CHAPTER TWO

Lilia's POV

“What the hell does that even mean?”

I snapped, my voice shaking more than I wanted it to. I forced myself to meet his eyes. They were a piercing, icy blue.

“My scent is ‘wrong’? Is that the best pick-up line you’ve got or are you just naturally this weird?”

The man didn’t laugh.. he didn't even blink. He leaned closer, his nose hovering just an inch from the pulse point on my neck.

I could feel the warmth of his breath and my stupid traitorous body responded by sending a wave of heat straight to my core.

“You’re lying,” he rumbled.

The sound came from deep in his chest in a vibrating growl that made the floorboards beneath my boots feel unsteady.

“I can hear it. Your heart is beating like a little bass. You’re hyperventilating. Every breath you take is panicked.”

My stomach bottomed out.

“It’s called personal space,” I hissed, trying to wedge my hand between us to push him away.

Touching his chest was a mistake. Underneath the expensive fabric of his jacket, his muscles felt like stone.

“Anyone would be hyperventilating if a giant brooding mountain of a man decided to corner them in a hallway.”

His eyes narrowed, tracking the movement of my lips.

“It’s more than that. You’re hiding something. I can smell the tang of your fear but the wolf... the wolf in you is quiet.. too quiet.”

“Dmitri! What on earth are you doing with this... trash?”

The voice cut through the tension and we both turned toward the sound.

Serafina was standing a few feet away, her arms crossed over her chest.

She looked like she’d stepped off a runway... tall, elegant, and currently wearing an expression that suggested she’d just stepped in something foul.

Her eyes flicked from Dmitri’s hand on my arm to my face and if looks could kill, I’d be buried six feet under the academy floorboards.

Dmitri didn't let go immediately. He took one last lingering look at me, his gaze trailing down my body in a way that felt like a brand. Finally he released me, his fingers trailing off my skin slowly.

“Just checking the new arrival, Serafina,” Dmitri said, his voice returning to that cold disciplined tone.

“Checking her for what? Fleas?” Serafina sneered.

She marched over and shoved herself between us, her shoulder hitting mine hard enough to send me stumbling back.

“Honestly, Dmitri, don’t waste your breath on a stray like her. She probably crawled out of some gutter in the sticks.”

I regained my balance, my blood boiling. I wanted to rip that perfectly styled hair right off her head.

“Better the sticks than whatever dark hole you crawled out of, Serafina. You smell like desperation and perfume. It’s a bad mix.”

Serafina’s face turned a shade of red.

“How dare you...”

“Save it,” I interrupted, stepping back.

I didn't want a scene.. not yet. I needed to blend in not get expelled on day one for clawing the eyes out of a high-society bitch.

“I have an orientation to get to. Enjoy your little... whatever this is.”

I turned and bolted down the hall, feeling Dmitri’s eerie stare boring into my back the entire way.

I didn't look back and my heart was still doing that frantic dance he’d called me out on and I hated him for being right.

I was so busy cursing Dmitri and Serafina under my breath that I didn't see the guy until I slammed into his chest.

“Whoa, slow down there, Duchess. The academy isn't going anywhere.”

I groaned, looking up.

This one was different.. he was rugged with slightly unkempt hair and a muscular build that suggested he spent more time in the woods than in a classroom. He had a lopsided grin that was actually... kind of charming.

“Is there a law against walking in this place without hitting someone?” I muttered, rubbing my shoulder.

He laughed genuinely.

“Not a law, just a tradition. I’m Nico.”

He leaned against the wall, eyeing me with genuine curiosity.

“A word of advice? Be careful with Serafina. She’s a backstabbing bitch and she doesn't like sharing the spotlight. Or the men. Especially not Dmitri Dragomir.”

“Dmitri?” I asked, the name finally clicking. “The guy you bumped into?”

“That’s the one. He’s the Alpha heir of the North. One of the ‘hottest cakes’ on campus, or so the girls say.” Nico winked. “He’s brooding, rich and ridiculously powerful. But he’s also a prick.”

