Bullied By The Alpha Prince: Read Chapters 1-5

SERAPHINA’S POV

Werewolves and humans have never mixed well.

Yet barely ten years ago was when the first human made contact with the wolves that were a hidden otherworldly civilization at the time.

A peace treaty had been reached between both kinds and although our leaders may have signed it on a piece of paper, in truth, humans remain the outcasts, pushed off into the corner and neglected like we aren’t people too.

I’ve always had more than a few opinions about their kind - they are beasts, monsters that should never exist in the first place. I know they don’t like us, but not all of them share such a mindset, the few who were different were like pillars of hope to the rest of us.

“Seraphina!”

I hear Miss Lucy’s familiar voice filter into my thoughts just before her head sticks right into the room I’m in, washing the pots. She's the caretaker of the little human orphanage I’ve known as home all my life, and also the only werewolf I’ve ever had the chance of meeting.

“Are you done with the pots? Call the children to come down for a meal.” She orders simply, turning back to the kitchen she was in.

The sternness in her tone has only ever been an act to put most of us in check. In actuality, her heart was way too soft and big for her own good. Despite being a humble Omega female, she had opened her own home to orphaned human children years ago.

I nod almost instantly, tossing the pot aside while running to the end of the crooked stairwell at the end of the tiny hallway. I take in a deep breath, summoning the strength from my body before I yell out at the top of my voice.

“Food’s ready, time to eat!”

There’s not an immediate response from my call. Bone chilling silence follows, before the sudden eruption of numerous small feet thudding against the wooden floors in haste.

Suddenly, a dozen of them come running down just like that, children ranging from 5 and above. Until 15 come rushing down the stairs, shoving the others, and immediately deflecting into the kitchen in true commotion.

I wait until they're all settled and before I can turn to get my own plate, I spot one of our youngest coming down - a twin, almost completely inseparable from his sister, but now without the other.

“Where’s Emily?” I ask.

He looks up at me with a frightened gaze but says nothing, shaking his head. The look on his face tells me otherwise and it only takes a moment for the realization behind his action to sink.

I waste no time, running up the stairwell next, peeping into every room I pass before I come across one that isn’t completely empty and my guess wasn’t wrong.

A group of older girls, all my age, stand over the smaller measly looking Emily, laughing with constant taunts, while she’s tattered.

Emma, Riley and Tina, the orphanage’s ruthless bullies, and it seems Emily’s been caught in their net today.

“Look at the scared little thing, almost like a tiny mouse.” Emma snickers, sneering at her like a predator.

“Hey, squeak like a mouse for us, c’mon.” Tina taunts, placing the edge of her arm on her head while Riley laughs like there’s some funny joke being said here.

The sane thing to do would be to ignore this, or make an excuse that Miss Lucy is coming just to get them to flee, but when have I ever gone with the sane thoughts?

The sight of it all triggers something in me, flaring up my own anger, followed by the high-pitched ringing in my ears that always comes right before my outburst and every poor life decision I’ve ever made.

I pick up a wet mop stick resting against a corner wall and walk into the room abruptly, drawing their attention to me immediately.

“Tired of messing with kids your own size, huh?” I say, walking closer, trying to hold myself back.

The three girls look at me too quickly, scared for their lives until they recognize me and let out relieved breaths.

“Well, if it isn’t Sera. Here for seconds?” Riley speaks to me first, tilting her head to the side and referring to last night.

The day before, she had me locked in the toilet all day and I couldn’t go to school just because I refused to do any of their chores.

Her wicked smile and that of her friends now turn to me fully and mostly off poor Emily. I could take the bullying, I always have, but I couldn’t imagine the little girl being able to.

Three against one… and a half; that’s hardly fair - so of course, I won’t play fair.

“Run!” I yell to Emily once our eyes meet and just like that, she gets up on her feet and dashes out through the door.

“Hey!” Emma yells, seeing what I’ve done.

Before the rest can react to it, I raise the mop stick, smacking Riley in the face with it and pushing her backwards, colliding into the other two like a domino, before I run away.

Their united screaming echoes from behind me, but I never stop running. I run down the stairs, past the group of children eating, down to the back door and through it.

I run out of the orphanage and down the path in the back that leads right into the bushes, pushing myself as fast as my legs can take me.

“Come back here, you freaking bitch!” Riley screams from behind, letting me know they’ve already caught up.

Shit.

Despite the pouring rain, I double my pace, dodging through the trees expertly, having been here more than a few times and just barely losing the three.

Just when I start to celebrate mentally, praising myself from escaping them, I suddenly trip from a root sticking out of the earth and fall face flat onto the hard muddy floors and let out a groan of pain.

I’m immediately disorientated by my fall, feeling a slight pain just in my ankles while I try to get myself together and keep moving, but it’s too late.

Their footsteps catch on and soon, they tower over me, breathing hard from the chase while glaring hatefully.

“You freaking bitch!” Riley screeches first, landing the first blow with her foot to my side and the others follow almost immediately.

Each kick and blow to my body lands painfully against my already soaked and wet body.

I groan in pain and struggle to break free; they never stop, releasing all their anger on me.

It doesn’t stop until I stop fighting, until the world around me goes numb and my consciousness slowly fades from my body, and I find myself floating on something like a cloud.

Feeling nothing, not even my own body.

“Seraphina…”

A female voice, too faint to recognize, calls to me in a distance eerily, yet something about it feels warm.

I don’t respond, knowing that I’m probably dreaming again, losing myself into this imaginary world I’ve constructed to ignore my own pain.

“Seraphina.” The voice calls once more and I’m immediately pulled back into consciousness.

