Lila nodded, her eyes serious. “Yes, Violet. Elsie Lancaster is the number one elite student, and she’s the only pureblooded she-wolf in this academy.”
The words caught Violet off guard. Though she didn’t care much for the academy’s internal politics, this was different. This was a pureblooded she-wolf they were talking about.
Pureblooded she-wolves were celebrated, practically revered as near-goddesses. They were almost extinct, and alphas would fight each other to death for the chance to marry one. After all, marrying a pureblood meant the chance to have a true werewolf offspring, untainted by the watered-down lineage resulting from human-werewolf unions.
It wasn’t hard to spot Elsie. Violet’s gaze followed Grace until she set the tray down at a table where a silver-haired girl sat, her presence striking. The girl’s silver hair seemed to glow under the dining hall’s lighting, almost otherworldly, and Violet found herself unable to look away. Elsie’s aura was intimidating, almost magnetic.
Before Violet could look away, Lila added in a whisper, “Not only that, but I heard Elsie is set to marry one of the Cardinal Alphas upon graduation.”
It felt like a bomb went off in Violet’s mind. Elsie was going to marry one of the Cardinal Alphas? Which of them? Violet could not even understand why she was curious about that. It was none of her business yet she wanted to know.
As if sensing their eyes on her, Elsie turned and locked eyes with Violet.
Elsie Lyka Lancaster was undeniably stunning. Her blue eyes were captivating, a shade so vivid and deep that they could make men fall at her feet. Her heart-shaped face, pointed nose, and full bottom lip gave her an appearance that was nothing short of alluring.
Yet, beneath all that charm, Violet sensed the aloofness that cloaked her like a veil. It felt like her beauty was just a facade, hiding the true nature beneath.
Elsie exuded an air of superiority that had nothing to do with her looks. It was in her posture, the way she held herself, the way she looked down on everyone else with cold indifference. To Elsie, Violet was nothing but dirt, meant to grovel at her feet, to worship her as though she were some goddess above everyone else.
It was further proven when Violet felt something akin to a challenge in the she-wolf’s gaze, as if she were expecting Violet to look away first.
Lila, noticing the tension between the two, whispered urgently, “Look away, Violet. Don’t engage her.”
Unfortunately for Lila, Violet had never been one to follow orders, especially not from someone who expected her to cower. She wasn’t scared of some Queen Bee who held power by intimidating others.
She was a pure blooded werewolf, so what? What was so special about her anyway if it wasn’t her soon-to-be overused womb for pureblood werewolf offspring. It was no secret that pure blooded she-wolves tend to give birth a lot. A move to rebuild the declining pureblooded population.
Grace must have caught her attention because Elsie was the first to look away, and that small victory gave Violet a flicker of satisfaction.
In that moment, Violet decided she didn’t like the she-wolf, and it wasn’t because Elsie was set to marry one of the Cardinal Alphas. That was none of her concern. She actually hoped it was Asher. Maybe that way the psychopath would leave her alone.
Violet hated her because she knew girls like Elsie, the ones who pretended to be angelic and pure while hiding their true nature beneath. They were nothing but wolves in sheep’s clothing.
“Let’s go,” Lila urged, pulling her away before their silent altercation could reignite. Lila swore that Violet was determined to give her a heart attack one of these days.
Thankfully, the line moved quickly, and before long, it was their turn. Her eyes scanned the array of dishes arranged before her on a long, polished table.
She had to admit, the luxury here was nothing like what she’d ever experienced. The sight alone made her mouth water as each dish steamed lightly, promising a hot, freshly prepared meal. If anything could convince her to stay at this school, it would be the food. She was in a food paradise, a luxury she’d never had back home.
There were so many dishes to choose from: golden scrambled eggs, crispy smoked bacon, honey-glazed sausages, fluffy pancakes and waffles served with fresh berries, an assortment of pastries like croissants, danishes, and muffins covered in linen cloths, and a fresh fruit platter with melons, grapes, pineapple, and berries. It was overwhelming.
Even if she took a little bit of everything, Violet knew she wouldn’t be able to finish it all. So she served herself a spoonful of scrambled eggs, sprinkled lightly with herbs, a couple of bacon strips, and some hash browns. She finished by adding a warm croissant, splitting it open to let the steam escape.
