CHAPTER 93: AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?

The sleek black car pulled up right in front of the academy gates, its tires crunching against the gravel road. Victoria wasted no time getting off. She didn’t even bother waiting for her brothers, who had come along with her. Instead, she dashed straight into the academy on her own, as she hurried down the familiar hallways.

She finally arrived at her classroom and pushed the door open. Her friends were already seated, chatting quietly as they waited for the day’s lessons to start.

"Hey! You’re here," Blonde was the first to notice her arrival. She greeted Victoria with a warm smile, her bright eyes lighting up as she added, "How are you doing today?"

"I agree with your brothers leaving with you last night," Rose chimed in almost immediately, her tone carrying both sympathy and frustration. She heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Those Alphas’ behavior was completely uncalled for. By the way, how’s Alpha Damien doing now? Is the injury on his head getting any better?"

"Oh, please, Rose. He’s an Alpha for goodness’ sake," Joe interrupted with a loud scoff, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "He’ll have healed by now already. All the Alphas no doubt have recovered by now. Don’t worry your pretty little head over that."

Rose frowned at him and responded by rolling her eyes right back, clearly unimpressed.

Victoria, who had been listening quietly, finally leaned forward. Her eyes, full of curiosity, were fixed on Joe and Dickson. "Anyways," she began slowly, "what exactly happened last night? I mean, what went wrong between all of them? I wasn’t expecting a fight to break out, not at all. And even if a fight was to occur, I was certain it would only be between you guys and Alpha Darius, Auren, or Zephyr. But not what actually happened..."

"Well..." Joe dragged out the word, as though weighing whether to speak. At last, he gave in with a resigned sigh. "What led to the fight is actually about Alpha Darius, Auren, and Zephyr. They were talking trash about you, Victoria. And, on top of that, they went as far as to call Alpha Damien an errand boy."

The words sent waves of shock and terror coursing down Victoria’s spine. Both Rose and Blonde visibly stiffened too, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"That explains it then..." Blonde finally murmured, her voice laced with disappointment as she released a heavy sigh. She turned to Victoria with a serious expression. "But what do you think is between your brothers and those three Alphas though? They mentioned something strange last night....something about going back to the past where they fought like wild dogs. What’s that supposed to mean? Do you have any idea what history lies between them?"

"I seriously don’t know." Victoria shook her head slowly, her brows furrowed with worry. "I’m also trying to find out, but I can’t exactly question my brothers directly just yet. Not now. They won’t give me the answers I’m looking for anyway." She sighed heavily, then forced a small smile. "Anyways, I’ll find out sooner or later. Don’t worry." Her gaze swept the room, searching. "By the way... where’s Jamaila? She’s usually here by now."

"She’s not here yet." Blonde shrugged, her tone carrying a touch of concern. "She came late to school yesterday too, and now today again. Honestly, it feels like she’s going through some kind of family problem at home. We tried asking her about it, but she wouldn’t say a word. Just brushed us off."

As if on cue, the classroom door creaked open. Jamaila walked in quietly, her face pale and her steps dragging. Without so much as a glance at anyone, she headed straight to her seat. Instead of greeting her friends, she bowed her head onto the desk, resting her forehead against the cold surface.

"See? That’s exactly what she did yesterday too." Rose pointed it out in a low voice, her lips twisting in irritation. She reached into her pocket and casually brought out a cigarette, lighting it up despite the disapproving looks she earned. Taking a deep drag, she blew out a cloud of smoke.

"Anyways, I’m not too concerned about her silence. What I’m more worried about is the fact that I haven’t learned a single damn thing since I got into this school." Blonde chimed in with a heavy sigh.

"You’re right." Dickson agreed at once, his tone dry and cynical as he leaned back in his chair. "I knew it from the very beginning....this academy isn’t about studying at all. It’s more about matchmaking than actual education. Otherwise, why in the world would the three Alphas be our tutors for first year? It makes no sense at all. Maybe in second year, we’ll finally start learning something useful. But as for me, I’m not even here for the books anyway." He smirked knowingly. "I’m here for that matchmaking. That’s where the real money is. As long as I can cash in on that, I’m perfectly fine with the way things are."

Victoria and the others could only exchange glances before letting out a scoff in unison. None of them bothered to respond further, and instead, they all fell into silence.

Ping!

The sharp sound of the school system rang out, echoing through the entire building. Immediately, the electric board at the front of the classroom flickered to life, glowing with fresh words written across its bright screen. The message read....

"All students should proceed to their assigned Alphas to begin today’s lecture."

Victoria exhaled, brushing strands of hair away from her face. "Anyways, time to leave, guys. I’ll see you all later." Her tone was calm but purposeful. She stood up without hesitation, adjusted the hem of her skirt, and made her way out of the classroom. Within seconds, she was swept into the flood of bodies as countless other students surged into the corridors, all heading toward their Alphas.

Unlike before...when she had to wander about searching for Darius only to find his office empty this time, the moment she pushed his door open, she was startled to see him already seated inside, waiting.

"Good morning, Alpha Darius," Victoria greeted with a slight bow, her voice polite and clear.

There was no response.

She blinked, hesitated, and tried again, this time with more emphasis. "Good morning, Alpha Darius."

Still, silence.

Darius remained seated, his cold eyes fixed elsewhere, treating her as if she didn’t even exist. The weight of his indifference pressed heavily on her chest, making the quiet in the room feel almost unbearable.

Victoria straightened, masking her irritation behind a composed expression. "I suppose there’s no lecture today again," she finally said, her tone firm despite the faint tremor in her hands. "In that case, I’ll take my leave, Alpha Darius. When you’re ready for class, you can call for me and I’ll return." She bowed once more, turned toward the door, opened it, and was just about to step out when.....

"And where do you think you’re going?"

The voice came suddenly, startlingly close. Victoria froze as she felt his warm breath fan against the side of her neck. Her heart lurched violently in her chest as she slowly turned her gaze, only to find Darius standing right behind her now, his presence looming.

"Did I give you permission to leave?" he asked, his tone low and sharp.

Victoria instinctively took a step back, swallowing hard. Her pulse quickened as Darius reached past her, shutting the door firmly. The metallic click of the lock followed, sealing them inside.

"I greeted you twice, but you gave me no response," Victoria said carefully, trying to keep her voice steady. "I could only assume you weren’t in the mood to teach. That’s why I intended to leave. I can read my textbooks on my own until you’re ready."

Darius studied her with an unreadable expression. His voice, when it came, carried authority that brooked no refusal. "I teach combat, as you already know. Which means, since you are under me, the first lesson you will learn is combat and that lesson begins now. No student of mine will ever be useless."

Victoria’s lips parted, but she held her tongue as he continued, his tone unyielding.

"And just so you’re aware," he went on, "some students already possess skills.....skills gained from other Alphas. But they were deliberately placed under different mentors, Alphas whose techniques they have not yet mastered. It is no accident, Victoria. Every placement has a reason." His eyes narrowed, sharp as steel. "And after each one-week training under an assigned Alpha, students will be required to compete with one another. That way, we measure not only what they’ve learned, but how well they’ve adapted."

His words hung in the air like a challenge before he abruptly turned, unlocking the door. With a sweep of his coat, he stepped out into the corridor.

"Follow me."

Victoria blinked, stunned. "Huh? That’s new..." she muttered under her breath, confusion knotting her brow.

Still, she obeyed. Swallowing her unease, she hurried after him, trailing him amidst the sea of werewolf students who filled the hallways. They walked for what felt like forever, weaving past classrooms and through crowded corridors until they left the main building behind.

Just where is he taking me to? Victoria thought to herself all while she swallowed hard.