I realize I’m lying flat on the muddy earth while the rain continues to fall faintly everywhere. The girls are nowhere to be seen, probably got tired of kicking, and my body aches so badly.

I sit up, holding onto my bruised sides that hurt like hell and remain just like that on the floor. What’s the point of rushing to get up now? I’m already filthy, it can’t get worse than this.

That’s right, nothing can get worse than this.

This is the life I’ve lived every day. I’m already used to it, so nothing else could possibly faze me ever.

I sit alone for a while, enjoying the calming silence alongside the pitter patter of the rain against the leaves. Silence that I rarely have moments of experiencing.

I could stay like this forever, far away from those bullies that torment me daily.

The grumble of my tummy that follows reminds me again that I haven’t eaten, and the sun is just beginning to set.

The food must be probably almost gone but there’s a chance Miss Lucy left some for me, so I get up, finally rising from the sticky earth and shaking off the excess that clung to my clothes.

I walk until I’m back and slide in quietly through the back door and suddenly, I run into Miss Lucy.

“Seraphina!” She whispers harshly the moment I come into her field of vision, looking all over my body in one glance. “Where have you been?”

From her tone, I can tell she’s pissed and the next words that will leave my lips will be important.

“Uhm… I went for a walk?” It comes out as a question rather than a statement, and she reads through it almost immediately.

With a huff, she pulls out her hanky, wiping my dirty face harshly like any mother would to her child.

“Now’s not the time for jokes.” She chides in a whisper again.

“Why are we whispering?” I ask purely out of curiosity but she says nothing more, taking my hand and tugging me toward the main hall.

I’m immediately greeted by the sight of all the other orphaned kids lined up against both walls of the hallway, facing inwards.

The very same girls that had tormented me just minutes ago chuckle at my outward appearance the moment I walk in with Lucy, and she gives me a spot to stand at the very end.

I ignore them, looking ahead at more important things, like figuring out what’s happening. That is just before my eyes fall on him.

A man far on the other edge of the hall with his back turned to the source of light, making his face blurred.

I can barely make out his features but from the size of him, his height and powerful presence, the large build of his body, I immediately know that he’s a werewolf - a high ranked one too.

Soon enough, he starts moving. His steps are calculated and slow, radiating royalty and class. He glides through the hall with grace, barely making a sound. The air freezes in his presence, making it hard for me to breathe.

He stops in front of me, and I can't look at him until he faces me. When I finally meet his eyes, I'm shocked and speechless.

He’s nothing like the wolves I’ve read in books or heard in tales, or rather, they had underestimated the ungodly allure they could have over humans.

Pure silver eyes that shimmers with an innate light that grips my soul almost instantly while staring right through. He has striking features perfect for any human to possess.

Midnight black hair that shimmers even with the lack of light around us.

He’s clearly in his mid-forties but aged like the finest wine. Although beneath it all, there is a hint of sadness masked by the look of annoyance in his eyes.

Shit, I’m staring too much.

I pry my eyes away almost immediately.

“This one is filthy.” He comments and it’s only now I hear the deep powerful voice of his.

Miss Lucy steps forward almost instantly, cowering visibly in his presence while avoiding looking into his eyes.

“My apologies…”

“Is it by choice or a sign of disrespect?” He interrupts her before she can explain, already taking some sort of offense.

Miss Lucy immediately goes into panic mode, stuttering to explain herself.

My eyes fall on the girls again, the main cause of my appearance, choosing to remain silent even now when it’s their fault, while this strange man grills our caretaker.

Like all bullies, they’re just too cowardly to own up to their own deeds.

“Well, it depends on how you look at it, sir.” I speak, suddenly not being able to hold my own tongue well enough and hating the position Miss Lucy is in because of me.

He looks at me almost immediately, raising a brow… not of annoyance anymore, but interest.

“Sera!” Miss Lucy tries to chide me but he raises his hands immediately, forcing her to pause.

Now he turns fully to me; I have his full attention.

I gulp with immediate regret and nervousness, having put myself in an irredeemable position once more.

“Sir? Haven’t been called that in a while.” He humors my words unexpectedly and is now waiting for me to respond.

“If not sir, what do they call you then? You look like a ‘sir’ to me.”

I immediately hear her suck in a deep breath that makes me think I’ve fucked up again. Maybe I have, maybe I should have shut up after the first thing I said.

The smile that forms on his lips next is unexpected and takes me off guard momentarily.

“I’m called many things actually; my liege, your majesty…Alpha King of all wolves…”

The last statement puts it all together instantly, explaining the reason behind Miss Lucy’s grave expression, behind the sudden chilling air and the unnerving feeling in the air.

He’s not just any wolf but the Alpha. Not just any Alpha, but the king himself, ruler of the congregation of packs.

I gulp a ball of my own saliva while having my own mind blown away immediately.

“Cool.” I just barely make out underneath my breath.

And my expression seems to entertain him because he chuckles next.

Light and airy like the wind.

“I like you.” He comments causally.

I’m torn between surprise and flattery.

“Thank you… I have that effect on most people.” The ones I don’t annoy.

His eyes move back to Miss Lucy next, while she just barely manages to remain conscious without panicking for my own sake. I can see that she might just pass out at any time if I keep talking.

“She’s perfect.” He says, referring to me before the smile fades and his stiff expression returns. “My men will come for her in the morning.”

A vague sentence that leaves me puzzled, yet she nods, bowing her head slightly at his command.

He doesn’t bother mining more words before he makes his way towards the door.

“Wait… coming for what?” I ask at the top of my voice, not wanting to let him go before he explains what he means.