Lila caught up to her, her plate piled high with a bit of everything. She shot Violet a judgmental look. “Is that all you’re taking?”
Violet nodded.
Lila looked at her in disbelief, then glanced around, saying. “If you’re worried about the guys judging what you eat, you don’t need to. The Alphas actually like women who can eat. Look around.” She tipped her head towards the other students.
Violet followed her gaze, taking in the plates around her, and her jaw dropped. The portions the students were taking made hers look like a child’s serving. Especially the werewolves-they were the worst. Their plates were piled high, almost like mountain ranges that seemed one wrong move away from toppling over.
Of course, it made sense since they needed more food to replenish their energy and keep up with their fast metabolism, but it was still astonishing to see.
“I didn’t choose this amount of food because of the alphas -“
“Yeah, yeah, I understand, but you still need to eat more, my lady,” Lila said with a bored eye roll.
Before Violet could object, Lila had already added a serving of roasted potatoes to her plate. Violet let it slide, partly because the crispy edges of the potatoes looked too tempting.
She picked up her tray and started walking away before Lila had any other ideas like adding more food to her plate. But before she could find a table, Lila grabbed her arm. “Where are you going? Your place is upstairs.” She pointed up at the elite floor.
“Yeah, about that…” Violet glanced up at the students eating above, surrounded by their air of privilege. “I think I’ll eat my food here, unless I want to suffer indigestion.”
“No, Violet, I don’t think-” Lila began, but Violet had already made up her mind, heading over to a table on the lower floor. She pulled out a chair and sat down, ready to enjoy her meal.
However, as soon as she sat, she noticed the conversations around her had abruptly stopped. Violet looked up, unfazed, and said to the students staring at her, “Please, don’t stop on my account. Go on with whatever you were saying.”
But instead of resuming, the entire floor seemed to fall into silence, every single eye pinned on Violet, as if she had just committed a grave offense.
“Great,” Violet muttered under her breath. She was definitely going to have indigestion after this meal.
Just what country did she destroy in her past life to deserve this fate?
Determined not to let anyone ruin her breakfast, Violet ignored the unnerving stares and took a bite of her warm croissant, her eyes fluttering shut as she let out an involuntary moan of satisfaction. By the gods, it tasted so good she almost wanted to cry. This was heaven. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste.
But her bliss was cut short when she heard Lila’s panicked voice: “Violet, look out -!”
Violet opened her eyes just in time to avoid the food and drinks being thrown in her direction as her entire meal crashed to the floor.
“What the hell?” Violet snapped, her gaze darting upward. An unfamiliar girl stood over her, glaring murderously. Her eyes blazed with anger while her lips curled into a snarl of pure disgust.
“So this is what they replaced me with?” the girl spat, pointing at Violet. Her voice was dripping with fury. “She doesn’t even know the fucking rules!”
Oh, fuck. Violet realized at that moment who this was. This must be the former occupant of the twentieth spot on the Lunaboard, the elite student she had replaced. Great. She hadn’t even thought about the previous spot-holder until now.
And for once, Violet wasn’t even responsible for the trouble that had found her! She was completely innocent this time.
Now every eye in the room was pinned on them, including the elite students peering down from the platform. It was obvious that everyone expected a show, especially with many of them already pulling out their phones to record the altercation.
When Violet stood up, they likely anticipated she’d engage in a fight. Instead, she calmly brushed off the crumbs from her croissant that had fallen on her clothes during the commotion.
The girl in question was poised for a fight, clearly expecting Violet to rise to the bait. But instead, Violet simply turned her back on her and made to leave.
Turning one’s back in the middle of a confrontation was probably the biggest insult Violet could give. It meant she didn’t consider the girl a threat. She didn’t even deem her worthy of attention. The act showed that Violet was not afraid, and the girl wasn’t even on her radar as a worthy opponent.
Sometimes, silence was the most powerful response. A weapon that hurt more than a verbal jab, especially when it denied someone the reaction they craved.
Violet was also painfully aware that the elite students were watching her every move, expecting her to put the girl in her place. She wasn’t about to give them that satisfaction. She wanted them to lose interest in her. Perhaps if she didn’t react the way they expected, they would deem her boring and forget about her.
Then, she’d be able to go back to the place she belonged. At the bottom. And rest in peace. How blissful that would be.
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