Aria.

I was late. I was so late.

My shoes pounded against the silent hallway as I rushed to my first class, clutching my book to my chest as I ran.

I had spent the last fifteen minutes wandering through this moon goddess forsaken school, trying to find Room 105 where my first class was being held.

And finally I stood in front of the door, I sucked in a deep breath before I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The moment I did, all eyes turned to me and the room fell silent.

Nice entrance, Aria!

The room was filled with about twenty students all dressed in their sharp navy blue blazers and dark blue ties, sitting perfectly at their desks. It felt like a cult how orderly they were.

I swallowed hard and turned to the teacher who stood in front of the class. A tall woman with a gray fitted dress and hair pulled back in a slick bun and sharp, cold gray eyes that glared at me.

“You’re late.” She said flatly and I nodded, chuckling nervously as I pushed my glasses further up my nose.

“I’m sorry. I got lost.” I answered softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

A few students snickered.

The teacher, her name tag read ‘Mrs Alden’, narrowed her eyes slightly. “Lost?” She asked, a faint smile curling her lips as she shook her head. “I guess it’s obvious since Silverwood wolves do lack a sense of proper direction.”

The room erupted into laughter and I felt the heat crawl at the back of my neck as I resisted the urge to glare back at her.

“Well. Since that can’t be helped, why don’t you go ahead and introduce yourself to the class.”

My stomach twisted, I had always hated introductions.

“Uhm…my name is Aria Langston. And I’m from the Silverwood pack.”

“Now let me guess. You’re an omega aren’t you? You know, one of the weak ones?” A voice interrupted me.

I stiffened.

A girl sat in the front row, twirling a long strand of platinum blonde hair around her manicured fingers. She wore a different kind of uniform, and it was obvious she was in the cheerleading team. A short skirt and crop top that showed her perfect skin. Her name tag read;

Mia Carter.

Rank 2

Strength: 6/10

The class erupted into laughter again and I felt my cheek hurt and I glanced at the teacher, expecting her to intervene but she said nothing as another girl joined in. She was seated beside Mia in the same cheerleading uniform. She had short wavy pink hair.

I looked down at her name tag and she eyed me carefully.

Tasha Greene.

Rank 2.

Strength: 5/10

They both looked flawless in perfect makeup, and legs crossed and straight posture like they were in a magazine shoot.

“Of course Mia. That’s what it says on her name tag. A tiny omega with barely enough strength to move a table.” She spat at me, sending me a sly smirk.

I squared my shoulders, my eyes narrowing as I opened my mouth to speak. “Well at least I don’t need a number on my chest to feel important.”

The room went silent for a moment and I saw Mia’s smile falter and just as Tasha opened her mouth to retort, the teacher cut in.

“Enough! Aria Langston it’s only your first day here and you are already causing trouble. That would be detention for you after school. Take a seat and don’t disturb the class again.”

I gave her a soft glare. Of course I was the one causing trouble and not the two perfect demonic Barbies in front of me. I shook my head and started to make my way to the back where one desk and chair sat.

As I headed to the back, someone stuck their foot out and I didn’t have enough time to avoid it. I stumbled almost immediately and crashed into the floor. The whole class erupted into laughter, the sound sharp and mocking and I felt tears gather at the end of my eyes.

My knees stung immediately but my pride and self confidence burned even more. I blinked back the tears, refusing to let them see me cry. Pushing myself up, I grabbed my books and adjusted my backpack and shuffled to the last desk at the end of the room, a lonely and isolated spot that felt like it had been reserved just for me. The outcast.

The stray.

As I sat down, I caught Mia’s eye. She smirked at me, her black eyes glittering with malice.

“Welcome to Ravencrest, stray. I’m sure you’re going to love it here.” She said, her voice low enough so that Mrs Alden didn’t catch it as she wrote something on the whiteboard.

I leaned closer against my desk. “Thanks for the warm welcome. I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

Her smirk faltered for a second before she quickly recovered it, flipping her perfectly blonde hair over her shoulder. “We’ll see just how long you last.”

Mrs Alden clapped, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “Now before we continue, I have a very special announcement to make and I would need you all to listen.” She started.

