ch 4: Romeo's losing his mind

"Father, Ivaan and Karenina have gotten into a fight," Helene reported as she hurried into Romeo's office, dragging Mariyam behind her.

Romeo, who was reading the prayer book, without even sparing a glance at the girls said," Why are you reporting it to me? Inform the security guards and bring them to the principal's office."

Helene looked at Mariyam, pressing her lips and she grumbled,"Father, you are our class's professor. Ivaan and Karenina are from your class, you will be called too if I report this to the principal."

"Not a problem for me."

"Father, our class will be degraded and humiliated by other class's students," Helene nagged after hearing a nonchalant reply from Romeo.

Closing his book, Romeo sighed and asked Helene to show the way. They arrived at the backyard of the first year boy's dormitory where two youngsters were dueling in their wolf form like they were hungry for each other's lives.

"Father, Ivaan was the one who challenged her for the duel."

Romeo glanced down at Helene and repeated,"Are you sure he was the one who challenged her and not the other way around? Because Ivaan is a bright and understanding class leader."

"He provoked her to fight with him by mocking her father's name," Mariyam added.

"What did he say about her father?"

"That if she truly is the daughter of Great Alpha Dante she should accept his challenge and defeat him. That triggered Karenina's ego and she went berserk," Helene explained as they arrived at the ground where a crowd of students were clapping for the ongoing fight.

"Make a way," Romeo said in his cold voice, alerting the students.

Students immediately moved back, and many of them ran away into their dormitories before getting reported by father Romeo. Taking long strides towards Karenina, he grabs her wolf and bringing his dominant arm around the back of her neck he growls in his wolf's voice,"Shifting is forbidden inside the college without permission."

She, being uncontrollable, opened her mouth and bared her fangs into his arm which was wrapped around her neck.

"Katty, why would you bite... Father?" Helene gasped in shock when she saw the blood dripping off from Romeo's arm.

Karenina turned into her human body and asked Romeo to remove his arm from her throat. He quickly leaves her and looks at Ivaan...

"Ivaan, so this is your true nature?" Romeo thundered, staring at Ivaan's wolf form.

Puckering wolf of Ivaan which was crouching with its tail down and its ears back stared at Romeo, probably frightened and defensive — he was being submissive but warning that it would fight again if Karenina pressed at him.

"Is this what you're supposed to do as a class leader? You challenged a new transfer student to duel with you ignoring the rules of the college! Aren't you embarrassed?" Romeo lost his temper unnecessarily on Ivaan while Karenina just froze in her place.

She never thought that a calm and composed Romeo would get this dangerous and cold. Each word coming out of his mouth sounded like a thunderbolt, ready to hit anyone to death.

She then looks back at Helene and Mariyam, pressing her lips she mumbled,

"Why did you guys bring father Romeo?"

"We were worried about you. I already told you Ivaan is not someone you can defeat alone," Helene argued, making a worried face.

For some reason Karenina didn't feel conflicted. Before she would feel rage when someone looked down at her. First time seeing someone worried about her made her relaxed.

"Why are you still not turning into a human?Want me to call your father?" Romeo's voice jolted Karenina out of her thoughts and she realised he was talking to Ivaan.

Feeling scared, Ivaan turned into a human and kneeling down in front of Romeo asked for his punishment.

"Father, I will accept the punishment because it's true that I mocked her, however she teased me first," Ivaan shouted, aggressively pointing at Karenina.

"What? Are you even hearing your words clearly? Lier," she argued.

Romeo's fists clenched as he tried suppressing his rage. His years of practice in being calm and faith was running thin... Those two successfully managed to provoke his anger.

He turned back and asked Helene to take Karenina away from there as it was not polite for a female student to stay in a boy's dormitory.

"Yes, father,"Helene replied and pulled Karenina's wrist. "C'mon Katty, let's leave. You don't want to be punished, right?'

"Yes, we should get going before our dormitory's warden catches us here," Mariyam added, holding onto Karenina's other arm.

She hesitated to leave because she noticed the bleeding arm of Romeo. She was scared he would not heal since it was a bite of her Alpha wolf. However her friends dragged her forcefully to the girl's dormitory where they were caught. Unfortunate luck!

