Arianna’s POV;

On my first day of school, I had to meet my teacher after class. What a great way to start.

I slunk back to my seat, my gaze burning holes into the back of red-haired juliet and her squad of wannabe drama queens.

They giggled like they ran the place, maybe they did, but not for long if I had anything to say about it. I’d barely walked into this school and already, I was ready to walk right back out.

Professor Garrin’s voice hummed on in the background, words floating around the classroom.

My mind refused to absorb anything. Instead, I stared through the window beside me, out at the cloudy horizon and the oak trees that surrounded the school grounds.

I could feel the tension growing in my chest, a familiar tightness that told me I wasn’t just annoyed, I was close to boiling over.

The lunch bell finally rang, sharp and loud, yanking me out of my spiral. It sounded like freedom, and I immediately reached for my bag, more than ready to bolt. But just as I took my first step, Professor Garrin’s voice caught me mid-stride.

"Miss Wolfsburn, please stay behind for a moment."

I bit back a groan and forced myself to turn around with as much politeness as I could muster, which, admittedly, wasn’t a lot.

I grudgingly followed him as the classroom emptied.

"Arya Wolfsburn," he began, looking over his round spectacles. "You are new here, and I wouldn’t want you getting into frequent trouble. Starting a fight on your first day at school isn’t a nice first impression."

His tone wasn’t exactly reprimanding; it was more like he was sizing me up. Like he’d seen dozens of students like me and was deciding which category to file me under.

"I heard you right, Professor Ulfrich," I said. "I’ll try to avoid any more trouble."

He gave me a slight nod, but I could tell he didn’t believe me. Maybe he was right not to.

The hallways were buzzing with chatter as I made my way to the cafeteria. Everyone was already clumped into their social cliques, laughing, gossiping, pretending not to look at the new girl. I could feel their eyes on me, measuring, speculating.

I scanned the room and found an empty table near the window, bathed in golden light. That would be my spot from now on, my quiet corner.

As I weaved through the maze of students, food trays, and swinging backpacks, I caught the unmistakable sound of juliet’s voice.

"Look, Tessa, the clueless newbie has finally arrived," she said, flipping her crimson ponytail over her shoulder like she was starring in her personal reality show.

I didn’t even need to look at her to know they were all watching me. I could feel their collective gaze sticking to my back like leeches.

"I’m going to teach her a lesson she won’t forget," she whispered to Victoria, who sat to her left. Their laughter followed, sharp and poisonous.

If only they knew. My vampire senses caught every word, every heartbeat, every flicker of emotion. I could’ve recited the gossip in perfect mimicry if I cared enough to entertain them.

As I walked past their table, juliet made her move, a very predictable and pathetic one. She stuck out her leg, expecting me to stumble and fall, tray and dignity crashing to the ground.

But instead, I moved with swift precision, pivoted, and caught her off balance.

With a yelp, she toppled backwards onto the floor. Gasps erupted across the cafeteria.

"Oops," I said softly, stepping around her. "Good riddance to bad rubbish."

She looked up at me, stunned and furious, her face turning the exact shade of her hair.

I bent low until my eyes met hers. "Next time," I said calmly, "watch who you come for."

I walked away before she could recover, the chaos behind me like music to my ears.

Just as I reached my table and sank into my seat, thinking I’d earned a moment of peace, I felt a familiar presence. A scent, my stomach twisted before I even looked up.

"Dane Ray." The name in my mind was like a curse.

He stood there, tray in hand, looking like a memory I had locked away and thrown into the sea. The last time I saw him, it was through tears and betrayal.

Why here? Why now?

I packed up my things, I had lost my appetite, so I decided to abandon the food.

I think I heard him mention his name, but I was far gone.

I ran past the tables, past the confused stares and raised brows, straight out of the cafeteria. I didn’t care where I was going; I just needed air, space, and silence from all the chaos of today.

