"Is there a problem?"

I looked up, then immediately shook my head and sat up. "I... I thought I heard a sound."

He didn't say anything else, and I slowly pushed the chain into my shorts pocket. It was definitely not my brother's chain, so whoever owned it could be the key to knowing more about why my brother had to die so suddenly. Why it couldn't be anyone else.

I swallowed hard, then turned to Valerian. His hand was still resting on mine, and I brought it to my lips, tears filling my eyes again.

If someone really did something to my brother, either to drive him to take his life or take his life themselves, I would find them, and I would make them pay. I am not much, but I would do anything for my brother, even if I take my last breath doing it.

I was already looking at my brother's remains. What else is there for me to Iive for? Not much. There was nothing, actually.

I sighed and closed my eyes, my forehead resting on his palm. It was cold, and I found myself breaking down again, unable to fathom why the moon goddess had to take them all before me.

The ambulance came to a slow stop, and I sat up, my chest heaving. Soon, I wouldn't even see him again. I wouldn't have the prospect of seeing him soon to comfort myself. I would never ever see that smile again.

"Let's go," the man said as he stood up, opening the ambulance door.

I held my breath and Valerian's hand as he was wheeled out. I followed immediately, the sudden morning winds hitting my face, making my eyes sting even more.

I felt faint seeing my brother's grave dug up, and two suited men standing next to it. The man, without wasting a second, wheeled him towards the grave.

"I am sorry for your loss," one of the suited men said to me, extending a hand.

I swallowed hard, my chest heaving. "My brother didn't kill himself."

He went silent for a long minute, then shrugged. "He is still dead. And there is evidence that he did kill himself."

"That could have been fabricated! He loved his life. He loved me! He wouldn't..."

"The training in here is quite vigorous, Miss Skylar. Weak Alphas tend to either leave or resort to suicide. This is not the first time. We train alphas who will take over the pack later. Normal alphas who happened to be born lucky most times are not able to catch up with the competition."

"How dare you call my brother weak?"

"How dare you accuse the alphas in here of murder?" His voice was low, somehow still polite despite all the bullshit he was spitting. "Who would you assume was reaponsible for his murder, then? His roommate? Do you know who you would be pointing fingers at?"

"Are you protecting him because he is powerful?" I asked, anger starting to replace my sadness. It was becoming increasingly clear that there was some shady business in this school that might have pushed my brother to his death.

"Maybe," he said simply. "But Valerian North was always weak. Almost effeminate. Seeing how you, his sister, are an omega, it does explain why his alpha potential was so weak."

I took a step forward but was immediately held back, my chest heaving. "You are a bastard!"

"And you, Miss Skylar, are accusing the wrong people. Take your anger out on your brother. Suicide is a thing of the weak and not just you. All of us will have to bear the consequences of his cowardice. I am sorry for your loss, but it wasn't much of a loss at all."

He turned to the other men. "Finish up here. We need to fill up the remaining student slots." He turned back to me, then gave a small smile. "Take heart."

Without another word, he walked away, leaving me standing there under the grey skies, the wind dancing around us, the other two men working to lower my brother.

I sat there on the floor, numb as his body was slowly lowered six feet under. No flowers. No prayers. Nothing. He was buried like an omega even though he had alpha potential.

My heart felt like it had been shattered by a crane, and I was just here, numbed by everything. Just a few hours had changed the course of my life.

I sat there long after all of them left, watching the grave that now belonged to my brother. This was a possibility I never entertained. I never saw myself burying Valerian, not even once.

I slowly reached for my pocket and pulled out the necklace. Eros. Who could he be? What could be his connection to my brother that he had his pendant on him?

I bit down on my lips, slowly running my hand over the pendant. A small, burning sensation passed through my thumb, and I moved, my brows furrowed.

Wolfsbane. There was wolfsbane on the necklace. My suspicions rose, and I slowly stood up, my heart beating wildly.

I haven't earned the right to mourn my brother if I do nothing about the bastard who could have killed him. I do not deserve to bring flowers to his grave if I do not avenge him.

I turned slowly. Rosendale High was just a few metres away from the cemetery. It was a massive, imposing building, and behind all of this beauty, something sinister happened to my brother, and I needed to find out what it was. I needed to get behind those walls and fish out the person those officials were protecting.

