Chapter 1 Despair

As the only human attending classes with all the werewolves, it feels like I'm the lone sheep in a wolf pack.

I take a deep breath, burying my head lower. I don't dare make eye contact with any werewolf to avoid further bullying. Most humans believe the only way to escape bullying is to become the mate of the werewolf king. I find that idea revolting!

I focus my attention on today's textbook, but as I rummage through my bag for it, my fingers touch something sticky, making my stomach churn. I tear open the book to find a tar-like substance reeking with a putrid smell. They're completely ruined, and I don't have money to buy new ones.

Suddenly, the five core bullies in the classroom burst out laughing, as if they'd been eagerly anticipating this very scene.

One of the core bullies, Kelly, didn't think this was enough. She approached me as crumpled paper balls flew towards my head. Her glossy pink lips curled into a sly smile. "Looks like you've made quite a mess of things."

My brows knotted, biting my tongue in frustration as Serena yanked my ponytail, sending shots of fire to my scalp from the tight grip. Serena chuckles, “Aw, such a shame. Plus, this class requires that textbook and if you don’t have it, then it’s an automatic fail and you will be kicked out.”

I fucking knew that. My nostrils flared as Kylie lifted her flask, pouring scalding hot coffee over my head. Searing my scalp and patches of my skin, staining my uniform an ugly brown colour. My throat tightened as everyone partook in my demise, taking the invitation to throw drinks and food at me, to the point that I reeked.

Benedict threw his arm over Kylie, grabbing her textbook and knocking it repeatedly at my head. “Humans are disgusting creatures aren’t they,” he mused, “so weak, so helpless and so breakable.”

I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t fight back without breaking the rules and warranting my own demise.

Because in Nexus Academy; I was the only human, and I had to obey. Keep my head down and suffer their wrath. The only reason I was accepted into the Academy is specifically for my talent regarding weaponry, a remarkable skill for design that surpassed even their own kind.

Which led me to my current predicament, constantly being harassed and bullied. My heart pounded viciously, eager for vengeance that tasted like sour candy. My uniform sticks to my skin, some patches drying with a layer of film, digging my nails into my palms to restrain myself.

I was no match for wolves, well…not without a weapon.

Mrs Winona enters, everyone falls silent. She was the literary professor and to my knowledge – all the guys wanted to fuck her and the girls despised her.

Surrounded by werewolves made me discover that they were jealous creatures. Another reason why they continuously harassed me is because I am better than them when it came to weaponry. A lethal combination of jealousy and hatred that they purged upon me.

“What is this absurdity?” She questioned, lifting a critical brow at me. “I’m aware that you love attention Bellatrix, but surely this is crossing the line.”

Grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw in tandem. This wasn’t my fucking fault, and she knew it, but she fucking loved the attention the boys gave her when she agreed with them

I hate them. They are the most despicable people in the world.

"Alright, put that intelligence of yours to use on weapons," Ms. Vinona said with disgust. I took a deep breath.

Changing into my spare uniform for emergencies, I imagined the target in front of me was all the werewolves.

I pulled the trigger with my finger until the recoil pierced my shoulder with a slight sting. Bang, the bullet veered off target.

The royal five immediately burst into laughter.

The gun in my hand flickered with heat, and I gritted my teeth as it grew hotter, scorching my skin. It burned my palm, the intense pain causing my body to react by uncontrollably trembling.

They had tampered with my gun, but I didn't know how.

I didn't even hear Ms. Vinona dismiss the class, as all eyes were on the five wolves gradually approaching, satisfied smiles on their faces..

Archibald is the first to reach me, kicking the back of my knee until I collapse. Kylie laughs, a high-pitch sound that grated on my nerves. “Look at you now, so pathetic.”

Benedict cocks his head, silently ordering Archibald. He steps behind me, twisting my arm holding the pistol backwards until I felt a sharp pain shoot to my shoulder, making me drop it. Suddenly, he drives his boot into my back.

A wave of nausea cultivated in my throat, bile touching my tongue. My back throbbed from the pain, I almost felt like he broke my spine. Through blurry vision, Serena swiftly shifts to my right and snatches a chunk of my hair, pulling until I feel each prickle in my scalp. “You think you are something here, newsflash little human bitch. Just because you play with guns, doesn’t make you anything special.” She snarled.

Benedict approaches and Serena yanks until I have no choice but to look up at him, his dominance and malice exuding from his pores. My stomach twists in fear as those vicious obsidian orbs bore into mine, “You know the rules human, what is it?” he grips my jaw, “Repeat it.”

"Humans are the most useless creatures," I recited in a trembling voice.

"Good," he said with satisfaction, then poured ink all over me. The chemicals tickle my nostrils, the paint thick and blinding. Humiliation bubbles in my chest, stinging my eyes from the tears that want to fall. Cradling my injured hand, unable to breathe properly from the way my body quakes.

They laugh and I feel that familiar ball of fire flaring in my chest.

“Black really is your colour.” Serena giggles in parting.

“We should have gone with red, give her a Carrie moment.” Kylie suggested.

“Wasn’t that pig’s blood?” Archibald queried.

Kylie waves a dismissive hand, “Next time.”

Because there will be a fucking next time.

I was powerless against this, we were destined to not escape the pursuit of the wolves. Now was the era of wolves ruling over humans. My parents were gone, and my only relative was my twin sister Bonnie. We were sent to an orphanage together, I loved her no matter how she treated me.

I blamed my father's death on these wretched creatures, and I couldn't just stand by and watch them continue to rule the world. I couldn't watch them rule the world for another fifty years without any punishment.

From then on, I started studying, researching the mastery of weapons, in order to develop a weapon that could exterminate the wolves. This course made me stand out, I was smarter than them in every aspect here.

But I was also bullied, and when they left, I received a call from Nathan, "Nathan—"

"Where are you?" he asked in a gruff voice, "You have to be here in five minutes, or you won't get paid."

A chill ran through my body again, he terrified me more than the Royal Five—

But I had to listen to him. "I'll be there in five minutes."

Escaping their tyranny was never an option. Technology had advanced to the point where humans were registered in their system from birth, they would know who left.

I also couldn't avoid the gene screening, because the consequence wasn't death, but months or years of loneliness and torture. Now, education was my only way out, because if I became a weapons expert, I could aim for their hearts while they slept.

I would, I just prayed that I would never be chosen by the wolves to be their mate.