“You will understand soon enough.” He says casually, still moving to the door, about to leave.

But I’m still unnerved, despite his vague words, this is the only opportunity of a lifetime.

I have never heard or seen anything about him besides the fact that he’s a blood thirsty Alpha, cruel when he needs to be and just in his ways.

And that he was the one that decided to let in humans despite the advice of the council of Alphas.

He’s like a myth I’ve only heard of and a hero of some sort, and I don’t even know his name properly.

The desire to know more, to not let go of this very moment pushes me forward and I dare to speak again, in desperation.

“What do your friends call you?” I ask without thinking, as I’ve always done.

I’ve come this far, there's no point in being scared.

He pauses just as his hands come in contact with the door knob, standing like that for a moment before he turns back to me and once again, that small smile plays at his lips, as though the question has brought him nothing but delight.

“My wife calls me Silvan.”

SERAPHINA’S POV

“Raven Wood Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in the entire Wolfdom. Wolves from countless packs all hope for their children to attend a place like that.” Miss Lucy explains, fussing over my hair while she tries to put it in some elaborate bun.

It doesn’t work on my short, neck-length wavy brown hair and she gives up almost instantly

Alpha Silvan just visited yesterday and since then, everything is moving so fast with packing up some luggage and being given a run down on what to do and not to do around wolves.

I wasn’t even able to sleep a wink all night.

“Therefore, you must be on your best behavior. None of that stubbornness when you get there.” She says, coming to a halt and taking a step back to look at her work in the mirror while meeting my eyes.

“Yes, Miss Lucy.” I say, agreeing with her.

A small smile plays on her lips briefly and for the first time since this whole incident, I see the look of pride in her eyes.

“Not many humans get the opportunity to be chosen in the Alpha’s program of including humans into the wolf society.” She adds, rubbing my hair softly.

Along with that pride, worry is clearly mixed in and I can understand why.

Werewolves aren’t receptive to other kinds besides theirs and haven’t been for years. Something like this was a first of its kind and for that sole reason, there will be push backs.

But I’m not the kind of girl that gets cracked easily.

Minutes later, a car comes to pick me up, although it’s like a car I’ve never seen in all my life. I don’t know much about cars but I know for a fact, simply from looking at it. that it’s anything but remotely affordable.

Miss Lucy wastes no time in stuffing both me and my luggage in the back seat before standing aside and waiting for my departure.

A last look at this place, my home, fills me with dread from leaving. My memories of this place aren’t all entirely good, still it’s all I’ve known and I’ll miss almost everyone.

As the car ignition starts on and begins to zoom off into the other direction, I stick my hands through the window, waving at her and the children as well, even those naughty bullies that I won’t get to see for the longest time.

***

The drive is anything but short.

I fall asleep until I’m awoken by the gentle tapping on the window that pulls me out of my dreams before I step out of the car with my small luggage.

I rub my groggy eyes slowly right before I open them and I’m greeted by the magnificent sight in front of me.

The tall towers like a castle rather than an actual school stare back at me in gleaming excellence. Structures that I never thought I would be privileged enough to see in all my existence.

“Holy fuck.” I say under my breath while my jaw drops way too low.

What was it that Miss Lucy had said… prestigious? This looked like something more than prestige.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” I turn to the man standing by my side and taking my bag from me, just to be sure we weren't at some royal palace by mistake.

He says nothing, instead giving me a dull and uninterested look.

“I will lead you to the Administrator’s office.” He responds, ignoring my actual question.

If it had been a whole other scenario, I might be offended but right now, the awe of this dream-like experience has me in a chokehold to be bothered by his tone or attitude.

I nod, tagging along right beside him as we draw closer to the actual school building.

I manage to catch up with his pace.

His large wolf frame and longer legs makes it almost impossible to catch up without needing to jog a bit and even while I do that, I take it all in with my eyes.

Gasping at every elaborately decorated structure that comes into my field of vision before we stop right in front of tall doors and he sets my bags down.

“Wait here.” He commands only a few words before he turns to leave me there.

Of course, where else would I go when I don’t know the layouts of my new surroundings?

I sit on waiting chairs just outside the office, waiting to be called in eventually but minutes pass until it feels like I’ve been waiting for an hour.

I start dozing off before a bell rings, echoing in the halls and I’m startled awake once more.

I immediately decide not to remain out here longer without doing anything, whoever is inside clearly must be busy.

With this new plan in mind, I finally stand up from the bench and walk in a direction I know nothing about.

The bell must have meant something because suddenly, there’s an outflow of the students from each class, filling up the once quiet hallway with chattering laughter.

All of them have a different air about them, along with their larger build that makes me look like a short runt in their presence.

It’s the first time I’ve ever been around so many wolves at a time and I stare almost too blatantly at the ones that pass by, wondering what it would be like to fully integrate into their system.

The stares I receive back, on the other hand, are… different.

Side glances that don’t look pleasant, with a few closing their nostrils and scoffing at me.

Do I smell?

I sniff at my arms, remembering the long soak I had taken as early as 5 in the morning at Miss Lucy’s request. I heard werewolves’ sense of smell is far superior.

Maybe it wasn’t enough.

The sound of group laughter catches my attention now while I pass by large double doors and I turn to my left, stumbling across the school cafeteria.

More like a ballroom with the size of it and the classic decorations.

They have two bloody chandeliers in here!

“Let me go!”

The scream draws my eyes away from the lavishness, all towards a group of students laughing about something - the very group that had drawn my attention to this place.

They seem to be crowded and hunched over something, or someone, and whoever it is seems to be in danger.