“I’ve noticed,” I said dryly. “I give zero fucks about who he is or how many girls want to marry him. I just want to find my room and get through orientation without being interrogated again.”

Nico chuckled and stepped aside, gesturing down the hall.

“Fair enough. Orientation is through those double doors. Try not to punch anyone else on the way.”

***

The next few days were of agonizingly slow lectures and suffocating social circles.

I kept my head down, playing the part of the quiet unremarkable student. But every second I wasn't being watched, I was hunting.

I spent my nights in the library, scrolling through student records or hanging around the common rooms, listening to the gossip of the older students.

I found Anica’s name in a few old club rosters. She’d been part of a hiking group and a volunteer program.. nothing scandalous.

But there was a gap.

Three weeks before she disappeared, her name stopped appearing in any logs. It was like she’d become a ghost before she actually vanished.

By Thursday, the stress was eating me alive. I hadn't slept more than four hours a night and my nerves were shot.

I sat in the academy’s massive cafeteria staring at a plate of cold pasta that I had no intention of eating.

The room was loud, filled with the clatter of silverware and the high-pitched laughter of girls trying to impress the boys at the center tables.

The "Four Heirs" usually sat at a large circular table in the middle of the room surrounded by a literal barrier of admirers.

Dmitri was there, looking as stoic as ever and a third guy, lean and analytical-looking, was reading a book while he ate.. and then there was the fourth one.

Gavril Corvin whom I got to learn was the Alpha heir of the East.

He had tousled hair, a sharp predatory grin and an athletic build that made him look like he was coiled and ready to spring at any second.

I looked away, focusing on my water glass, trying to disappear into the background.

Clack…

Someone slid into the seat directly across from me.

I didn't even have to look up to know it wasn't a friend.

“You look like you’re planning a murder or perhaps a daring escape,” a smooth teasing voice said.

I looked up and Gavril Corvin was leaning back in the chair as if it were a throne, his intense gaze locked onto mine. He was even more handsome up close... and ten times more dangerous.

“Just thinking about how much I hate pasta,” I lied, sliding my tray away. “Can I help you with something, Gavril?”

His eyebrows shot up.

“Oh, so you know my name. I’m flattered. Usually, I have to introduce myself with a flourish.”

“Hard to miss the guy who has a fan club following him to the bathroom,” I retorted.

The girls at the neighboring table were already shooting me looks that could melt lead. If Serafina found out Gavril was sitting with me, she’d probably try to poison my next meal.

Gavril laughed, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and invading my space just like Dmitri had.

“You’ve got a sharp tongue, Lilia. I like that. Most people here are too busy kissing our asses to actually say what’s on their minds.”

“I’m not most people,” I said, my voice hardening. “And I’m not interested in being part of your collection. What do you want?”

“Just some conversation,” he said, though his gaze was calculating. “Where are you from, exactly? Your records say a small pack in the Ural Mountains but your accent says otherwise. And your lineage... it’s a bit of a mystery, isn't it?”

“My pack and my lineage are none of your damn business,” I retorted. “Is that all?”

Gavril didn't stand. He just watched me, his playful expression slowly draining away replaced by something much colder.

The chatter in the cafeteria seemed to dim with the atmosphere turning heavy.

“You know,” Gavril said softly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge that made the hair on my arms stand up. “My pal Dmitri’s got instincts like a bloodhound and he thinks you’re a spy. He thinks you were sent here by the forest packs to sniff out our weaknesses.”

I froze with my heart pounding.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Gavril leaned in even closer and his eyes suddenly flashed a brilliant red that signaled the wolf was right beneath the surface.

The temperature at the table seemed to drop ten degrees.

“He’s usually right about these things,” Gavril whispered, his grin now looking more like a threat than a flirtation. “So, I’ll ask you one more time and I suggest you don't lie to me. Who... or what... exactly are you?..”