Chapter 5

~ Aria's POV ~

I gasped loudly, my eyebrows arching in shock as I realized where I was. I sprang up from the bed, looking around. I was back in my room—in the school filled with frightening monsters.

The last thing I remembered was escaping from here, then meeting a man who offered to take me to Greystone Falls. He only had one ear, and afterward, we ran into a moving truck.

I was absolutely sure the  truck hit us. I should either be in a coma right now… or six feet under the ground. So how the hell am I alive and back in this strange school I thought I had escaped from?

I rushed to the mirror, checking for any signs of injury from the accident, but there was nothing. I was nearly stripping myself naked just to be sure—but still, not even a scratch. It was as if the accident never happened.

“What the heck happened?” I whispered to myself.

The door creaked open and Callista entered. I quickly rushed to her. Somehow, I wasn’t afraid of her. Maybe it was because of her friendly nature.

“What happened to me?” I demanded, my eyes silently begging for answers.

“What do you mean what happened to you? Were you expecting something to happen?” she asked.

“Why am I back here? I was sure I left this creepy school. Then I met a strange man, and we got into a terrible accident,” I replied, gesturing wildly with every word.

“Are you sure you’re not going insane? Why would you leave this school, meet a strange man, and get into an accident when you’ve been sleeping all night?” she asked, and my confusion only deepened.

“What do you mean I was sleeping all night?” I asked, baffled.

Callista sighed and sat on her bed, crossing one leg over the other. “I couldn’t stay for the rest of the party because the other witches mocked me for not mastering my powers… you know, being a weak witch. I couldn’t take it, so I came back to our room and found you sound asleep.”

I shook my head. That’s not what happened. I had literally escaped the school. I should either be in a coma—or in the morgue.

“I was sleeping when you came back?” I muttered.

She nodded.

“Was I covered in blood or something? Did you clean me up and heal me with your magic? I heard witches are good at that, while vampires can heal themselves,” I said.

She gave me a weird look, as if I was some kind of lunatic. “Why would I clean you up? I just told you, my powers are weak. I can’t heal anyone. My powers flicker on and off. Besides, you weren’t covered in blood when I got here.”

She stood up and sighed. “Speaking of blood, you should be careful not to get injured. You’re the only human here, and the vampires would love to get a taste of your blood.”

My hand instinctively flew to my neck, fear coursing through me.

“It’s already a brand-new day. You should get ready for class. Miss Hellcat asked me to help you,” she said with a smile.

Class? Am I supposed to attend class with these monsters? I’d rather die than sit among them. They’d probably eat me alive.

“Don’t worry, Aria. You won’t be attending classes with us. We all have have our own classes. So do you,” she added and walked into the bathroom.

After she was done, I took a bath too. But the question of how I returned to this school kept haunting me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember coming back after the accident.

“How long has this school been in existence?” I asked as I walked beside Callista, silently praying not to encounter any monsters—especially the vampires.

“It’s been here long before I was born. The Moon Goddess created it so werewolves could master their strength before becoming Alphas and Lunas of their packs. Even the Betas and Omegas come here to train and serve their leaders.”

What the heck was she talking about?

“Then what are other monsters like you doing here if this so-called Moon Goddess made this school for werewolves?” I asked.

“That’s a brilliant question, Aria,” she said, smiling. “Like I said, it was originally just for werewolves, but one day the Moon Goddess allowed other supernatural beings to enroll too. Witches were thrilled, but the werewolves hated the idea of being around vampires. Still, they couldn’t defy the Moon Goddess. Vampires became part of this school, but their goal has always been to destroy the werewolves. Of course, the werewolves don’t back down from a fight.”

Her explanation only left me more confused.

“Why are they enemies? Aren’t they all monsters?" I asked.

“The vampires and werewolves have been enemies for centuries—long before we were born,” Callista replied as we stopped walking.

“This is the classroom for werewolves,” she said, pointing to a room through a transparent glass window.

My eyes scanned the students inside… and then landed on him.

I’ve seen him before—from the school’s building—where he stared at me before disappearing like smoke.

His hair was long and curly, tied in a ponytail that made him look incredibly handsome. I couldn’t look away.

Why was I so drawn to him? Was it the tattoos? I like guys with tattoos. But then again, I’ve seen lots of tattooed guys in Greystone Falls, and none of them made me feel like this.

Was it… his wolf scent?

Callista’s arm wrapped around me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“He’s so handsome, right?” she smiled. “That’s Thorne Blackwood, future Alpha of the Thorn-Claws pack. He was named after his pack. He’s got strong biceps and always wears sleeveless shirts just to show them off.”

I smiled, still staring at him.

“Don’t be swayed by the looks. His mouth is sharper than a blade. To cut the long story short he’s arrogant,” she warned.

Still, I couldn’t stop staring. His bronze earrings were mesmerizing. I was… drawn. So drawn.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Callista quickly covered it and leaned in.

“Don’t say a word. Werewolves have sharp hearing. They’ll hear you.”

I nodded, eyes still locked on him.

As if sensing my stare, he looked back—and our eyes met.

My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it. I smiled and gave a small wave… but he gave me the middle finger and turned back to his teacher.

My jaw dropped in embarrassment.

Callista giggled, patting my shoulder. “That’s Thorne for you. Just a little gossip—he hasn’t found his mate yet.”

“Mate? What’s that?” I asked.

But Callista ignored me and led me to another classroom. Judging by the eerie energy, I could tell it belonged to the vampires.

“This is the vampire class,” she said, and I scanned the room through the glass—and saw him. The same guy I had seen before, just like Thorne.

He was stunning. Sinfully handsome. No, not big like Thorne—but painfully attractive. I literally forgot how to breathe.

His thick, slightly tousled hair fell just above his eyes. A few strands brushed his forehead effortlessly, giving him a wild, irresistible look.

“That’s Raven Valtor. He’s royalty. Future vampire king of the Blood-Moon Clan,” Callista explained. “In simple words—stay away unless you want to get burned.” she advised.

But I wasn’t listening. Something about him pulled me in… like an invisible force I couldn’t fight.

Suddenly, his eyes locked on mine—and he grinned wickedly, baring his fangs at me. I gasped and nearly stumbled backward, but strong arms caught me before I hit the ground.

I looked up and found myself staring into the eyes of the guy who had saved me.

His piercing blue eyes locked on mine, and he smiled.

“Are you the human girl everyone has been talking about?” he asked, his voice smooth and slow, like velvet brushing against my skin

I swallowed hard.

He was seductive. So fucking seductive. My heart pounded so loud, I was sure he could hear it.

Is he an incubus? A dragon? A ghoul?

Why the hell am I attracted to three different guys at the same time?