Jonas and Hugh needed only a moment to steady their minds and focus on the issue at hand. They shared a knowing look before turning back to their predicament. They were still facing the five Kings against 30 St. Vincent's students, and more were starting to arrive.

Sam watched with a sharp gaze. "Listen, we are asking that St. Vincent's calls off their Hunt. It's a dangerous event, and too many people get hurt every year."

Jackson laughed. "You think you can stop us?"

Lukas chuckled. "You're delusional. You won't stop decades of tradition just because you don't like it."

Hugh growled. "We're asking nicely once. That's all you get."

"And we are respectfully declining your request," Lukas sneered.

"We made a deal," Jonas said quietly, surprising the others.

Lukas clicked his tongue. "No. You ran away. That deal is null and void. Thus, the Hunt continues."

"No. That's bullshit!" Jonas yelled. "You know that's bullshit."

Lukas laughed coldly. "If you don't want the Hunt to continue, what do you have to offer?"

"I already upheld my end of the bargain."

Lukas shook his head. "Again, you ran away. It doesn't matter anymore."

"And the things I can expose?" Jonas asked, his voice steady but laced with threat.

This drew another laugh from Lukas. "It doesn't matter what you have. Who would believe you?"

The implications of his words made Jonas' blood run cold. Last year, he had made a deal to stop the Hunts, putting himself at risk. Did this mean it was all a lie?

"How about another plan?" Lukas posed. We'll stop this Hunt and change it a little. Instead of some random person, we hunt you—a Wolf Hunt."

Jonas felt a surge of anger and dread. "You're insane."

"Am I?" Lukas replied, his eyes gleaming with malice. "It's simple. If you survive, the Hunts stop for good. If you don't, well... they continue as they always have."

Hugh stepped forward, his expression fierce. "No way in hell is that happening."

Lukas smirked. "Oh, but it is. Unless Jonas here decides to back out and admit he's too scared to face us."

Jonas clenched his fists, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He looked at Hugh and the others, seeing the concern and determination in their eyes. They had his back, but this was his fight.

"I'll do it," Jonas said finally, his voice unwavering. "I'll take your damn challenge."

Hugh grabbed his arm. "Jonas, you don't have to do this."

Jonas turned to him, his expression resolute. "Yes, I do. This ends now."

Lukas' smile widened. "Excellent. The Wolf Hunt begins at midnight. Be ready, Jonas. And may the best hunter win."

As Lukas and the other St. Vincent's students walked away, the tension lingered in the air. Jonas felt the weight of his decision settle heavily on his shoulders.

Hugh pulled Jonas aside. "Are you sure about this? You know they won't play fair."

"I know," Jonas replied, his jaw set. "But this is the only way to stop them."

Sam, Rodgers, and Millan gathered around, their expressions grim but supportive. "We'll be with you every step of the way," Sam said firmly.

Jonas nodded, grateful for their loyalty. "We need to prepare. Midnight is coming fast."

"Um," a meek voice sounded from behind a car, drawing their attention. "What the hell just happened?"

They turned toward the voice and saw Travis and Jaiden peeking around a vehicle.

"Travis! Jaiden! You were supposed to be in the car," Rodgers scolded. "What would have happened if they saw you?"

Jaiden laughed. "Believe me. All their attention was on you guys. But seriously, what did you just agree to, Jonas?"

"Just another deal they're going to break," Jonas said helplessly. "They said they wouldn't hunt tonight, but it might be best to warn everyone to stay indoors."

"Already done," Sam said, looking down at his phone, which displayed the forum for Hawkings. "It looks like some of the local businesses we're familiar with are helping out too. They're warning others to stay inside or providing safe places."

"That includes you and Jaiden," Hugh said to Travis.

"I can fight, too," Jaiden said with a frown.

"Not against the way they fight," Jonas said. "I would argue to fight them alone—"

"No fucking way," Hugh said, gripping his arm.

"But I know how stubborn you are," Jonas finished, interlacing his fingers with Hugh's. "Come on. Let's get back to the dorms."

Although the car was packed, the ride back was quiet. It was eerie to see the streets so empty on a Friday night, but it was a small comfort that their warnings had worked.

However, when they arrived at the dorms, they were greeted by a cacophony of noise. The halls were packed with students, loud and boisterous, the complete opposite of Jonas' current mood. He let the ruckus wash over him as he made his way to their room and collapsed on the couch.

Hugh had already kicked out any stragglers, ensuring it was just them—the Kings, Travis, and Jaiden. Travis busied himself in the kitchen, preparing something that smelled comforting.

Once they settled, Millan broke the silence with a sigh. "Do you know the details of this Wolf Hunt?"

Jonas tapped his fingers on his leg, gathering his thoughts. "Basically, it's a twisted game of hide-and-seek," he began. I'll be confined to the town and can't hide in any public buildings. If I remain free until morning, I win. If they capture me, I lose."

"And what happens if you lose?" Sam asked, concern evident in his voice.

Jonas shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to find out."

"How do you know the rules?" Hugh asked, his brow furrowing. "That asshole only mentioned it starting at midnight."

Jonas shrugged. "It's not the first time he's suggested it."

"Motherfucker," Hugh hissed, anger flashing in his eyes.

Jonas felt a surge of gratitude for his friends. Despite the dire situation, their unwavering support and loyalty provided a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in a long time. He looked around the room, taking in their determined faces.

