Chapter 3 WHITE-EYED SNOW

Her eyes snapped open, revealing glowing snow-white irises.

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Snow's head throbbed painfully as she placed a hand on it.

It felt like her skull was splitting in two. Her vision blurred, and as she scanned the room, she realized she was in the school infirmary. It was probably evening-already getting dark outside. She could hear the distant chatter of students leaving school.

Snow winced at the noise-the clatter of voices, the sizzling oil from the cafeteria, the creaking desks, the bursts of laughter. Everything sounded painfully loud. She covered her ears and gritted her teeth.

From the overwhelming noise and sensations, she knew instantly, she had transformed. Her powers had taken control again. Her gaze shifted to the desk beside her, and she shuddered.

The table was coated in crystallized ice, shimmering beneath the dim lights. Snow bit her lower lip. She had frozen it without even realizing.

She needed to isolate herself from everyone... before she hurt someone.

The creak of the door made her stiffen for a few seconds.

Logan walked in. He had sensed a strange energy and a wave of coldness emanating from the infirmary.

His eyes scanned the room, though he didn't see anyone. Still, his Alpha instincts screamed that something wasn't right.

When his gaze landed on the iced-over table, his frown deepened. He clearly remembered it being wooden-so how had it turned into solid crystal ice?

Another creak echoed, and Logan turned toward the door-unaware that Snow had slipped out through the window while he was distracted.

Snow exhaled sharply as she ran from the infirmary, her hoodie pulled over her head, a face mask covering the lower half of her face. She kept her head low so no one would catch a glimpse of her glowing white eyes.

Her hair had changed too-stark white, shining under the faint streetlights-making her look like a dangerously beautiful snow queen.

She had always wondered about this strange power. She was supposed to be an omega-weak, insignificant. Yet strange, unexplainable things kept happening around her.

She groaned in frustration as her stomach rumbled. She was starving. And worse-she couldn't even leave school. Students were still everywhere. It was too risky for anyone to see her like this.

She decided to sneak into the gym, where wolves trained after awakening their beasts: their wolf forms-while the wolf-less watched from the sides. She still remembered Tiffany winning a race once, soaking up all the praise. They also held combat classes there sometimes.

The only person who had ever seen her in this state was Ace, her best friend-her ever-doting protector. She missed him.

He had been away for a while. Though he was supposed to return soon, she wasn't sure exactly when. Thinking of him made her sigh.

Snow lay back on one of the gym benches, staring up at the ceiling. A faint smile tugged at her lips. She loved the serene silence, the cool, undisturbed atmosphere.

The more she thought, the more tangled her emotions became. Lately, she'd been hearing strange voices in her head-soft whispers, fleeting and foreign, as if from something or someone unknown.

But then, a sudden sound of footsteps snapped her back to alertness. Snow's eyes narrowed.

She inhaled sharply...

And half-yelled, "Come out!"

A low chuckle echoed in the room, and a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Ace!" Snow gasped.

It was her best friend. Wait-wasn't he supposed to return later?

Ace smiled as he approached. Snow could already smell his familiar, intoxicating scent-strong and masculine, with something dark lurking beneath.

"Missed me?" he teased.

Snow rolled her eyes. "I didn't," she said flatly.

Ace laughed, pinching her cheek before settling beside her.

"You transformed again," he said quietly, his voice gentle.

Snow frowned. "Painful as always," she murmured.

The powers had started manifesting on her fifteenth birthday, and she still couldn't control them.

"Tell your family," Ace suggested.

Snow's expression darkened immediately. That was the last thing she would ever do.

An omega with powers like hers... it wasn't natural. It was dangerous. Her family had adopted her, raised her with love-she couldn't risk losing them. She would never forgive herself if she hurt them.

They had taken her in as a baby, treated her like their own. She didn't even care about her birth parents anymore-they were gone anyway.

"Are you afraid they won't want you anymore?" Ace asked softly.

Snow's eyes clouded with emotion.

Every time she'd been bullied or mistreated, her family's love had unknowingly kept her grounded. She couldn't lose that. She couldn't bear them looking at her with fear... or worse, hatred.

She exhaled shakily. Ace, understanding her turmoil, gently patted her head.

"It's okay," he whispered.

Snow gave him a small, weak smile. He cupped her cheek gently, but his eyes suddenly sharpened-sensing someone approaching.

The heavy stomp of shoes and a strong male scent filled the air.

"Later," Ace said, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

"Why are you not home yet?!" a voice barked.

Snow flinched. Asher. Her Gamma brother.

Asher's fierce expression immediately softened when he saw her. Panic flooded Snow's chest.

'My eyes... my hair...'

She instinctively backed deeper into the shadows, praying he wouldn't notice.

But Asher stepped forward and took her hand.

"Why are you backing away from me?" he asked, confused.

Snow tried to yank her hand back, but Asher was strong-he easily pulled her into the light.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself.

Her white hair glistened under the faint light and Asher's eyes widened.

"Your hair is..."