CHAPTER 1

Bianca's POV:

“She is my daughter, and I did whatever I pleased,” Alpha Landre said.

“Oh, so now she was your daughter? Who hit their daughter instead of protecting them?” My mum asked with anger in her voice.

I could tell that she had had enough of him. Alpha Landre was offended by that and held my mum's neck in a choking grip. I couldn't watch him choke her to death, not after all he had put us through. I looked around and grabbed a side stool just beside the cushion. Before I realized what I was doing, I smacked him in the head, hard. I took my mum's hand, and we ran out of the room.

“I would find you,” Alpha Landre yelled from behind. “And I would kill you.”

That was the last conversation my parents had before my mother found her new mate. Now, here I was, standing before the principal of an Elite Werewolf school my mother's new mate had secured me a place in.

“We were thrilled to have you join us, Bianca,” the principal said with a delightful expression.

I smiled. “Thank you.”

She handed me a piece of white paper with different colors of ink. It was my schedule for the semester. The first thing that caught my eye was the boldly written, ‘MOON LAKE ACADEMY’ at the top. My heart thumped loudly as I left the principal’s office.

Teenagers were scattered all over the school. The first thing I noticed was their style - top notch. The guys had on the latest sneakers, Jordans, and air forces, while the girls had on designer clothes, bags, and accessories. Not to mention, their makeup was intact.

Meanwhile, I was dressed in a purple Walmart T-shirt, $5 jeans, and Vans, which made me feel out of place among these fashionably dressed students.

I walked to the locker room and saw my name, Bianca Landre, written boldly on a grey locker. My mother hated that I still used his name. Frankly, I did too. It reminded me of the terrible things he did to my mum and me.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the little crowd that started to form on one side of the room. A girl slapped another girl for reasons I did not care about, and the other girl returned the slap, harder. I was watching the scene and wondering if I would ever get into a fight like this. I hoped not.

I was still focused on the fight between the girls when I saw one of the Quads, I guessed was Maple. I was still having a hard time telling them apart from a distance. Maple stood at an impressive six-foot-two, his broad shoulders and muscular build a proof of years of training.

His chiseled jawline framed a face that seemed sculpted by the gods themselves, his cheekbones stood high, and nose, straight. His piercing green eyes could shift from a playful glint to an intense gaze in an instant, drawing people in with their magnetic pull. Framed by thick, dark lashes, they were a sight to behold. Maple’s full lips revealed perfect, white teeth that could light up a room. When he smiled, it was like watching the sun break through the clouds.

Despite his physical perfection, it was his presence that truly set him apart. He carried himself with an air of effortless charm and unwavering confidence, his deep, resonant voice capable of sending shivers down spines with just a few words.

He walked into the crowd and, on seeing him, the little crowd started to dissipate. I watched as Maple barked at the girls. I couldn't hear him, but I knew he was scolding them. The girls looked down, guilt written on their faces.

I kept my eyes glued on the scene, and eventually, I got tired of watching and decided to head for my first class - history. I grabbed my books, stuffed them in my backpack, and started walking towards the exit when I bumped into a hard chest.

I looked up and saw a familiar scar on the lips of the person I had bumped into - Rowan, one of the quadruplets. I could already smell trouble.

“Look who we have here,” he said sarcastically.

Oh my god, why me, why now? I kept my eyes down; I didn't want to look at his eyes. I didn't trust myself not to shiver. So instead, I kept my eyes down.

“How were you in this school?” How were you able to afford Moon Lake Academy? Last I checked, your mum was broke as hell, and your dad wanted to kill you, so it couldn't be him paying your fees here.”

“Or did she take up prostitution after leaving Landre”?

I felt my blood boil when he said that. He thinks he knows everything; I lifted my head and gave him a hard look. My eyes filled with anger.

I didn't have a problem with people making fun of me, but they should not mention my mother. Because they had no idea what she had to go through, what she endured so I could be alive and sane back then.

I was going to talk back and defend my mom, but I also remembered what she told me. “Bianca baby, please try to get along with your step brothers, don't hate them, please baby.” I held my tongue back and swallowed everything I was going to say.

Instead, I said, “Do not mention my mother.” He scoffed. I guessed he was surprised. Maybe he didn't think I'd talk back.

I wouldn't have, had he not called my mum a prostitute. I could take everything bullies threw at me, but didn't play when it came to my mum.

“Someone's got nervous,” he looked around and waved his hands like he was talking to an invisible audience.

I rolled my eyes. And just then, the bell for first period rang, thank the heavens.

I pushed Rowan aside and headed to class. I could tell he was shocked that I pushed him. He didn't think I was capable of such boldness.

I met the quadruplets during my visit to my mum's new mate's house (Ethan); it turned out that Ethan was their father, and my mum and Ethan were mates.

This automatically made us step-siblings. Rowan, Maple, Oak, and Ash were no different from each other when it came to being rude and mean.

It was like they were born with it. Sometimes I just wished that things had worked out for my mum and Landre, so I could have had my parents complete.

But life had a way of disappointing people. I shook the thought off my mind and stepped into my first class.