Chapter 4

Aria’s pov

The line inches forward. I’m shaking from nervousness, my palms are sweaty, and I keep rubbing them on my skirt like that will stop me from shaking. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest.

The boy in front of me finally moves, and suddenly it’s my turn at the admissions desk. The room is huge, like a cave. The windows are super tall, letting in sunlight that makes the old stone walls look golden. It smells like polish, old books, and something else… something sharp, almost like magic. I can feel it buzzing under my skin, a tingle in my arms.

Behind the desk is a woman who looks like she was made out of the building. She has silver hair in a very tight bun that looks almost painful, thin glasses on her nose, and lips pressed into a line that says she won't stand for any funny business. Her name tag reads: Ms. Evelyn Morrison – Registrar.

She looks up at me slowly, her eyes cold and sizing me up. It’s the kind of stare that sees right through you. I almost trip walking to the desk. She doesn’t tell me to sit, but my legs feel like jelly, and I fall into the chair across from her.

“Name,” she says. Her voice lacked warmth. How did they make such an unwelcoming woman the registrar to welcome new confused students?

My throat is dry. I clear it and get the words out. “Aria Evans.”

Her eyes get sharper, for a second, I think I see something in them. Suspicion? Does she know me? I can’t tell. She looked at her computer screen and then snaps her fingers without saying a word. A folder shows up………or should I call it appears. Out of nowhere…….whoaaaah. The air around it moves, shimmers, and then it’s there. Thick pages bound together and landing on the desk between us.

I gasp, I can’t help it. It's one thing to grow up in a house where people turn into wolves, but another entirely to see real magic happen right in front of you.

She looks at me and raises an eyebrow. Her mouth twitches, like she already decided I'm weak. Well give me a break ma’am, I’m just a human remember? I squeeze my hands together under the desk, digging my nails in hard, trying to pull myself together and hold my tongue.

“Phone”, she says, holding out her hand.

“What?”

“No electronics allowed on school grounds. Hand it over”.

My stomach drops. My phone is my only connection to the outside world, texting Eve, checking on my brothers and my dad, seeing how Philip is doing, maybe he would finally reply my texts and forgive me. What am I to do without my phone? How am I to let them know I was alright? I take it out of my bag anyway because I don't have a choice when she stares at me like that.

She doesn’t grab it, she just waves her fingers. The phone disappears, turning into a wisp of blue smoke. I swallow hard, my heart racing, but I don’t even flinch this time.

“How am I to communicate with my family to let them know I have arrived” I asked, curious.

“You will be allowed a call, once a week. Use it wisely,” she says flatly. “Now, Miss Aria Evans.” She opens the folder and reads words I can’t see. “You’re in Omega House, room 304. Classes start tomorrow.”

For a second, I just stared. I think I heard her wrong.

“Omega?” My voice cracks. “That can’t be right.”

She looks up, giving me an annoyed look.

“I’m… I’m not an Omega,” I stutter, trying to sound steady. “I’ve never even shifted. I thought…”

“You thought wrong.” She cuts me off, her voice sharp. She pushes a little silver tag across the desk. My full name and rank is written on it. “Wear this with you at all time.”

I stare at it, the word Omega looks like a curse. No, this can't be happening. I thought there would be a mistake, someone would say sorry and send me home. Not this, not being stuck, labeled, as the lowest of the low in a world I don’t even know.

“There’s been a mistake,” I say again, in a desperate tone. “I don’t belong here, I’m human. I can’t be…”

Her stare gets harder. “There are no mistakes, Miss Evans.”

She keeps talking like she doesn’t notice I'm about to have a panic attack. Rules, curfews, the cafeteria, all the things I’m supposed to do, it all sounds like noise. My ears are ringing. Finally, she slams the folder shut.

“Keys,” she says, dropping them on the desk. They clang super loudly. “Take your left towards the dormitories and find the Omega House. Follow the rules, or there will be consequences. Go.”

I lean forward, begging. “Please, just listen…”

“Go.”

That’s it, she’s done. She’s already looking for the next folder. My shoulders slump. The keys feel super heavy, and the Omega tag feels cold in my hand. I sigh, it was no use. I stood up and left.

The moment I step out of the building, the noise of the students is back. Laughing, talking, and whispering all blur together, and I keep my eyes on the ground. Nobody paid me any attention this time, it felt good. Maybe I will be able to do this.

The walk to Omega House feels long. The paths twist through gardens and past tall buildings. My bag feels heavier with every step, and my stomach is growling from hunger. I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I love food too much to skip meals and have a big appetite that my brothers tease me about. I will do anything for a bite of a sandwich right now.

By the time I see the building, tucked away in the corner of campus, smaller and simpler than the others, I’m dragging my feet. I’m both in need of sleep and food.

I pushed the door and it creaks open. Inside, it’s simple. A hallway, a small kitchen, and stairs. No student is about, my room 304 is on the third floor. I went up the stairs dragging my feet. The key scratches the lock to my room, and it clicks open. The room is plain. Two beds on opposite walls, two desks, two wardrobes. .

I went directly to the fridge in the corner and open it……empty. Goddammit.

I drop my bag, pull off my clothes, stumble into the bathroom, and turn on the shower. The water feels good on my skin, washing away the dirt and my disappointment. When I get out, wrapping myself in a towel, I'm exhausted. I fall onto the closest bed. The sheets are stiff, but I don’t even care.

My body aches, my head hurts, and my stomach growls again.

Food can wait, I just needed a few minutes of sleep then I will hunt food. Just a little sleep…….