Chapter 3

Chapter three

Ivy's pov 

The word Princess kept ringing in my head after he had said it.

My heart literally stopped entirely. My lungs seized and for a terrifying moment, I was sure the loud, frantic drumming of my pulse would give me away.

 He knew.

The thought screamed in my head, a repeating siren of panic. He saw through the ink, the clothes, the scent, he knew who I was, he knew that I was a girl.

I looked at Aiden, searching for a sign of a joke or a taunt, but his golden eyes were impossible to read. Did he call me that because he recognized me from our childhood? Or was it because I looked so weak, so un-Alpha, was that "Princess" the ultimate insult in a school full of predators?

The silence in the hallway was so thick that it made me extremely nervous.

"I... I..." I started, but my voice betrayed me. It came out as a pathetic, high-pitched squeak. I swallowed hard, forcing my vocal cords to tighten. "I can't possibly be here."

I didn't wait for him to grab me again. I ducked under his arm, my shoulder brushing against his rock hard chest, and ran. I didn't care about looking at the map. I didn't care about my belongings. I just needed to be away from those gold eyes that felt like they were stripping my soul bare.

"Hey! Nick!" One of his friends called out, his footsteps starting to follow me. "Where are you going?"

"Let him go," Aiden’s voice drifted down the hall. It was a calm, chilling command that most probably stopped his friend in his tracks. "He’ll be back, he has nowhere else to go."

I kept running until my legs burned. I ended up back in the East Wing, standing in front of my old dorm door. I twisted the handle, praying for a miracle, but it remained stupidly locked. I leaned my forehead against the cold wood, shivering. I was currently in a space of predators, with no room, no scent-blocker and the King of the Lycans was hunting me for sport.

"You’re still here in this school?"

I jumped, spinning around with my fists raised. Standing a few feet away was the thin, pale boy from the cafeteria. The one I had gotten into this mess trying to save from his bullies. 

His eyes were wide, and he looked at me like I was a ticking bomb.

"Are you stupid?" he asked, his voice a frantic whisper.

I blinked, dropping my hands. "Excuse me?"

"Why would you stand up for me?" He stepped closer, glancing around as if he expected Aiden to drop from the ceiling. "Do you have a death wish? No one does that here. Especially not for someone like me."

I straightened my blazer. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I stand up for you? You did nothing wrong. I saw that bully trip you. Everyone in that cafeteria was supposed to stand up for you."

The boy let out a laugh. "Supposed to? This is Black-Ridge where strength is the only thing that matters, standing up to those guys is like signing your own death and then... then you attracted the attention of the one person within these walls that no one has ever dared to breath next to."

My stomach turned. "Aiden?"

"Aiden Blackwood," the boy whispered the name like it was a curse. "Your interaction with him was seen by the entire school. You’re a target now, Nick. Every Alpha who wants to impress the King is going to come for your head."

I ran a hand through my short hair. I was exhausted, hungry, and terrified. "You know, you could have just said 'thank you,'" I muttered.

The boy paused, his shoulders dropping. He took a deep, shaky breath. "Thank you. I... I’m just worried about you. I’ve been here for a year and trust me, I’ve begged for help before. No one ever looked twice so I’m surprised at your audacity."

I managed a small smile. "I'm not 'no one.' My name is Nick."

"I'm Jay," he replied, finally relaxing, then his eyes moved to the locked door behind me. "Why are you out here? It’s way past curfew."

"I kind of got kicked out," I sighed.

"Kicked out?"

"Well, not really. I found a note saying I’ve been moved to a suite. Suite 412. But I... I really do not want to stay there right now."

Jay’s face went pale. "Suite 412? That’s the Royal Suite. That’s where Aiden and his inner circle live." He swallowed hard, looking at me with newfound pity. "No wonder you ran." He hesitated, looking down at first then he looked at me. "My roommate is away on a scouting trip for the entire week. If you want... you can join me. It’s better than sleeping in the halls."

"Really?" I gasped, a wave of relief washing over me. "Oh my goddess, that would be great. Thank you, Jay. Seriously."

"Come on. Quickly," he urged, leading the way down a narrower corridor.

Inside Jay’s room, the air was cool and smelled of old books. There were two small beds on opposite sides of the room, separated by a wide gap and I sat on the edge of the spare bed.

But then, realization hit me, my scent-blocker was in my bag, and my bag was in Suite 412.

I froze. I had to bathe. I could feel the sweat and the scent of the greenhouse on me. If I washed, the scent blocker currently on my skin would vanish. My natural, feminine scent would return. I looked at Jay. He seemed so quiet, so "soft" compared to the other Alphas, maybe his senses weren't as sharp, he probably wouldn't even be able to distinguish a woman's scent from an alpha's scent. Maybe I could risk it for one night.

"You don't exactly act like an Alpha," Jay said suddenly. He was sitting on his bed, untying his shoes. There was no insult in his voice, only a quiet observation. "Not that it’s a bad thing. People tell me that all the time. 'Soft Alpha.' 'Weak blood.' degrading insults like that."

I stiffened, my heart hammering, there went my whole thought of him being shallow. "I... I don't know what you mean. I’m as Alpha as an Alpha can be."

I need to step up my game, I scolded myself internally. If a boy as gentle as Jay could see through my stance, Aiden would dismantle me by morning. I had to deepen my voice, I had to survive.

