WILLA
My parents hadn't arrived yet, which meant I was still stuck in this school.
At the moment, I was trying to find my way to the classroom Verah had mentioned. She'd said it was important that I attend.
Unfortunately, she had already left before I woke up, leaving me to figure everything out on my own.
"Lykaon Royal academy was founded in 1624 by the descendants of King Lykaon's seven sons, our ancestors." said the guide, a tall boy who looked like he belonged on a basketball court rather than leading a tour. Dark brown eyes, tight curls, and the easy confidence of someone used to being listened to.
"Yeah, yeah. The same Lykaon Zeus turned into a wolf," a boy muttered under his breath. "My parents made me memorize the whole story when I was ten. Why do we even need this orientation?"
This academy was strange.
I had found a guidebook tucked inside the wardrobe of the girl I was supposed to be, Elyse Maddox. It was a handbook about the school itself. Lykaon Royal Academy.
To be honest, the name had sounded normal at first. Just another elite academy with the word royal thrown in to make it feel more prestigious.
At least, that was what I thought. Until I opened the book.
Apparently, this was supposed to be a school for werewolves—an institution meant to teach young wolves control over their beasts, prepare them for leadership, mating and survival, and preserve the balance between the seven bloodlines.
Seriously? Bloodlines. Werewolves. Survival.
A scoff slipped from my lips.
I couldn't tell if any of this was meant to be taken seriously or if it was some elaborate fantasy Elyse had written down in that guide.
Because it made absolutely no sense.
I was human. And according to what she had written, I definitely shouldn't be here.
Yet here I was, thrust into this place by God-knows-who for God-knows-what reason.
My thoughts were so tangled that I didn't notice where I was going until my face collided with something solid.
A neat blazer. Checked.
Rock hard chest beneath the pristine white shirt. Checked.
Masculine cologne. Oakwood and clove.
"Hey."
I stumbled back as I heard his voice, gazing up in surprise. The student guide stared down at me.
I quickly glanced behind him and realized someone else had taken over the orientation group. I must have been too lost in my thoughts to notice the switch.
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I prepared to apologize for not watching where I was going. But the words died in my throat when he smiled, showing off pearly white teeth.
My heart skipped.
He was beautiful. A different kind of beauty from Kol.
Where Kol felt cold, dangerous and intense, this boy radiated warmth. The kind that made you want to step closer, maybe even wrap your arms around him without thinking.
Elyse was a lucky girl. Everyone in this school seemed to care about her.
Unlike me.
"What are you doing later?" he asked, breaking through my thoughts.
"For later?" I blinked at him.
"Yes," he murmured, stepping closer. His lips curved into a teasing smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. "So we can go to the janitor's closet for the BJ you promised me."
"Bee…Jay?" I echoed faintly, trying to piece together what he meant.
Then someone shouted across the hallway.
"I can't wait to watch that performance again. Her mouth sure works wonder hence Elliot is reluctant to let her go!"
My cheeks flamed as realization slowly crept in. And I stared at the boy in front of me.
God. Such a prick. He had said that out loud on purpose. Even though I wasn't Elyse, I was trapped in her reality.
I was still reeling from the virginity drama and everything they had posted on that stupid gossip channel yesterday. And now this.
I turned when I heard the sharp click of a camera going off. A lot of students were in the hallway now, and their phones raised, filming all that was happening.
"Come on, what's your answer?" he urged.
My answer?
Was he seriously expecting me to answer that?
I scowled at him. He simply shrugged.
"It's a promise. You have to fulfill it."
To hell with the promise.
I pushed past him, but he caught my wrist. With a gentle tug, I stumbled back toward him. A gasp escaped me as I spun straight into his arms.
"Wow!" the crowd around us erupted, whistling and clapping as if this were some kind of performance.
"Kiss him already!"
"Get down on your knees!"
"He's the prince of Garrick House! He can ask whatever he wants!"
More voices joined in, shouting commands like they were spectators at a show.
Was this how Elyse was treated here? Like some kind of whore?
And she just accepted it?
"Do it!"
"Do it!"
The chant rose louder.
"See?" he murmured close to my ear as I struggled against his hold. "People love seeing us together. We could be the academy's power couple."
Power couple?
And he expected me to give him a BeeJay? His logic was seriously twisted.
"Let me go!" I shoved harder.
"Stop fighting me," he said, his grip tightening.
I swallowed when I saw his eyes darken. For a second they flashed a strange shade of gold, sending a jolt of unease through me.
Or maybe I had imagined them as his eyes were suddenly normal. He leaned closer, his voice low.
"I can fuck you right here. Right now. I am Lance of House Garrick," he whispered. "And a promise is a debt that must be fulfilled."
"And I'm going to fulfill that promise by giving you a broken nose!" The voice cut sharply through Lance's words.
I twisted in his grip and looked toward the source. Verah.
Thank God!
She was stalking toward us, her face twisted in a snarl. And then I saw it. Her eyes had turned gold. The veins along her face stood out sharply beneath her skin, and her teeth…
My breath caught.
They weren't normal teeth. Two long canines protruded from her mouth like fangs.
I blinked, certain my mind was playing tricks on me. But when I opened my eyes again, they were still there.
My heart lurched violently in my chest. This wasn't some fantasy. It was real.
I was actually standing in a school full of werewolves.
What the fuck?!
"Let go of my best friend!" Verah snapped, reaching for me.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from her.
Even though I should have been fighting to free myself from Lance's grip, I didn't move. I just stood there, staring like an idiot as my brain struggled to catch up with reality.
My thoughts shattered when I suddenly felt a sharp pull on both arms.
A gasp escaped me.
My eyes widened as I realized Verah had grabbed one of my arms. And someone else had the other.
I turned my head. Lance guide.
They were pulling me between them like I was some kind of tug-of-war rope.
"Let me go!" I cried, but neither of them listened.
"Back off, Hart," Lance hissed.
"No. You back off, Lance Beckett," Verah shot back, refusing to move.
I glanced at him. He was glaring at her now, his expression colder than before. When he spoke again, his voice had changed.
It was deeper. Sharper. Dangerous. "I'm an Alpha Level, Hart," he said quietly, the warning clear in his tone.
The authority in his voice rolled over me like a wave. I shivered, an odd stirring twisting in my gut.
Verah opened her mouth to respond, but the words seemed to die on her tongue. She snapped her jaw shut and swallowed hard. Her chin lifted stubbornly as she held Lance's gaze.
Then she released my hand.
"Good," Lance said, pulling me closer to him.
Verah turned and took a step away. Instantly, panic clawed at my chest.
Why the hell are you leaving me with this psycho? The words were right at the tip of my tongue, but I never got the chance to say them.
Verah suddenly spun around.
Before I could even process what was happening, she sprinted toward us at a speed my eyes could barely follow.
Her fist slammed straight into Lance's face.
Lance cried out in pain and staggered backward, releasing me as he clutched his nose.
I stared at him, eyes wide, as blood seeped between his fingers.
"Little shit!" he growled.
"I'm an Alpha level too, Beckett," Verah hissed, stepping forward to face him. "Just because this academy, and this world, is misogynistic and chooses to see only males as powerful doesn't mean you're superior to me."
Lance glared at her, fury blazing in his eyes.
"You have no idea what you've just done," he said through clenched teeth. "I'm going to ruin—"
Verah pulled a folded paper from her pocket and tossed it at him.
"Take the medical bill from my next allowance," she cut him off.
Then she grabbed my hand.
"Let's go."
Before Lance or the stunned crowd could react, she dragged me away.