I started to turn to Valerian's grave when something caught my eyes. In the distance, behind one of the trees that covered the cemetery was a figure.

My eyes widened slowly as my vision zeroed in on him. My breath hitched in my throat. He was wearing a black cloak, half of his face covered, his stance confident, his hand behind his back.

I took a step forward, my chest heaving. He didn't move, the wind pushing the cloak all around, yet he didn't budge. I felt something rise in my chest, and something hit my nostrils. A scent. A feeling. Something I had never experienced before.

I looked up to where I assumed his eyes would be, just as a particularly strong gust of wind knocked the cloak away, revealing a long, jagged scar over his right eye, and a dark red lock of hair falling across his face.

My face immediately lost colour. It felt like seeing my dream come alive and, in the worst, way possible. He didn't seem to be interested in me and was mostly watching my brother's grave.

I started to walk slowly towards him, my heart pounding in my chest, my mind uncertain. Did he know something? What was he? Who was he?

Before I could cover the distance, he was suddenly gone. I didn't see the path he had taken, and he seemed to have simply disappeared into thin air.

I still made it down to the tree where he had stood, and right there was a single rose on the floor.

I stood in front of the imposing gates of Rosendale High, my heart beating wildly in my chest, my body slightly trembling. My chest was heaving with fear of the things that could be lurking in there.

But I have made it this far. It has been two months since my brother died, and I have spent every single moment of that time trying to find a way to gain entry into this school. After doing everything, leaving the pack for a month to make it seem like Skylar North had gone rogue so I could safely take this identity, masking my scent and cloning an alpha scent, and applying again and again every week when their admission opened up till I finally received the letter, I knew I had to go through.

I remember the first time I had come with Valerian. The way he had been so excited about this place. And then the last time I came with him. He had been dead, and he was discarded in that nameless grave.

That necklace. That man. That rose. I was none the wiser despite the time that had passed, but at least, I was here now, with an admission letter, and a greater chance at finding out the truth.

I took in a deep breath, my eyes closing for a long moment. I opened my eyes, then slowly pulled the small trunk I had brought with me. It contained only the male clothes I had bought with the very last of my savings, my brother's letters, a few food items, the light brown contacts pack I had gotten, a few tampons and necessities.

The gates opened, and I pulled the trunk in till I got to the main entrance. It was just as imposing, and a little part of me wanted me to back out of this. Valerian was dead. I could be, too.

But that was the whole point. I didn't know how to live without my brother. Even worse, without trying to find out how he died. Why so many things pointed to it not being suicide. Why they never gave me his suicide letter.

The door opened again, and I pulled the trunk with me and walked into the dark hallways. The hallway was filled with a strong alpha smell and dark fog. It looked very typical of a place that held so many secrets. So many skeletons.

It was eerily quiet, and I could hear the loud thump of my own heart and the tapping of my booted feet.

I closed my eyes. The official had told me to come here. I was already done with all of the clearance requirements and had nothing else to do. I thought that was the scariest part, trying to convince them that I was an alpha, but being here amongst potential killers and being so grossly inexperienced and disadvantaged, it was the worst.

A sudden sound stopped me in my tracks, and I froze, my heart going on overdrive. My knees felt weak, and the only thing that kept me from running out of there was the feel of Valerian's cold hand against mine.

"Who are you?"

I swallowed hard, my chest heaving as I turned. A man was standing behind me, his eyes cold. He had light blonde hair and dark blue eyes that just seemed to fit.

"I am... my name is Kian. I have been granted admission and..."

He looked down at my outstretched hand. "Kian?"

I nodded slowly, biting down on my lips. I hoped that completely ditching my brother's name and my true identity would make whoever killed him attempt a move on me since I was just as weak as him, even weaker. I know it is suicidal, but I needed the truth even if I had to die for it.

"Cute name," he said simply to my disappointment. "What is your room number?"

My eyes widened. "Room number?"

He raised a brow. "Were you admitted as an extra or a regular?"

"Extra," I said, completely oblivious of what that meant, exactly. I just knew that I would be within these walls, and that was all that had mattered then.

