privacy.”

I shrugged, eyes fixed ahead. “It’s fine. We both know how nosy you are.”

“Curious,” he corrected. “98% of the time, it’s only when it has something to do with you.”

We reached the double doors to the stairwell. He held one open for me again, like it was instinct. We walked up the steps side by side, our footfalls echoing in the narrow space.

At the top, I paused, expecting him to branch off for his own classroom, but he didn’t.

He stayed next to me, his hand brushing the small of my back.

It remained there the rest of the way to my classroom’s doorway.

He leaned against the frame like he had all the time in the world, ignoring everyone who passed.

“Alright, Sass. This is where I leave you.”

I smiled, brushing my shoulder against his. “Thanks for walking me.”

“Someone’s gotta make sure you end up where you belong. That’s always with me, isn’t it?”

“Whatever you say.”

I turned to go, but his fingers stopped me, brushing along the base of my throat, slow and deliberate, tracing the spot where the necklace chain sat.

“You’re wearing my heart again.”

My breath caught, and this time, there was no hiding it. I tilted my head back to meet his gaze, his height forcing a vulnerable angle.

“I never meant not to,” I said quietly, placing my hand over his, anchoring us in that suspended moment.

Neither of us moved.

We stood there, caught in the silence, eyes locked until two guys approached the classroom door, calling out greetings to Ryder, their voices too casual, too curious. Their eyes darted between us as they passed, and the moment broke.

I cleared my throat, stepping back. “Get to class,” I urged, nudging his chest lightly. “You’re going to be late. I’ll see you later?”

He backed away, already turning with a smile. “As if you have a choice.”

I stood there for another heartbeat, fingers still resting where he’d touched me, before finally slipping into the classroom.

We were halfway across campus, leaves crunching under our shoes as we made our way toward Cultural Ethics in Modern Traditions.

It was a class that sounded like it should be taught by someone in a tweed blazer with elbow patches, but somehow managed to be both weirdly interesting and deeply unsettling.

I had no clue how it ended up on my schedule, but it made my Wednesdays shorter, so I wasn’t complaining.

Beside me, Kellan adjusted the strap of his oversized backpack and ran a hand over his dark, cropped curls.

He was tall and lean with an endless amount of bubbling confidence.

Except this morning. The Hunt had struck again.

The first thing he’d said when he walked up to me wasn’t his usual sunny hello, but a somber, “I got Marked.”

“You got Marked?” I repeated back.

“Wanna know how they told me?”

“Spill, but just so you know, I’m Marked too, and there’s no way it’s worse than mine.”

“Oh, yeah? They wrote ‘I KNOW WHAT YOU DID’ across the back window of my car, in all caps with red paint. Then they set off the alarm to make sure I saw it. My neighbors thought I was getting robbed. I had to catch a ride here with Noah today.”

“What does that even mean?”

He huffed a bitter laugh. “That someone knows all my dirty secrets?”

I eyed him. “Do you have a lot of those?”

“Don’t we all?”

Point taken. “Well, I’d trade you. I got a dead crow launched through my bathroom window right after I stepped out of the shower,” I revealed in a far lighter tone than I felt.

Kellan stared at me as if I’d just confessed to murder. “Oh, babe. No. What the actual fuck? That’s not a warning, that’s an omen. That’s some ritual sacrifice shit.”

“I didn’t think of it like that, but now you’ve made it worse, so thanks.”

He opened his mouth to respond when both our phones buzzed at the same time. We shared a look and stopped walking, causing a guy behind us to almost barrel into me. Kellan grabbed my arm and pulled me gently out of harm’s way.

The guy brushed past without missing a step, mumbling, “Sorry, Sanj.”

Kellan’s brows pulled together. “Who the hell was that?”

I turned, trying to catch another glimpse of him. His hoodie was up, head down, and he was disappearing into the flow of students further ahead before I could get a good look.

“No clue. Do you think he was in one of our classes?”

“Not one I’ve seen,” Kellan muttered, still watching the crowd like he could pick the guy out by will alone. “Check your phone.”

I dug it out of my bag and went into my text. “Did you get something from the school?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Un-fucking-fortunately.”

I clicked the message and started to read.

71432

Crowsfell University Board

It’s prime time for another Crowsfell tradition.

The Hunt officially begins: Sunday at 9:00 PM EST.

In the days leading up to the event, all Marked students must be formally notified of their status no later than Friday at 11:59 PM .

Once notification has been received and confirmed, registered Huntsmen may begin their Hunt alone or in mutually agreed pairs at the start time above.

? ? Reminder:

All Huntsmen must be officially registered under the Crowsfell Clause . All Marked students must have already provided legal consent by signing the clause within the Crowsfell enrollment packet.

Welcome to tradition.

Welcome to The Hunt.

I frowned at the screen. “Um, why don’t I remember signing any clause?”

Kellan snorted. “It’s buried in the agreement you sign when accepting your spot at this school and then again in the honor code we agree to follow.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, the actual wording’s something like—he slipped into a mock-official voice.

“ By enrolling at Crowsfell University, students consent to full participation in all historic rites and seasonal traditions, including physical, social, and psychological simulations enacted by student-led bodies, for the duration of their academic career. ”

“That sounds insane.”

“It is insane, but it’s real too. They’ve been updating that clause for decades, and no one ever reads it. It’s the extra-fine print the size of aunt shit.”

“So everyone signed it?”

“Basically.” He nodded. “If you go here, you’re already screwed. Legally, it’s airtight.”

“Okay, but is it actually legal?”

He shrugged. “It’s Crowsfell. That means it’s ‘tradition’.” He used air quotes. “Around here, that might as well be gospel. You really think anyone’s dragging the university into a lawsuit over a centuries-old event?”

I didn’t have to think about the answer. There were too many powerful, well-connected families with ties to this place. My family had money, but even they wouldn’t want to bleed it dry picking the wrong fight with Crowsfell. Well, if I really wanted them to, they would’ve, but I’d never ask that.