The BAD Brothers' Obsession

CHAPTER 4

Cassandra’s POV

The cafeteria erupted into chaos, the air thick with the sound of Brian's growl. I froze, eyes wide in fear and my heart hammering in my chest.

The room was quickly filled with whispers, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. Lucien stood across from Brian, his posture calm, but his eyes—dark, focused—told a different story.

I watched as Brian clenched his fists, his body trembling with barely-contained anger. Just when I thought I had seen almost all his mean sides, I was proven wrong.

I had never seen him like this before. For a brief, insane moment, I wanted to step in, to tell him to stop. But I wasn’t that foolish.

"You're really gonna do this?" Lucien’s voice was calm, almost mocking, but there was no fear in it.

He stood his ground, his posture tense, eyes locked on Brian like he knew exactly what was coming.

Brian’s lips curled into a snarl. “Seems like you’ve truly forgotten what I’m capable of. Prancing around here, thinking you can mess with me in my own territory? Big mistake.”

Before anyone could react, Brian lunged at Lucien.

Lucien moved fast, dodging Brian’s first strike with ease. But Brian was quicker than I expected, adjusting mid-swing and landing a solid punch to Lucien’s ribs.

The crack echoed through the room, and Lucien stumbled back. He recovered quickly, retaliating with a strike aimed at Brian’s face, but Brian sidestepped it like he’d been expecting the move.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Brian sneered.

Lucien growled low, his eyes flashing yellow as his wolf clawed to the surface. He darted forward, fists flying. One punch connected, snapping Brian’s head to the side. Blood dripped from the corner of Brian’s lip, but the grin he gave was chilling.

“You’ll regret that.”

Brian drove forward without hesitation. He slammed a fist into Lucien’s stomach, the force causing him to double over, and followed it with a brutal uppercut that sent Lucien crashing into a table. Trays and food clattered to the floor, the noise startling everyone in the room..

Lucien barely got to his feet before Brian was on him again. This time, there was no dodging. Each punch landed hard and fast, driving Lucien back step by step. Brian's strikes were relentless, every hit knocking the fight out of him until Lucien’s movements started to falter.

Lucien swung weakly, but Brian caught his arm, twisting it with a force that made Lucien grunt in pain. “Done already?” Brian taunted, shoving him hard against the wall.

Brian’s hand shot out, wrapping around Lucien’s throat with a crushing grip. Brian’s eyes flickered between his and his wolf, his wolf probably struggling to take over and deal with Lucien for his defiance.

His claws extended, digging into Lucien’s skin with just enough force to draw out a bead of blood that started trickling down Lucien’s neck, the red a stark contrast against his pale skin.

Lucien clawed at Brian’s hand, but his struggles only made Brian’s grip tighten, digging his claws deeper into Lucien’s throat. “You walked into the wrong fight,” Brian growled, his voice low and menacing.

Lucien’s defiance hadn’t faded, but it was clear Brian had the upper hand.

His face twisted with pain, yet there was still that icy determination of his that refused to break.

What was this guy made of? Brian was the devil of Crestwood Academy. I did appreciate his help but if this would always be the outcome of his attempts to protect me, I don’t think I needed it anymore. I just couldn’t watch this fight go on anymore.

“Enough!” A voice cut through the madness.

A teacher burst through the door, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. “What the hell is going on here?”

Brian and Lucien froze, both of them panting, eyes still locked on each other with the tension of the fight still lingering in the air. The room fell silent, all attention shifting to the teacher who stood, arms crossed, glaring at both of them.

I exhaled, my heart still pounding, unable to shake the feeling that things between Brian and Lucien had just escalated in ways I would never have expected. Had this teacher not shown up, I couldn’t even imagine the bloody scene I’d have witnessed here.

I was grateful that at least students in this school, irrespective of their ranks, listened to their teachers because of the strict rules enforced here.

“Both of you, out,” the teacher barked, pointing toward the door.

Brian shot me a look as he wiped the blood from his lip. He shoved past Lucien, his shoulder hitting him with just enough force to make it clear this wasn’t over.

Lucien stayed a beat longer, his gaze dropping to mine. His jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought he’d say something. He didn’t. He just turned and followed Brian out, leaving behind a room full of wide-eyed stares.

The moment they were gone, the whispers started.

“Brian snapped. Did you see that punch?”

“Lucien didn’t back down, though. He’s insane.”

“What do you think it’s about? The new girl?”

I shoved my tray aside, my hands trembling. The weight of every stare pressing down on me made it difficult to breathe. I felt like I was suffocating. My chest tightened as I tried to block out their voices.

The bell rang, dragging me back to reality. I quickly pushed my fuss back, the screech of the metal on the tile cutting through the noise. I ran out to the restroom to catch my breath. Once I was finally feeling better, I took a deep breath and headed to class.

Getting to class, I slipped into my seat. Despite being more at ease now, my head was still replaying the fight over and over.

I honestly didn’t get what was going on anymore. Why was Brian always after me? Why did he know so much about what happened to me in my previous school? Could I even forget the look he shot towards my direction before leaving the cafeteria?

And then… Lucien. Who was he? Why was he… why was he so… why did he choose to stand up for me? Why would someone who barely knows me want to help me?

None of this made any sense.

“Cassie,” Brittany called out in a sharp voice, snapping me out of my daze.

I flinched, turning towards her direction to see her smirking from across the room.

“Nice little scene you had there in the cafeteria. Got yourself in the middle of that mess, huh?” She drawled, leaning back in her seat, eyes sharp, a smirk pulling at her lips. “Starting fights over you already? You must be proud.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat was tight, and her eyes were cold enough to freeze me in place.

Her smirk deepened. “Let me guess—Lucien’s your knight in shining armor? How cute. Just so you know, he doesn’t stay interested long. You’re probably just his little charity project.”

My hands clenched under the desk. I kept my eyes forward, willing the bell to ring before I did something stupid.

“Aw, did I touch a nerve?” Brittany’s voice dripped with fake sweetness. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn. Everyone does.”

My fingers twitched under the desk, the words biting more than they should. I clenched my jaw and kept my eyes on the front of the room, hoping the teacher showed up before I said something I was certain I’d regret.

Fortunately, the teacher walked in, and the rest of the school day flew by like a breeze.

The school closure bell finally rang, and right after the teacher dismissed us, I headed straight for the exit, desperate to escape. I almost made it out of the building when I crashed into someone in the hallway.

“Sorry,” I muttered, looking up to see Lucien standing there, his eyes unreadable but still carrying that calm confidence.

“It’s fine,” he said, offering a small, reassuring smile. “You okay?”

I nodded, but the unease in my chest wouldn’t go away. “What happened in there?”

Lucien glanced over his shoulder toward the principal’s office. “Brian’s a lot more unpredictable than he likes to let on.” He hesitated, then added, “Be careful with him. He doesn’t play fair.”

His words lingered in the air as he turned to leave, his posture tense.

Then, out of curiosity, I called out. “Wait!”