Chapter 8: He wanted to kill me.

Kate’s POV:

As she nodded, I took a moment before asking with a desperate tone, "It's a bit sudden, but can you please help me escape the academy by tonight? I can't stay here any longer; I need to leave."

Anna furrowed her brows, shocked by my sudden request. I began explaining everything regarding the plan Hilda had shared with me before I was sent to the academy.

I had given it deep thought during the night. Although I initially wanted to gather a bit more money before leaving, I decided not to prolong this any further. I didn't want to wait for Deimon or anyone to make my life any more difficult. The longer I stayed in the academy, the more I felt on the edge of my seat.

After a moment of silence, Anna expressed concern, saying, "I mean, I can, but how will you leave? This place is crawling with security guards, and I don't think your grandfather will be happy if he learns you tried to run away and got caught."

"I have some money... I can offer it to some of the guards," I suggested before Anna spoke over me.

"I don't think money is going to work. These guards are well taken care of by the Umbra Pack."

I felt dejected after her revelation. Apart from the money Deimon had given me, there was nothing I had that I could offer to the guards.

"But what can I do then? I need to leave tonight," I expressed my dismay, lowering my head.

"Look, you should first calm down. I can try to think of something, but tonight is way too soon. We can aim for tomorrow, and don't worry, I'll have your back in the meantime," Anna assured me, and I nodded in agreement.

Even though I was desperate to leave the werewolf world tonight, I knew I needed to do it right. Otherwise, instead of leaving, I might be stuck here forever if I got captured.

If my grandfather learned about my plan, I was sure he would lock me up in the dungeon and let Axl torture me, not letting me out as he used to.

I just needed to survive another day, and with Anna's help, I managed to stay calm about my ordeal and continued to eat my breakfast.

Before I could take a bite of my sunny-side-up egg, Anna pulled me over towards her by my shoulder and whispered excitedly near my ears.

"Oh my god, look over there. It's Deimon, he will be the future Alpha of this pack. Doesn't he look so hot?"

My heart dropped instantly upon hearing Deimon's name escape her lips. I gulped the saliva in my mouth as memories of my kiss with him flooded back.

Lifting my head, I turned my gaze to the direction that Anna was pointing and found Deimon sitting with his fiancée, Monica, right next to him. They were both having breakfast just a few feet away from me, making me feel uneasy. He was the man I was dreading the most to meet before I left the pack.

"I mean, he does, but isn't he scary? I heard he can rip apart dozens of wolves with just his bare hands," I revealed, each word dripping with pain and fear.

Anna took another look at him before turning back towards me, biting her lips. "He is, but doesn't that make him even hotter? At least for me, that is."

I was taken aback by her attraction towards Deimon. I knew he had the face of a Greek god, but his dark personality and attitude outweighed that even more. Anna was a powerful witch, a stark contrast to a weak wolfless she-wolf like me, so it made sense that she was not intimidated by his tough nature and even thought of it as a bonus.

Unfortunately, for me, it was not the case.

"I'm more attracted to kind, gentle, and loving guys—or at least I thought I was," I said, my voice meek.

That's who I thought Nash was, until he actually showed his true colors to me. Maybe I wasn't suited for being in a relationship either. I couldn't find myself loving anyone after being betrayed by the love of my life.

I sighed while Anna was full of energy.

"Okay, you and I are completely different in our taste in men. I absolutely love overprotective, intimidating, rough men. Even just looking at Deimon makes my heart flutter," she exclaimed with joy, giggling at the end discreetly to avoid alerting the other students.

I shook my head, observing how head over heels Anna was for Deimon.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but he is already engaged. That's his fiancée right there."

"I know that, Kate. But a girl can dream, can't she?"

We both laughed in unison when suddenly, I turned a glance towards Deimon. I couldn't help but notice the intense stare he was sending my way.

