Chapter 2: These dude's are werid

Kila – POV

I stood frozen outside the massive building—its sleek, matte-black walls towering above me like a fortress. A giant werewolf symbol was etched into the front doors, identical to the one burned into my arm.

My legs felt like concrete.

“You don’t have any bags?” the driver asked, snapping me out of my daze.

I turned to him, my voice dry. “You didn’t ask me that when you picked me up.”

He didn’t respond, just shrugged and moved towards his car boot.

A few feet ahead, same four guys from the car stood clustered together, murmuring quietly. Their presence was… intense. The kind of quiet dominance that made your skin prickle.

“Hey, skinny.”

I heard it—of course I did. But I’d learned to ignore guys like that. Mainly Guys that comes in four. Guys who thought size or status made them worth listening to.

Then I felt a light touch on my shoulder.

“What?” I spun around, more defensive than I meant to be.

He raised his hands, stepping back slightly. “Relax. You dropped something.”

I looked down. He was holding my necklace.

My heart skipped. I snatched it from his hand gently but fast.

It was the only thing I had left from my mom—my last connection to her, the only piece of her I could still touch. I’d worn it every day since she passed.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, slipping it back around my neck.

“Let’s head inside,” the driver called.

I followed him, my footsteps echoing on the stone path, While the other four followed closely, with there voice loud. My eyes darted around the campus—dark, vast, intimidating.

Every step I took, the weight in my chest grew heavier. I knew I was stepping into something much bigger than I was ready for. Something powerful. Unknown.

But I wasn’t turning back. Not now.

I came here to leave my past behind.

To escape the pain, the trauma, the silence.

The moment I stepped through the doors, the air changed, as if it has been waiting for me.

It was warmer inside, but not in a comforting way—more like the walls were holding their breath. The floors gleamed like obsidian, polished to perfection, and the massive chandelier overhead sparkled with cold elegance.

This place didn’t feel like a school. It felt like a castle. Or a trap.

The driver didn’t say a word as he led me through the entrance hall. My footsteps echoed behind his, the sound sharp and hollow. I glanced around—tall columns, shadowed corridors, portraits that looked like they were watching me.

I could feel eyes on me that I couldn’t see.

“Right through here,” the driver said, stopping in front of a set of double doors carved with intricate runes I didn’t recognize. He pushed them open and gestured for me to enter.

I stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit, with a long wooden table in the center. At the head sat a tall woman with silver-streaked hair, her eyes sharp and calculating behind a pair of thin glasses. She didn’t look old—but she looked... ancient. In the way storms feel old.

“Miss Kila Monroe,” she said, as if she already knew me. “You’re late.”

I blinked. “I—I came as soon as I got the letter.”

“Hmm.” Her eyes flicked over me like she was peeling back layers. “We weren’t sure you’d come at all though.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the strap of my jacket.

Another woman appeared beside her, this one younger—maybe in her twenties. She handed me a sleek black folder. My name was embossed in silver across the top.

“This is your schedule, dorm key, and a map of the campus,” she said briskly, with a voice calm and welcoming. “Classes begin tomorrow at sunrise. You’ll be in Dorm C, Room 12.”

“Thanks,” I murmured, taking the folder.

“And one more thing,” the older woman said, standing slowly. Her gaze pinned me in place. “You may have arrived marked, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?” I asked, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be.

She smiled—cold and knowing. “To survive.”

Later That Night – Dorm C, Room 12

The room was bigger than I expected. One bed, a desk, dark wood furniture, and a window overlooking the forest.

I tossed the folder on the bed and sat down, staring at the necklace still tight around my neck.

Was this really happening?

A secret academy. A mysterious mark. And those four men—who have been giving me discomfort.

My hand drifted to my arm. The mark was still there, pulsing faintly under my skin.

I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

I stood by the wide window, staring out into the night. My thoughts drifted, memories flickering in my mind like an old movie reel—blurry, painful, impossible to shut off.

A sudden knock snapped me back.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I spun around, heart thudding.

“Who’s there?” I called, already rising to my feet.

Silence.

I hesitated. My pulse quickened as I moved toward the door. Something about the quiet made it worse.

I opened it cautiously—and immediately caught a whiff of him.

Close. Warm. Male.

I looked up—and there he was.

Again.

“You stalking me now?” I asked, irritation lacing my voice. “Or is this just your idea of a welcome party?”

It was one of the boys from the group, he didn’t flinch. “Relax. I just wanted to meet my new neighbor.”

I started to shut the door, but he caught it with his hand—fast. Too fast.

“Can I at least get your name before you slam the door in my face?”

I gave him a once-over, eyes dragging from his tousled hair to the smug twist of his lips. He was too confident for his own good. Too tall. Too built. Too... annoyingly attractive.

Still, I replied. “Kila. And you are?”

He grinned. “I’m the first of the quadruplet brothers.”

I blinked. “Quadruplets? As in four of you?”

He nodded like it was no big deal.

Great. One was already too much. And now there were four.

I raised an eyebrow. “So, what, are you all carbon copies of each other? Or do you take turns being annoying?”

He laughed—deep, smooth, too confident. “We take turns. But I’m told I’m the favorite.”

I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “By who? Your mom?”

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing just slightly as he smirked. “By most girls. You might end up saying the same thing... eventually.”

I snorted. “Keep dreaming, pretty boy.”

“You think I’m pretty?” His grin widened. “See, we’re already making progress.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the tiniest twitch at the corner of my mouth. He was cocky. Way too cocky. And worse—he knew exactly what he was doing.

“So, Kila,” he said, resting his hand casually against the doorframe, body leaning just close enough to make me notice. “You new to the Academy? Or just hiding in your room for fun?”

“Maybe I’m just avoiding quadruplet-sized trouble.”

He let out a low laugh. “Trouble’s kind of my thing.”

Of course it is.

I was about to deliver a sharp comeback when he looked down at the necklace around my neck. His expression changed—just slightly. Curious. Maybe even a little serious.

“That belonged to someone important,” he said quietly.

My hand instinctively moved to the charm. “Yeah. My mom.”

His gaze lingered on me, softer now. “She had good taste. And guts, if she raised you.”

That threw me off guard. Just for a second.

Before I could figure out how to respond, he leaned a little closer—close enough for me to catch the scent of pine and something darker, like the forest after rain.

“I’ll see you around, Kila,” he said, backing away slowly. “Get some rest. Tomorrow’s the real beginning.”

I stood there in the doorway as he turned and disappeared down the hall.

A quadruplet.

Cocky. Charming. Mysterious.

Trouble—just like he promised.

And now I couldn’t decide if I wanted to run away…

Or find out exactly how much trouble he was.