Jolyn's pov
As I walked on, a guy approached and draped his arm around me. "Hey there, gorgeous. New around here?" he asked, chewing gum loudly. The sweet scent of it was overwhelming.
I gently shrugged him off and continued walking, wondering if this was typical of the students here.
"Hey, hey, hey, where do you think you're going? Don't you know who we are?" another guy blocked my path, with some of his friends laughing behind him.
"Move out of my way, or else…" I began.
"Or else what?" He leaned in with a smirk, clearly not intimidated.
"Look, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just came to enroll."
He scanned me up and down. "I'm looking for a new girlfriend, and you seem like a perfect candidate for my little game—"
Before he could finish, I slapped him hard. The shock on his face was palpable. He had no right to speak to me like that, and it was clear he needed to be put in his place.
"How dare you!" he roared, his eyes glowing with anger.
"I didn't want to start any trouble," I replied, maintaining my composure.
"You slapped me. How could someone like you—" He was cut off as he attempted to retaliate, but I pushed him firmly against the wall with all my strength. His friends rushed to his side as I stood my ground. Around us, people began murmuring about the commotion.
"Damn!" He cursed as he noticed blood on his lips. I hadn't wanted this confrontation, but he left me no choice.
"You fucking bitch!" he shouted, trying to get up, but a girl interrupted.
"She's the princess. The Lycan King's daughter!"
Everyone turned to look at her. I recognized her as the nerdy girl from before. How did she know about me?
The crowd fell silent as I walked away, feeling the weight of their gazes.
"I didn't want anyone to know, but I guess it's too late now," I muttered to myself as I entered the building.
I hoped to find a peaceful spot without further interruptions. I didn't want to be seen as a troublemaker, just someone here to study.
I heard footsteps behind me—familiar footsteps. I didn't turn around, but I knew who it was.
"It's only your first day, and you've already started a fight," Lucious said as he caught up to me.
"It wasn't intentional. He provoked me, and I had to defend myself," I retorted, wanting to prove I wasn't weak.
"Let's have lunch together," Lucious suggested, stopping in front of me.
His words caught me off guard. I was surprised. Why wasn't he dishing out his usual arrogant character?
Before I could respond, I noticed how close he was, our faces almost touching.
"Get off!" I pushed him away, but he grabbed my hand.
"Don't worry about them. As long as you're here, I'll be with you."
I forced a smile, then returned to my serious demeanor. "I don't need your protection."
I rolled my eyes and walked away, feeling frustrated by his confusing behavior.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Lucious caught up with me and lead me to a restaurant. I really hadn't planned on it, but it was the only way to get him out of my hair.
He insisted on accompanying me, now that he seemed to take on the role of my bodyguard, just as he was my trainer.
"That's hilarious," Lucious chuckled after I recounted my past with Ryner. "So, he rejected you as his mate? Really?"
I frowned at his reaction. "It was in the past," I replied.
Lucious had asked about my previous relationships, and though I'd been reluctant, I'd shared my story about Ryner. It was a painful subject, but it felt like a good time to address it. I needed to move on and open myself to new possibilities, though finding a decent man seemed like a distant hope.
"You jumped off a cliff over one rejection? That's pretty dumb," Lucious said bluntly.
I put my glass of water down and shot him a serious look. He seemed to notice and shifted in his seat, clearing his throat.
"You're dismissing my feelings?" I asked.
"No, I just—"
Before he could finish, I stood up and started to leave. He had no idea how hard it was to get over that period in my life, and his dismissive comments were infuriating.
"Hey, wait!" Lucious called, stepping into my path. I crossed my arms and avoided eye contact.
"I was just…," he began, then exhaled heavily. "Okay, sorry."
I remained silent. I didn't want to engage further; I felt he had no respect for my experiences. From now on, I would keep my past to myself and avoid sharing anything personal with him. His behavior was confusing—one moment he was caring, and the next, he was insensitive.
As I walked away, he called after me, "You know, if I were him, I wouldn't have rejected you. You'd make a great Luna!"
I headed to the garden, hoping to find solace among the flowers. There, I spotted a girl sitting on a bench, engrossed in a book. She seemed familiar, and I soon recalled the nerdy girl who had revealed my identity earlier. I approached her with a smile.
"Hi," I said, extending my hand. "I'm Jolyn West."
She looked at my hand, then back at my face, her smile faltering.
"What's your name?"
She adjusted her glasses nervously. "Al… Alancia."
She didn't offer her hand for a shake, and her hesitation was palpable.
"Thanks for your help earlier," I said.
"Glad to help," she mumbled.
I took a seat next to her, but she appeared uncomfortable. "Have we met before? You seem familiar."
"No," she replied quickly, avoiding eye contact.
Her discomfort was evident, and I wondered if I had done something wrong. I tried to ease her tension. "I promise, I'm not a bad person. You can relax."
"I know, but…"
She paused, as if unsure how to continue.
"But?"
"Nothing. I just… prefer not to be close to anyone." With that, she gathered her things and hurried away, leaving me with more questions than answers.
I stood alone, contemplating her sudden departure.
"What did I do wrong?" I wondered aloud.
"She's always been like that. A bit strange," someone said from behind me, startling me. I turned to see a girl rising from where she had been sitting.
"Have you been here long?" I asked.
She brushed herself off before responding. "Yeah, I was just trying to nap, but you two were loud."
The girl wore a black shirt with a wolf print, a black skirt, and black pantyhose. Her dark lipstick added to her intense aura.
"I'm Bailey Cove," she said, extending her hand.
"Jolyn West," I replied, shaking her hand.
Bailey scrutinized me for a moment, recognition dawning on her face.
"Oh, you're the princess?"
"Do you know me?"
She chuckled softly. "My brother always talked about you."
"Your brother?"
"Yeah, Lucious Cove. He's my brother."