Chapter 05

Maddox’s POV

From my vantage point, I track the new girl as the Headmaster guides her further into the building. Bruises mark practically every visible inch of her skin, fear radiating off her in waves. Yet somehow I can’t pin down what she actually is, and that gap in my perception irritates me far more than I’d care to admit. Something tugs at me toward her pull I’ve genuinely never experienced before, not once, not like this. Sure, I’ve got my crew, functioning almost like our own twisted version of a pack. But this urge is pushing me to trail after her? Impossible to ignore.

I keep myself concealed carefully. The Headmaster’s a vampire, after all, capable of detecting the faintest sound from ridiculous distances. Fortunately, his attention stays locked entirely on his new charge, oblivious to anyone tailing him. When they finally halt, I realize exactly whose door they’re standing before the widowed Alpha’s room. Rage ignites instantly within me. Something about picturing her sleeping mere feet away from another male sets my teeth on edge.

I retreat quickly, heading straight back toward my own dorm. The guys need to hear about this immediately. Walking inside, I find them all sprawled comfortably across the living room, absorbed in whatever movie’s playing. Crossing directly to the television, I hit pause without hesitation.

“Seriously, Maddox?” Blaze snaps, clearly annoyed, though his irritation barely registers with me.

“A new student just arrived, and something’s off about the whole situation. She looks practically abandoned, like some orphaned stray.” I can’t stop pacing across the room. Eventually I’ll need to admit this pull I’m experiencing toward her which inevitably raises questions, considering incubi typically only experience lust, never genuine attraction unless we’ve encountered our actual fated mate.

Zeal studies me silently for a beat before finally speaking up. “Cut the pacing, Maddox, and just tell us everything. There’s clearly more you’re holding backI can feel it.”

Zeal’s Fae heritage grants him certain abilities, including detecting concealed secrets, dishonesty, or underlying tension in anyone nearby. He insists on calling it something about reading a person’s aura, whatever that actually means.

Running frustrated fingers through my hair, I concede obviously he’d pick up on it regardless. “I’m drawn toward her. Not lust. Genuinely pulled toward her presence itself. This is seriously bad news; we need intel on this girl immediately.”

Kade’s jaw practically hits the floor. “Absolutely, we need answers now. You’ve literally never felt drawn to anyone before. You think she’s possibly a succubus?”

“Honestly couldn’t tell you. Couldn’t sense anything supernatural about her whatsoever, like she was completely human.”

Zeal, ever the calm, calculated one among us, drags a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “I’ll have Maeve investigate discreetly. She can slip in unnoticed and gather whatever information we actually need.”

I nod in agreement for now. Observation remains our best strategy, leaving deeper concerns until Maeve delivers actual intel. Already, something about this girl unsettles me deeply. The mere concept of mating, along with everything that designation would demand from me, feels overwhelming enough considering everything else currently shifting in my life.

I’m well aware the others are silently calculating their own obligations too, should they ever encounter their respective mates. They understand exactly what I’m wrestling with internally, given that each of us carries the weight of royal succession to our individual thrones.

Olivia’s POV

A knock at the door jolts me awake instantly. I scramble out of bed, remembering Mason’s promise about someone collecting me this morning. Yanking the door open, instant regret floods through me. Standing there is yet another impossibly attractive male. Black hair pulled back messily into a loose ponytail, jaw clean-shaven, school uniform doing absolutely nothing to disguise the muscle clearly built underneath it. His skin holds that sun-kissed glow, like beaches and lazy afternoons were simply part of his regular routine.

“Someone’s here for you.” His gaze drags slowly over my entire body before his eyes widen noticeably.

Glancing down in horror, I realize I’m still wearing nothing but last night’s t-shirt must look absolutely disastrous right now. “Um, thanks.” I hover awkwardly in the doorway, genuinely lost on proper etiquette here. Social interaction beyond Cormac has never exactly been my strong suit.

“Listen, I’m not interested in sharing space with you. Keep to yourself, I’ll do the same.” Without further explanation, he stalks off, slamming his own door shut behind him.

Quickly pulling on leggings and my single decent sweater, I realize I still lack a backpack entirely. Rushing to answer the door properly, I discover an impatient, visibly unimpressed girl waiting outside.

“Seriously, could you possibly move any slower? Let’s go, charity case.” She pivots sharply, striding down the hallway in heels I’m certain would send me straight to the emergency room.

Charity case? Confusion mixes with irritation at her tone, though I decide avoiding her entirely seems like the wisest strategy.

“Hurry up. I don’t have time to babysit you all morning. I need to get you to the Headmaster’s office.”

Studying the back of her head as we walk, I notice she’s genuinely gorgeous, the type who probably makes stilettos look effortless. Long brown hair cascading perfectly, full lips, striking green eyes, radiating that entitled rich-girl energy effortlessly. Deciding to muster some courage, I finally ask why exactly she’s calling me that particular nickname. What follows catches me completely off guard; she halts abruptly, spinning around to fix me with a venomous glare.

“You’re actually asking me that? You genuinely believe you’re here because this school accepts literally anyone? You’re a pathetic excuse for a student, which explains perfectly why they stuck you with that washed-up Alpha reject. You don’t belong within these walls whatsoever. Oh, and yeah, I already researched your background thoroughly. Daddy kept you chained up in some basement, correct?”

Breath catches painfully in my throat, panic clawing upward rapidly. How exactly did she uncover information about my father? Does she know absolutely everything already? Meeting her gaze again, I catch her smug expression, and my wolf immediately bristles with hostility toward this stranger.

“Move along, charity case.”

The moment her manicured nails wrap tightly around my wrist, I recoil instinctively, wrenching myself free from her grip entirely. “Please, keep your hands off me.”

Surprise flickers briefly across her expression before she simply turns, continuing forward silently. Arriving at the Headmaster’s office, her hostile demeanor vanishes entirely, replaced by practiced politeness. She knocks once, entering immediately. The same receptionist from last night sits behind her desk, glancing between the two of us curiously.

“Maeve, dear, feel free to head toward breakfast now. Thank you for escorting our newest student.”

Maeve. So that’s her name, then. She exits promptly without another word.

“Olivia, please, take a seat. The Headmaster will join you shortly.” Settling into the chair provided, my nerves remain thoroughly frazzled following Maeve’s unsettling knowledge about my father. Part of me desperately wants to disappear entirely, especially considering how anxious I already feel about facing Mason again after that embarrassing growling incident from the previous night.