Chapter 4 - Raver

I looked through my bedroom window as the students poured through the gates one by one. I was meant to be at home waiting for the arrival of some powerful artifacts from Hunter but I couldn't stay in that place any longer.

Not with him.

Ever since I became King of the Alphas almost a year ago my father has been following me around, ordering me to do this, take care of that. Make sure everyone does this. My hand clenches onto the window sill, anger seething through me in waves. He doesn't understand that I can take on the responsibilities of being Alpha on my own. He should just worry about how he's doing a shitty job at ruling lykanthop. But none of the elders respects me. They argue that I became Alpha at a young age and won't consider me one until I finish school. College included. So here I am, my first year of college. I have quite a while until I graduate.

Until then, I cleared my head, urging my wolf back as my anger had riled him up. I straightened my form as the door to my room opened without so much as a knock.

"Hey man, Mr. Glare downstairs told me you were here. What are you doing?" Hunter slapped my shoulder as he stood next to me.

"I had to get out." was all I said.

"I have to tell you, man. There's this girl I just met, she's not from Lykanthop, or any other realm for that matter but she's so fucking hot," He smiled mischievously, "You have to meet her."

I shook my head at this.

He's such a lady's man, and he has no taste in women either. The girl could be ugly as shit and he'd still mess around with her. "I'm sure she is." I let the topic drop, "Did the package make it home safe?"

"I left it with Saber. It should be in your room by now." He said as he flung himself onto the bed I just made.

I growled at him to which he smiled in return. I only allow him to speak to me in this way because we're practically brothers. His father was a very good friend of the king but after a mysterious fire started in their home, let's just say Hunter was the lone survivor. My father, the king, wanted to do right by his friend and took in his son and treated him as his own as the king's ward. We've been inseparable since.

I shook my head as I made my way out of the room, my beta following shortly after until he began to match my pace. "The placing ceremony should begin after lunch, what do you want to do until then?" He asked.

"I'm really getting tired of hearing your voice," I said ignoring the question.

"Sadly, you can't get rid of me. You made me beta so now you're stuck with me forever. Till death do us part."

"If death does us part then we'll be parting a lot sooner than you anticipated," I threatened. He laughed off my words as if I'd told him the sky was green.

"Empty threats when it's directed to your best friend." I continued to ignore him as I made my way to the dining hall. I'll show him an empty threat.

I pushed the doors open and walked in, immediately the smell of apples and orchids infiltrating my sense. I tried my best to remain calm but my sense became alert I realized what that scent meant.

I scanned the hall until my eyes locked with her. The prettiest girl I'd ever seen. Silky black hair, like waves, cascaded down her back. Her eyes were more clear and blue than any ocean I've ever seen paired with the softest features, not many women held in these realms possess.

It was a perfect balance of adorable and striking beauty, enough to turn heads in any room. She was the first to look away, my wolf whimpering as she did, wanting to be closer to her. It didn't seem to matter to him that she wasn't lykan. All he cared about was the fact that she was his.

Or soon to be as we haven't actually met.

"Hey, what are you doing? You're in the doorway still." I shook out of my state of trance as I walked further into the dining hall.

Hunter followed closely behind, muttering curse words as he apologized to the people whose path I was blocking.

As if I gave a shit.

I didn't stop walking until I made it to her table, both her and her hybrid friend turning their heads to me as I came to stand next to my mate. "Hello." Her delicate voice spoke, "Did you need something?" I gulped as I listened to her speak, not quite hearing what she said.

"Myra! We meet again. How's it been?" Hunter exclaimed as he went to hug her. I growled as my hand darted forward in a swift motion and held him by the collar of his shirt, stopping him from touching her.

"I literally saw you half an hour ago." She deadpanned, taking no notice of my possessive behavior, this however didn't slip past Hunter and Myra's hybrid friend.

"And already you've befriended a seer, you must be talented to get one of them to like you." He said as he sat next to the girl.

I took a seat beside Myra and observed her features. I couldn't help but stare at her lips as she laughed at something her friend said.

When her head turned to me, I froze. She tilted her head and smiled as she spoke.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Excuse me?" I asked a little lost.

"I asked for your name." She chuckled.

"I-um... It's Raver." I mumbled.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Raver," she tested the name, causing me to clench my jaw, attempting to keep my cool "I like it. Sounds cool and badass." I nodded absentmindedly admiring the beautiful way she spoke. Like a siren singing a song, I was bewitched by her beauty.  She turned her attention to the pair arguing in front of us.

"Seers aren't stuck up! We just have standards that most people don't meet. Yourself included." She folded her arms.

"Remmi, I've met a lot of seers. And not one of them didn't have their nose stuck high in the air because of their huge ego and superiority complex." Hunter countered.

"You motherfu—"

"It's unladylike of you to swear." He interrupted.

"I'll shove my unladylike finger up your—"

"Why don't we all just settle down. We can work out our differences of opinion a lot less violently." Myra said as she placed her empty glass on the table in front of her.

"Sorry, Myra. I hadn't realized this heathen was dragging down the image of me that you had." Hunter glared at Remmi, one she returned that could rival my own. Only not as intimidating as she reminded me of an angry bunny.

