Chapter 3

Valeria POV

The drive to school was torture.

I perched at the other end of the back seat, holding my breath while Lysander sat next to me, his presence feeling the entire car. Finally, the car pulled up, in front of a big gate that had the name ‘Moonhaven Academy’ embossed on the top.

The school was such a beautiful architectural edifice with wrought iron barriers and wolf motifs adorning the entrance. As we drove through the gate, my eyes widened – impressed by the ancient stone building and modern glass structures that were the school.

There was large, sprawling, neatly pruned lawns with flower hedges made up of different beautiful flowers. On the lawns were tall trees, pruned too – and serving as cover for the benches. I saw some students sitting on the grass, taking pictures, talking and laughing.

Everyone dressed so impeccable, and looked so perfect… this was nothing like my former school which had overgrown grasses and hedges with students dressed as they wanted, here, although there was no uniform, everyone dressed as if they were meeting with the Alpha afterwards.

There was a water fountain in the middle of the school, just in front of the big building that was the image of the moon goodness. To the left of the gate was the car park. While other cars moved towards the car park, our driver drove straight to the entrance of the school building.

When the car came to a halt, Lysander wasted no time. He flung open his door and strode out without a backward glance, leaving me fumbling with my seatbelt.

His presence immediately drew the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Students loitering by the entrance, groups laughing and chatting all stopped to watch him. By this time, I had managed to extricate myself from the car and hurried after Lysander who was already halfway up the stone steps leading to the main building.

“Wait up!” I called out.

My backpack bounced awkwardly against my shoulders hastening to meet up with him, that was when I became acutely aware of the sudden hush that had fallen over the courtyard. Dozens of eyes turned to stare at me. A few of them were curious while the rest seemed hostile. I felt my cheeks burn as I realized how out of place I must look. While the students were dressed so beautifully, I was wearing a faded jean and a wrinkled top.

“Is she new?” the students began whispering.

“Why is she with Lysander Windsor? Is she a wolf?”

Lysander of course, paid zero attention to the whispering. He strolled confidently into the school, his long strides eating the distance, weaving effortlessly through the crowd, parting before him and me – unsure of what to do or where to go – followed him. I hadn’t been given any instructions, no schedule and no idea where to go.

But after a few minutes of walking, he suddenly stopped and I almost ran into him, if I had not stopped immediately. Slowly, he turned to me, his shoulders stiffening with his eyes flashing with irritation.

“Would you stop following me?” he snapped, loud enough for everyone around us to hear.

I froze, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly. I could feel everyone staring at us now. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I realized how pathetic I must look.

“I… I don’t know where to go,” I stammered my voice barely above a whisper

His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he narrowed his eyes at me. For a moment, I thought he might help me. But instead, he scoffed rolling his eyes.

“Figure it out, yourself,” he muttered before turning on his heel and striding off without a second glance.

I stood there alone in the middle of the courtyard, my backpack clutched to my chest like a shield unsure of what to do next. The other students continued to stare, whispering and openly pointing and laughing at me.

A few minutes later, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Panic rose in my chest as I realized that I had no idea where to go. My heart raced as I looked around, hoping someone – anyone – might help me. But no one approached me, instead, the crowd that had formed around me began to disperse, heading towards various buildings.

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes.

“So much for starting afresh!” I murmured moving to the corner of the hall when a voice called out from behind me.

“Are you Valeria?”

I turned to see a tall woman, a teacher from the books in her hand with kind but serious eyes coming towards me.

I nodded quickly, relief washing over me. “Yes, that’s me.”

The woman gave me a small smile. “Come with me, I’ll take you to your class.

We took the elevator to the third floor and walked a short distance before the woman stopped in front of a heavy steel door.

“Here we are,” she announced “This is your first class – Advanced Literature for Seniors. After this class, ask any of the students to show you the student counsellor's office, so you can go and prepare your class schedule and the subjects you’re interested in, okay?”

I nodded flashing her a smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”

After she left, I took a deep breath and stepped inside the classroom. It looked like a private sitting lounge. Unlike my former school – it had comfortable cushioned chairs that could recline with foldable tables in front of us. Each desk looked like a small booth with enough space that fit one person and all the desks had a name.

“Let’s welcome Valeria,” the teacher in front of the class informed the class. “She’ll be joining us for this academic session. Be nice to her.”

I spotted my name on one of the chairs at the back of the class and made my way there feeling everyone staring at me. As I sat down, the girl next to me leaned in my direction.

“So, you’re with Lysander?” she whispered, her voice low enough not to draw the teacher’s attention.

I blinked confused, taken aback by the direct question. “With Lysander?”

The girl nodded eagerly. “Lysander Windsor – son of Alpha Cassian. Everyone saw you get down from his car this morning. That must mean something, right?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Lysander? I… Yes? We came to school together.”

“Oh!” the other girl smiled “You’re one lucky girl. When did you start dating?”

“Oh!” I flushed red “No… it’s not like that,” I said hastily. “My mother married his father, so…we’re step-siblings.”

“Really?” the girl's face fell in disappointment but later brightened up her eyes widening even further. “He’s your stepbrother and you’re his stepsister?” she asked.

I nodded “I guess so!”

“That’s even better!” she clapped her hand gleefully. You get all the perks of being a Windsor without the centuries of family baggage. You live with them, right? What’s it like? It must be awesome to be their sister.”

“How?” I wriggled my brows in surprise. “There’s nothing special about that.”

“Are you kidding me?” the girl’s eyes twinkled with amusement “I guess you haven’t met the rest of the brothers. Lysander is so handsome and powerful. Don’t get me started on his three brothers, they’re living specimens of beauty and every woman’s desire.”

I thought about Lysander unsettling smile, the way he’d snapped at me in the courtyard of the school compound, coupled with the coldness that had radiated from Alerion the night before and wondered what this girl would do if she had seen him like that?”

I shook my head “I’m sorry but I don’t share in that enthusiasm.”

“I do!” the girl chuckled “Will it be possible to get a picture of them naked, it doesn’t have to be full, just the abs and…”

She must have seen the mortification on my face because she stopped abruptly, laughing.

“I was joking!” she said quickly, don’t mind me. Still, you’re so lucky to be in that household. Do you want to switch places with me?”

I laughed, already feeling at ease. “Thank you for the offer but I rather stick with my mom.”

“By the way, my name is Zara,” she introduced herself with a grin.

“Valeria,” I smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

For only the first day, the classes were intense and Zara was a lot of help. By the end of the school day, I had gotten my schedule and a locker was assigned to me. Soon, it was time to go home. After bidding Zara goodnight, I rushed towards the entrance, hoping to see, Lysander.

But just as I reached the entrance, I saw the car from this morning driving away. I ran after the car, trying to stop it, but it went faster than usual. After running for a few minutes, I realized that it was useless.

H left without me.

I ran a hand through my hair, forcing myself not to cry. Since I didn’t have a car or any means of reaching out to him, it only meant I would have to walk home.

I set out for the house, following the paths our driver had used, I started the long trek home.