Madonna called them in her office as she scanned them from head to toe. Helene and Mariyam looked fine but Karenina had bruises all over her elbows and knees. Even her hair was messy like she would have participated in some fight or something.

Madonna gets up from her chair and walks forth towards Karenina with her swagger stick. Raising her skirt with the tip of the swagger stick, Madonna asked,"Where did you get so many injuries? Did you fight with someone?"

"Sister, she tripped herself over the stairs. I think we should get her to the nursery room for treatment," Helene interrupted and was quickly given a sharp glance by Madonna.

Helene gulped in nervously as she lowered her face, dared not to say anything further. Mariyam was already trembling in fear as she hugged her hand around Karenina's left arm.

'This warden has been unfriendly to me since the first day I arrived here. Does she hate me that much?' Karenina thought as she pushed Madonna's swagger stick away from her skirt.

Furrowing her brows in annoyance Karenina repeated the same words as Helene,"I tripped myself over the stairs when returning to the dormitory from class. Also don't lift my skirt, it's fucking rude."

"C-Curse word? Holy Moon Maiden, how could you use such a disgusting word when talking with me?" Madonna gets horrified as this was the first time someone has used a cursed word in front of her.

As a pure and holy nun, she has her beliefs and values of temple. With a furious voice she asked Karenina to bring her palms forward.

"I was tolerating your rude attitude because of your father's reputation but you are indeed a spoiled self-centred young lady with no lady-like etiquettes."

"Alright, I'm sorry," Karenina said, a very insincere apology and forwarded her both hands at her.

Madonna raised her stick and hit her palms four times before asking them to leave. When three of them arrived in their room, Helene started throwing her fists in irritation.

"How did she hit you like that? God, I hate this religious boarding college. I hate my parents for getting me locked in here."

"I can't even date any guy because they have a rule of 'no dating, no relationship in college' wow!"

"Calm down, Helene. See Karenina's palms are swollen," Mariyam expressed her worry about her friend. "We should send her to the nursery room for treatment. Her injuries were given by Ivaan who's Alpha heir like her."

"Oh god, I didn't think about it," Helene gasped, holding her head in thought. "That means his bites on her will not heal easily since Alpha's bite in another Alpha takes time."

Both the girls sat next to Karenina and politely asked her to go to the nursery room but she denied saying it would heal naturally. She was worried about Romeo's wound in his arm.

"What is the rank of Father Romeo? Is he beta , gamma or Delta?"

Helene shares a quick glance at Mariyam before answering Karenina's weird question,"He's Alpha. Don't you know all the High Priests of temple Selene Grandeur are Alphas?"

"Oh, I wasn't aware of such a thing."

"That's because you are not from here. It's natural that you don't know the history of the temple Selene Grandeur and our college," Helene added, making Karenina feel good instead of awkward.

Soon after the chit chat, they attended the evening prayer after their self-study hours. However Karenina preferred to stay in her room because her injuries were taking a toll over her.

***

In the Selene Grandeur Temple, Romeo arrives with other priests and begins the prayer ceremony. All the students, nuns and priests joined their hands to offer the evening prayers for Goddess Moon.

When the prayer ended, the students queued up to receive the Holy Communion from the Priests. When Helene's turn comes up, Romeo leans close and politely asks,"Why is your other friend not here? I guess it was her first evening prayer in the temple!"

Helene understood that he was asking about Karenina. Taking the holy communion from him she says,"Her injuries are healing slower because she received it from Ivaan."

Romeo nodded and raised his face up and continued giving holy communion to other students.

Soon after greeting other priests, Romeo returns to his bedroom and constantly walks back and forth in thought. Her mind was fixed on Karenina's health concerns.

"Why am I worried about her? She must have visited the nursery room for treatment. And it's natural for her to heal slowly after getting bitten by Ivaan's Alpha wolf!" He mumbled annoyingly in confusion since his mind was constantly thinking about her.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Bring my dinner in my room. I won't be present at the–"

"Your holiness, Dame Karenina Agriche is waiting in your office. I asked her to leave but she insists on seeing you,"the nun reported from outside.

Romeo quickly opens the door and dashed through the staircase. Arriving in his office he sees Karenina standing there with a first aid kit.

Controlling his fast steps, he walked inside calmly and asked,"Why are you looking for me at dinner time?"