03

Elara’s pov

Three boys with calculating stares. If I could take my pick, I wouldn’t dare. Not when my entire identity hung by a thread, no matter how intriguingly gorgeous they looked. 

I didn’t need trouble in three’s. I needed weapons, cold steel or strategy.

I walked straight to the lone bed in a corner without sparing the boys a glance while silently thanking  the school for creating a privacy wall between us.

“Is that him?” I heard one of the boys ask as I started to offload my things slowly. 

“For someone assigned to us, he’s quite the size” another scoffed and I was instantly annoyed.

 “Quite the size?” What had they been expecting? 

“His size isn’t the issue,” I heard a calm voice say. I could already tell that these boys were going to be a problem. 

“If it isn’t the issue then what is?” Another asked but I didn’t hear anything.

A chill trickled down my spine suddenly. Was someone…watching me?

I turned. Nothing. Just shadows and silence.

The room was eerily quiet so the boys must have slipped out. I stepped away from my work and nodded in satisfaction. 

I needed to wash off the other parts of me that had blood specks on them. The tape on my body made me too self conscious to risk getting caught naked in the stalls. I had to check it out first.

My gaze was behind me as I locked my bedroom door securing my secrets but when I turned, a horrid gasp left my lips. 

Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on me. I thought they had left!

One of them stood by the closed main door while the other two perched in different areas of the vast room, moonlight casting shadows in the room.

I swallowed, instantly recognizing this as an ambush. My grip on my keys tightened.

Just ignore them. They are not important.

I told myself and quietly, cleared my throat.

I walked to the door, carrying an air of forged confidence, my hands grabbing the doorknob and opening it only to have it shut abruptly.

My neck instantly cracked to the side, confused until I saw his hands on the door. He had shut it? Why?

“What are you doing Kael?” one of the brothers from behind spoke my mind instantly but his hand was still on the door.

His muscles flexed and my eyes betrayed me. He was built like a war god, towering over me causing my body to shudder.

“Let him go. Now,” his brother’s voice carried a command but this guy in front of me didn’t obey commands.

His eyes were looking at me in a way that bared questions.

“Riven…Mox, is it?” He suddenly asked and I straightened my spine, my hand falling from the door knob.

“What kind of name is that? Really?” He asked and I frowned.

“Try again with a real question,” I shot and he smiled.

“Defensive…” he trailed and suddenly his hand fell from the door. I didn’t have time for this nonsense. I attempted to open the door again but this time he moved. Towards me!

I backed away from the door, moving quickly away from him.

“Kael!?” Someone called from behind but my eyes never left his.

“You didn’t answer my question, Riven,” he slowly said but as he moved menacingly towards me, his scent engulfed me, draining my sense of reasoning till my back was against the wall.

My brain brought up flashes of the last person who had me caged like a rat.

His hand came beside my head, caging me completely and the air thinned instantly.

“And more importantly,” he drawled but I could hear my heartbeat pounding like war drums, my eyes were growing wide. I tried to press my body farther into the wall but there was no place left to go.

His face was inches from mine, dark haired with blue-green eyes swirling with questions and suspicions. His lips were sensually sculpted and his skin shone against the rays of the moonlight. 

“Why do you…” he continued and before I could do anything, he brought his nose to my neck and sniffed.

Instantly my body went still.

My breath caught. He knew.

But almost immediately, Kael backed away from me with disgust and repulsion.

“What kind of scent is that!?” He instantly growled. His brothers stood up abruptly and the room suddenly became too small.

I didn’t know what to do, my mind was shattered so I instantly pushed him away from me.

“Fuck off!!” I screamed, my chest rising and falling.

“What are you!?” He commanded. What the hell was his problem!?

“Cassidan, we need to talk to the school authorities. Now!” Kael yelled and I was breathing harder than before.

“Outside. Now.” The boy I assumed was Cassidan growled, his golden hair catching the light.

“I’m telling you, something’s off. He needs to talk. Now.” Kael stressed but instead, Cassidan walked up to us and opened the door but Kael refused to move.

Anger flowed in my veins until suddenly, kael’s eyes went to my room door and then back at me.

I knew what he was going to do and before he could think about it, I snarled dangerously.

“I dare you,” I spat, my claws coming out in defense but he cocked his head to the side and smiled.

If he thought he was going to break into my room and search my things then I was going to show him how far I was willing to go as well.

“Secrets don’t stay secrets for long, Riven. I smell everything,” he said and my guts turned to ice.

Cassidan grabbed him by the collar and threw him out like trash before shutting the door behind him. 

I was still breathing hard when I noticed the last brother, his eyes held a sadness as he opened the door.