“As part of Ravencrest’s effort to integrate the Silverwood wolves into our pack, the board of directors and teachers have introduced a new school contribution program. This program allows the Silverwood wolves to earn privileges, such as their own personal room instead of sharing with their fellow pack members. They can contribute to the school to earn these benefits. This could include tutoring, assisting with any events in the school or any other task that is deemed appropriate by the faculty.”

The class erupted into a series of rumors as a few of the students shot me disapproving glances.

“Excuse me?” I said as Mrs Alden rolled her eyes at me immediately.

“Miss Langston. We don’t speak like that here. We raise her hands first and I would give you permission to speak. I don’t know how asking questions is done at your own school but we do things very differently at Ravencrest. You should find that out soon.”

I raised my hand, ignoring the way some students laughed at me and Mrs Alden nodded at me. A sly smirk on her lips.

“What kind of tasks are we talking about and who decides what’s appropriate?”

“Tasks are assigned based on your skills and the needs of the school. As for who decides, it would be me or the rest of the faculty. But you Miss Langston should be considering tutoring. According to your files, it says you were one of the brightest students back at your old school. I’m sure some Ravencrest students should find that useful. As some of our students mainly focus on physical training and strength based tasks. It would be good if we can balance both their training and their school activities and that’s where you come in. Just food for thought.” She finished, raising her brows as if to ask if I was done.

But I was far from finished. “So we teach the Ravens and then we get our own rooms? Even at school we are still at your mercy. Am I right Mrs Alden?”

Her face turned red immediately and her eyes glared at me as a few students snickered around me.

“Miss Langston, you are more than welcome to decline if you have a problem with the program. That is if you don’t mind sharing your personal space with your friends.” She said and I clenched my jaw but didn’t respond.

The rest of my classes passed like a blur, the teachers had been very mean to me and the students weren’t any better. While some of them had been a bit curious about me, the others just didn’t acknowledge my presence. And thankfully, I didn’t see Mia or Tasha in any of my classes again.

I had one of my classes with my pack member and though we weren’t close, we managed to say hi and sit together for the session.

It didn’t take long for the bell to ring as I had practically zoned out of class during her teachings. If there was something I had realized, it was that Ravencrest syllabus was a few weeks behind ours. So I already knew everything they had been talking about.

As the bell rang, I grabbed my bags and books and looked down at my schedule to find out it was time for lunch. I sighed in relief. I couldn’t believe I was only half way through the day. It seemed like I had been here for three days and the time seemed to pass by very slowly.

I was finally going to see Lila and Maya. I wondered how her first classes had been. I made a mental note to ask Maya what her attitude had been all about concerning my locker in the hallway.

I headed down the hallways, following the other students as they all walked in the same direction that I assumed was the cafeteria. My thoughts went back to the school contribution program. It was a good idea to have my own room but the thought of being a personal tutor to one of the Ravens sent chills down my spine. If they were anything like Mia, Tasha or even Kai Blackthorn that I had met earlier, then I didn’t want to tutor them.

Kai Blackthorn.

At the thought of his name, I felt my right arm sting in pain where that black wolf had bitten me. I ignored it as I heard loud noises in front of me as I came to the entrance of the cafeteria.

It was huge!

Students filled the room, there was clattering of trays, loud clatter and occasional bursts of laughter. It was massive with high ceilings and long tables filled with Ravens. The air smelt of spicy food and my stomach grumbled. I scanned at the doors for any sight of Lila and Maya but didn’t see any of them. I leaned against the doors on the end of the entrance so they could easily see me when they arrived.

I looked around, spotting a few of my pack members. They looked so out of place, it was obvious that we didn’t fit in. With our separate uniforms and our heads down and our confused faces, it was obvious that we felt like outcasts.

My heart ached as I felt tears gather at the end of my eyes at the sight of my people. Wrenched away from our pack and forced to live with the enemy. Was there any fate worse than that?

I guess there was because I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned to face Kai Blackthorn.

He was even more intimidating up close, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. His blonde hair was slightly messy, like he’d just run his fingers through it, and his blazer hung open, revealing the crisp white shirt underneath. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a magazine, and it was infuriating.

