Principal Jameson felt her anger dissolve into a simmering helplessness. However, she took a deep breath, straightening her skirt and composing herself. She wouldn’t let these entitled brats rattle her.
She was the principal of Lunaris Academy, a position most could only dream of. She had overseen this prestigious institution for years, ever since her predecessor had retired. The arrival of the cardinal alphas would not undo her work. She would keep order here, no matter how impossible it seemed.
With her head held high, she walked briskly in the direction of her office. She had more pressing matters to deal with, like sorting through the mountain of scholarship applications sitting on her desk.
Lunaris Academy was an elite institution, known for accepting only the rich and privileged. It had gained even more prestige when the current alpha king, who had once been a student here, married the academy’s top human graduate, elevating her to queen.
Since then, alphas followed a similar pattern, seeking out the academy’s outstanding female students to become their mates.
Full-blooded she-wolves were rare and highly coveted after the war decimated their numbers. Like an extinct level. The academy had only one she-wolf, and Jameson knew she’d be snatched up by one of the cardinal alphas by the time graduation rolled around. The one who would be king probably.
Normally, no poor human would ever get the chance to step foot in such a revered institution. But every year, thanks to the alpha king’s magnanimity, one lucky student from each district was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at Lunaris Academy, regardless of their background.
And it was her decision who would receive that golden opportunity. The thought gave Principal Jameson a sense of power, a thrill. It was almost like playing god.
She couldn’t wait to get started.
Humming a tune, Jameson entered her office and turned around, only to scream bloody murder. Someone was sitting in her chair, their back to her. Before she could say a word, the swivel chair turned, and he faced her.
Oh god, no. The blood drained from her face.
Not this one.
While all the cardinal alphas were terrifying in their own way, there was one she feared above all the others, and he was sitting right in front of her.
Asher Nightshade.
It seemed ridiculous to be so afraid of him, especially since he looked like a movie star, with his perfectly styled dark hair and shades so opaque she could barely make out his eyes.
But Jameson knew better. Asher wasn’t just any student-he was a mind manipulator. If he ever took off those glasses, he could get into her head, make her do whatever he wanted. Like slit her own throat. She shuddered at the thought.
Even though Asher wore the shades to protect others from his gaze, it didn’t lessen the fact that he was dangerous.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Jameson. You took your sweet time today,” Asher drawled, his gaze trailing down her body in a way that made her shiver.
Even at forty, Jameson knew she was still an attractive woman. She worked hard to maintain her looks, eating healthy and keeping fit. Her brunette hair was slicked back into a perfect ponytail, not a strand out of place, and her form-fitting skirt had not a single wrinkle. She stood tall in her stilettos, every inch the picture of formal perfection.
Pushing her nerves aside, she forced a smile. “Mr. Nightshade, what a surprise. Though I would have appreciated if you had waited for me outside rather than breaking into my office. Don’t you think so?”
He chuckled. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Right. Jameson reminded herself why she avoided him whenever possible. Asher was the most unpredictable of all the cardinal alphas, chaos personified, always seeking to stir trouble.
Suppressing her unease, Jameson strode over to her desk, placed her bag on it, and asked in her most businesslike tone, “How may I assist you today, Mr. Nightshade?”
“And that’s why I like you, Jameson. Always straight to the point.” His voice dripped with amusement, and a prickling sensation crawled over her skin.
She wanted to demand he call her “Principal Jameson” as proper etiquette required, but the words stuck in her throat. Jameson knew better. Asher Nightshade might just be a student, but outside these academy walls, he wielded immense power. She wasn’t foolish enough to get on his bad side.
“I heard you haven’t approved the applications for the scholarship students yet,” Asher said, his tone casual but laced with intention.
Jameson’s mood shifted instantly. She eyed him cautiously. “Why, may I ask, are you interested in that, Mr. Nightshade?”
“Because I’ll be the one approving the applications this year,” he replied with a wicked grin.
Jameson felt the breath knocked out of her. No, no, this cant be happening.
She blinked in disbelief before finding her voice. “That’s not your jurisdiction, Mr. Nightshade. I am responsible for reviewing and approving all applications. Besides, why would you care? Your role here is to study and excel, not meddle in administrative matters.”
“Why, you ask?” Asher repeated, his smile widening as if she had made a joke. “Because the students you brought in last year were boring, and I’m going to shake things up this time.”
Jameson bristled. She didn’t know what he meant by “boring.” The students she approved were always top performers with excellent potential.
“Mr. Nightshade-“
“Shall we do this the easy way, or should I make it hard? Though, honestly, it wouldn’t be hard at all. You’d be a good girl in less than a second.”
Jameson stiffened as Asher’s hand moved toward his shades as though he were about to lower them, but instead, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. Still, the threat was clear.
“As you wish, Mr. Nightshade,” Jameson conceded, knowing she had no real choice. Not unless she wanted to find out what punishment he might have in store for her. And she didn’t have a death wish.
“Smart answer.” He smiled in that unsettling way of his, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. Jameson knew she’d made the right decision to comply.
Moments later, Jameson sat stiffly on the couch, seething in silence while Asher took her seat, rifling through the scholarship applications with a sense of ownership. The room was eerily quiet like a graveyard, except for the occasional rustling of papers. His expression was unreadable hence she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. It annoyed her.
She couldn’t hold back any longer. “You know, you don’t have to-“
“Shh,” Asher silenced her with a single raised finger, his eyes still scanning a page.
Then, for the first time, he smiled, his eyes gleaming as if he’d found a hidden treasure.
With a grin that made her uneasy, he handed the application to her.
“Approve this one.”
Jameson’s curiosity got the better of her as she took the paper from him, her eyes scanning the text. Almost immediately, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in disbelief. “What the…?”
“It’s perfect, isn’t it?” Asher’s voice was almost gleeful.
Fucking psychopath!
Jameson could hardly believe what she was reading. “Mr. Nightshade, with all due respect, this applicant….this girl just admitted to-” She couldn’t even finish the sentence, still horrified at the explicit nature of the application.
Taking a deep breath, she continued, “I’m sorry, but I cannot approve this.”
“She’s issued me a challenge,” Asher said, a dark gleam in his eyes.
“What?”
“Wait till you see me in bed,” he repeated the bold line from the application, his grin widening. “And I can’t wait to find out.”
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