Chapter 2 Two

My fingers tensed around the quill I was writing with.

Classes officially began today and I was struggling to get back into character.

That had never happened before, but I knew I must become the girl they all feared and admired at the same time.

Father would have it no other way.

The twins weren't in class yet, Leah is probably waiting for Luna to get ready so they can walk in together.

While one was organised chaos, the other thrived on perfection and pulled attention every time she walked in.

I continued writing down my goals for the final year, until more people began filling the class.

We were divided into six sections, all by hierarchy.

The leading powers, vampires, wolves and some special forms of witches had the west wing.

Built specifically for our strength.

It's the highest crime to fight in these halls but then, when we spar...

I was about to call the twins to ask why they weren't here yet when the object of my constant headache walked in.

Not like I'm paying attention or anything but it's hard to miss how tall and big he is with hair that looks like he spent a long time taming.

Everything about him was beastly, probably from years of being taught to hate me and all I stood for.

I'd expected him to head to his own side of the class, we both ruled that way. He on the right, and I on the left; I loved looking out of the window.

But he strode over to my seat with his two minions and they sat next to me.

Ice filled my blood and I gritted my teeth before turning to him

"And what can I do for you, dog?"

"I don't need anything from you, kitten but if you desperately want to be so useful, I can think of a few things you can.. do for me."

"Kaelen," I hissed, my claws tapping on the wooden table.

"Hmm, I love the way you say my name. I wonder if it'll sound the same if you moan it. Wanna find out?"

'Don't fight in the halls, Layla, don't fucking fight and get yourself expelled, disgracing father!'

My left eye blinked repeatedly as I struggled to control my instincts.

It screamed for me to tear off that smirk on his face.

"Do you think she's thinking about it?" His lap dog, Evan chirped in, leaning towards me.

I struck, but my hand never made it to his face but he reeled back so fast he hit his head on a wall.

"You know you are really shameless," I said, turning to their little Alpha, "coming into the final year with me on your mind. Wishing I'd spare you a little bit of my attention."

"Oh please, like anybody would want to be poisoned by your attention."

"Yet here you are, sniffing me like a rabid dog."

"I'm not!"

"You wish you didn't have all that hatred spurred by your Pack in you, don't you? You would have been free to run after me like a little puppy, begging for treats."

"I'm the future Alpha of the Thorne Clan, I do not beg!"

"Oh you will," I chuckled icily, "if you keep up with this, trying to get a reaction out of me, I'll have you wishing you were never born."

"Damn man, you gonna let her speak to you like that?"

"Shut up Evan," Leonardo smacked his head.

"Hey! That hurt!"

"That was the point, you idiot."

"You know," Kaelen Thorne continued speaking instead of disappearing into thin air like I wished, "you speak so much about my family as though you're not a little girl on daddy's puppet string. He asks you to jump, and you ask how high. You have no will of your own."

"That's a fucking lie! I will defend my family with or without my father asking me to!"

"At the expense of your desires? Tell me, when was the last time you touched a paintbrush?"

I lost it, but not completely.

My fists closed around the stupid fur coat he wore and I dragged him out of the chair, pushing until his back hit the wall.

"What makes you think you can look into my business?!"

"Isn't it illegal to fight on the Academy grounds?"

We both turned to the strange face.

I've been in this school for three years and I know everyone, a vampire never forgets a face.

"And you happen to be?" Kaelen asked for both of us.

"Zaren Blackwood."

"Wait," I let go of the dog's fur, "you're the new guy my mum spoke about."

"Wait, you know him?"

"Why are you joining this class, shouldn't you be starting from the first year?"

"I was tested and my powers are strong enough for this class. But why are you guys fighting though?"

"Only an outcast like you doesn't know about the century-long feud between the Thorne Clan and the Valentino Family," Luna said as she sauntered into class with practised elegance.

"Don't be rude, Luna."

"Look at you speaking about rudeness," Kaelen inserted himself into my discussion.

"Shut up you beast!"

"But why do you have to keep fighting? Even if it's been centuries old, you can make a difference and –"

"Shut up and stay away from matters above your level!" Kaelen snapped at him.

I don't know why but my heart squeezed when he frowned and then turned around, walking to the back of the class dejectedly.

"Why are we standing?" Leah asked.

"These beasts decided to sit where you girls are supposed to and I was reminding him of his position," I answered, giving him the stinkiest eye in existence.

"None of the seats in this class is named after you. Just because your father donates tons of money to the school doesn't mean you own shit in it!"

"Well, I'd like to see your family do anything useful for once. All you know how to do is fight, but what happens when there's no more war with the dark lord?"

His eyes shifted into something I couldn't recognize and he took his boys with him back to his seat.

"Another victory, huh?"

I smiled at Leah but I didn't feel like it this time.

Right as I sat down between the twins, a halo appeared before the class.

It was blurry at first until I realised it was Principal Peppy's glasses staring into it as though she couldn't figure out exactly how to use the magical communication device.

"Tap it and move back, Mrs Peppy," I told her and she smiled abashedly before doing that.

She cleared her throat and made her announcement.

"This year, instead of working on your missions alone, you will be assigned partners for the best results. Check your Winki's for your partner this year."

I pulled mine out immediately.

"There's no fucking way!" Luna yelled, but she wasn't going blind.

Right on the first page was my name, paired with Kaelen Thorne.