“Lost again, little omega?” He asked, his voice low and teasing as he stood in front of some other students who were in similar jerseys as him. I assumed they were all members of the school football or something. I couldn’t figure out what sport it was.

“I’m waiting for someone.” I said sharply.

“Who? Your little stray friends?”

“As a matter of fact. Yes.” I responded as he smirked at me, a sharp ache pulsed through my right shoulder, right where the black wolf had bitten me. I winced, my hand instinctively reaching for the spot. Kai’s eyes flicked to my shoulder, and for a moment, his smirk faded completely. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could, a voice interrupted.

“Kai, let’s go. We’ve got practice after lunch.”

I turned to see Ryder Hale standing a few feet away, his hazel eyes cold and assessing as they flicked between me and Kai. He looked every bit as dangerous as Kai, but where Kai was all arrogance and charm, Ryder was quiet intensity.

Kai glanced at Ryder, then back at me, his smirk returning. “Duty calls,” he said, his tone light but his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer. “Don’t get into too much trouble, little omega.”

I glared at him, my shoulder still throbbing. “I’ll try not to.”

He chuckled, low and dark, before turning to follow Ryder. The two of them walked away, their presence commanding the room like they owned it.

My stomach twisted as they walked into the cafeteria and some students stepped out of the way for him.

Something was up with him. He had an aura of power around him and whatever it was, my shoulder seemed to sting whenever he was around me. It felt like I was in a dangerous game.

And if I wasn’t careful, I’d get burned.

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Aria.

I leaned against the cafeteria wall, my shoulder throbbing faintly as I scanned the hallway for Lila and Maya. I rubbed my shoulder as the pain subsided for a second. I frowned, wondering why it seemed to flare whenever-

“Aria!”

I turned in the direction of my name and saw Lila and Maya through the crowd, running towards me. I smiled as I saw my best friend and walked towards her.

“There you are,” Lila said before pulling me into a quick hug. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you. How’s your first day going?” She asked and I forced a smile as I nodded at Maya who looked around us as if scanning for trouble.

“Oh you know. Just a typical day for the new girl. Was bullied by both the teachers and the students and I tripped over someone’s foot in class.”

Lila winced. “That’s horrible. My classes were fine, most of them were with Maya so I had good company at all times.”

“Lucky you.” I muttered, adjusting the strap of my bag before sighing heavily. “But hey, at least I got detention for standing up to some girls, Mia and Tasha, so I guess silver lining?”

Maya's eyes widened at the mention of the nasty cheerleaders. “Mia Carter and Tasha Greene?” She asked and I shrugged.

“I don’t quite remember their last names and to be honest I could care very less about that.”

“Let me guess, Mia is the one with blonde hair, cheer captain, black eyes and mean smile?”

“Yes that one.”

“And Tasha is the one with short wavy pink dyed hair and light green eyes. Doesn’t really think for herself and follows after Mia?”

“The dumb one. Yes.” I responded as Lila chuckled but Maya didn’t find it funny as she sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

“Aria, you’ve got to be careful. You need to stay clear from Mia and Tasha. They are both in Rank 2. They are daughters of the Elders and though they look like weak perfect Barbies, they have claws, painted and manicured but they are not afraid to use them.”

“Look Maya. I don’t know how things run around here but I am not afraid to stand up for myself. I can handle them.” I said, rolling my eyes. I didn’t really like Maya and I didn’t like her telling me what I needed to do.

But Maya didn’t look convinced as she scanned the cafeteria and I noticed her expression growing serious before she turned back to me.

“Listen Aria…I heard something earlier. Did you talk to Kai Blackthorn?”

I froze, my stomach twisting at the mention of his name. “Yeah, why?”

Maya’s face paled and she grabbed my arm, pulling my closer as Lila and I exchanged confused glances.

“Aria. You need to stay away from him. Do you even know who he is?”

I frowned, snatching my hand away from hers and brushing my uniform in nervousness. I didn’t miss the scared look on Maya’s hazel eyes. The same fear that had been in her eyes this morning at my locker.

“He’s just some arrogant jerk who thinks he’s better than everyone else. Why?” I asked as Lila looked confused at both of us but I just shrugged my shoulders at her.