His face haunted me like a shadow. The memories clawed their way back in. He had believed my sister’s lies. Called me a slut, never once asked for my side of the story. Never once did they look into my eyes to see the truth.

I hated him. I hated that I still remembered how he made me feel. I hated that I once dared to love him or trust him, but what did I get in return .

I needed to find the dorms really fast, I felt exhausted from today’s events. Using the student guide, I navigated the twisting hallways and buildings.

The dormitory was impressive, ultra-modern, glass walls reflecting the sunset, towering over the other buildings like a silent guardian. It looked like something out of a futuristic boarding school.

The girls’ wing was to the east. I scanned my ID and entered the building. My flat was on the third floor, and when I opened the door, I stopped cold.

It was beautiful. A small lounge with cozy sofas and a coffee table greeted me. The dining area looked like something out of a magazine, and a tall bookshelf in the corner already sparked ideas about what novels to stuff it with.

I checked the names on the doors on the left side of the corridor. I’m guessing they are doors to the rooms. magdalena Xander, ayeesha Dawn, my flatmates. Hopefully, they weren’t nightmares in disguise.

My room was the last on the right.

I stepped inside and exhaled. It was perfect. Warm wooden floors, a large bed with soft grey sheets, a writing desk by the window, and soft white curtains that danced in the breeze.

I dropped my bag and collapsed onto the bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking. Couldn’t shake off the feeling. The look in his eyes when he saw me was it hate, or was it something else?.

I needed to sleep, just a moment of peace from all the chaos.

I closed my eyes to sleep and was soon awakened by distant echoes of laughter in the hallway.

Arianna’s POV

Voices drifted through the thin wall of my dorm room. Both laughter and footsteps, I think they were laughing at a joke.

I enjoyed their laughter and voices, and deep inside me, I wanted to join them.

I pulled my knees tighter to my chest, sitting on the edge of my bed, debating whether I should go out or just pretend I was asleep.

My room smelled like cardboard and dust from unpacked boxes, my duffel bag half-zipped beside the closet.

Everything felt temporary, like I hadn’t truly arrived yet. Another burst of laughter echoed through the living room. I bit the inside of my cheek. I couldn’t hide forever.

Taking a deep breath, I slid off the bed, my bare feet brushing against the cool tile floor. I hesitated at the door, hand hovering over the knob.

For a second, I imagined opening it and stepping into a room full of judging stares, just like in the cafeteria. I just didn’t have energy for another drama.

But I wasn’t going to cower, not after what happened earlier. I turned the knob and stepped out.

The hallway was quiet except for the murmur of voices from the living room. I walked slowly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I reached

the corner.

Two girls sat scattered across the space. One on the couch, legs tucked under her and the other sprawled across a beanbag with a bowl of popcorn in her hands.

Then they looked up, their eyes darting in unison towards me as I stepped into the living room.

All of them.

Two pairs of eyes, different colours, different shapes. They looked at me as if they could recognise me, their lips contorting into a smile.

’Ok, no drama, they are smiling. But what for?’

"Hey!" the girl with the wild curls and oversized hoodie called out, waving like we were old friends. "You’re Arya, right?"

"Yeah." My voice came out quieter than I meant it to.

"Finally! We were starting to think you were a ghost," the girl on the beanbag said with a grin. "I’m Mel, by the way, and that’s ayeesha over there, scrolling like her life depends on it.

"Shut up, I’m texting my cousin," ayeesha said without looking up, then glanced my way. "You’ve got good timing. We were just talking about you."

That made my stomach twist. "Me?"

magdalena leaned forward, smiling. "You’re kind of famous now, we didn’t think the famous girl was our flatmate until now. "

"Oh god," I muttered.

ayeesha set her phone down and crossed her arms, her smirk widening. "juliet, Victoria, and Alexia? That cafeteria takedown? Legendary."

magdalena nodded so fast I thought her curls might bounce off her head. "You completely destroyed them. Like, I was waiting for a mic drop or something."