My curiosity takes over, and I move closer until the entire scene comes into view.

Three guys tower over a girl on the floor, all messed up and covered in some sort of stew, with bloodshot red eyes stained with tears.

“Stop it!” She exclaims, trying to reach for something in front of her until another guy kicks it again and they continue to laugh.

She’s clearly being bullied and it definitely isn’t any of my business, but I can’t look away from the scene, especially as the taunting never stops and no one in the crowd seems to care that she’s covered in her own food.

“You seem thirsty as well.” The ring leader speaks, holding a jug of fruit juice over her head.

She breaks into a sob, too frustrated to keep telling them off and I see red.

The high pitched ringing in my ears peaks and like I'm stuck in a trance, I don’t know when my left leg moves in front of the other.

I walk briskly towards the crowd without even thinking and stand right in front of them, between the boys and the girl sobbing on her knees at their mercy.

“Stop it.” I say firmly and hold out both my hands as I act like a shield.

The three main perpetrators look at me now, their full attention falls onto me with predatory eyes that send shivers down my spine and silence immediately ensues within the crowd.

It's only now seeing them, being in their presence, that I’m caught in some sort of daze.

I heard that the appearance of wolves stands out amongst humans, but clearly it had been an understatement.

Each of them are gorgeous in their own ways, but the one in front of me…

Bright blue eyes with a striking light that holds me in an instant trance, with thick midnight black hair. A broad firm nose and pale pink lips that look soft from the first glance.

His entire face, on its own, almost has a subtle glow to it just from his looks, although it’s marred by the dark twisted scowl that slowly takes form. He stands out even among his own peers and for some reason I find it too hard to pry my eyes away from him.

Mischief and danger dominate his aura, and for a moment, I tremble.

The sound of his scoff pulls me out of my trance immediately and I shake my head, realizing I’ve been staring at him like a foolish simple-minded girl, embarrassing myself in front of them.

His wicked eyes rake over me with a hint of disgust as though looking over a dirty church rat before he chuckles darkly. The insult in his eyes hurts before he can even speak.

“Ace, what is this… thing?” He gestures to me while speaking to his friends, as though I’m not right in front of him. “Since when do we let beggars walk right into the school building?”

His comment draws laughter from the rest of his friends that find it hilarious at my own expense. My once blazing anger returns almost immediately and once again, I move without thinking.

I grab the jug from his hands and toss the liquid right over him, staining that gorgeous face and build with dark purple juice.

The guys in front of me pause, the asshole looking over his once white shirt covered in dark purple liquid before his face slowly looks up and his eyes meet mine.

They are sharp enough to cut through my heart.

“What the fuck?” He growls menacingly, already seething in anger, glaring down at me and quite literally, I’m the shortest in a crowd of taller wolves. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

And just like that, the trance breaks. I realize I’m talking to an asshole that was just bullying someone.

The thundering voice causes everyone else around to cower in fear and although I’m startled and my heart is racing, I force my head up high without shame.

“Your daily dose of manners, that’s who. Although from the looks of it, you deserve more than just juice all over you.” I snap back, resting my hands on both hips.

Veins visibly pop on the side of his forehead while he seethes even more, grinding his teeth together in a poor attempt at self-control and just briefly, I see a faint flash of gold in his eyes.

“You fucking bitch… I could snap that twig-like neck of yours in a flash. Or maybe ripping out your tongue would remind you of your pointless existence.” He warns, taking a step closer to me, tilting just a little to enunciate the difference in our heights.

Again, he’s trying to intimidate me with his gaze. Faintly, underneath the stains that hide a good deal of his face, I can see the contours of his muscles.

“I’d like to see you try, pretty boy.” I take a step even closer, challenging the fucking prick as well. What the hell was I getting myself into?

He doesn’t back down though, not that I expected him to. He could easily flip me over with his build but I wouldn’t be going down without a fight either.

We’re stuck in a death glare for a few seconds before another guy behind him pulls him back.

“Dude, you can’t fight in school, your father gave you a probationary period, remember?” He whispers loud enough for me to pick the words though.

Asshole snarls again but backs down almost immediately just as soon as the school bell rings again.

Just like that, the crowd disperses quickly, almost as if running away to take cover. But even he doesn’t make a move on me, only eyes that glare at me viciously.

That is before a sinister smirk claims his lips.

An ominous feeling runs up my spine at this moment just before he looks away from me and leaves with the rest of his friends to make it back to class.

My heart races for some reason. That smile spelt trouble - no, it spelt hell.

I did good alright, standing up to a bully on my first day and defending someone.

But why does it feel like I’m going to regret this somehow?

Why does it feel like I’ve tempted the devil’s fire?

SERAPHINA’S POV

My ears are almost at the point of bleeding since finally meeting the administrator and hearing enough scolding from him.

“…I truly wonder if this behavior is common among your peers in your human schools, but something like this won’t be allowed in Raven Wood, Miss Hawthrone. Even if you are not deserving, you will carry yourself with prestige worthy of a place like this.” He nags on.

All this just because when he finally found the time to address me, I wasn’t standing outside his door waiting like he wanted.

From his tone and choice of words, I can already smell the prejudice against humans all over him. He reeks of it.

Eyes looking down on me, on my class, just like that boy from earlier. His blue piercing eyes haven’t left my mind since our encounter, leaving an impression on me that I can’t quite classify as anything yet.

“Loitering around school on your first day and potentially drawing too much attention to yourself is unacceptable!”

“But I will be attending here soon, will I not? Is it so bad that your precious students were able to see me sooner than you planned.” I question him now, raising a brow.

