WILLA

I had been wondering how the academy houses worked.

Bloodline? Personality? Ability?

I hadn’t seen much in Elyse’s journal I found. I didn’t want to ask a question as obvious as that from Verah either.

So, I just assumed it was based on bloodline. Everyone here whose parents or ancestors had been in this academy before and in the same house, gave them the right to be in that house.

Whitney glanced briefly toward Steven before answering.

"Usually by bloodline first," she explained. "Most students inherit the House their family descends from but Lykaon Royal evaluates students before placements too. Temperament. Instincts. Leadership tendencies. Control levels. Psychological compatibility is all considered."

Interesting. It was a hybrid system then.

"Some wolves fit their bloodline naturally," Mrs. Maddox continued. "Others don’t. And during your evaluation, you still aligned with Valerius."

I swallowed slowly, my gaze dropping to the badge stitched onto my blazer.

Silver piping traced the edges of the fabric and curled neatly around the crest displayed on my chest.

Every student at the academy had different colors, an indication of where they belonged.

"You’ve maintained excellent grades since entering the academy," Whitney said. "Your strongest subjects are literature and history."

Steven continued where Whitney left off.

"You love overly sweet drinks," he said with a warm smile. "You prefer tea over coffee. And you like cold weather."

My fingers curled slightly in my lap. I was the complete opposite. I love summer and hate anything cold. Black coffee was what I enjoyed drinking. Although not at first, I got used to it.

"You spent most of last summer in Italy with Verah and her family," he continued with a faint smile. "Rome, Florence, Lake Como."

Italy. I resisted the urge to scoff.

Traveling somewhere like that had never even crossed my mind before. The only place I had ever gone without permission was Ridgewood Academy—and I had returned home almost immediately afterward.

Whitney placed a notebook with black cover beside me on the bed and opened it carefully.

Inside were neatly organized pages filled with names, dates, photographs, schedules, and handwritten notes.

"This contains everything important," she said. "Friends, teachers, habits, places you’ve visited."

Important for what exactly?

The question sat at the tip of my tongue, but before I could ask, she continued speaking.

"Lastly, you received the necklace..." she trailed off, letting out a deep breath. Her gaze was heavy as they settled on my face. She opened her mouth and closed it back like she didn’t know exactly how to continue her sentences.

Steven pulled her into him, wrapping his arm around her while he finished off her statement. "You’ve had that since birth. It was from us."

Instinctively, my fingers curled around the pendant. Was it exactly like Elyse’s? And how did I get mine? No one had told me anything about it.

The only thing I knew was that I had to keep it on. At least, that was what the note had said.

The note left behind by the same douchebags who abandoned me. My attention slowly drifted again.

I stared blankly toward the wall, barely processing the rest of Whitney’s words as my thoughts wandered back to Elyse.

Where was she and what really happened to her?

—

My session with the Maddoxes ended, and I returned to the dormitory about an hour before curfew.

"Stay safe, Elyse," Whitney said warmly. "We love you."

I smiled and waved them off, waiting until their car disappeared down the driveway before heading inside.

With a tired sigh, I walked toward the entrance.

The common room was crowded with students gathered in small groups, talking amongst themselves.

The moment I stepped in, every head turned toward me at once. Then smiles appeared across their faces.

"Hey, Elyse!" they greeted in unison.

I paused.

Even beneath the smiles, I could sense the uneasiness lingering in the room.

"Hi," I muttered awkwardly.

Almost immediately, the students began rising from their seats one after another before quietly heading toward their rooms.

I stood there watching until the last person disappeared upstairs. Weird.

But honestly, I was far too exhausted to overthink it right now. Shrugging it off, I headed toward my room instead.

Pain flared sharply along my side. Eric’s shove from last night. I grimaced.

I should’ve asked Steven to examine it earlier, but the stupid ache hadn’t even surfaced while I was with him.

I pushed open my bedroom door and stepped inside. My breath caught instantly.

A tall figure stood beside the window.