"When's this placing ceremony supposed to be happening?" Myra asked.

"In a few minutes," I replied after checking my watch.

"Then you have that amount of time to explain to me the process." She turned her body to face mine and stared attentively. I felt a small smile make its way onto my lips as her seated position reminded me of a small child waiting to hear a bedtime story.

"It's where the students gather in the ballroom to be formally placed in your house. There's the blue house, my house, which are the lykans."

"Red house which is Lamia. Yellow house for the seers. Purple for half-caste and green for faes."

"There's a huge sporting week at the end of each year where the houses compete for bragging rights and seven free days off of school," Hunter inputted, seeming excited to compete against the other houses as if he's still in high school.

"That sounds like fun. But I don't think I'll be here long enough to see it. I have people at home probably looking for me." She smiled half-heartedly before looking out of the window across from us. It physically hurt me to hear that she would be leaving soon. The very thought of being away from her made my wolf growl. I just found her and I'm not about to lose her so quickly. A plan to manipulate her into staying with me manifested in my mind as we waited for the announcement to be made of the commencement of the ceremony. Once it did, I directed Myra to the ballroom, never once leaving her side once we get there. She didn't seem to mind my clinginess as she hummed a soft tune contently.

I felt myself getting lost in her song, hearing nothing else but the effortless notes she sang as the rest of the world blurred. Nothing else seemed to matter as I listened hypnotically, only breaking out of my trance when she stopped abruptly. I blinked as I regained my senses, only to see that the principal was walking onto the small stage set up for the orchestra.

"Welcome all students to Saintview college, where all are welcomed and embraced." She said cheerfully. "My name's Mrs. Trinity, and I'm proud to have you attend school this year. At this university, we teach the youth to accept the differences in origin and to form a bond that would better the future of the fragments of Malsaphor. Although you are separated in dorms, your classes are intermixed, as well as other school activities which will later be announced when the time comes. Now that the introductions are done, let's welcome our new freshmen." Mrs. Trinity gave a little applause which was chorused by the audience before opening the envelope which I'm guessing held the names of the freshmen.

"Each student is required to demonstrate their abilities to this book. When this is done, a misty aura will form from within its pages. That color will be the house you live in for the rest of your time here." She then began to call the names of the students, starting with the boys' order. Throughout the ceremony, there was a small amount of chattering coming from the audience. This happened until my name was called.

"Raver Knightley."

The crowd silenced as I made my way into the stage, sure enough, everyone knows of my status as the son of the king of lykanthop and King of the Alphas. I went up onto the stage and placed my hand on the book, changing the color of my eyes without shifting completely.  I watched as the book lit up with a blue color. Satisfied, I retracted my arm, hopped off of the stage before finding my way back to Myra.

"So you're lykan. Does that mean you're like the werewolves in the movies?" She asked once I sat next to her. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Um... well they transform into wolves during a full moon " she started.

"We don't need a full moon to shift," I answered.

"Their eyes change color with their mood."

"It only turns red when I'm angry."

"They have soulmates."

My eyes locked with hers as she said this, "Yes we do."

"Have you found yours?" She gave me a small smile, encouraging me to divulge what may be considered personal information to others. I swallowed the lump in my throat before answering, "Yes, I have. Although some of us aren't as lucky to find theirs as early in life as I have."

"I'd love to meet her. She must be really nice." She smiled.

"I only just met her but she's absolutely wonderful as far as I know." I forced myself to look away so as to not be hypnotized by her again. My eyes caught on to Hunter, who seemed to have heard our conversation and raised his eyebrow in question. I gave him a look that dismissed his question for now which he accepted.

"We have a lost this year," Mrs. Trinity smiled warmly before searching the crowd, "Ms. Myra Oakley."

She nervously rose from her seat when she heard her name, passing by me, leaving a trail of her scent behind her as she waltzed up to the stage. She fidgeted with her fingers as she looked to the principal for assistance.

"I don't know my origin, how can I display my abilities?" She asked.

"Just put your hand on the book, in that case. We'll let it decide where you will go." Mrs. Trinity replied. Myra nodded before shuffling over to the book, gently placing her palm onto the surface of the fragile pages. She gasped as the wind began to pick up speed within the room. 

There aren't any windows in the ballroom.

Her hair flew upwards as the book gave out a white glow, encasing her in the bright light as if the book was excited to have felt a different origin for the first time in a long time.

She snatched her hand from the book and took a few steps back, holding her hand to her chest as she stared at the book in a daze. All the while the audience was silent, the only sound being that of the teachers as they whispered to each other nervously. The principal came out of her shocked state and ushered Myra off of the stage with a nervous chuckle.

"Settle down students. This is an unusual event indeed and we will be working tirelessly to figure out what this white glow means. In the meantime, however, Ms. Oakley will be staying with half-caste. Seeing as she was the last student, we would like all others to report to their rooms to await further instructions."

"May Sophane be with you." She finished as the students filed out of the room quickly, excited for the event which will be the gossip of the school for the next week or so.