His entire face turns red almost immediately as the words coming out from his own mouth seizes and he stares back with obvious embarrassment.

Ahh, you know you are a bigot but you don’t like it being put out to your face, do you?

He adjusts his glasses almost immediately, clearing his throat.

“Things like this are done with decorum, Miss Hawthrone. You are lucky to have been selected for this program and being the first human to attend a school like this. You must of course learn how things work around here.” He finally adds with a softer tone while avoiding my gaze.

I sigh, turning the other way and looking through the window into the garden that falls into my lane of sight.

I let my own thoughts drift while he continues his scolding, choosing to ignore it all, while I think of nothing else aside from that blue eyed boy.

He praises this school so highly and yet they have bullies that trample on others.

I wonder what it is that is so special about this place anyway. The people here all act the same as human kids, don’t they?

A gentle knock on the door behind me echoes into the room and the administrator finally stops talking and gets up to open the door, but I’m uninterested already.

Feeling just a bit disappointed.

Maybe I over-exaggerated this place a bit. Asides from their brilliant structures, there seems to be nothing else.

He clears his throat behind me, suddenly drawing me from my thoughts.

“Miss Hawthrone.”

I stand from my seat, turning to face him again and my jaw drops immediately once I come face to face with none other than the same blue-eyed boy from earlier.

Only now he’s not covered in juice and he’s changed his clothes.

Speak of the bloody devil.

“Our star student will be giving you a tour of the school this afternoon as per school tradition.” He announces excitedly, staring at the guy like he’s some blessed saint.

The fuck is going on here?

“I have the honor of introducing to you your guide, Artemis Donovan Sinclair, the Alpha prince.”

As though my jaw couldn’t possibly drop any lower, it surprises me and goes beyond its own limitations.

The bloody Alpha prince and son of the Alpha King, Silvan Sinclair. How the hell didn’t I see this?

Now that it’s mentioned, the resemblance becomes immediately uncanny. The two look almost like the same person, save for the large difference in age and difference in the eyes.

But then, that was the only thing they had in common.

The very brief conversation I had with his father, I could tell he was a kind wise man, but this asshole in front of me was anything but wise and kind.

I stare at him still in shock, until he does the most unexpected thing.

He takes two steps towards me and on instinct, I move back to evade him but he takes my right hand in his and bows gently while raising the back of my hands to his lips and placing a gentle kiss.

“Nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Hawthrone.”

What the bloody hell?!

I freeze, falling deeper in confusion while he smiles at me sweetly as though he wasn’t the same prick that was talking down to me an hour ago in the cafeteria.

Had I imagined the whole encounter?

No, no way I had.

“Run along now, I have more pressing work to get back to.” The administrator waves us off, returning back to his desk and he makes a move for the door while I follow closely behind wondering what is going on.

***

We’ve been walking for just a few minutes since leaving the administrator’s office and no words have been exchanged between us.

Instead, I walk closely from behind, drilling a hole into his head from behind, wondering what this whole get-up is about.

Surely he hasn’t had a whole attitude makeover suddenly. Shouldn’t he be pissed that I ruined his clothes? He seemed like the type to take things like that seriously.

I ruminate on the matter internally until he suddenly comes to a halt, turning to me.

I’m startled by the sudden pause, but he smiles down at me from nowhere, catching me off guard.

That gorgeous face of his and that perfect smile causes me to lose my train of thought immediately.

“Where do you want to go first?”

“What?” I shake my head, trying to refocus again.

“Do you want to see the archery room, or the sparring hall, or perhaps the garden first?” He asks with so much expertise and politeness that I’m left speechless.

He almost looks like the model student the administrator had praised.

“Uhm… what do you recommend?” I say.

My voice comes out a bit too soft and timid for my own liking.

He nods his head in deep thought for a while before turning back to me.

“The garden, it is.”

And just like that, we move towards the garden and I follow closely behind him, still cautious, but a huge part of me gets more relaxed with him showing me around.

More eyes of students passing fall on me as we move, as though they’ve never seen a human.

I realize I stand out in this place like a sore thumb and it’s not just from our differences in body builds, but everything else.

The thought of being here in this place gives off a sense that maybe I don’t belong here among these people and maybe I don’t.

But if there’s a chance, just even the slightest possibility that our kind and the wolf kind could possibly be at peace or start to move into the right direction, I'd be willing to bet on it.

We move to the garden and I’m shown the different hang out spots and how gorgeous the entire place is, marking it as a potential spot for moments when I want to be alone.

We pass by the dorms and I pause right in front of them, staring at the twin tower buildings.

“These are the dorms.” He pauses as well, gesturing to the both of them.

I stare in awe at the high towers in front of me, pinching myself again just to be sure that I’m not actually dreaming right now.

“Do I really get to live in a place like this?” I ask mostly to myself with my mouth hanging open.

He chuckles beside me softly, at the joke that I didn’t think he’d acknowledge himself.

“Of course, you do. As long as you’re a student here, you have access to all facilities available.” He responds sweetly.

My eyes move to him now, staring a bit before I pry them away from his face.

Maybe I was wrong about him and he’s not as bad as I thought. Initially, I thought this was just a ploy of his to appear nice in front of the Administrator, but thirty minutes later and he’s still this nice and patient with me.

“Shall we move on?” He turns to me now.

I smile for the first time, feeling more confident.

“Yes!”

We move to the archery room next, taking a look around the entire place before stepping out. We walk for a while until he suddenly turns to me with an excited and almost mischievous look in his eyes.

“Are you enjoying the tour?”

