Chapter 1 - Welcome to Witloch

I step into the dining hall, my fingers fiddling with the red bow at the end of one of my braids. My toes turn in slightly as I take my first mousy steps toward the breakfast buffet, keeping my eyes on the floor as I go. I pick up a tray and fill it with a very scant amount of food, even as my stomach growls and my wolf grumbles, urging me to take more.

But this is my first day at Witloch, meaning I’m far too anxious to eat.

I turn with my tray in my hands, biting my lip as I look around for the right table, finally letting myself scan the room. The breakfast hall is about halfway full, but that doesn’t mean anything. Everyone is here.

The rich don’t crowd, after all.

My eyes skip over everyone, only lingering for a moment on the one gorgeous Alpha at the back, laughing with his two friends, the morning sun glinting off the blonde highlights in his chestnut hair.

Wow, my wolf says, her toes tapping. Wow, he’s just as handsome as he is in the magazines -

But I just clench my teeth and shove her away. Whether or not he’s cute is so not important right now.

I exhale slowly and allow my gaze to drift over the rest of the room, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows, the intricately tiled floors, the vaulted ceilings.

It’s all gorgeous, of course. Only the best for the nation’s elites.

Elites of which I am…certainly not a member.

I force myself to swallow though, because of course no one could know that right now. I look the part. The clothes I’m wearing – borrowed, of course – are the same shades of camel and navy blue and green that everyone else is wearing. I mean, it’s not a uniform – Witloch students are in their mid-twenties, far too old for a school uniform – but it may as well be.

I gulp in some air and start forward, planning my route through the room, immediately seeing a group of girls about my age.

Slowly, I approach them, my tray clutched tight in my hands, noting that five girls of the six girls are just slightly turned towards the gorgeous brunette at the head of the table, her thick black hair falling in gentle waves across her shoulders and down her back. She laughs with her friends, only flicking her gaze up to me when I get too close to be passing.

The smile drops from her face.

“Um, hi,” I say, my voice high and tight as I awkwardly balance my tray on one hand, using my other to push the glasses on my nose back into place. “Could I…maybe sit with you? Please?”

The girl stares at me for a moment, clearly trying to decide if I’m disgusting or pathetic.

“Sorry,” she says, her voice cold as all of her friends turn to look at me. “This is a closed club. We’re discussing business.”

“Oh,” I say, my voice going soft as my shoulders turn in. “Um, okay.”

“Jacqueline,” another girl says, slightly scolding.

But the queen bee just rolls her eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry,” she says, her voice flat enough to indicate that she patently is not. “But if you want to join the Dragonflies you’re more than welcome to apply for membership.”

“Okay, I’ll…do that…” I whisper, dropping my eyes to my sad little tray.

“Jackie, she’s clearly new,” the kinder girl says as I walk past the head of the table, passing Jacqueline’s chair. “What harm could it do if –“

But her words are cut off by my dismayed shout as I trip, my tray flying out of my hands, my food and little glass of milk soaring into the air and crashing to the ground. I follow it, going sprawling, my too-short plaid skirt flying up to reveal just a little too much of my lacy underwear.

I lay on my stomach for a moment with my eyes pressed shut, a groan slipping from my mouth.

The room goes quiet except for a few gasps and the scraping of chairs as half the room stands to gawk at me.

I lift my head, my glasses hanging off one ear, turning wide eyes on Jacqueline, who just stares down at me like I’m the most embarrassing thing she’s ever seen in her entire life.

“Why…why would you do that!?” I cry, letting my lower lip tremble, tears springing to my eyes.

Ten years of acting classes, finally paying off.

Her mouth falls open. “What are you talking about?”

“Jacqueline!” I cry, grateful to the other girl for saying her name. I push myself up slightly and then allow my wrist to slip in some of the spilled milk, flopping back down gracelessly into the puddle. “Why did you trip me!?”

Her mouth falls open, a blush flooding her cheeks as she gapes.

“Whoa, hey, are you all right?”

I turn my head and look up into the pretty blue eyes of the handsome Alpha I noted before.

Bingo.

“Oh god,” I whisper, laying flat on my floor, burying my face in my hands. “This is mortifying.”

“Hey, it’s cool,” he says, as gentle and kind as his reputation suggested he’d be. “It happens to all of us,” he murmurs. Through my fingers I see him offer a hand to me. “Come on, let me help you up.”

I let out a tiny squeaky moan and move one hand away from my face, sliding my palm against his, letting him pull help me to my feet, my knees knocked together like a little baby fawn.

My wolf huffs and gives me a little nudge. Lay off the dramatics.

But I again shove her away, dropping my other hand from my face to look up into the Alpha’s eyes, taking in the utter sympathy there.

Because nah. I played it just right.

“There now,” he says, smiling softly at me, standing quite close and gently readjusting the glasses on my face. “That’s better. Are you okay?” He looks me over, taking in my milk-soaked skirt, which reveals a great deal of thigh. As I intended.

“I’m all right,” I whisper, glancing to my right at Jacqueline and her table of little worker bees. “I just…don’t know why anyone would be so mean…” The final words are tight, betrayed.

The Alpha frowns, stepping closer to me, immediately protective as he looks down at Jacqueline. “Did you have something to do with this?”

“I so did not!” Jacqueline cries out.

“She tripped me,” I whisper, ducking my chin, demure and wounded.

Precisely his type. I did my research after all.

“I don’t know why,” I continue, shaking my head. “I just…asked to sit with them.”

“Really uncool, Jackie,” the Alpha says, frowning at her as he slips an arm around my back.

“Max,” she says, pressing a hand to her heart. “I swear to god, I didn’t –“

“Hey, why don’t you come sit with us,” he says, warm and kind, cutting Jacqueline off and turning his full attention to me. “We’d love to have you.”

“Thank you so much,” I whisper, daring to look up into his face, my eyes wide.

He smiles, so warm, so genuinely kind that I almost feel guilty.

Almost.

After all, his dad did just lock my father up in a cell at the bottom of his castle. And sentence him to death. And mark all of my brothers as enemies of the state.

So, no.

I don’t really feel guilty as he assures me that he’d be thrilled to have me join him at the most exclusive table in the room. He waves to some servant at the buffet to bring another tray and send a janitor to clean up the mess.

I just beam up at him like the savior he is and lean against him – just slightly - as he walks me over to his table.

“My name is Max,” he says, leaning close like we’re already best friends.

“Max…”

I say the word like I’m trying it in my mouth for the first time. Like I don’t already know that he’s not just Max - he’s Prince Maxwell, heir to the throne of Vastria. The Kingdom I’ve sworn to destroy.

And my revenge?

It starts right now.