I felt my face heat up. "I didn’t mean to make a scene. I just... couldn’t take their crap anymore."

"Well, you did more than stand up for yourself," magdalena said. "You humiliated them. Deservedly."

"They’ve been ruling this place with side-eyes and insults for too long," ayeesha added. "It was refreshing seeing someone put them in their place the way you did."

A small laugh escaped me, half relief, half disbelief. "I thought I’d get in trouble."

"Nope," ayeesha said. "You got fans instead."

They all laughed, and I found myself smiling too, even though I felt awkward just standing there in my socks and oversized sweater.

For a second, I felt like maybe I wasn’t completely alone.

"Well..." I shifted on my feet. "Thanks. I didn’t really know anyone noticed." I took steps forward to the sofa to join them fully in their conversation.

"We noticed," Jules said. "And you’ve got guts. Respect."

It got quiet for a beat after that. Not an uncomfortable silence, but one of those moments where everyone had said what they needed to and didn’t know what came next.

"Anyway, I think I’ll just, um, finish unpacking. But it was nice meeting you guys."

"Anytime," magdalena said cheerfully. "We’re usually out here annoying each other if you ever wanna join."

I nodded and slipped back into my room.

I shut the door behind me, and I leaned against it for a second, exhaling slowly.

They were nice .

That shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did, but it did. After weeks of snide remarks, cold shoulders, and people pretending I didn’t exist or worse, pretending I was just something to whisper about. This was... new. Normal. Kind.

I sat on the bed again, fingers tugging at the frayed seam of my blanket. My thoughts were a whirlwind. Maybe not everyone here was a vulture waiting to pounce. Maybe this place wasn’t entirely terrible. Maybe...

Then suddenly I started to feel so uneasy. ’What is wrong with me?’

That creeping, twisting unease. Like something inside me was out of place.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry, nauseous, faint, but persistent, like an itch I couldn’t reach. I stood up abruptly and walked to the small bathroom attached to the suite.

The mirror above the sink was slightly cracked on the corner. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to chase the feeling away.

It clung to me.

My reflection stared back with tired eyes and flushed cheeks. Something inside me was humming, low and constant, like a sound only I could hear. My fingers trembled slightly as I dried my face with a towel. .

I knew what it was. I didn’t want to admit it, but deep down, I knew.

The thirst. The pull. The hollow ache I’d been ignoring since lunch. It had only gotten worse since then.

I couldn’t stay here, not like this, not in this manner.

I grabbed my scarf from the desk chair and wrapped it tight around my neck, pulling my hood over my head.

Quietly, I eased the window open. The cool night air kissed my skin, and I stepped outside making sure I wasn’t followed.

Good, I wouldn’t want them to find out what I was.

Because if they knew what I truly was, no amount of cafeteria bravery would matter.

And I couldn’t lose this, not now or when I’d just started to feel like this is my place.

So, I had to go somewhere in the woods surrounding the school, to sort out my unease.

Gina’s POV

"You can’t seriously be considering it." Dad’s voice was low and sharp, the kind that meant he was trying not to explode.

"I’m not considering it," Mom hissed back. "I’m simply telling you. The Alpha King’s nephew arrives in less than a week, and he’s already asked for a girl from our pack. ’Arianna’ was his choice."

"No!" Dad snapped. "I won’t have that girl representing our pack in the royal palace. Not her. Not with that blood running through her."

"She’s the only one they’d want," Mom said bitterly. "You think they’re going to pick Gina, when she barely survived her last duel?. When she’s

constantly second to a vampire?"

My breath caught in my throat as the last statement from my mother hit me. I was in the hallway, and the wall barely separating me from them did little to filter their conversation.

They were talking about Arianna . Again. And from the way it sounded, it was clear that they thought, or instead knew, I was beneath her.

"She’s not one of us," Dad said, his voice hard as granite. "I wish we had never adopted her in the first place."