“Yes, actually. It’s been fun!” I exclaim honestly, wanting to show my gratitude to him.

“Perfect.” His voice suddenly drops by two octaves.

Weird…

Maybe I misheard it.

“I have a surprise for you. Seeing as it’s already the end of our tour, would you like to see it?” His tone turns sweet again and the smile on those soft pink lips compels me to agree with him without thinking too much.

“Okay.” I nod.

He smiles, suddenly grabbing onto my hand which takes me by surprise.

The warmth of his hands runs up the length of my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake and I’m not let to dwell on this new sensation before he pulls me forward.

We take a turn in a direction we had avoided, a part of the school that wasn’t on the list of places.

We stop just outside a classroom that doesn’t seem to be in use and an ominous feeling crawls up my spine again.

“Ladies first.” He says, letting go of my hand and nudging me to step into the classroom.

I feel reluctant, my instincts warning me about it but the smile he gives me eases my worry. What could possibly go wrong? He’s been nothing but charming since the entire tour.

I discard all my worries now, taking a step closer and pushing into the dark classroom.

I reach for the light switch and turn it on and I’m immediately greeted by a wave of rotten tomatoes and eggs flying across the room and right at me in a blink.

I scream the second the wave of foul smelling food comes crashing on me in torrents, unending for several seconds until it suddenly comes to a halt.

I open my eyes again, staring down at my body soiled from head to toe and dripping with red liquid that stinks too bad, horrified from my own appearance.

My own legs wobble beneath me and give way, causing me to fall onto my knees.

The crowd in front of me bursts into laughter at my own expense, pointing fingers and having pure enjoyment at my horror before it finally dawns on me what’s happening around me and the obvious trap I had literally walked into.

This was all his fault, his plan from the very beginning was to lure me here for this. I was a fool for letting my guard down and not listening to my gut.

I look up at each person taunting me, feeling anger and tears sting my eyes painfully.

From behind me, the bastard walks into the class, clapping slowly as the laughter dissipates

“My, what a sight you are.” He teases with a wicked grin playing at his lips while looking down at me.

He reveals his true revolting nature.

“So… how do you like my surprise?”

ARTEMIS’ POV

The sign of her cowering before me does nothing but give me profound pleasure and fills me with a deep sense of satisfaction.

Yeah, that’s right, this is what you deserve for talking to me without an ounce of respect and interrupting me, even going as far as pouring juice all over me.

No one dares to mess with me and get away with it without experiencing the full extent of my wrath, not even a mere church rat as herself would dare.

I stare down at this big-titted bitch, holding back the urge to spit on her face like the trash that she is.

The new stench oozing off her skin fits her status perfectly.

After this, she probably wouldn’t dare look me in the eye like she had done, probably would ignore my path as well.

Her body trembles violently with her head hung low, like a scared animal.

“Aww, are you shocked by this reality? I had to put someone as pathetic as you are in your place. I heard you’re human, so I’ll obviously excuse your ignorance.”

I lean down to her level, not wanting to come too close to her smelling body.

The entire place remains speechless for a couple of moments. Even I doubt what I had just witnessed, if it had really happened or a figment of my imagination.

But it isn’t.

That girl, whatever the fuck her name is, dared to talk back at me and in the most disrespectful manner, and I was too stunned to even do anything in the moment.

The momentary shock wears off instantly, and I jump onto my feet again, feeling my rage boil uncontrollably.

I pick up a table on the side and toss it across the room into a wall while it crashes into pieces.

“Aargh!” I yell out at the top of my voice, wanting to rip her apart if I could.

She’s made a fool of me again and for the last time.

I hear sudden laughter pulling me away from my thoughts and angrily look behind me, meeting both Ace and Jasper laughing at the top of their voices uncontrollably.

Once our eyes meet, they shut up almost instantly.

“GET OUT!” I yell at the top of my voice.

The crowd behind me disperse immediately, leaving the only two guys behind, the only people I’d let around me long enough and are worthy of my presence.

“C’mon, man, you need to relax.” Ace speaks first, drawing closer and attempting to place a hand on my shoulder but I glare at him, causing him to freeze on the spot.

“Don’t touch me.” I warn coldly and he steps back, keeping quiet.

“I wasn’t expecting any of that.” Jasper speaks now, clearing his throat. “She even went as far as scolding the rest of us.”

“For a human, she’s quite ballsy.” Ace agrees, nodding along with him.

“Enough about all that. That’s not what’s important. She insulted me and the entire Wolfdom. Who the fuck does that bitch think she is? What gives her so much audacity?”

“Probably the fact that she has your fathers support.” Jasper adds.

I snarl at it, knowing that it’s a possibility. She’s the only student under father’s program and he’ll clearly be watching over her from afar.

Somehow that man seems to find a way to bother me even while he’s miles away in the palace and this is my own domain. Now he taunts me by sending a human to disrespect me.

“I am Artemis Sinclair, sole heir to the Crimson Fire pack and kingdom. No one dares disrespect me in my own pack and lives to tell the tale.” I say menacingly, thinking of more than a few ways of making her pay.

“She’s just a human, I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard for you to handle, Artemis.” Ace speaks, leaning against a table casually and smirking.

“I agree. Compared to the other wolves who have gotten in your way and regretted it, she’s nothing. She wouldn’t last long in a place that answers solely to you.” Jasper adds.

They're right.

A smile slowly makes its way to my lips.

Why am I even bothering so much about this in the first place? Over a tiny human who isn’t even aware of her own surroundings. She’s in my domain now and getting rid of her won’t take that much of a hassle.

