Chapter Three

“W-what?” I asked, struggling to free my hair from his clenched fist. 

He barked a bitter laugh, shoving me away. “Makes sense now. I should have known.”

I blinked, dazed, and massaged the back of my skull. “What the hell are you on about?”

“And there it is.” He swooped closer, baring his teeth. “The Lunaris entitlement.”

“I literally have no idea what you’re on about.” I sidestepped him, reaching for one of my bags, but he blocked me. I crossed my arms. “Look—”

“I’m going to take a wild guess here,” he leaned in. “Your parents had a problem and now they used blood money to take care of the problem?”

My brows furrowed, ignoring the part where he referred to the money as ‘blood money.’ My parents may be a lot of things, but they worked hard for their money. Even if it meant neglecting their kids emotionally while stuffing their hands with cash. 

“You mean me?”

“What else?”

He wasn’t wrong about one thing. My parents used a small fortune to get me here and pay for everything I’d need for the following year. After that, I’d have to fend for myself. “I still don’t know what I did to you.”

He glared at me for a long moment. “Your alpha saved himself when he rejected a Lunaris. Heard you still have no wolf, either.”

It was my turn to glare back. “He still married my sister, so joke’s on you.”

His dark brows rose. “Wow.”

Yeah. Even this guy who clearly disliked me couldn’t come up with a good comeback on that fact. “So, are you going to tell me what my—”

A creak sounded, and the castle door cracked open. “Mr. Dane, is there a problem?”

I peered past the guy to find a short, gray-haired lady looking at us through half-moon spectacles. “What is the delay? You were asked to escort her in, not to have a tea party out in the dark.”

His icy gaze zeroed in on me as he replied, “I was just welcoming the new girl and explaining the rules.” 

The old woman huffed at the same time as I released a snort. “Well, as honorable as your efforts are, Mr. Dane, you and I both know that’s a pot full of pig gunk. Now, get her bags. Miss Lunaris, come with me.” 

I was unsure who this woman was, but I was highly grateful for her interference—I bolted past him to get to her. However, just as I stepped ahead of him, his hand locked around my forearm and dragged me against him. 

As clear as it was that he hated my guts for whatever reason, and as much as I disliked his crappy attitude, my body combusted with heat at the contact. 

Damn, you, moon goddess. As if my life wasn’t enough of a joke already!

His breath danced across my cheek in an obnoxiously welcome caress as he hissed, “We’re not done. You better watch your back, little wolf.”

I shot him the meanest glare I could muster. I would not cower like a distressed chicken fleeing from a hungry wolf. “Oh, anticipating the moment when I finally find out what the hell your problem is.”

I had to try not once but three times before I managed to tear my arm from his grip and be able to hurry up the steps toward the enormous oak doors. 

“Miss Lunaris. I’m Helga. Helga White. I’m the Mooncrown Falls Preparatory’s administrator and grounds keeper. Welcome. You’re just in time for dinner.”

She ushered me in. As she turned to close the doors behind us, I couldn’t help but peer curiously at her. She was way too tiny and frail for someone to be a groundskeeper. “What do you do as a ground’s keeper, exactly?” Curiosity got the better of me.

“Oh, well,” she shrugged and held up a hand, counting down on her fingers as she went. “I tend to the gardens. Feed animals. Punish students for vandalism. Break up disruptive parties. Oversee detention. Just to name a few.”

My brows rose as the doors behind her flew open, and one pissed-off-looking tattooed hottie with a crappy personality complex stormed in, carrying my luggage. 

Helga offered him a sweet smile, but a warning was behind her stare. I had a twisting feeling that as sweet and frail as this woman looked, she was not someone to underestimate. 

Why else would someone like him jump to her orders? He definitely didn’t strike me as someone to be pushed around. 

“Thank you, Ryder,” she called after him. He flipped her off as he rounded the end of the hall when she glanced back at me. 

“Come on. Let’s get you settled in.” She signaled me to follow her, and I did. “I’ll let you get acquainted with everyone else first and have some dinner. Once you’re done, you can meet me at the office and I’ll give you your schedule and show you to your room.”

My stomach sank. If Ryder knew about my rejection, no doubt everyone else likely did. And I sure as daylight wasn’t ready to deal with that. Not now. All I wanted to do was to be alone and cry until I passed out again, then try to face everything.

The key word was ‘try.’

“I already ate,” I interjected, my heart loud inside my ears. “I’m really not hungry. And I can get to know everyone tomorrow when—”

“Nonsense,” Helga paused, peering up at me. “Don’t you think I know you nervous you are on your first day?” She jabbed a finger at my chest. “I bet you’re starving and you’re just afraid of the unfamiliar. But I’m going to tell you this; the sooner you get it over with, the easier it will be. Think of how you’re just going to roll around tonight stressing about meeting everyone tomorrow? It best be done now, and you’ll sleep like a puppy.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I repeated the notion a few times before I managed, “Okay.”

As much as I hated what she said, she was right. I was hungry. Starving, to be honest. I hadn’t eaten since last night. But it still didn’t change the fact that I’d much rather go straight to my room. 

“Good. Glad we’re on the same page, then. Come.”