Maya shook her head, her voice dropping to a whisper as she ran her hand through her hair worriedly. “He’s not just some jerk. He’s the future Alpha of the Ravencrest Pack and Quarterback of the football team. Do you know what this means?”

I blinked, my heart skipping a beat at the mention of Kai Blackthorn as the future Alpha of the pack. That explained the aura of dominance and superiority around him. But it didn’t explain why he would speak to me. A mere stray.

“I don’t understand. So why would he speak to me? Twice.”

“Twice?” Maya’s eyes widened in shock as she shivered. She seemed to be panicking and I started to feel scared too as Lila tapped my shoulder in reassurance

“Oh moon goddess! Aria, look. I don’t know what Kai wants from you but he is ruthless. He might look like a perfect boy on the surface but don’t let the pretty boy act fool you. He’s dangerous. And if he is talking to you, it’s not because he is interested. He might be testing you. And trust me, you don’t want to be in his radar. I would suggest that you apply for a locker transfer so you are not within his vision.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing a million miles in a few seconds. Kai was the future Alpha? That explained why everyone was watching us when he spoke to me earlier. The way everyone moved aside when he walked and the commanding presence. And yet, there had been something in his eyes when he looked at me. Something I couldn’t quite place.

“But.. he didn’t seem that bad,” I said slowly, remembering the smile he gave me before walking away earlier. But as the words left my mouth, I almost didn’t believe them.

“Yes, he’s not bad. But he’s terrible. The worst of them all. That’s what he wants you to think. But, trust me Aria. Kai Blackthorn isn’t someone you want to mess with. Stay away from him. For your safety and the sake of your people.”

My stomach knotted as I looked at Lila who gave me a worried nod. “Maybe Maya’s right. I don’t know who this Kai is but if he’s the son of the alpha who tore through our pack with no mercy and destroyed our home and forced us to be here, then it’s best if we stay away from his path. For all we know he could be reporting about us to his father.”

I nodded, running my hand through my hair. “Great. Just what I needed, another reason to hate this place. No offense Maya.”

Maya gave me a small, sympathetic smile. “None taken I would hate it too if I was forced to leave amongst my enemies. Come on, let’s get some food before the line gets too long. We’ll talk more when we are seated.”

I nodded, following them as we joined the queue and Lila was talking about her first class and how a Raven girl had spoken to her kindly and wanted to know more about Silverwood. When she finished we, I cut in.

“Maya?” I asked as she turned to me for a second before grabbing some food and placing them on her tray. “Earlier we were at my locker and you realized Kai’s was next to mine. You freaked out. Was that because you knew it belonged to him?”

“Yes. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t want to scare you but that locker used to belong to a past student who had transferred from Ravencrest last year.”

“Why? What happened?” Lila asked as she waited for us to grab our food before we all walked to an empty seat in the filled hall.

“There was this guy. He was a Rank 4 or so. He thought it would be funny to mess with Kai’s locker so he broke into his locker and hid his jersey or something. You know, just a stupid prank anyone could play on each other, that kind of thing.”

I raised an eyebrow as Maya continued as we took our seat.

“When Kai found out, he didn’t just confront him. He challenged him to a fight in front of the whole school. It was brutal. Kai was ten times stronger than he is. He broke both his arms and banished him and his family from Ravencrest.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Over a prank?” Lila asked and Maya nodded grimly before she started eating. I gave Lila a worried look and just as I started to eat, someone walked to our table.

“Well, well. Look who’s trying to fit in.” My stomach dropped at the sight of Mia and Tasha standing in front of our table. I didn’t miss the way Maya visibly flinched as she nearly choked on her food.

Lila stiffened beside me and looked at me in confusion.

“Mia and Tasha. What do you guys want?” I asked irritatedly as Lila gasped at the mention of their names.

“Nothing. We just want to formally welcome you both and along with your friends to Ravencrest High, that’s all.” Tasha smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Get up. Both of you.” Mia ordered immediately and I didn’t miss the group of boys that came to stand behind our chairs and I looked at them worriedly before turning back to Mia.

“Why?” I asked, my voice shivering as I tried to keep steady despite my heart racing in my chest.