“I give it a month. She won’t even be able to last long. She already has a mark on her now and the whole school knows already.” I say, relaxing more.

“We just have to sit back and watch; the games are about to begin.” Jasper says, smirking as well and nodding along with the rest of us.

It’s her first day at Raven Wood high and I had already offered her mercy which she rejected blatantly. Now she will forever loathe the day she crossed my path. I’d burn down her world to ashes and feed her to the wolves.

***

SERAPHINA’S POV

I manage to find my way to the female dormitory, dragging both myself and luggage all the way there.

More harsh stares than usual come my way but I ignore them, breathing hard and heavy from residual anger and humiliation.

Alpha prince my ass, more like Alpha jerk ass.

I blame myself solely for letting him get into my head with that gorgeous face of his and that sweet annoying smile.

Letting myself succumb to his charms like a stupid girl.

The prettiest things are always traps set up by predators.

Gosh, I wish I had done more than swing that egg on his face. At least he had gotten a taste of what he deserves, literally.

I manage to enter the female dorm before I’m met with a grand stairwell that seems unclimbable and sigh with a deep breath. Today just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn’t it?

I continue up the stairs, ignoring the looks of disgust, like yeah I get it, I’m human and I reek of shit, move the fuck on.

It doesn’t stop until I finally reach my room floor and I find my actual room before I finally stop and take a moment's rest.

Everyone I’ve met since coming here have been nothing but prideful assholes that think they’re all that and now, my biggest fear is being paired up in a room with another weirdo because imagine this; sleeping with one eye open because you’re scared your roommate might just snuff you out in your sleep.

I make a silent prayer under my breath, hoping that whoever it is outside my door is someone sane.

I take a final deep breath before kicking the door open and walking in.

There’s a sudden thud from someone falling over, followed by a groan. Whoever it is might have fallen off their bed because of me.

“Uhm, hello?” I call out.

A head pops up suddenly, looking at me from the side of her bed.

She scurries to her feet, dusting herself and I’m greeted by this tall gorgeous girl with long flowing jet black hair that drops up to her waist and the brightest honey brown eyes.

She grabs something at the table, putting on her glasses before her eyes widens when she sees me.

“It’s you!”

I look behind me, confused for a second but no one is there.

“Me?” I point to myself

“The girl that stood up to Artemis in the cafeteria.”

It takes a while for her words to settle as I scan though my memory. She does look familiar… but where?

Until it hits me.

She was the one being bullied.

SERAPHINA’S POV

Back in the moment, I hadn’t thought of looking at her, solely focused on that asshole, but now that I see her, I can tell that she is the one.

The momentary surprise from her eyes fades away too quickly when she suddenly grips onto her nose looking at me weirdly.

“I heard Humans have a smell, but I wasn’t expecting this… smell. No offense.” She comments, holding back her urge to gag while offering me a strained smile.

I look down at myself, recalling the events that had caused this and feeling frustrated all over again.

“ No, it's fine. What you're smelling is rotten eggs with tomatoes on the side.” I shrug casually, noting she hasn’t made a derogatory statement towards me in the few seconds that we’ve met.

Strange.

“You need a shower, and you need one urgently.”

“Thank you for your honesty.” I laugh with exhaustion, wishing I could just fall onto the empty laid unused bed on the other side, but she’s right, I need to have a bath.

“Uhm, I’m Olivia Zachary, Omega and your new roommate.” She says, pulling out a clean white towel and handing it to me.

“Seraphina Hawthrone, human.” I point out as though it’s not already obvious that I am.

She chuckles just a bit at it, the laugh sounding way too genuine to be an insult.

Hmm, I might like this one.

“Please, can you show me where the showers are?” I ask finally and she nods, leading me forward with a gentle smile.

***

“So, let me get this straight.” I say, soaking comfortably in a tub, using the finest bathing product I’ve ever seen, while my newest roommate sits right in front of me, flipping through the pages of her thick book.

I playfully blow the bubble around and try to catch them in my hands.

“The social aspect of this school is run by the Alpha prince’s mate while everything else is run by him.”

“That’s right.” She nods.

“He controls quite literally everything and everyone worships the very ground he walks on because of his status.”

“Yep.”

I pause for a moment, letting the rundown of how things work here sink into my mind deeper; the whole hierarchy thing as well.

Her entire explanation was giving k-drama with ridiculous rules everyone had to follow just because two self-righteous teens want it that way.

Not even TV drama writers could make this shit up.

“What are mates again? That part is always confusing.”

“Think of it as every wolf being born with their better halves out there and once they find them, they’re inseparable. It’s actually quite a hassle.” She rolls her eyes midway, drawing her gaze back into her book, but I ponder on it.

“Actually, I think it’s kind of cool. Not having to go through countless assholes to find Mr right.”

“Yeah, reduces the number of assholes to only one.” She quips back easily and we both share a brief laugh before I sigh, sinking deeper into the tub.

So many rules to memorize all before school tomorrow…

“And the last thing.” She looks up to me, slamming her book shut with a firm face. “Whatever you do, do not anger the power couple, that is if you want to be here long enough.”

I remain silent now, not being able to give the usual response and avoiding her eyes.

“Sera?” She prods, waiting for a confirmatory response but I remain silent.

She sighs, smacking her forehead in exhaustion.

“Sera, don’t tell me you did something besides the stunt you pulled off this morning.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” I go into defense mode immediately.

It really wasn’t my fault. I was on my own when he took me there.

“Do you want to be a target for the entire school?!”

“First, I don’t know what that means, and secondly, of course not. But if he’s going to mess with me, I’m not going to just take it easily.”