If the rumors of the Silver-Mist pack had spread the way I think it has, if the people here knows that my father was the "Queen-Killer", they wouldn't just kill me, they would find the hidden village. They would wipe out my grandmother and everyone I loved. The world thought we were dead. One mistake from me would turn that lie into a reality.

"I’m going to shower," Jay said, grabbing a towel.

A few minutes later, he walked back into the main room, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I immediately looked away, my face heating up.

"You can have your bath now," he said, heading for his desk.

I grabbed a spare shirt Jay dropped on the bed and locked myself in the bathroom. The hot water felt like heaven, but as I scrubbed my skin, I watched the water swirl down the drain. 

My skin felt bare, my scent...sweet, like mountain air and wild berries, began to fill the small, steamy room. 

I could feel the fear that I had been keeping locked away poke its head out, Aiden had called me Princess. 

What the hell did that mean? Did he get my scent? That would have been impossible, Grandmother's herbs were always enhanced with magic, it would be impossible for him to get my scent. 

My limbs trembled as droplets of water raced down my spine. If Aiden found out or even suspected I was a girl, I was doomed. 

Suddenly, I heard Jay’s voice through the door. "Nick? I’m heading out to the midnight library to grab some textbooks I need. I’ll be back soon."

"Okay! Thanks, Jay!" I called back in a manly voice.

I heard the sound of the door closing. I sighed, leaning my head against the shower wall. I was safe for a few minutes. I just needed to dry off, get dressed, and keep my distance from Jay when he got back, considering I didn't have my scent blocker to reapply.

The warm water was still beating against my back when a sudden, violent sound shattered the silence as someone knocked on the door harshly.

I gasped, nearly slipping on the wet tile as my heart leaped into my throat. That wasn't a friendly knock, it was an aggressive, demanding thud that echoed off the stone walls.

"Open this door! Now!"

I recognized that voice, it sounded like the woman from the reception desk earlier, but the bored  indifferent tone that she’d had earlier was gone. Now, she sounded frantic, what did she want here?

"Coming! Just a second!" I called out.

I scrambled out of the shower, my skin dripping. I didn't have time to dry off properly. I grabbed the large, oversized shirt Jay had lent me and pulled it over my damp body, then wrapped a thick towel around my waist over the trousers I’d scrambled into. I checked the mirror, my ink-black hair was plastered to my forehead, and my face was flushed from the heat.

I hurried to the main door and pulled it open.

The receptionist stood there, her hair messy and her blazer buttoned unevenly, as if she had been dragged out of bed and forced to run here. 

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, her eyes darting over me with disgust.

"I... my room was locked, and Jay offered.."

"I don't care what you were offered!" she snapped, stepping into the room and pointing a trembling finger at me. "I left a formal notice at your door. You were moved to Suite 412. Why aren't you in your assigned quarters?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal for one night," I stammered, backing away from her intense anger. "I’m comfortable here."

"Comfortable?" The woman let out a harsh, jagged laugh. "You have no idea the trouble you’ve caused. I was woken up in the middle of the night and ordered to personally ensure you were moved to that suite immediately."

My blood turned cold. Who would care enough to track me down in the middle of the night just to move me across the school?

"I’m not moving," I said, trying to find a spark of that Alpha courage I was supposed to have. "I'll go in the morning."

The woman leaned in, her eyes narrowing. "Listen to me, Nick Martins. If you are not in that suite within the next ten minutes, you are expelled and you will be tossed out of the gates before the sun rises. Do you understand?"

Expelled? The word hit me like a physical blow. If I was kicked out, I’d never find the Professor, I will never find out how to get my wolf, and I will have no where to go.

"Fine," I whispered, my chest tightening. "I'll go."

"Good. Move. Now."

She didn't just let me go, she walked right behind me like a prison guard. I felt like a lamb being led to a slaughterhouse. 

My mind kept spiraling, without my scent-blocker, I was a walking target. The moment I stepped into that suite, the Alphas inside would smell the girl on me, they would know immediately.

When we got to the massive double doors of Suite 412, the woman didn't knock. She simply stood back and gestured for me to enter.

"Get in," she muttered.

I swallowed hard, my hand trembling as I pushed the heavy door open. I stepped inside, and the door clicked shut behind me, followed by the sound of the woman’s retreating footsteps.

The suite was really big and dark, no lights were on and the only lightening came from the moon shining through the windows. It was deathly silent. I couldn't see anyone and for a heartbeat, I hoped they were all asleep or not inside.

I scanned the darkness, my eyes landing on a familiar shape near the cupboard. My bag.

I didn't breathe. I walked slowly across the carpet, my bare feet making no sound. I reached the bag and dropped to my knees, my fingers frantically unzipping the side pocket. Please be there. Please, please, please.

My hand brushed against glass. I gripped the small vial of scent-blocker, a sob of relief nearly breaking from my throat. I had it. I just needed to...

"What were you doing in a room with Jay Moore?"

The voice sent shivers down my spine and I snapped my eyes towards where it came from, it was from the darkness at the other end of the room.

I froze, the glass vial clutched against my palm. My breath hitched in my chest. Aiden was there. 

He was leaning against the stone wall and he was immersed in the shadows, his arms folded over his broad chest. He had been right inside here after all.

I swallowed hard, my heart drumming a frantic, terrified rhythm against my ribs as I looked at the dark shape of the man watching me. "If I have to ask again, Princess, I will make sure the only way you'll walk for the next three weeks is in crutches."