Seeing how he was looking at me now, like I was completely stupid, it made me think I had made a grave mistake by accepting this admission.

"Is something wrong?" I asked when he wouldn't say anything, my voice slightly shaky.

He gave a small laugh. "No. I am the head of this hostel. My name is Knox."

He still didn't give me his hand, and I pushed my hand into the pocket of my trousers.

"Nice to meet you."

He nodded. "Problem is, Extras do not have access to anything. This is the part where I show you to your room and roommate and tour you around, but you are an extra. You are neither allowed to have a room to yourself nor are you allowed to use the amenities with us."

My heart immediately dropped to my stomach. What? They had those sorts of admissions here? But... Valerian was admitted as an extra, too.

Does that mean... he never even had a room, couldn't use anything, and just...

My heart sank. I didn't expect to meet something like this on the very first day.

"What am I allowed to use?" I asked, my chest heaving.

He sized me up again, then sighed and leaned away from the door. That was when I noticed he was shirtless and had a full sleeve of tattoos on both hands.

"You look a bit innocent, so I will give you a small briefing, but lunch is in two hours, and you will understand exactly what I mean."

I immediately followed him, and he led me across the long hallways before we finally reached a large opening. My jaw fell open as I took in the place. It was like a mega city on its own, with almost everything I could think of.

A large fountain in the middle, and the building extended upstairs and just kept going till I couldn't see anything anymore.

I turned to him, and he was already looking at me.

"Welcome to Rosendale. We have only a few rules here. Most of them apply to everyone, but some of them are for only extras."

I nodded, my eyes fixed on him. I wondered if Valerian had felt this intimidated, this alone. I wondered if he wanted to give up, too.

"First and foremost, don't use the gym while we use it. You can use it after if you find it open."

I nodded. I had no intention of using the gym.

"As an extra, you are Rosendale pack's equivalent of an omega, so you can't eat with us either. You can eat after we are done eating if there are any scraps remaining."

Okay, what the fuck?

"Three. You can sleep anywhere, but you have no room assigned. You can beg anyone without a roommate, and if they let you, then fine. If they don't, the dining, library, or whatever, those are big enough. You are pretty scrawny anyway."

"Wait. Where do I take a bath and, you know... toilet?"

He shrugged. "There are public restrooms, but they are not cleaned, and you will have to do it yourself."

I swallowed. Hell. This place is hell.

"Four. You have an alpha scent, but you are technically an omega to us."

"Is there a way to climb up the ranks?"

"You don't know what you are talking about," he said with a laugh. "You will never be able to climb up ranks in here."

"Why? I have an alpha scent and..."

"Ask your wolf if it can scent mine."

I held my breath and focused. She could, but only faintly. I focused harder, and she immediately whimpered. Too strong. My eyes met his, and he gave a small smile.

"I will not investigate just how weak your alpha potential is as that is not my business. But if your wolf can not stand mine, you have no chance here. We fight shit out in here. For food, for survival. And I am not exactly the strongest. Take the scraps, or risk that pretty face. We don't know mercy, Kian. We know war. We know blood. You get me?"

I nodded slowly. Is that... perhaps, how Valerian died? Because he tried to climb up the ranks? Because he tried to defy the norms?

"As I was saying, unless an alpha singles you out for a fight, don't volunteer. They don't like the omega stench, and the cemetery happens to be big enough."

I clenched my fists as he gave a small smile, then turned away.

"Is that why you wouldn't shake me?"

He laughed, then shook his head. "The last time I shook someone..." He trailed off, then raised his left hand. It was limp and very obviously useless. My eyes widened, and he chuckled. "Exactly."

I felt my blood run cold. I had imagined a school of well trained men and order. This was a jungle, and I have walked right in the middle of it.

"Last," he said, then met my eyes. "Treat this as the most important rule, Kian."

I straightened a bit, something in his eyes telling me my life in here would depend on it.

"Do everything you can to avoid the Princes of Rosendale. Avoid them with your life."

Something about the way he had said it, the grim urgency in his voice, the seriousness in his eyes, it made something in my brain tick off. The part of my brain that was desperate to know what happened to my brother went off, and I couldn't help but ask.

"Who... who are these princes?"

