Chapter 12

I turned around, and to my surprise, a girl was staring at me strangely, as though I were an intruder or something. Her gaze quickly shifted from my face to my uniform, and her weird stares were immediately replaced with a warm smile.

"You must be the new transfer student. Nice to meet you. I'm Alarina, the head girl of the school," she introduced herself, extending her hand for me to shake.

I was about to shake her hand when I noticed her claws had sprung out, sharp and menacing. I instinctively withdrew my hand, causing her to look at her fingers.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Sometimes these claws have a mind of their own," she chuckled, wiggling her hands. Instantly, the claws retracted, and her fingers returned to normal.

I couldn't help but let out a nervous cough; I felt incredibly uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say or do. Alarina noticed my unease and placed her hand on my shoulder, leading me along the hallway.

"By the way, what rank are you?" Alarina's sudden question made my heart skip a beat.

I couldn't possibly reveal that I was part of the low-rank werewolves who were betrothed to the Lycan prince, a fact that had completely altered my life. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the snap of her fingers.

I looked up to see Alarina snapping her fingers, bringing me back to reality. Nervously, I brushed my hair back, pretending not to have heard the question.

"Anyway, I never got to know your name," Alarina pointed out, her curiosity evident.

"Oh, I'm Ashley," I replied, purposely leaving out my surname.

"Ashley what?" Alarina asked with a stern expression.

I had hoped to get away with it without her noticing, but she seemed insistent. Why did she even care about my surname in the first place? Was she trying to determine if I was royal or not, so she could adjust how she treated me? This wasn't going as smoothly as I had hoped.

"Ashley what are you thinking about?" Alarina asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Huh... I'm not thinking about anything," I lied, maintaining a straight face to avoid suspicion, hoping she would drop the matter.

"But you keep zoning out," Alarina pointed out, her gaze fixed on me as if she had no intention of looking away. Her colored eyes bore into me, as though she were trying to decipher my very soul.

"That's strange," Alarina blurted out, causing me to look at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me, wondering if she had detected my lies.

"I'm unable to read your mind," she admitted, her eyes scanning the surroundings for something only she seemed to be aware of.

"That's... sad. Wait, what?" I stammered, realizing the implications of what she had just said. What did she mean by being unable to read my mind? I was starting to feel increasingly unnerved by everyone in this school.

"I'm a mind reader; I can read people's minds just by looking at them," Alarina began, pacing around me as I stood there frozen, afraid to move. "But it's strange. I've been looking at you for hours, and I still can't figure out what's going through your mind," she whispered, sending chills down my spine as her words reached my ears.

"Well, I don't think I want you to be reading my mind," I finally mustered the courage to say.

Alarina and I engaged in a staring contest for what felt like an eternity. It was as though she was trying to process my words, maintaining a stern expression. She seemed less intimidating now, more like someone who was genuinely curious.

"Okay," I muttered, eager to leave the unsettling atmosphere.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been talking this whole time that I forgot to show you where your locker is and get your schedule," she said, facepalming in frustration.

Finally, I thought. I had been prepared to find a way to escape her, as she had already invaded my thoughts for too long.

"Really, you were?" Alarina asked, making me freeze.

I thought she couldn't read my mind. Panic surged within me.

"I thought you couldn't read my mind?" I gulped, politely inquiring.

A grin formed on her face, leaving me puzzled about what she was about to say.

"I can't, but just by looking at your facial expression, I can tell you want to ditch me," she concluded, which was entirely true.

"Oh, you're good," I had to admit because that was precisely what I had been thinking.

"Thank you. By the way, don't mind me. I know I talk too much, but I'm not really much of a talker," Alarina grinned.

"Oh, I can tell," I joked, making her laugh. I joined in the laughter, feeling a bit more at ease.

As Alarina continued to tell me about the school, screams suddenly filled the air. I looked up to see students flying through the air, some jumping on lockers and soaring over others' heads. I turned to Alarina, whose claws were already out.

"What's going on?" I asked, my fear growing as I watched students rush toward the hallway.

"They're coming," Alarina said, her eyes changing to yellow, sending a shiver down my spine.

I felt frightened, which frustrated me since I had always considered myself a tough girl. But there was something undeniably strange about this school, an eerie vibe that made me wonder who was coming.