Chapter 2

Valeria POV

The pale morning light filtered through my curtains, casting a soft glow across my room. I lay in bed, motionless. The events of the previous night playing on repeat in my mind like a nightmare.

The lingering scent of blood, Alerion’s icy gaze and the way his hand had wrapped around my throat – teased into my mind afresh hanging like a heavy cloud. I had barely slept, every creak kept me on the edge, as if something or someone could be lurking at the corner of my room, waiting for the perfect moment to strangle me in my sleep.

I had to tell my mother – at least. Whatever Alerion and his family were doing it had to be illegal right?

My hands hovered over my phone, fingers trembling as I considered calling my mother, after a moment’s hesitation. I dialed her number and had almost given up that she wouldn’t pick up when she answered.

“Hey, sweetheart, good morning.” She said breezily.

“Mom!” I started without a preamble “There’s something I want to tell you. Last night…”

“Hold on a sec, dear!” my mom interrupted and turned to speak to someone in the background. From the rich masculine tone, I knew it was Alpha Cassian.

I heard my mother’s shrill laugh followed by a kissing sound. A moment later, her voice came through again.

“Valeria, it’s time for breakfast, let’s not keep the others waiting. Come downstairs,” with that she ended the call without allowing me to continue the conversation.

Sighing, I pushed myself out of bed and threw some clothes on before heading to the dining room. When I entered, it was just my mother and Alpha Cassian at the table. They had their heads joined closely – it was as if they were talking about something. When I came in, they looked up and my mother smiled at me.

“Val, you’re here?”

I nodded taking my place at the table. My gaze flitted to my mother who was seated next to Cassian at the head of the table. Her face was radiant with a soft glow of contentment and ease that I had rarely seen in recent years. It was strange – too strange.

I watched as she leaned toward Cassian, her hand gently resting on his arm and the way he smiled at her… It was almost unsettling how *normal* they seemed together. He kissed my mom’s hand and she giggled like a schoolgirl, her cheeks flushing with what seemed like genuine affection.

It felt so out of place that I had to bite my lip to keep from saying anything. My mind was screaming at me to speak up, to tell my mother about the horrifying encounter I had with Alerion last night. How his shirt had been stained with blood, how he had cornered me and had warned me. I opened my mouth, the words forming on my lips…

But then, I looked at my mom again, the light in my her eyes, the peace on her face that I hadn’t seen after my father disappeared and was declared dead. My mother was happy. Happier than she’d been in years. How could I shatter that peace now?

Instead, I swallowed the words and took a small sip of tea, the warmth doing little to calm the chill inside me.

I would keep quiet, at least for now.

I stirred at my cup of tea taking another sip when my mother’s voice came to me. “Val! You were going to tell me something on the phone a while ago. What is that dear? What was it about last night?”

As I opened my mouth to speak, Alerion walked into the dining room, his piercing gaze met mine and a chill ran down my spine. The memory of his hand around my throat flashed through my mind.

“Good morning, Valeria,” he greeted then came to sit directly across from me, his red hair catching the morning light like fire, his gaze on me with the same intensity as the previous night. “Did you sleep well?”

The question was a warning, a reminder for me not to say anything to anyone. A shiver crawled down my spine as my breath hitched. I forced a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

“I…I slept fine, thank you.”

His gaze remained on me for a moment, longer than necessary before he smirked and nodded. “I’m glad, little sister.”

“So, what was it dear?” My mother pressed further “What were you going to say?’

“It was nothing,” I said hurriedly feeling Alerion’s gaze on me “I just wanted to ask you if you slept well.”

“Oh, thanks darling, I did!” she chuckled, turning back to Cassian who stared at her fondly.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. I already lost my appetite so I didn’t eat much. Alpha Cassian suddenly cleared his throat making me look up.

“Valeria,” he began his voice smooth and commanding. “I took the liberty of making some changes regarding your education.

I frowned. “Changes?”

“Yes!” Cassian said flatly as if he was annoyed at my question. “I’ve transferred you to Lysander’s school. It’s a more suitable environment for you. An all-werewolf academy will prepare you for a better future. It doesn’t make sense to still attend your human school since you live here now.”

The fork slipped from my fingers, clattering against my plate. I stared at Alpha Cassian unable to process his words. An all-werewolf school? The thought of being surrounded by more people like Alpha Cassian and his children sent a wave of panic through me. I would never fit into that world, not after the unsettling feeling of staying a night with the Windsors’.

“But… my friends,” I began, my voice trembling. “My old school…”

I caught sight of my mother’s face and saw the hope and excitement in her eyes. She looked towards Cassian with gratitude as if to thank him for caring enough to make such a decision. If anything, my mother looked… proud. The words in my throat dried off immediately and I knew I couldn’t say No.

So, I swallowed the lump at the back of my throat and forced a small, shaky smile.

“Thank you,” I said “That’s …very thoughtful of you.”

“Good,” Alpha Cassian nodded. “Now let’s eat up, we have a lot of things to do today.”

After breakfast, I went up to my room to bathe and came downstairs to wait for further instructions from Alpha Cassian.

“The driver will take both you and Lysander to school today,” Cassian started. “It’ll give you a chance to get acquainted with your new classmates and Lysander can be your guide for now.”

My stomach churned again, the image of Lysander watching me and Alerion last night flashing in my mind. That eerie, unsettling smile on his lips as he stood on the staircase still creeped me out. The thought of being alone with him in a car filled me with dread and made my skin crawl. I had no idea what kind of person he truly was, but after last night, I didn’t want to find out.

“I –” I started, desperate to find a way out. “I could go on my own. It’s not that far…”

“It was not a suggestion, Valeria,” Cassian said with a cold smile. “You should start getting used to your brothers, we are family now and you’ll need his help to adjust.”

I bit my lip, feeling the walls close in. I wanted to argue further, to say I’d rather walk or take the bus. Anything but sit in a confined space with Lysander but I knew it wouldn’t matter. Alpha Cassian wasn’t joking about it not being a suggestion. Besides, I didn’t want to upset my mother again.

“Of course!” I said finally, lowering my eyes. “Thank you, Alpha.”

My mother reached out to me, squeezing my hand. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” she said softly. “This is a good change and you’ll fit in just fine. Have fun today, okay?”

I tried to return my mother’s smile but my chest felt heavy and the smile didn’t reach my eyes.

Cassian was already at the door with an impatient look on his face. “Start heading out, Valeria, the driver is waiting. You don’t want to be late on your first day.”

I nodded, my legs feeling shaky as I walked to the front door. I could feel Alerion’s gaze on me again, but I didn’t dare meet his eyes. Not now. I was too rattled to handle whatever silent message he was sending me.

With a final glance at my mother, I opened the door and slipped out.

I sighed in relief when I noticed Lysander wasn’t out yet. It would give me enough time to prepare myself mentally. I approached the sleek black car, gleaming in the morning light. I took a deep breath and opened the car door. Green and blue irises regarded me with amusement…

Lounging in the back seat, with a smirk on his face, eyes gleaming, dressed casually was none other than the devil himself -Lysander.

His gaze raked my form before he drawled. “Ready for your first day at school?”