Chapter 5

~ Marina's POV ~

The principal stared at me for a long, uncomfortable moment after I introduced myself as Louis Crennar and handed him the application form.

His eyes lingered on my face… searching. Measuring. Doubting. "You're the Supreme Alpha's son?" he asked slowly, suspicion dripping from every word.

"Yes, I am. How many times will I have to say it?" I snapped, forcing irritation into my voice. "If you're doubting me, why don't you call my father and ask him?"

The words left my mouth boldly.

But inside?

Inside, my heart was on its knees, begging him not to.

Please don’t call.

Please don’t call.

I had said those words just so he could believe me.

The old grey hair man grabbed the telephone to attempt to call Louis's father. My heart rose to three hundred and sixty degrees as his fingers tapped on the keypad.

He stopped and stared at me. Despite my nervousness, I slightly nodded at him, as if encouraging him to continue, but thankfully he didn't.

"The call won't be necessary," he said as he pushed the telephone aside.

Air rushed back into my lungs so violently I nearly swayed. Relief flooded through me, hot and dizzying, but I forced my expression to remain calm.

"It's a privilege to have you at Moonreign Academy this session, Louis," he continued. "You're weak, and you don't have your wolf yet, but I assure you that before the end of this academy session, you'll be strong. All you need to do is train."

Yes. I will train very hard so I can kill you all one after the other, I said in my head while smiling at him.

"In Moonreign Academy," he continued, "it's not biased. What I mean is that you'll get to share a room with a student, even if you're of higher rank. That would be okay with you, right?" he asked.

As long as that giraffe who calls himself Conrad isn't my roommate, then I'm fine with it. After all, I didn’t come here for comfort. I came for revenge.

"It won’t be a problem sharing a room with a pack wolf... sorry, I mean a wolf," I corrected smoothly. "I've been locked away for years. Sharing a room with someone feels nothing like the Citadel I grew up in."

He smiled, seeming impressed. "The rumors are really true. You have a good heart."

His words made me feel a little sorry for Louis. If he was really good, why was he murdered? Who killed him?

I knew the danger I was walking into. If the Supreme Alpha found out his son was dead and I was wearing his identity like borrowed skin…

I would not survive.

But my parents didn’t survive either.

The rogues who were slaughtered didn’t survive.

So why should I choose safety over justice?

The principal went on telling me the rules of the academy, like how curfew starts at 10 PM, that classes were three times a week, and the remaining three days were for training.

He also said breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all served at the Moonreign cafeteria and that I must be on time, otherwise, I wouldn't have anything to eat.

After his little lecture, he gave me my uniform and my room key. He told me I could find my room using the number on the key.

I left his office and dragged my feet down the building of the academy. I would've asked Dylan for help, it would have been faster finding my room, but he left after he brought me to the doorstep of the principal's office.

I scrubbed on every door until I found the room number matching the number on my key.

I opened the door and immediately entered the room. The scent hit me immediately. Rich sandalwood. Clean. Expensive. Overwhelming.

My roommate was a neat freak.

Every corner sparkled like it had been scrubbed forty times a day. The white sheets of his bed were perfectly tucked, sharp edges, not a wrinkle in sight. Even the air felt disciplined.

He was obsessed with neatness... I won't argue about that.

With a smile spreading across my face, I walked toward the other bed and lay down. The mattress embraced me softly, so different from the hard surface I’d grown used to back home.

After arranging the few clothes I brought into my wardrobe, I went into the bathroom.

I froze again.

It was even cleaner than the bedroom. Shining tiles. Dry surfaces. Not a single misplaced item. Whoever my roommate was, he deserved a trophy.

He was neater than I was, and I was supposed to be the girl.

I quickly took a bath before he arrived. I flattened my breasts tightly with the wraps, ignoring the discomfort, and slipped into my father’s clothes that now fit me perfectly.

After I applied the fragrance oil all over my body, I hid it inside my bed. My roommate wouldn't be able to find the oil.

The principal told me I could resume classes tomorrow since I arrived today. So I lay on the bed to feel the warmth, but exhaustion swallowed me whole.

I really needed sleep. I hadn't had a proper sleep after my little village was attacked.

I was enjoying the warmth of the bed, cuddling the pillow when suddenly cold water splashed my face.

The shock sliced through my body like a blade.

I jolted upright with a sharp gasp, water dripping down my face as my eyes collided with Conrad’s piercing hazel ones.

He stood with an empty container in his hand. No doubt he poured the cold water on me.

"What do you want now?" I groaned, wiping the freezing water from my eyes. My voice was rough with sleep. "I'm not following you."

My eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. I could barely force them open.

"You're not following me," he thundered, "but you did worse by entering my room!"

The last trace of sleep evaporated instantly.

My heart skipped.

"Your... your room?" I stammered, blinking rapidly.

No.

No.

No.

I had just prayed... literally prayed, that he shouldn't be my roommate.

So why…

Why is this oversized giraffe my roommate?!

"Yes," he snarled, stepping closer, towering over me. "This is my room. And I want you and your stupid self out of it this instant!"

His finger pointed toward the door like a verdict.