The threat

The lady in yellow walked back to the platform, and silence fell upon the hall as she cleared her throat.

"You all just had your first lesson," she said, and instant murmurs filled the air.

"That's enough now! I know you're surprised at how you learned your first lesson when you did nothing. Here in the grand hall, we possess the purest of hearts, but it is obvious none of you here have that. There's an odd one among you, and nobody tried to accommodate her?" She was interrupted by a female student, who raised her hand.

"She would have been accommodated if she hadn't dressed like a mourner." She scoffed, emphasizing the last word, blowing the gum in her mouth into a bubble, and the other students laughed.

"That is enough. This is why you're here—to learn. Each group would be given a room to share, while the odd would have a room to herself." Peyton, the lady in yellow said, stressing the word odd as she gave the female student a dead look.

"These ladies would be your guides and help you settle in; I'll see you later at lunch," Peyton said and left the hall.

The students followed the ladies, who led them to their rooms.

"Thank you," Amber mumbled as she was given the key to her room.

She plugged the key into its socket and turned it. She had always loved the clanking sounds of doors, and this was no exception. She pushed the door open, and her lips parted into a round shape. She was mesmerized by what she saw.

She took off her glasses, thinking they were exaggerating. "Wow! Is this only for me? Half of our pack back home could fit in here."

She dragged her bags in and locked the door from behind, enjoying the clanking sound again. She placed one of the bags on the bed, opened it, and took some clothes to the closet, but she was surprised when she opened the closet and saw the kind of beautiful and expensive clothes that filled it. She shrugged, thinking maybe the last person who used the room forgot them or it wasn't meant for her, so she placed her clothes in a corner of the closet and her bags under the bed.

She took a shower and changed into something more simple than earlier. She stood tall in front of the mirror, admiring her looks. She has extra long hair, which she always had to trim every month and pack; round blue eyes; white skin; and a long, pointed nose, on which the glasses always found their seat. The bell rang, signaling lunchtime. She picked up her keys from the table and rushed out of the room, but not without enjoying the clanking sound of her door as she walked past it.

She found a seat for herself in the front and sat down. A few minutes later, the dining hall was filled to the brim, and Peyton walked out from behind the platform alone.

"Even if we are wolves, the grand hall teaches us how to behave like princesses so we can blend with the human world and also fit in in our world," she said, and a lady brought her a chair and later a table with a meal on it.

"This is your second lesson, and I'd advise you to take it quite seriously." She picked up a spoon and began to eat, and the students followed her.

About forty minutes later, the class ended. Amber was giggling as Peyton gave her last speech and exited the stage. She was about to grab her keys, but someone else did, and she looked up; it was the same girl that confronted Peyton about her in the hall earlier. She let out a soft breath.

"That's mine; can I have it?" Amber asked with her hand stretched out.

"Yours? Oh, I'm sorry it slipped." She scoffed, throwing it to one of her friends who stood behind Amber.

"I'm going to ask for the last time; can I have my key?" Amber growled.

"I might give it to you if you plead," she said, looking at her nails. She slowly blew off the dirt on her nails as she looked at Amber with a grin.

"This wouldn't be a good start, then." Amber mumbled and punched the girl in the face; she fell on a table.

Amber sprinted to her side, grabbed her by the neck, and threw her against the wall. Amber looked in her direction with a weird smile. She slowly took her steps towards the girl who was trying to get up. She bent over and grabbed her mouth, making it open. She grabbed a bottle of sore wine with the other hand and emptied the contents into her mouth.

"Now what do you say about my key?"

"Give it to her!" she yelled at her friend.

Amber looked back at the friend, shivering, and approached her, asking, "Can I have my key now?" She asked, smiling like a limb of Satan.

The girl gave her the keys, and she went to her room with other students staring at her.

The other two girls rushed to pick up their friend.

"How could she be that powerful?" Iris, the girl who was beaten up, asked rhetorically.

"I think I know," Ivory said, whispering something in the other girl's ears.

"Irena, you take care of that; we'll be the evidence," Iris said as a grin escaped her lips.

*

Maya parked in front of the house. Tired, she rested her head on the wheel for a few seconds before getting down with her bag. She grasped the doorknob and inserted the key, but it had already been opened. One of her brows raised as she couldn't pick up any scent as she walked slowly into the house.

"Who are you? Hello? Is anyone here?" She asked multiple questions as multiple thoughts ran through her mind.

"So you're the rat?" She smelled someone behind her, and when she looked back, it was Amber's mom, Jenna.

"What is it you want this time?" Maya asked as she dropped her bag on the chair and crossed her hands against her chest.

"Nothing much. I heard a rumor that Amber is now in a wolf school," Jenna said, moving to the cup of coffee she made for herself before Maya came.

"Well, the rumor happens to be true, so what is the problem?"

"You know it's dangerous for her to be in a wolf school when she can't access her wolf side; she might be killed." She took a pause.

"What were you thinking? Well, you never had a child, and Kyle has always preferred me to you, so you don't know how it feels to have a family." She scoffed.

"And how does it feel to lose that family you once had to me? Kyle came back for me, and he would still be alive now if you hadn't done what you did," she retorted.

"I did what was best for us, Maya." Her voice was now calm and soothing.

"What was best for us? It was only in your own interest, and you see, Amber would always be my child," Maya said. Jenna grinded her fist together, but she knew she was no match for Maya, even when she had her wolf.

"I'll have my daughter back, no matter what it costs. And you? I'll escort you down to your grave." Jenna gnashed on her teeth as she slowly said the words.

"You're here to tell me all of these? You and Kyle brought this curse, so be prepared to die, best friend." Maya grinned and went to her room.

Jenna looked at the retreating figure and smiled. "You're behaving this way because you only know half of the curse, and I'll be the one to fulfill the other part."