KELANI POVFuckI groaned, muttering a curse as I woke up and running a hand through my hair.My head pounded and was heavy as though there was an extra weight in it. The ringing in my ears I had attributed it to someone banging on a nearby table, but I guess it accompanied the headache.My mouth felt sour, like I had swallowed a lemon the night before, and my throat was dry, scratchy, and it ached as well.I had difficulty swallowing, but above all, I was thirsty.Although I was thirsty, I knew drinking water would only make things worse.The unpleasant sensations didn't stop there. Every muscle in my body ached and even moving just my arms felt like carrying extra weight.My queasy stomach reminded me that I had had more to drink than my body could handle. After struggling to open my eyes, I squinted around the room.Shielding my eyes from the sunlight streaming through a break in the blinds, I moaned. It was barely morning, and I wondered why it was already sunny."It's 9 am, darli
KELANI POVA few minutes later, I finished freshening up. The throbbing in my head had significantly lessened, too.Riley was right; the drug seemed to have a touch of magic because regular human drugs wouldn't have cured the hangover so quickly. But then, I had never experienced a hangover before, so I couldn't be sure if non-magical aspirin would work the same way.I put on my uniform since the infirmary was on school grounds, and it was a rule to wear uniforms during school days. I wondered if this rule might help identify students easily, although I hadn't really encountered students from other schools trying to pose as Mystic Academy students.Again, I pondered if the rule applied to students from the founding families or if they were exempt, maybe only required to wear uniforms in places like the cafeteria.I inserted my earpieces, even though knowing it was prohibited, but walking towards the school infirmary without any distracted wasn't something I fancied.I couldn't possibl
KELANI POVMy eyes stayed fixed on the phone screen, and I wondered how long I'd been staring at it. I lost track of time, and everyone around me faded into the background.I couldn't make sense of what lay before me; it felt surreal. No way was I doing this with Vesper.No fucking way!If I hadn't been watching the video, I might have denied it if confronted. Maybe even fought tooth and nail to defend myself.Still gripping the phone, my attention shifted to Lia as she said, "The first time I saw you ogling and groping him without shame, I knew something was up. My intuition has never been wrong!" Lia exclaimed.I glanced at her, shaking my head. "This isn't what it looks like. I mean, we're not into each other. We definitely hate one another," I clarified.Recalling the party, I remembered sitting near Riley. The bottle landed on me almost immediately, as if it was just waiting for me to join the game. It happened twice. I never answered any of the questions and chose to drink inst
KELANI POVAfter taking a short stroll to clear my thoughts, I returned to the infirmary and spotted Riley outside.She was talking with a boy I hadn't seen before, probably one of the boys she often mentioned.Although Riley talked about many boys, I never saw her show real interest in any of them.Seemed like she preferred having fun rather than committing to a relationship.If I had someone in mind, I might have done the same, but I doubted I could mess around with any boy at Mystic Academy."Hey, Lani!" Riley waved me over as soon as she noticed me.Part of me wanted to ignore her, gaze elsewhere, and linger by the infirmary, waiting for my name to be called.Yet, ignoring Riley wouldn't solve my current problem. Besides, if I ignored her, she'd probably come to me.So, it was challenging not to acknowledge her and express what I wanted to say.Approaching her, the boy she had been talking to grinned at me."Hi Kelani, I'm Josh. Riley talked a lot about you," he said, his gaze mov
KELANI POVI shuddered slightly as the stranger's arms still encircled me. He grinned, and I couldn't help but wonder what he found amusing. I couldn't tear my eyes away; he seemed unreal.His face had an angular shape, an aquiline nose, and thin lips that appeared overly perfect. A strong jawline and high cheekbones enhanced his features. A strand of dark hair fell over his right eye, giving him a devilish look – or maybe I was just imagining things. I'd never seen a devil before, so I had no idea how one would actually look.In my years of existence, I'd never encountered someone who could smile and be so dangerously attractive. Maybe Vesper could rival him if he ever smiled, although the stranger seemed to have a captivating charm that even Vesper might find challenging."I haven't seen you around here. Are you new?" he asked, his brows creasing."I am, and thank you," I replied as soon as I regained my balance."Oh, never mind. I'm glad I could catch you before you fell. I wouldn'
KELANI POV"Hey," I said, eyeing Riley as she slipped into her cheer uniform. It was my first time seeing her in it. I guess she only wore it on special occasions."Where are you off to?" I asked, still staring at what seemed to be the short skirt of the uniform.It wasn't really like a regular skirt, and I doubted stockings were allowed to be worn underneath. I didn't see her wearing any. The top barely covered her upper body, exposing her navel, and I could see her underwear as she bent to fix her shoelace."Is this appropriate?" I asked with a frown."I mean the outfit," I added as she raised a brow at me."It is," she said. "It's what our predecessor wore, though we modified it a teeny bit." I doubted anyone in their right mind would wear it, and knowing Riley, a major improvement had been made to the dress."Today is cheer, and I have exciting news for you," Riley said.Her eyes suddenly sparkled, and she stepped towards me. Riley was often excited, but I knew this excitement wou
