The Gold Digger

Pure-Blood College wasn't your typical high school. Sure, it had lockers lining the hallways and classrooms buzzing with pre-pubescent energy, but the occasional scent of a wolf or vampire hinted at a deeper secret hidden beneath the exterior of the normalcy of the school.

Gosh, I shuddered. I had such a phobia for humans and vampires. Back in Ravenwood, we were quite separated from them. But here, it was a whole hell of a mixed species.

Humans, as usual, were oblivious to the supernatural world co-existing with them. They mingled with werewolves, vampires, and the like, creating a unique social ambiance unbeknownst to them that some of us tore our own flesh and shifted into beasts while the other drank blood… their blood.

But for me, Nimue, a soon-to-be-eighteen werewolf with a pack full of bad PR, it felt like walking into a lion's den in a lamb costume.

Taking a deep breath, I entered the school, overwhelmed by the clamor of voices and the sheer scale of the place. Sunlight streamed through broad windows, illuminating murals depicting mythical creatures alongside historical figures.

“They must be an attempt to bridge the human and supernatural worlds, but the humans won't understand,” Umbra commented inside of me but I was too shaken to care about her philosophical ideas.

As I steered the halls, whispers followed me like a shadow to my utmost surprise.

“… isn't that her?"

“… the one in the pictures with Jin?"

“… the gold-digger..."

"The one whose pictures were posted with Jin?" a girl with bright pink hair hissed to her friend.

"They say she threw herself at him!"

"And Kieran too, I heard!"

Gosh! Their absurd statements were outrageous!

I swear by everything good, when I lay my hands on the one who had set me and Mr. Kisaragi up, I’d kiss Kieran before forgiving them!

How fast the pictures had traveled was no news since it was ‘social fucking media’ but then again, assuming I had a few of the handles of some of the students here, I might have been able to get a heads up.

But now, I had no friends here and wasn't sure if everyone here used iMessage, I*******m, or TikTok as their social media handles. So, basically, I was left in the dark!

Argh! Perhaps, it was for the best. Judging by the judgmental gazes I was receiving, I knew the comment sections would be full of mean things that would surely ruin the rest of my year.

Now I understood why the Alpha council chose to be hard on me. The consequences of that scandal were dire.

Still, I was Nimue La Key, I’d be damned before I showed any weakness. I held my head high, pretending not to hear, but the sting of their words was there, of course.

Even the optimistic Luna was strangely silent while Umbra growled in indignation. That's my fierce girl!

I pulled out my wrinkled school map. Better to walk through the hallways without attracting attention. “Literature - D102…” I muttered to myself as I traced the map through the route.

But the whispers followed me like a persistent swarm of bees buzzing in my ears. Let them talk for all they cared. I already told Mum I hated it here, but she wouldn't listen.

Suddenly, a group of girls materialized in front of me, blocking my path. They were all either wolves or vampires. I could smell the supernatural musk on their body.

And then, there was Lucille, the self-proclaimed queen bee, who stood in the center with a smirk on her blood-red lips.

"Well, well, well," she clicked her tongue, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "If it isn't the little gold digger herself. Here to steal Kieran away from me already?"

What the heck? Steal Kieran? Pfft! I’d rather kiss Jin’s butt than steal KIERAN away from his Barbie girlfriend.

Her friends were obviously a gaggle of wannabe Lucilles. They cackled like hyenas on the signal after her lame declaration.

The other students around began to halt, anticipating the drama that was sure to ensue. The whispers around us intensified, morphing into open laughter. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, but I held my ground.

"Nice try, Lucille," I retorted, adjusting my bag’s strap on my shoulder. "But I'm not here for your precious Kieran, nor your pathetic little posse."

My defiance seemed to surprise her. The smirk on her face wavered for a moment before returning, even wider.

Lucille leaned in closer to me much to my irritation. "This isn't the Alpha’s mansion, Nimue. Here, I'm the queen, and you're just a nobody. So if I were you, I’d watch my back.”

She spoke of the Alpha in a silent tone which to me, was a reminder of the supernatural world hidden beneath the surface of a regular school. It was a reminder that I needed to be careful and mindful of what I did or said. But before I could process her words, a searing pain erupted on my shoulder.

A sickeningly sweet scent filled the air. I looked down to see a large orange stain blooming on my once-clean graphic tee. One of Lucille's friends, a girl with Chinese eyes stood behind me, clutching an empty juice carton.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, feigning surprise. "Totally accidental. Didn't see you there."

Her friends burst into another round of laughter, their tones debased with cruelty. "Such a shame," one said, shaking her head mock-sympathetically. "First day and all."

Argh! They were grating on my nerves! I really was losing my cool. These girls sure didn't know about me. They needed to go find out about how feared I was in my old school back at Ravenwood.

I was not to be messed with. I was a dual fucking wolf!

"Maybe you should stick to wearing gold, Nimue," another snickered. "It might go better with your lame name."

I told Mom I’d get taunted for my name. Seriously, Nimue was a lame name, so I would not argue this time.

The laughter around us intensified much of my greatest humiliation. Standing there, drenched in juice and stung by their taunts, I felt utterly helpless.

Just as Lucille and her pack of hyenas turned to leave doing a stupid victory dance that I intended on getting back at, a timid voice spoke beside me.

"Excuse me," a girl said.

She was human, I could tell since she didn't have the werewolf scent. Behind a pair of thick glasses, her brown eyes brimmed with concern. In her hand, she held a small, white towel. "Here, would you like this to clean up?"

At least, one nice student! But then, it just had to be the school weirdos. I could already tell she was one judging from her outfit and how dipped her shoulders were.

I extended my hand to retrieve the towel with a warm smile, my fingers brushing against hers in the process. A jolt of icy coldness shot up my arm the moment my hand brushed with her.

Her touch was… inhuman. It was cold. She was a… Vampire. Oh, no.