“Firstly, being a target is the worst possible thing that can happen to you at Raven Wood. First, it starts out with little jokes here and there just to mess with you and then things get too far and escalate.”

“Yeah, I get, bullying isn’t the best experience, but how bad could it possibly be?” I shrug, stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel around myself.

I mean, I've been bullied all my life by older kids and kids my age, and none of them have been remotely fun for me. If I could take it, then I could take anything these preppy kids can throw at me.

Olivia shakes her head slowly, clearly wanting to object but decides to say nothing more.

“Smell check.” She says instead.

I raise both arms up and she moves in closer to sniff me. If thirty minutes of soaking in a scent water bath isn’t enough to get the gunk off me, then nothing else will work.

“How is it?”

She scrunches her nose just a bit before pulling away.

“Asides from the usual wet sock human smell, you're good to go.” She forces a smile, giving me a thumb up.

Her expression makes me laugh and I seem to be enjoying myself since coming here.

We move out of the shared bathroom, walking towards our own room while chatting about nothing in particular.

I let myself enjoy clicking with someone my age without having to fake the interest or seem interesting myself.

Stopping right at our door, the first thing we notice is a small weaved basket sitting just out our door, like a package meant for one of us.

“What’s that?” I move forward, picking it up while Olivia moves for the door.

“Probably something someone left in front of the wrong door.” She comments casually, like it couldn’t possibly be for either of us.

My curiosity takes over, however, and I pull the lid open and take a peek at it.

Staring back at me are the dead pale eyes of a black cat’s head, neatly dismembered from its body. I scream immediately, tossing the basket out of my hands on impulse and it drops to the floor.

Out rolls a bloodied head almost immediately, right onto the passage floors

Olivia sees it then and gags with shock before running to the nearest potted plant that isn’t far and puking right into it.

We’re left both shocked and partially paralyzed while I stare at the thing, wondering who would do this and then drop it just outside our door, like some fucking sick joke.

A note still in the basket catches my eyes and I slowly reach for it with trembling hands, reading the words out loud.

“Let the games begin.” I say the words written in either dark red paint or the blood of this animal.

Olivia's eyes widen even more hearing those words as she switches into panic mode clutching herself.

“You’ve already been marked, this was a warning.” Her body begins to shake uncontrollably like she’s seen a ghost, but none of this makes sense to me yet.

“Wait, they did this, just to get back at me?”

What kind of sick asshole does this to an innocent animal just because he couldn’t handle being reprimanded by someone else or being spoken back to?

Before I can descend into anger, the slight of Olivia already falling into an anxious state makes me discard the entire thought.

She’s been nothing but nice to me, I can’t let her suffer from any of this.

I help her to her feet and into the room, closing the door behind her.

She sits on the carpeted floors, still stuck in her trance while trembling.

I drop right next to her, way smaller, but I wrap my hands around her.

“It’s okay.” I manage to offer.

“It’s not okay, don’t you see? Artemis is a psychopath. Once you’ve gotten on his bad side, he doesn’t stop until he’s gone way too far and you are too broken to even be in school.”

“Why doesn’t anyone ever stand up to him?”

“People have, but they’ve all been shipped off to goddess knows where, or mysteriously transferred outside. It’s even worse for people like us.”

She grows quiet, looking away while the tears in her eyes begin to slide down slowly.

Guilt hits me like a truck instantly, just from seeing her cry. Somehow she had seen that because of me, because I couldn’t control myself and just let things be.

“What do you mean by people like us? I imagined because you’re a wolf you wouldn’t have it as bad.”

She laughs beside me bitterly, looking in the other direction.

“What you don’t know is that wolves are very discriminatory, especially of others that aren’t on their level.”

That sounds very believable.

“Years before now, this school was just for high ranking wolves. The Alphas, and Betas and those alike - not until the Queen Luna, Coraline Sinclair, was crowned alongside her mate. Stories say she was an Omega too. She abolished the laws so every wolf that could dream big could attend Raven Wood. That hasn’t stopped the hate we receive though.” She explains with a sense of sadness in her eyes.

“I had a friend once. He angered Artemis because of a simple mistake and the bullying started and never stopped, until he had to leave and I haven’t heard from him since. I heard he killed himself because it was all too much.” She adds to her story.

I watch her silently, unable to offer words of comfort to her.

Her reason for staying clear and doing nothing is valid. Who would want to fight against a sick bastard when no one comes to anyone’s aid?

Things would only continue to go on like this if no one does anything or stands up to the bastard. There would only ever be oppression and there’s nothing like that that doesn’t anger me so much.

And I’m different from the rest of the people he’s faced, much more stubborn and less under to his controls.

I’m a human!

“Olivia… What do you think about humans?” I ask her now out of the blue.

She sniffles, turning to me now while wiping her eyes.

“I think you guys are… different, in a very peculiar and interesting way.” She responds without much thought.

I smile instantly from her answer. Just as I thought, she isn’t like the rest of them, she’s different, the good kind.

“Good answer.” I say, standing on my feet again as she watches me.

“Don’t worry, Olive. I’m going to be fine, I promise and none of their tricks will affect you either. I swear on my identity as a human.” I say confidently, stretching out my hand for her to take it.

She looks at me with disbelief and stares down at my palm.

My promise sounds almost impossible, I know, all I need is for her to be on my side though, because in trying times the worst thing to be was alone.

She forces a smile despite her doubts and grabs onto my hand, risking it all regardless.

“I’ll hold your words against you.”

I smile back, more fiercely with a burning resolve that seems to have only grown strong.

“That’s exactly what I want you to do.”

Like he’d said, the game is truly on.