VESPER POVClosing the door behind me, I laced up my running shoes and stepped out of the room. Exiting through the large gate that protected the entire building where I lived, I rounded the corner and breathed out slowly, listening to the rhythmic thud of my footsteps on the pavement.It was my second run of the day, the only interruption being a brief visit to the infirmary after Headmaster Kendrick emphasized the importance of everyone being present.I was reluctant to be in the infirmary, yet I couldn't defy his order, knowing he watched me closely. I was at the top of his watchlist, and any mistake might result in expulsion.If I left, I had nowhere else to go; returning to the packhouse was out of the question, and Mystic Academy had become my home. The only place I knew as a home.Clasping my chest as my heart thumped painfully, it felt different from its usual rhythm, and the intensified tingling sensation added to my discomfort.I yearned to clear my thoughts, trying everyth
VESPERI arrived home after a while, and the journey back was even longer than the one outside. Maybe it felt that way because I had used up all my strength, relying solely on my will to get home.Sighing, I pushed open the gate and stepped in. I hadn't locked it after leaving, but the surroundings were well-protected from intruders and wandering creatures.I wasn't staying in the dormitory like many of the students were. Even though it had been made compulsory for females as it was believed they were fragile and wouldn't be able to defend themselves when faced with danger, the male students had been given their freedom.However, not all male students enjoyed this privilege. It was reserved for those holding higher positions like team captains, co-captains, and even members of the founding family.This freedom was a matter of choice. Some eligible boys preferred dormitories for reasons unknown to me.Striding toward my apartment, situated beside two others, I breathed out, slid the ke
KELANI POVOh goodness, what does he want now? I mused, straightening as I saw Vesper coming towards me.I had woken early to come to the ice cream shop in search of my phone before leaving for school. At least, if it were going to be here, I'd be the first person to see it since not many students were here after the event of yesterday.I was here because Riley had put a call through to Zain, and he said he hadn't seen any phone. He even said he didn't notice any with me but promised to help me search.I didn't want to let him go through all that trouble for my phone. Hence, I had come here before he would.I turned away as soon as Vesper reached me. He stayed for a while without saying a word to me, but I could feel his eyes on me."Kelani," he eventually said.I ignored him and continued looking under the seat, which I had been doing since I arrived. The phone wasn't even microscopic and could be seen easily, even from afar.Also, it would really stand out if it was here since the b
KELANI POV"What happened, and who's she?" I asked as soon as Zain returned. Vesper had left with the girl immediately. The ambulance came, and the activity that was taking place continued as if nothing had happened.I tried not to think about who the girl was with Vesper, but I couldn't help it. As far as I was concerned, he had no relatives from here.Riley, who was a big mouth herself, hadn't mentioned that Vesper had any relatives. Riley would have said one or two things about the Vesper family. Now, it left me confused."Are you worried that he's seeing someone else?" Zain asked me.I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Why should I be?"Zain narrowed his eyes at me, "Do you love Vesper?""That's not the point. I am just worried about the girl. I haven't seen her from around here before. You know this is the start of the session; what if we are getting attacked again?" I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened to Mary.What if there was an enemy lurking around the school area, targ
KELANI POVI stared at Jake for a long time before shaking my head."You don't have to give me answers right away; I can wait," He said."I can't... You know what? I need to speak with Chase, and I'll give you a response soon," I said."Great," Jake grinned. "I should leave this with you." he handed me the book and began to walk away."Um..." I trailed off, grimacing as I stared at his retreating form. "I guess you're stuck with me." I stared at the book again before stuffing it inside my bag.I walked to the fountain near the huge gate, then back to the gym's entrance.Now that I thought of it, I didn't have anything else to do besides practice, but I had blown that by going to meet Vesper.I thought it was a reasonable thing to do. Now, I believe I was stupid to have thought that.I could return to practice and ignore the scorn looks and snide remarks from Lia, but I was too prideful to do so. I had told her off and admitted I wasn't interested in the practice, so it was best to st