Mia leaned in, her face just a few inches from mine. I could scent her perfume and see her perfect glassy skin. “Because I said so. And because your little stray friends are over there waiting for you.” She said, gesturing to the center of the cafeteria where a group of Silverwood wolves stood huddled together, head bowed and looking scared.

“They are waiting for you to join them.” Tasha finished. I looked around the cafeteria that had gone silent, all eyes on us as they all had similar wicked smiles on their faces while the others didn’t even care as they watched.

“What is going on?” Lila asked worriedly as she looked at our pack members at the center of the hall.

Mia smiled. “Don’t worry, little stray. You’ll see. Now get up. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Maya stood up slowly, her hands shaking as she looked at Mia and Tasha who frowned at her interference. “Uhm, Mia and Tasha. I don’t think—”

Before she could finish, Mia’s hand shot up in a blink of an eye and slapped Maya across the face with a loud crack. Both Lila and I jumped at the sound as it echoed through the silent cafeteria and for a moment, everything seemed to stop. My heart pounded in my chest and Maya’s face snapped to the side, her cheeks reddening and her eyes widened in shock.

“What gave you the right to speak to me, Rank 6? You don’t think, you obey me.” She said, glaring at Maya before she turned to me, her smirk had vanished and she looked even more scary now.

“Now get up, both of you.”

Lila was on her feet in an instant and I felt a surge of anger rise in my chest. “How dare you hit your fellow classmate?” I asked angrily.

“Fellow classmate?” Tasha laughed, her voice filling the intense air. “That brat is even less important than what I have for breakfast.”

But before I could respond Tasha signaled to the guys behind us. And immediately the Ravencrest students stepped forward and grabbed both Lila and I, yanking me to my feet as one of them pressed hard into my shoulder causing me to scream in pain.

“Stop this!” I shouted but it fell to deaf ears as they dragged us to the center of the cafeteria where the other Silverwood wolves stood, their faces pale and their eyes widened with fear. I stumbled after them , my heart racing as the entire cafeteria watched in silence.

They shoved us amongst the others and I staggered to remain on my feet as I clutched my shoulder, my visit in blurring as I felt warm blood seep through my uniform.

Laughter echoed in the distance as I turned to see Mia and Tasha stand in front of us. From the corner of my eyes I could see Maya still standing in shock, not looking at what was happening. But I noticed the tear falling down her cheeks.

“Attention everyone! It’s time for our annual tradition. The Stray Welcome!”

The room erupted into cheers and laughter and my stomach churned as Lila looked at me fearfully and I gave her a warm smile of reassurance. I glanced around, my chest tightening as I realized what was happening. The Silverwood wolves were completely surrounded by the Ravens, closed in like a pack of wolves circling their prey.

“What’s the stray welcome?” I asked softly as Mary, one of our pack members answered under her breath.

“I heard amongst the Ravens earlier that it’s a ‘welcome’ for new strays.” She said, her voice low so that only us could hear as I noticed someone wheel in a large table filled with food and I frowned in confusion.

“They throw food at us. It’s supposed to be funny.” She finished and my heart sank.

Funny? This was humiliation, plain and simple. It was a subtle act of show of power. Display us like outcasts in front of the whole school and throw food at us.

“Aww guys don’t look so sad. This is our way of welcoming you to Ravencrest.” Mia laughed before she stopped aside. “And who better to start than our future Alpha.” She said and the whole hall erupted into cheers.

“Kai Blackthorn!” She announced cheerfully as everyone clapped and cheered again very loudly.

My stomach twisted as I turned to see Kai standing in front of the crowd, his arms crossed across his chest in an arrogant posture. A smug smile on his face. And for a second, his eyes scanned through my people before it landed in me. I imagined I saw something flicker in his gaze, hesitation?

No. Because it was gone in a second, replaced by that cold arrogant smirk that I was starting to hate.

“Care to do the honors, Kai?” Tasha asked as he stood in front of the table.

“Why not?” He said, his voice smooth and casual but filled with a tone of authority and power that sent shivers down my spine.

I watched him pick up a tray of spaghetti, his blue eyes locking onto mine as he smirked coldly.

“Welcome to Ravencrest, little omega.”

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