He gave a small smile, but his eyes held pain, and I could see that he hated them. Maybe not hate, but...

"You do know their families. I think they were called the powerful four on the outside."

My eyes widened. Everyone knew the powerful four. The families that held the reigns of the packs and made the rules for everyone else. They also produced some of the strongest, most capable wolves, and it made it even harder to overthrow them or even attempt to rebel.

"A descendant from each of those families lives in these walls, and soon enough, you will see them. Just make sure to steer clear. One or two of them might be friendly, and they might not even mean any harm, but their wolves are powerful like that, and the weaker you are, the higher chance you have of being sniffed to death by one of them."

I swallowed hard, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. The Carpenter family, the Sanders' family, the Stone family, and the Dionte Family. They were the powerful four.

Eros. The man with the necklace. Could he be part of these people? Could that be why the official had been so keen on protecting him?

"How do I know them?" I asked, looking up to Knox.

"They are mostly together. They have private gyms, dinings, and libraries, but sometimes they get bored and attend the duelling classes. I am just saying this so you know, but don't ever accept a duel with any of them."

I bit down on my lips. He still wasn't answering my questions. I needed their names. I needed to know who these people are.

"The son of the Stone family, Alpha Kyran Stone," he started, and my ears immediately perked. "The Carpenter family's son, Alpha Karl Carpenter. The son of the Sanders' family, Alpha Eugene Sanders."

My brows furrowed. What of the Dionte family? I have so far not heard a name that had anything to do with that necklace. Maybe he just wasn't part of them? Maybe he was a regular student?

I swallowed. The Dionte family was much stronger than the other three, for reasons unknown to anyone. They wielded so much power that it was unfair, but it's not like a lowly omega like me who could barely prevent her only brother's untimely death would be able to do anything about a family like that.

"I am sure you are wondering about the last of them," Knox said, and I turned to him. He was looking down at his limp left hand, his brows drawn.

For the first time since he started talking to me, he looked extremely angry, like he could kill someone.

"The Dionte family son?"

He didn't reply, but I saw just how much darker his gaze got as he watched his hand.

"Did he do that to you?" I asked, my voice low and cautious.

He swallowed, then looked up to me. His eyes were filled with angry tears, and he broke into his customary smile.

"You are the observant one, huh?"

I gave a small shrug. "Well. I am just trying to make sure I survive."

He gave a small chuckle. "It is the best way to live in here. By surviving. You know, I actually like you. There is something..." He trailed off, his eyes sizing me up.

I swallowed hard and moved a little further away. It was way too early for me to be causing suspicions. I haven't even gotten a place to stay yet.

"You have some sort of comfortable energy around you. Why would you come in here?"

To find Eros. To find out what really happened to my brother. All of it was at the tip of my tongue, but I could never say it if I wanted to get there.

"I guess it looked fun."

He laughed. "I guess it looks like that from the outside. Well, I am off. I would have loved to have you as my roommate, but we don't have a slot. I will try to ask around for you, however. They are more likely to give it to me than to you."

"Why are you helping me?"

"You seem different," he said with a small shrug. "And you remind me of someone else with your rather feminine features."

My eyes widened. Could he be talking about...

"I think his name was Valerian?" Knox continued, ripping my heart out with one careless sentence. "He was just like you. I almost threw my roommate out for him but someone else took him in. It was the first of its kind, that act of kindness. I don't know why he did that, but since Valerian ended up dead... I wish I had kept him as my roommate instead."

I was trying my best not to cry, hearing someone else talk about my brother's death like it was nothing. My heart broke all over again, and I felt like dying.

"Are you okay?" Knox suddenly asked, and I quickly wiped away the stubborn tears, my hands shaky. I forced a small smile as I looked up to him, my chest heaving hard.

"I... who is this kind person who took him in? I might be able to convince him to take me in, too."

All humour left Knox's eyes, and I almost took a step away from him just from how dangerous he looked. "I doubt he would," he said, his voice thick with hatred as he pulled out his left hand again. "The same person who took Valerian in... is the same person who did this to my hand, simply because I refused a duel, knowing what he could do."

"What?"

"Eros," he said, his voice low. "Eros Dionte, the worst monster of them all."