The room was dark, illuminated only by pale moonlight spilling through the curtains and catching strands of dark hair that fell all the way to the figure’s waist.

My stomach clenched violently. I stumbled backward just as the figure slowly turned toward me.

I reached for the door handle without turning around, my legs already twitching with the urge to run.

Then I heard a soft sniff. I froze.

Slowly, I blinked and focused properly on the figure now standing where the moonlight revealed her clearly.

"Verah?"

She stumbled toward me immediately, her white flowing nightdress trailing behind her like a veil. Her hair hung messily around her face, tangled and unkempt.

That alone unsettled me. Verah was always polished. Always composed. Always perfectly put together.

But right now? She looked completely wrecked.

I barely reached the middle of the room before she threw herself into my arms, clutching me tightly like I might disappear if she let go.

Her body trembled violently.

"Are you alright?" I whispered carefully.

Verah didn’t answer. Instead, she broke into quiet sobs.

I didn’t push further. I simply held onto her, letting her cry while unease slowly settled in my stomach.

Something had happened.

And somehow, I had a feeling it connected to the strange way everyone had been acting earlier.

—

The next morning, it felt like the entire academy was staring at me.

Thousands of eyes followed me through the hallway as I made my way toward Literature class.

The same strained smiles from last night. The awkward silences. The hushed whispers. I felt all of it again. Only worse now.

I kept walking. I wasn’t supposed to care, right?

I was Elyse Maddox. She loved attention. But this didn’t feel like admiration. It felt like scrutiny.

I rounded the corner and finally spotted the classroom ahead. Relief escaped me in a quiet breath.

Their staring was beginning to unnerve me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could handle it without snapping.

I walked past three girls and stopped in front of the classroom door. Two wore Cassian colors while the third belonged to House Aurelian.

I reached for the handle. I stilled when one of them spoke loudly enough for me to hear.

"They did all that because of her?"

"Ugh, I knew this would happen," another muttered.

"Right?" the third chimed in. "It’s obviously unnatural. The council needs to do something before we lose the boys completely."

My hand slowly dropped back to my side. The girls kept talking like I wasn’t standing barely a foot away from them.

"I can’t believe she still has the nerve to show her face after what happened to them," the first girl spat bitterly.

"Don’t you think so, Rita?"

I swallowed hard, my fingers curling tightly at my sides. So this was about the bond. About Eric, Kol, and Lance.

But how exactly was any of this my fault when I barely understood what was happening myself?

"Hey, bitch!"

My ears twitched at the sudden shout. The hallway had gone completely silent.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed students slowing down, gathering nearby to watch.

Great. So much for surviving the day unnoticed.

"I’m talking to you, whore," the girl continued cruelly. "Elyse Fivesome Maddox."

Laughter erupted through the hallway immediately.

"That’s funny!"

"Good one, Candace!"

Several students laughed, openly praising her. I still said nothing.

My gaze remained fixed on the classroom door in front of me.

Class had already started. I could hear Professor John speaking inside while the students acted out the scene from the play.

Part of me wanted to ignore Candace completely. To walk into the classroom and pretend none of this affected me. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

That part was Elyse.

But another part of me, the part that was still Willa, wanted to turn around and tell her to get out of my face before I did something we’d both regret.

"But it’s true," Candace continued smugly. "I still have the video from last year as proof. Her parents must be so ashamed of her."

My jaw tightened. Still, I didn’t speak.

Then suddenly, Candace grabbed a strand of my hair and twirled it around her fingers mockingly.

"I wonder what Alpha she’s been obsessing over will say once he realizes she isn’t even a virgin anymore."

The students burst into laughter again.

Some had already pulled out their phones, recording and taking pictures while I stood there motionless.

My thoughts churned violently.

Candace’s hand clamped onto my shoulder, her nails digging painfully into my skin. "Look at me when I’m talking to you—"

Another voice sliced through the hallway. Cold. Powerful. Dangerously low. "And who exactly are you to command her to do that?"