“I’m sorry about that. The asshole is kael, Cassidan is the gentleman and I’m Damon. Pleased to meet you Riven,”he introduced but I said nothing as he also walked out of the room. 

I collapsed on the floor, my hand on my chest as tears dotted the sides of my eyes. 

What exactly was I even doing here? In a school I already heard nasty rumors about!?

This was madness but staying here was even more madness. I can’t have them as my roommates, no matter who’s an asshole or a gentleman.

I unlocked my room in a frenzy and quickly stuffed all my things back into my bag then headed straight for the register portal. 

On getting there, he didn't even let me finish explaining why I couldn't room with those crazy boys before he said in a clear and loud voice.

“No” 

Then without a word, he retired for the day and left me standing there helpless. Damon, Cassidan…I could manage but Kael was on to me for reasons I didn’t want to know. Kael was a problem.

I tried different methods to beg other students to swap with me but no one wanted Dorm 7.  

Thirty minutes later, It was obvious that I had no choice. I was stuck with the hand I’ve been dealt.

I walked back to the room and shamelessly put everything back in place. The moon emblem was the last thing in the bag. I wore it over my neck, it was better to have my mother close. Then without a second thought, hid it inside the tape covering my breasts and hips. 

I didn’t take a proper bath, a washcloth and water in a bucket did the job in the confinement of my room. After which, I locked up and went to the mess hall. The moment I got there, thousands of eyes instantly snapped at me.

I didn’t care, even when their whispers weren’t subtle enough. I walked straight to the cafeteria to get my dinner, sparing no glance to anybody else asides from my food. 

I turned but every cell in my body had frozen.

A boy stood before me, his size hulking, hungry-eyed with a scar running through his face. My mouth instantly went dry.  

Sweat gathered in my palms as I tried to move but couldn’t. Why was I still standing here? 

I watched in horror, as his hands raised in slow motion striking me. The force pushing me violently out of the way. 

My body connected with the stone floor in an instant and I groaned as pain shot up my limbs.

“I could break you in a second,” the huge piece of shit laughed like it was funny to bully another person. I tried to stand up but suddenly hands connected with the hoodie I had on as he dragged me across the floor.

His strength was massive and just like Varkas, I knew I didn’t have a chance.  A scream left my lips when he grabbed my limbs then raised me high above the ground, his knee set for the killer move. It would break me in half.

I shut my eyes bracing for the crack of my bones. First day at Lupinemore and I was going to die because I met Varkas 2.0.

People were screaming and gasping but I couldn’t fight. At least I tried.

But as I waited for that sickening crack to come, it didn’t . Instead, I was flung mid air into a warm, solid chest.  

I opened my eyes and gasped in shock. 

Damon?

He helped me to my feet as a big black wolf suddenly appeared in front of me. His back shielding Damon and I while he growled until the huge piece of shit was cowering in fear.

“Please! Please!!” It was shocking to watch him tremble. A boy of paralyzing size, reduced to nothing. He fell to his knees, liquid dripping from beneath his trousers. He had pissed himself.

The crowd burst into mocking laughter as my  jaw slacked when the wolf glowed bright and in its place stood…Kael?!

Cassidan came moments later, his expression dark and angry.

“Kael!” He snapped and started to talk in an annoyed manner but his words weren’t my concern.

Why did the boys save me? 

“I told you to bring the situation down a notch,” Cassidan shouted angrily and kael shrugged.

“That’s what I did,” he replied and Cassidan was trying to hold his tongue, that much I could tell. Students were whispering, others were laughing and the boy who pissed his pants was staring at me like he could wring my neck. 

I opened my mouth to speak but instead, everyone suddenly stood at attention and the hall went deathly quiet.

I looked in shock and surprise to see even kael have his back straightened, his hands firmly pressed to the sides and his head tipped forward.

I was about to ask Damon why everyone was upright and silent until I heard someone walking towards us from behind.

I made a grave mistake of turning my head and instantly, a force blinded me.

Pain exploded across my face, the slap echoing in my skull. 

“Half a day, you arrive and you turn this school to a circus!?” A man whose aura reminded me of my father’s general spoke and the room boomed.

I knew who he was. He was the school’s principal. A man so ruthlessly known as a no-nonsense leader, a former Alpha and the general to the house of Ardent. 

“And you let someone save you? Why are you even here if you can’t defend yourself?” He stood in front of me and I stood at attention. 

“You disappoint me, Riven Mox.  For that, you and Nyx — he pointed to the boy who just pissed his pants — will be the first sparring lesson tomorrow. In front of the school,” 

I felt my guts freeze. 

“Do I make myself clear?” He questioned.

Did I have a choice?

“Yes sir!!” I responded.

Low profile? I just made front page gossip on my first fucking day.