4. Whispers and Wolves

By the time classes ended for the day, I could practically feel the weight of a hundred eyes on me. Students whispered as I walked past, heads ducking together, some giggling behind their hands while others just stared with thinly veiled curiosity.

I shifted uncomfortably under their gaze and leaned closer to Freya.

"Okay, am I losing it, or is everyone talking about me?" I muttered.

Freya rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Of course they are. You mouthed off to the heirs earlier. Everyone here acts like those guys walk on water. You might as well have announced you're here on scholarship and you think their haircuts are terrible."

I pouted, hugging my books tighter to my chest. "What? They were rude first. It's not my fault they act like royalty."

"Maeve, they are royalty. Well, practically," Freya said, holding the door open as we stepped out of the building. The evening air was tinged with the faint smell of pine.

The golden sunset bathed the towering spires of Moonveil in warm light. Students hurried across the campus, chatting, laughing, or heading toward the dorms.

I tilted my head. "Fine. Then tell me about them. Who exactly are these heirs? And why does everyone treat them like kings?"

Freya smirked, though it looked a little too forced, like she was trying to shake off the tension from earlier. "You're in for a story," she said, but her voice was a touch quieter, almost as if she didn't want the wrong ears to hear.

I nodded eagerly, and we slowed our pace as she began her mini lecture.

"Okay, first up, the guy with the white hair and purple eyes? That's Lucian D'Amaris. His dad owns the biggest tech conglomerate in the country, half the devices you've ever used probably have D'Amaris parts in them. People say Lucian is... intense. He's basically a genius, super smart, and everyone's a little afraid of him. He's like... that guy who's both terrifying and beautiful, which is a very unfair combo."

I raised an eyebrow. "Purple eyes though?"

"Don't ask me. Maybe it's genetics or he's wearing contacts. The guy's a mystery."

"Okay. And Blondie?" I prompted.

"That's Rowan Everhart. His family basically is the government. His uncle's the Prime Minister. Rowan's the charming one of the group, but don't let the smile fool you. He's calculating. Like, play-one-move-ahead-of-everyone calculating."

"Yikes," I muttered.

"And then there's Elias Hawthorne, the one you bumped into. His family's old money. Like, castles-and-generational-wealth old. He's quieter, kind of broody. But if you're looking for someone who's going to hold a grudge? That's Elias. People say once you cross him, you're done."

I grimaced. "Great. So I've pissed off all three of them in one day. Love that for me."

Freya let out a short, almost nervous laugh. "Don't worry. They probably don't care that much. Probably."

"'Probably' isn't exactly comforting," I grumbled, but she just smirked, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, as we made our way back toward the dorms.

The sky had darkened to soft lavender, and the campus buzzed with energy as students rushed to their rooms before curfew at 11pm.

When we finally reached our room, I practically threw myself face-first onto the bed. "I'm dead. Bury me here."

Freya laughed, kicking off her boots. "First day of classes and you're already so dramatic."

I fished my phone from my bag and tapped the FaceTime icon. Dad answered on the second ring, his face filling the screen, grinning from ear to ear. Mom and my siblings crowded behind him like an overexcited fan club.

"Maeve!" Mom gasped, wiping her hands on her apron as if she'd been waiting all day for this. "How was your first day?"

I sat up, smiling despite how exhausted I felt. "It was fine! The classes are... intense, but I think I can handle it."

"We're rooting for you," Dad said, his voice warm. "Proud of you every single day."

"Tell us everything!" Marcie, my little sister, shouted, trying to squeeze into the frame. Liam, my older brother, stood in the back with his arms crossed, pretending to look unimpressed, but the smile tugging at his lips gave him away.

I laughed. "I'll call later tonight or tomorrow and give you the full tour, okay? Love you guys."

"We love you too," Mom said, blowing kisses to the camera before Dad hung up.

I put my phone down just as Freya flopped onto her bed, stretching like a cat. "When are you starting that assignment we got in Research Skills?" she asked.

I groaned. "Don't remind me. I'll do it later."

"Sure you will," she said with a teasing grin, rolling onto her side.

I laid back, staring at the ceiling for all of two minutes before exhaustion swallowed me whole. I must've dozed off, because the next thing I knew, I was awake, heart pounding.

A sound drifted through the window, low, eerie, and unmistakable. A howl.

I sat up, eyes wide, and strained to hear. It wasn't a dog. It was deeper, more primal.

"A wolf?" I whispered to myself. Did they even have wolves near Moonveil?

I glanced at Freya, who appeared to be fast asleep, her breathing slow and steady. The howl didn't come again, and my heart thudded uneasily, but after a moment, I shook my head.

It was probably just my imagination.

~

The pounding on our door jolted me awake. I stumbled out of bed, rubbing my eyes. "What the—?"

The door burst open, slamming against the wall.

Four girls stood there like they owned the entire dorm. Two of them were tall blondes with icy, calculating stares, one had dark curls twisted into a perfect bun, and the fourth had bubblegum-pink hair so glossy it looked like it had cost a fortune to dye.

"Well, well," one of the blondes sneered, her gaze raking over me from head to toe like I was something she'd scrape off her shoe. "The scholarship girl."

Before I could process what she meant, the pink-haired one smirked, grabbed a half-full bottle of water from her hand, and tipped it straight into one of my open purses.

Two notebooks inside were instantly soaked, the ink bleeding like bruises.

"Consider this a welcome gift," the other blonde added mockingly, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

For a second, I just froze, heat flushing through my face, my throat tightening. Then fury snapped me awake. "What the hell is your problem?! Why would you do that?!"

That was when Freya bolted out of bed, her fiery red hair wild and eyes blazing.

She stepped in front of me without hesitation, her voice sharp. "Back off, Nyla. It's too early in the morning for this. Leave her alone."

The blonde, Nyla, blinked in surprise before a slow smile spread across her face.

"Ahhh, Freya Vance. I had no idea you'd be her roommate." She tilted her head, her tone dripping with fake sweetness. "Oh, you I like. But the charity case?" Her gaze flicked to me with a slow, deliberate sneer. "Not so much. See you around, Vance."

The group left, their laughter echoing down the hallway.

I stared at my dripping purse, anger bubbling in my chest like lava. "Who are they?"

Freya sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "The Silver Circle. Don't ask me why they call themselves that, it's ridiculous. They're second years, and they've been desperate to get the heirs' attention for months. Guess you caught their eye by accident. Congrats. You're officially popular now."

I raised an eyebrow. "And Nyla? You two know each other?"

Freya's lips pressed into a thin line. "Unfortunately. Our dads work together, well, sort of. She's the daughter of one of the trustees here. We met at a winter gala last year. She's been a nightmare ever since."

"I see. Also, popular? Great. That's exactly what I wanted," I muttered, wringing out a ruined notebook. "What's their problem, anyway?"

"Obsession and boredom," Freya said with a yawn, already climbing back into her bed. "They'll get tired of you eventually."

I crossed my arms. "Tell me all about them."

She cracked one eye open, groaning. "After I sleep. Do we even have class this morning?"

"Nope," I said with a small smile.

"Good." She face-planted into her pillow with a sigh. "Wake me when breakfast magically appears."

I stared down at my soggy purse, the last of my patience dripping with it. "Perfect. Day two and I'm already making enemies."