Rodgers was pacing, his agitation different from before. "I know I shouldn't pry... and hell, based on my earlier attitude, I don't deserve it... but I'm curious about the deal you two mentioned."

Jonas averted his gaze. "They agreed to stop the Hunts if I remained quiet."

"About what, sweetheart?" Hugh asked quietly, his hand still holding Jonas'.

Jonas closed his eyes, the weight of unspoken memories pressing heavily on his chest. He had never told anyone the truth about his junior year. He had never confessed the depth of his suffering. He had never trusted anyone enough to share his pain. But despite the arguments and misunderstandings, he knew these people genuinely cared for him. They had stood by his side against St. Vincent's. They had supported him, even when they didn't have all the details. Now, for the first time, he felt a glimmer of hope that he didn't have to face his past alone.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Hugh, grasping onto the comfort provided by his green eyes.

"You knew me as the Golden Boy," Jonas started. "I was popular, did well in school, and had many friends. I made all the right connections, and my future was set. I was bound for Business School and already in talks with Stanford, Harvard, and Sloan. I had my extracurriculars, volunteer work, and a stacked resume lined up."

"Christ. You were just a sophomore—just 16 years old?" Rodgers said quietly, shocked by his efforts.

"It was what was expected of me, not what I truly wanted. In those circles, the dreams of children are nothing more than that—dreams." He laughed ruefully. "I accepted it. The better I performed, the easier life would be for my brother and me."

Hugh tightened his grip around Jonas' hand, knowing what was next. Knowing his family made his life difficult.

Jonas seemed to notice his distress and smiled warmly. "At the beginning of the school year, I got into a fight. I let my rage take over because I hated that boy and everything he represented."

"He fucking deserved it," Hugh said quietly.

"He did," Jonas agreed. "But I had been professionally trained as a fighter, and someone like Michael couldn't contend with that. So he was hurt... and hospitalized. That's when people started to call me the Wolf."

Hugh trembled and looked down at their interlocked hands. "I'm sorry," Hugh murmured.

"There's nothing for you to apologize for. I knew the consequences of my actions and wouldn't hesitate to do it again," Jonas said with a shrug. "Besides, it wasn't the fight itself that was the true catalyst. Sure, it made people wary of me, but it was the rumors that really did the damage. In less than a day, my reputation at school was in shambles. By the following week, I had lost every single friend, including the person I was dating. All my connections were gone."

"Because of one fight?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Because of one person," Jonas explained. "One person was able to spread rumors, painting me as violent and unhinged. As the year went on, I started losing college prospects too."

"How can one person do that?"

"Money talks," Jonas said. "My father could have paid to silence everyone and paved my way through college, but he didn't want to waste his resources on someone like me."

"Fuck your father," Hugh seethed.

"I can't believe how one person could ruin everything for you. It seems so unfair," Sam said angrily.

"It was. I was left to pick up the pieces alone. It felt like I was fighting against a tidal wave with nothing but my bare hands," Jonas said with a distant smile. "And I wish that was the end of it. The problem is, when you're an outcast at a place like St. Vincent's, you enter another world... and it's hell."

"What do you mean by that?" Rodgers asked.

"St. Vincent's isn't just a school; it's like its own little society, and once you're on the outside, you're completely on your own. It's a place where the social hierarchies are brutal, and any misstep can be magnified a hundredfold."

"How did you cope with that?"

"At first, I tried to stay under the radar. I kept hidden and to myself, but I was still a target."

"Did you have any support during that time?" Millan asked.

A somber laugh escaped Jonas' lips. "I thought I did... in Lukas. He didn't acknowledge me at school, and I didn't blame him. It was safer for him to pretend he hated me, too. But he would come to my house a couple of times a week and let me vent and check my wounds."

"What do you mean, wounds?" Hugh asked, his voice low.

Jonas looked at him warily. "It started small... slurs and insults, random tripping attempts, and shoves on the staircases."

"What else did they do?" Hugh demanded.

"Nothing worth mentioning," Jonas murmured and tried to look away.

However, Hugh's hand captured his chin and forced him to face him. "You said they started small. Please, sweetheart. What did they do to you?"

Jonas sighed. "Anything and everything. Razor blades in my backpack," he said quietly as his fingers brushed over the scars on his hands. "Destroying my things—books, clothes, shoes, my car."

"You could have taken them to court for stuff like that," Sam interjected and turned to Hugh. "Right?"

"In a sane environment, yes," Hugh answered, but he knew the truth.

"Right. St. Vincent's has a hand in everyone's pocket, and my father never tried to pursue it," Jonas explained. "When they realized my family didn't care, they continued. They even tried to lock me in a dark closet."

Jonas tried to suppress a shiver as he recalled that time. Hugh, who knew of Jonas' fear of the dark, tensed. "I'm going to kill them."

"That's where the rumor about me tearing a door off its hinges came from," Jonas said quietly, a small smile escaping him. "It was a flimsy door, but it was enough to terrify them."

Rodgers rubbed his temples, no longer pacing but slumped against the wall. "So you stay quiet about this bullshit, and they stop the Hunts?"

Jonas hesitated, his pain evident. "No. There was something else that caused that."

••••••A/N••••••

If you have read the previous version, this is where you'll see more drastic changes. Same story, I promise, but a different flow.