KELANI POVLia blew the whistle around her neck, signaling the start of practice. We gathered in the newly renovated gymnasium. Gone were the peeling paints I remembered from the last session. Fresh coats of white paint and Mystic's signature navy blue accents now adorned the walls, revitalizing the space. The polished hardwood court shimmered, the school's logo emblazoned at center court. Once a pale blue, the bleachers now boasted a deeper hue, sectioned off with crisp white railings.Despite the renovations, the gym still felt cozy and familiar. It still felt like the first time I was here, where I was whacked in the head."Alright, Fawns! Let's get warmed up," Lia called, her voice echoing off the gym's walls."Thirty minutes," Lia announced.Although I didn't know what I would be doing the whole thirty minutes, I was sure it wasn't warm-up alone.My thoughts wandered back to what happened at the cafeteria. After the announcement was made, Vesper had excused himself. Headmaster Ke
KELANI POVIt was recess, which I was grateful for. The lecture was annoyingly long, and Chase didn't even make it easy. I didn't understand why he was hellbent on trying to make us bring out our wolves.If one had a wolf they could communicate with, it was fine, right? But he had tried to make me switch to Kelly, which I had been unable to.I had gotten my ass whooped three times today, and I was glad to be in the cafeteria to mull over my inability to bring out my wolf rather than do so in the classroom where he could watch me."All I see is back, sexy, well-accentuated backside in that leather pant, and oh, how perfect his legs look," Riley groaned.I thought all that she was saying was from the book she was reading as it was on the table, but from the hushed silence in the room, I didn't think it was.I turned to where students were lined in front of the food table to see Jake. He stood in the room's center, and all eyes were on him. When I said all eyes, I meant all the eyes in t
KELANI POV A MONTH AFTER "And it's called black magic, black magic, yeah!" I groaned, grasping the pillow and using it to cover my ears, but it was barely doing its work. Riley's voice could pierce through even the hardest stone; sometimes, I wonder how she did it. It wasn't because she was singing while I was trying my best to sleep, it was due to the fact that the song had been on repeat for about three hours now. I wondered if she had just come across Little Mix. Hence, she decided to stream all the musics they had, or maybe she was just doing it to annoy me. "You sound like a broken record, Riley. I am trying to sleep," my voice was muffled by the pillow. "Wake up, Lani! It's a new session, the start of a beautiful morning, and I can see the sun peaking out from the sky. Oh, do you know we are going to know who gets shortlisted today in the battle of the strongest? I can't wait to find out who the alpha of the academy will be!" Well, I wasn't looking forward to it. I had ha
KELANI POVRiley and I stayed in the position much longer before Zain cleared his throat, breaking us apart.He was standing by the door with his hands tucked inside his pocket."I'm genuinely surprised at your quick recovery," He said, nodding towards Riley. "Now, I presumed help isn't much needed, is it?"Riley shrugged, "I'm a witch, and just like you werewolves heal after an injury, we do too.""Never knew that," It was Zain's turn to shrug.He probably knew but didn't care for much details."Now you do," Riley said, then added, "When you said help, who is coming? The police or staff from the infirmary?" She asked.Now, thinking about it, I hadn't asked him who the 'Helps' exactly were.I doubted it was any of the staff from the infirmary. It was possibly the police he had called. And to be honest, there wasn't much any of them would have done in this situation."Mrs Periwinkle and Coach Jensen," Zain said, "They should be arriving anytime soon.""They responded?!" Riley question.
KELANI POVOh, My Goodness."Somebody, anybody, help me!" I cried again, for the second time, my eyes moving around the room to see no one had made a move."I did this, I did this," I chanted over again, my hands trembling as I held her closer. I hurt Riley. I had hurt the only person who cared about me.But then again, I was only trying to defend myself. I wondered if that counted.Biting my lower lip as it trembled, I sniffled and then blinked back, the tears brewing in my eyes away. But the more I blinked, the more tears that gathered."Kelani," I felt a pull on my shoulder, but I didn't let Riley go. I couldn't let her go.She was bleeding, and by the look of things, if no one came to save her soon, she was going to die."Kelani," I heard Vesper's voice again.I turned to stare at him and saw his brows were creased with worries. Shaking my head, I let out a throaty sob."I need help!" I snapped, swiping at the tears pouring down my cheeks. "Why are you people doing nothing? Riley
KELANI POV My wolf. Kelly. I had a wolf, just like everyone else. I had a freaking wolf. Excitement unfurled inside of me at the thought. I had thought I was wolfless. A werewolf wouldn't be one without its werewolf identity. I had assumed I was different because I could barely channel any real powers within me. Now, I felt it. With Kelly prowling inside of me, I felt her energy surging inside of me as well. "I'll help you defeat her," Kelly said. "No," I whispered, shaking my head as I approached Riley. She had slammed Lia into a box several times, almost making her go unconscious. But then Lia was as resilient as Riley. They both had strength and great stamina. They could endure a lot of things that many werewolves wouldn't be able to endure. Well, the weaker werewolves, though. Riley tossed her head back and cackled, the air cackling with energy as she did. The wind drifted into the room from nowhere. I couldn't see any windows in sight nor cracks in the wall to indicate