Chapter 6

The academy was still buzzing with gossip about Emma’s sudden collapse the day before, but once the healers announced she would make a full recovery, students moved on with surprising speed. By the following morning, the atmosphere felt noticeably lighter. First-year students rushed across campus clutching schedules and maps, laughing as they tried not to get lost again.

I left my dormitory early, notebook in hand, determined to reach my first real class without drawing any more attention. The uniform felt stiff and unfamiliar, and my silver hair was braided tightly in an attempt to look as ordinary as possible. That plan failed almost immediately.

The academy was enormous. Every hallway looked identical, same white stone walls, same arched windows, same flickering magical lanterns. After wandering in circles for nearly twenty minutes, I stopped in frustration and muttered under my breath, “Whoever designed this place clearly hated new students.” Just as I was about to swallow my pride and ask for directions, a familiar voice spoke from behind me.

“Lost already, Silver Girl?”

I turned to find Adrian Valerius leaning casually against the corridor wall, arms crossed, an amused smile playing on his lips. His golden blond hair was slightly tousled, and his sapphire eyes sparkled with mischief as if he had been waiting specifically for this moment.

“I’m perfectly capable of finding my own way,” I said, folding my arms.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Of course you are.” He watched with barely contained laughter as I confidently walked straight into a dead-end corridor a few steps later.

I glared at him when I had to turn back.

“Fine. Help me, but only because I’m going to be late.”

He fell into step beside me, talking almost nonstop about the academy’s layout, the best shortcuts, and how the older students liked to prank newcomers. I answered with short, unimpressed replies, which only seemed to encourage him more.

“Are you always this talkative?” I asked eventually.

Adrian grinned proudly. “Silence is boring. Life’s too short not to enjoy a good conversation.”

I muttered, “I’m beginning to appreciate silence much more.”

He laughed again, the sound bright and easy. Despite myself, the corners of my mouth twitched. He was annoying, but there was something almost refreshing about his relentless cheerfulness after years of cold silence at home. When we finally reached the classroom, nearly every seat was taken. The only empty chair sat directly between Kael Draven and Rowan Ashford. I stared at it for a long moment, convinced someone was playing a cruel joke on me.

Adrian happily took the seat directly behind me. “Looks like you’re stuck with the quiet ones,” he whispered cheerfully.

I had no choice but to sit between the two most intimidating princes in the academy. The entire class watched with open curiosity. I slid into the chair and whispered under my breath, “This has to be the worst luck of my life.”

The lesson was an introduction to werewolf history, focusing on famous battles between the Alpha Kingdoms. To my surprise and everyone else’s I found myself confidently answering several difficult questions. I had spent countless nights back home losing myself in old books while the rest of the family celebrated Isabella’s successes. Professor Victor Blackwood even paused mid-lecture, clearly impressed.

Rowan leaned slightly toward me. “You know far more history than most nobles I’ve met,” he said quietly.

I shrugged. “Books were my only escape growing up. They didn’t care who was reading them.”

Kael glanced at me for the briefest moment. His usual cold expression softened almost imperceptibly before he returned his attention to the lecture. I tried to ignore the strange flutter in my chest.

At lunch, Emma shyly invited me to eat with her. We found a quiet table near the windows, relieved to have escaped the noisy crowds. For a few peaceful minutes, we talked softly about our classes.

Then Adrian casually dropped into the seat beside me with a fully loaded tray. “Mind if I join you ladies?”

Moments later, Rowan joined us, claiming every other table was full. Finally, Kael walked over carrying his own lunch. Without asking permission or even glancing around, he sat directly across from me. The entire cafeteria fell into stunned silence before exploding into frantic whispers. Hundreds of eyes locked onto our table at once.

I slowly looked from one Alpha prince to the next. Adrian grinning beside me, Rowan watching calmly, Kael eating as though nothing unusual was happening and let out an exhausted sigh.

“Are the three of you physically incapable of leaving me alone?”

Adrian nearly choked on his drink from laughing. Even Rowan smiled, a rare genuine expression that softened his intelligent features. Kael simply continued eating, though I thought I saw the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.

For the first time since arriving at the academy, I realized these three princes were going to make my school life anything but peaceful. And I already found every single one of them unbelievably annoying.

Across the cafeteria, I caught sight of Isabella watching from another table. Her usual smug smile slowly disappeared as she took in the scene. For the very first time in her life, she looked genuinely threatened.

I turned back to my food, pretending not to notice the storm of attention swirling around us. Whatever came next, I would face it.

Even if it meant dealing with three infuriating, impossibly persistent Alpha heirs who seemed determined to turn my world upside down.