"Well, you did, and there is nothing you can do about it, unless we act fast," Mom said with a low, contemplative tone.

"She won’t marry him," Dad growled. "I’ll see to it myself.

I didn’t hear the rest. I didn’t really need to. Everything inside me burned. Was it out of jealousy? Yes, but more than that ’ panic’ .

If Arianna married the Alpha King’s nephew, she’d become royalty. Immediately attaining a status that makes her untouchable. She’d be granted royal blood binding, maybe even immunity from werewolf laws.

The past wouldn’t matter anymore. And that would be the end of me because if she rose... she might come for us, especially me.

She had every reason to, given how I’ve been treating her.

That night, I waited until the house was dark, then I slipped into Mom’s room while she was getting prepared to retire to bed.

"I heard you," I said softly, leaning against the wall. "You and Dad. About the Alpha King’s nephew."

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t even bother denying it.

Instead, she looked at me over the rim of her cup. "Then you know we can’t let that happen."

"I have an idea," I whispered.

***The Next Day***Colewas easy.

If I could get him to play his role the way I needed, framing Arianna and ruining her chances with the Alpha King’s nephew would fall right into place.

"I think Arianna’s planning something," I murmured. "She’s been acting strange ever since she found out the Alpha King’s nephew is coming."

Cole frowned. "She barely even talks to anyone."

"Exactly. She’s hiding something. And what if she seduces him?" I leaned in. "She is a vampire. They’re good at that sort of thing, using their charm to manipulate a person’s mind and gain control.

What if she marries him and then uses it to take revenge on my family? On us?"

His jaw clenched in annoyance, as if he was digesting the news. The idea was working its way under his skin.

"She wouldn’t dare do that..." he voiced out in a sinister tone, uncertainty clear in his expression.

"She told me once," I whispered, "that she dreams of burning this house down one day. Of making everyone who hurt her pay." That was a lie; she never said that, but I had to make him see what I wanted him to see.

"I’m scared,Cole," I said gently. "What if she ends up with him? Don’t you see? We’re going to be doomed, not just my family, but you and I.

She can manipulate him against us because the power would be in her hands." I said, gently caressingCole’s palm to ease my worry.

He hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

That was exactly the words I was expecting from his mouth in order to set my plans in motion.

He would go to her room. Pretend to care or maybe repent of his shortcomings, try to make her see that he would pick her side henceforth and then draw in for a fake kiss.

I’d handle the rest.

The plan worked perfectly. Dad was highly disappointed in Arianna, and I saw him vent his anger on her.

The pure pleasure I derived from seeing her in misery, from seeing her humiliated and hated over and over again by my parents.

No matter how good she gets at anything, no matter how hard she works to best me, that doesn’t change a thing.

She is still the illegitimate, outcast, vampire, black sheep of the family

*******************

Later that night, I found Mom in the sitting room, pretending to read a book.

"It’s done," I said, simply looking straight at her side view.

She looked up, and for once, her smile didn’t feel fake. It was cold, calculating and proud.

"She’ll never be chosen now that her reputation has been dragged through the mud ", she said. No Alpha in his right mind would take a mate with a reputation like that."

"Do you think Dad will believe it?" I said gradually, taking a seat next to her.

"Your father will see what he wants to see," Mom said with a knowing glance. "The girl reminds him too much of the monster who killed his mother. He’ll take any excuse to punish her."

That reply brought me so much satisfaction, and I guess she knew that because she looked at me knowingly, the corner of her lips curling up in a slow smile.

I looked toward the hallway where Arianna’s room stood, silent and dark. I wondered if she was already up from the lawn and in her room, nursing her wounds. But I didn’t care, she has

"She’ll hate me forever," I said, bile rising in my throat. But I didn’t care, after all, I never even liked her; she made my blood boil.

She looked up at me with one eyebrow raised, and as if on cue, we started laughing.