Chapter 1 - Freya’s POV

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” The curvy blonde slammed into me.

To be fair, I hadn’t been watching where I was going. I’d had my head down, dragging a huge suitcase behind me and trying to keep the various bags draped around my person from falling off. 

Still, she hit me. 

Bitch, my wolf growled.

Now, now, Ashe. Be nice, I thought. We’re the new girl in a new school and we should be trying to make friends. 

“Sorry,” I said with my best smile. She was really pretty, or would be when she stopped frowning. “It’s my first day. I don’t suppose you could help me find room two-thirty-one?” 

The blonde tried to look down her nose at me. Unfortunately, I was several inches taller. “Oh, right,” she said. “You’re poor kid number two.” 

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’re the replacement for…” She snapped her fingers. “What’s her face… Kia? Whatever. Her luck ran out and she died and that’s how you got to be here. My advice to you—" She poked me in the chest. 

I looked down at her finger with its perfectly painted nail. Ashe was snarling so loudly in my head I was surprised the blonde couldn’t hear. 

Maybe she did, because she removed the finger. “You keep a low profile and don’t waste the chance you worked so hard to get.” She tossed her head and stalked away. 

What a weirdo, Ashe said.

I nodded. Yeah, gotta agree with you there, buddy.

***

After another half-hour of dragging my stuff through endless hallways, I finally found my room. You could tell this place was old. The furniture was battered but sturdy, the ceilings high and the crown moldings elaborate. 

Rich kid central. Hopefully they wouldn’t all be like the blonde. 

I smiled to myself and a little flutter kicked off in my belly. I tried to ignore Ashe retching. 

Drew Bayard. 

My boyfriend. 

Rich kid, but I didn’t hold it against him. 

We shouldn’t hold anything against him, Ashe said. We should stay far far away from him.

Why are you like this? Besides, I thought only cats coughed up hairballs. You’re a wolf. 

This was a regular argument between us. My wolf hated my boyfriend and it was a pain in my ass. 

Drew and I had grown up in the same pack. He’d teased me when we were young, but started acting a lot nicer once I grew up and filled out. We’d been an item during my last year of high school, but I’d resigned myself to breaking up once we graduated. He’d be at Lykaon Academy. I’d be working my way through community college while living at home to save money.   

Well, here I was, in the same school as my honey. We could finally get started on our wonderful future together. I hummed a happy little tune as I put away the last of my stuff.  

Oh no, Ashe whimpered. 

Someone knocked on the door and flung it open without waiting for an invitation. 

“Baby!” It was Drew. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “I missed you.” He nuzzled my neck and took a big sniff. “You smell so good.” 

Well, you don’t. You smell like skunk spray and dead flowers. Ashe huffed.

I didn’t mind Drew’s no-doubt expensive cologne, but what I really liked was the warmth of his smile and the feeling of his firm body against mine. 

“It’s great to see you!” I pulled away to gesture at my room. “Welcome to my domain.” 

“You got a single room?” He bounced his eyebrows at the bed.

“Yep. Took me forever to find it, too.” I turned to look at him. “And people here are nuts!” I told him about my run-in with the blonde. 

He laughed. “That’s Vivian. She’s a character.” 

“She’s got main character syndrome all right. I hope the other students are friendlier.” 

“Hey, if anyone gives you trouble, just come to me. I’ll protect you.” 

“The handbook said a lot of heavy hitters go here.” I had to admit I was a little bit worried. This wasn’t the crowd I was used to. 

Lykaon Academy was the most exclusive school in the Alliance. They only accepted the best of the best—a few kids from each pack’s most powerful families. People like me didn’t normally get a look in. There was one scholarship per year. My grades had always been great, so I went for it. 

And came in second to Kyra Murphy.

My best friend. 

Who had died in an accident and left the way open for me. 

I sighed. I was grateful for the opportunity, but I’d give it up in a heartbeat if it would get Kyra back. She’d left a huge hole in my life and her parents were inconsolable. I missed her every day.   

“Don’t look so sad, baby. My mom’s the principal. I can fix anything.” There was a concerned look in Drew’s warm brown eyes.

“My hero.” I leaned in to kiss him.

He kissed me back enthusiastically, sliding his hands down to cup my ass and draw me tight against him. 

I could feel him, hot and hard, throbbing against my lower belly.  

Ashe was making gagging noises again.

“It’s been forever,” he murmured. “And here we are…” He nibbled on my earlobe. “Alone…” 

“That feels amazing.” Tingles were shooting down my spine. And more than that was the feeling of being wanted, like I was the most important thing in his world. 

It feels horrible! Ashe screamed. No! No! No! 

She kept trying to come forward, and controlling her was giving me a headache. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” Drew stopped trying to unbutton my blouse.

“It’s nothing.” 

“It’s always nothing!” He spun away, hands clenched into tight fists. “Why you gotta do me like this?” 

“Oh, sweetie.” I reached out to soothe him, but he was having none of it. “I’m just nervous, that’s all. It will be my first time and I want it to be super-special.”

Like—not with you. Ashe had stopped screaming now that it looked like she was getting her way. 

“I promise, soon we’ll be together and it’ll be everything you ever wanted.” 

“Yeah, well. I hope so.” He was still sulking as he walked out the door. “Later.” 

My hands covered my face. Goddammit, Ashe! Why do you always have to mess things up for me? 

He’s not who you think he is! I hate him! 

Hasn’t he always been good to us? You heard him, he’ll protect us from any mean girls at this school.

We can protect ourselves. 

He kisses really nice. I smiled, my belly tingling with memories. 

Ashe made gagging noises. 

And remember that time he took us to a good restaurant for our birthday? I didn’t see you turning up your nose at the food. 

Yeah, the food was good. Ashe didn’t want to admit it, but she was unfailingly honest.

Sensing her softening, I moved in for the kill. And what about this bracelet he made specially for us? Isn’t it beautiful? 

It was too. A white-gold wolf, head lifted to the sky, eyes set with moonstones. I held up my wrist to take another look at it. 

Shit. 

It was gone.

No problem. It probably just fell off as I was unpacking. I looked all over my room, going through every drawer, searching the closet floor, kneeling to look under the bed.

Don’t ask me, Ashe said. I’d bury it in the dirt if I could, but I didn’t.

Maybe it fell off when that girl knocked me down… Vivian. That was her name. 

To make matters worse, I was due in class in ten minutes. Didn’t want to be late on my first day. I grabbed my book bag and hustled out the door, stopping at the place I’d met Vivian to look closely in corners and sides of the empty hallway.

Nothing. 

***

I was almost crying as I skulked into the classroom. It was the only piece of nice jewelry I owned, but that was nothing compared to the sentimental value. 

What would Drew say when he saw I wasn’t wearing it? He was already mad because I wouldn’t let him make love to me. 

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. The loss of the bracelet was upsetting, but I’d get over it. Drew loved me. He’d forgive me, especially if I could get Ashe off his case.

Not going to happen… Ashe grumbled. Suddenly, she snarled.

You could feel the change in the room when they came in, Vivian strutting in her short skirt and high-heeled boots, another girl a half-step behind, not quite as stylish but trying hard. 

I noticed it right away.

On Vivian’s wrist was my bracelet!