My smile and laughter soon disappeared, replaced instantly by fear and nerves. I averted my gaze, trying to pay attention to my breakfast that had already gotten cold. Even through my peripheral vision, I could see that his cold orbs were still focused on me.

It puzzled me that he would even look my way, my nerves tying into knots. What was brewing in his mind was beyond me, but it sure scared the hell out of me.

I turned my eyes next to Deimon, finding Monica also glaring at me. Her brows were furrowed, her lips intensifying her disgusted appearance towards me. Somehow, my heart beat even faster because of that. I was praying to the moon goddess that she didn't learn about the kiss that Deimon forced on me last night.

But knowing my luck, I couldn't be assured of that.

I wasn't in the mood to eat anymore, urging Anna to finish up so that we could leave the canteen immediately. I did not want to linger there any longer, fearing something might happen.

It made me regret the extra time I had to bear, staying in the werewolf world.

Luckily, Anna didn't take too long, and we were off to attend the first class of the day, which was history.

As we walked down the massive hallways toward the classroom, a man suddenly approached us with a friendly smile.

"Hey, Anna. How's it going?" he greeted, pulling Anna into a hug while I stood there in surprise, observing the unexpected reunion.

"Gandal! It's good to see you," Anna exclaimed joyfully.

"Whoa. Who's your friend here?" he inquired, pointing at me with curiosity.

"Oh, she's a new student. Her name is Kate," Anna introduced.

"Kate, meet my friend Gandal. He's the captain of the hunting team at the academy and, not to mention, this handsome face is also the future Alpha of the Norse Pack," Anna explained, making me feel a tad nervous.

Facing another Alpha in front of me was never a good sign, given my not-so-great past experiences with them. This guy stood tall, had a really handsome face, green eyes, and dark brown hair styled in a spiky way.

He was dressed in a black shirt and jeans, showcasing his strong and fit physique.

He reached out to shake my hand, but a shiver ran down my spine, causing me to take a step back.

"Kate, you don't have to be afraid of him. He's a friend of mine. He won't hurt you," Anna reassured me in a whisper, holding me close.

Although I was initially hesitant, I took a deep breath and extended my hand, shaking his. To my surprise, he gave a warm, comforting smile, a stark contrast from the coldness I used to get from Deimon. Maybe Anna was right, and Gandal wasn't out to hurt me.

As I tried to compose myself, Gandal broke the silence around us, "Hey, you're coming to the party tonight, right? Our hunting team won against the other academy for three years in a row, so we're celebrating."

"Of course, I won't miss it," Anna replied enthusiastically.

Gandal chuckled at Anna's excitement, then turned his attention to me.

"Kate, you should come too if you'd like. Since you're new here, you'd get to meet a lot of cool people and maybe make a few more friends," he suggested.

"N-No, I don't think I should. But thanks for the invitation anyway," I nervously declined. Being around many new people didn't seem like a good idea, especially considering what happened at the bar last night.

"Haha. Relax. I promise they won't bite. We're all chill," Gandal laughed, noticing my nerves and trying to reassure me.

I stood there silently, still hesitant about attending the party, until Anna pulled me to the side.

"Kate, what's stopping you? You're allowed to have a little bit of fun, and besides, I'd want my new friend to be there with me. Please, please come with me to the party," she pleaded, blinking her eyes rapidly.

"Anna, I—" I attempted to decline, but she cut me off instantly.

"Please... Just come there, and if you don't like it, I'll take you back to the dorm, I promise," she joined her hands, assuring me and making it quite difficult for me to say no to her.

Shrugging my shoulders, I reluctantly agreed, making Anna burst with excitement.

"Yes! She's onboard."

"Awesome. I'll see both of you girls later," Gandal waved his hand before walking away.

As Anna and I quickly entered the history class, I stopped in my tracks as my eyes caught sight of Chris sitting in one of the seats. His eyes glared at me sharply with rage, his hands forming into tight fists as if he wanted to kill me.