Chapter 6

I yanked my arm. “I’m am so sorry I covered you in mustard,” I yanked again. I wasn’t moving. “But this stupid murder game is a bit much!” With one more yank, my wrist slipped from his grip.

I took off again and wondered how long I could go without being caught again. My legs pushed and pushed but I was running out of gas. The howls and snarls were getting louder. But then, a cold voice boomed through the chaos.

“Enough.”

All the wolves stopped, some whimpering in pain while some were still snapping their jaws. The voice was loud enough in my brain to cause me to fall to my knees, my hands over my ears. The ringing in my brain stopped and I looked up.

Striding across the field was a man in elegant maroon robes. They floated across the grass like he was flying. His hair was long and wavy, tucked behind his ears. He had eyes so pale, they looked white instead of yellow. I could sense the power radiating off him. It was the same power that ebbed off my mother in sheets.

He was a true Alpha. Not just the heir like the rest of the people at the school.

One of the wolves next to me shifted back to their human form. They stood tall but their hands were shaking. “Professor Lunerly,” they started. “We were just partaking in this year’s hunt. It’s tradition—”

“Don’t tell me about tradition,” the man in the robes said. His voice sounded like velvet on my ears. “I, too, attended Alpha Academy.” He looked down at me.

“What I didn’t do, however,” he said. “Was pick on the wolfless.”

“But, she was the weakest!” Another wolf-turned-human protested. “And Kairos—”

“Mr. Moonraiser will be compensated for the hunt this year,” the professor said. “But the rest of you are dismissed to afternoon classes.”

A few of the wolves tried to protest but ended up giving up as they watched Professor Lunerly’s mouth set in a thin line. One by one, they all shifted back to their wolf forms and took off across campus. As they all disappeared, I looked up at my savior.

He couldn’t have been much older than me, but he felt like. The way he held himself was the way someone of great age and power presented themselves. It was the same kind of royal behavior I felt around the castle when I was there.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

The man barely acknowledged it, instead turning on his heel and beginning to walk towards the admissions building. He paused once to check if I started to follow him, then motioned me forward. I strode across the grass to keep up with him.

We went up the stairs and into the building. Professor Lunerly led me through the dark oak halls and into a room. The word “HEADMASTER” was written across the door in curly font. He motioned towards a chair in front of a desk to which I sat in. He took the seat behind the desk and gently pushed an old rotary phone towards me.

“For you,” he said.

I furrowed my brows but picked up and handle of the phone and held it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Zora!”

It was Victoria. Great. Exactly what I needed after fighting for my life all day.

“Vict —er – your highness,” I said when I caught Professor Lunerly’s gaze.

“You shouldn’t need such formalities,” Victoria said. “Valentin is a family friend.”

I glanced up at Professor Lunerly. His mouth was set in a line still. He looked unfriendly. He looked proper.

“Right,” I said into the phone, drawing out the word.

“So how was your first day?” Victoria said.

“Um, well,” I ran a hand over my face. “I didn’t pass the run. Missed it by like a quarter of a mile. Then I spilled a sandwich all over a student. Which cause the hunt to start, where a bunch of angry wolves started to chase me and try and kill me. And then Professor Lunerly ended it and brought me here.”

I half-laughed. “So pretty eventful.”

“My Gods,” Victoria laughed along. “You certainly are my daughter. Causing such a commotion on the first day!”

“I’m sure your commotion was much more positive than mine,” I grumbled.

“Well, sure, yes,” Victoria said. “The princess-heir was starting her education. At a different school than her mother! Highly scandalous.”

I hummed. I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to say. We both sat in silence for a moment before Victoria sighed.

“Have you met any of and fiancé candidates yet?”

I snorted. “Unfortunately,”

“Unfortunately!?” Victoria balked. “Oh goodness, the sandwich.”

“The sandwich,” I repeated. “Though I think Maximus was more angry that I cut him than that I spilled mustard all over him.”

“You cut him?!” I had never heard Victoria so surprised. “Oh heaven’s above! What on earth prompted you to do that!”

“He was being a dick!” I threw back. “Pummeling my into the ground during Basics. Telling me I was worthless! Using my wolfless-ness as an insult!”

Victoria sighed. “All of this wouldn’t have happened if you had chosen a suitor.”

“Well I’m glad I didn’t!” I snapped. “They’re all absolute assholes who seem to think the earth moves for them.”

“They should!” Victoria raised her voice. I was shocked. She’d never gotten snarp with me. She must’ve realized because she sighed deeply again. “There is much for you to learn, Zora. The High Pack Alphas are highly respected. Wolfham and Moonraiser packs are of those High Packs. Their names alone demand people to bow at their feet.”

“That’s so stupid!” I protested. “So should I change my last name to Luna and start fighting people?!”

Victoria paused. I hated that I knew what she was going to say.

“You could,” she said, softly. “It would make schooling much easier for you. People would fall at your feet instead of chase you.” She paused again and sighed, again.

“But you must choose one of the suitors before you reveal yourself. For your safety.”

“Safety?” I snorted. “Because, what, people will try and get in my pants to get to the throne if I’m not ‘taken’.”

“Precisely,” Victoria said. She was utterly serious. I, however, was joking. Another sigh. “I promise you all three of the men I chose are valuable and honorable candidates.”

“Valuable and honorable, my ass!” I said. Professor Lunerly’s eyes went wide. “They are arrogant and pretentious. I don’t need them for ‘safety’ and I’ll graduate from this stupid school without the Luna name.”

With that, I hung up the phone. I looked up at Professor Lunerly. One of his eyebrows was raised in curiosity.

“Do you always speak to your mother in such a tone?”

I snorted and slumped back in my seat. “She left me to rot in an orphanage for eighteen years. Victoria deserves it.”

The professor hummed then sat back in his own chair. He brought his fingers to his lips in thought. They were long and elegant, just like his face.

“Your mother asked that I keep an eye on you,” he said. “That is why I intervened today. Given your temper, can I assume I’ll have to do that a lot?”

“If everyone else can leave me alone, you won’t have to,” I snapped.

“So yes, then?”

I rolled my eyes. “Most likely.”

Professor Lunerly hummed again. It was beginning to get on my nerves. These stupid people and their non-verbal comments.

He got up from behind the desk and motioned towards the door. I followed him and went to open the door when his hand pressed it back shut. He stood a mere inch from me and looked down at me.

I caught several gold flecks in his otherwise white-yellow eyes. They looked like little freckles on his irises. They were utterly beautiful. His eyes were framed with long, brown eyelashes that fluttered against his cheeks. I felt myself locking eyes with him

“Try to keep your head down,” he said, softly to me. “For both of our sakes.”

“I can make no promises,” I said back, still locked gaze to gaze. “Trouble seems to follow me.”

“That it does,” the professor mused. He opened the door slightly and ushered me out. His eyes were still locked with me. “Princess.”

“Professor,” I replied.

“Princess?” a voice said.

I snapped my head up to see Maximus reclined against the wall in front of me. I’d been caught.