"I, Miyo Sinclair, reject you, Reiner Beaumont, Prince of Celestia, as my mate." My heart was pounding uncontrollably, hard, painfully, loudly, as I stared at Reiner in front of me, wide-eyed and with an indescribable expression. ~ Miyo Sinclair is an astute and intelligent young woman who is accepted into the Raven Shadow 's College Academy. After spending years studying at home, due to her parents' overprotection, she finally gets the chance to explore her life. However, Miyo realizes that freedom doesn't taste so sweet when she crosses the path of the Beaumont brothers, princes of Celestia, and gets involved in more than she bargained for.
It's my first day at Raven Shadow's Academy.
Actually, my first night. It's at least seven in the evening now as I gaze at the academy's facade, ecstatic, in awe, and undoubtedly too anxious to begin a new journey in this new place.
The academy's facade was imposing and majestic. The dark stone walls were adorned with intricate details that seemed to unfold like the pages of an ancient book. The windows were tall and framed by heavy dark velvet curtains, giving the academy an air of mystery.
A black marble staircase led to the main entrance, where a carved wooden door stood tall and imposing. I felt small and humble before the grandeur of the building. A path of dark stones stretched to the left and right of the building, illuminated by several iron posts along the entire road. Some benches decorated the path, leading to the end where I knew the dormitories were located.
"Are you sure about this?" I was pulled from my thoughts when my mother's hand rested on my shoulder, her sweet and worried gaze fixed on me. "The people here are..."
"Mom," I cut her off before she could tell me once again how horrible the people studying here were. Rich, spoiled, and powerful kids who don't like being contradicted, or any other insult she wanted to add. She had already warned me about it a million times since I received the admission letter. "It's going to be fine."
She sighed in defeat, pulling me into a suffocating hug, enveloping me in her lavender scent, sniffling once more. She had spent the entire trip whining and saying she didn't want to lose her precious little girl.
"Oh Blair, let the girl go." My father murmured, setting my bags down. "She's an extraordinary girl and will be just fine here."
I looked at my father over my shoulder and gave him a smile, which he returned with a wink. "We can't go any further from here."
"It's okay, I think I can manage." I pulled away from my mother and wiped a solitary tear from her cheek.
"If anything happens, please call us, okay?" she demanded, and I just smiled and nodded. "Anything at all."
"Mom."
"All right, we're leaving." She wiped her hands on her gray dress, trying to hide her nervousness. She was more anxious than I was, but for entirely different reasons.
My father came closer, and I threw myself into his arms, hugging him. "We'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too," I murmured against his neck, trying to hold back my tears. We'd be apart for a long time, and that had never happened before.
I had always stayed at home with them, for as long as I could remember. I had gone out a few times to explore, but after I turned 16, going out was the last thing they let me do. That was the age when my wolf was supposed to awaken, just like the rest of the kids, but that didn't happen. There was nothing, no stronger sense of smell, no better hearing, no sharper vision-things that would have come with my wolf's awakening.
My parents became worried and even thought I was sick, but as the months passed, they realized it wasn't going to change. So they decided it was best for me to study at home, afraid that someone from the outside might start saying things to me or about me that could hurt.
I never cared about what people thought, but for my parents' sake, I did what they wanted. However, I applied to Raven Shadow's College years later after discovering that it was where they had studied, and it was a huge surprise when the admission letter arrived.
I didn't expect it, and I can say my parents didn't either. They supported me after much discussion, and here I was: a seventeen-year-old girl without a wolf, going to study at an elite academy meant for royalty, nobles, the powerful, and the few intelligent and brave enough.
I said goodbye to my parents and walked toward the main building to head to the office. I wasn't the only student arriving; it was the beginning of the season, and all the students who had been home were returning for classes, and it was exciting.
There were people everywhere.
Though I was eager to make friends, I knew I needed to go to the office to announce my arrival and get the information I needed. This was the beginning of a new story I was writing for myself, and I was happy about it.
**
It took longer than I expected, but in the end, I made it. A map, a key, and a dream. That was all I had. They told me to come back tomorrow to pick up my schedule. All I had to do was head to the dormitory and settle in.
I left the main building the same way I entered and noticed that many students were still arriving along the main road. I took a deep breath.
The academy was located in the middle of the capital's forest, a more isolated place away from the rest of the city. We were surrounded by large trees and grass around the main building and dormitories, but there was also a huge wall a few kilometers away at the first entrance. Big enough to prevent anyone from entering-or even leaving.
I followed the path to the left, where the map indicated the dormitories were, holding my bag over my shoulder and getting used to the place. I wasn't sure if it was because night was falling or if the forest was really that sinister at this hour, but I couldn't feel at ease walking beside that darkness, even though there were a few people around as well.
I quickened my pace, turning right and finally seeing the dormitories.
The sense of comfort that place gave me was impressive. There were three buildings, one in the middle, facing the entrance, one on the left side facing the one on the right. Each trio of dormitories had a name: Orion, Ursa, Aquila, and Lyra for the girls. Draco, Hydra, Perseus, and Phoenix for the boys. There was also a building called Pegasus. The map didn't say if it was a girls' or boys' dormitory or what, but I didn't care since mine was the Orion building, the fourth set along the road, and I had no reason to look elsewhere.
In the center, there was a fountain, and along the buildings were flower beds and white flowers everywhere, with two benches in front of each. Each dormitory had at least five floors, and the entrance had a tall wooden door and a small staircase. Between the buildings, there was a narrow space leading to the forest at the back; no doubt it was used as a trail into that place.
Did the students usually walk there? It seemed so.
Orion was the last set of female dormitories. After that, there was a large courtyard with benches and even kiosks for relaxation or whatever the students might do. The kiosks were on the edge of the forest, and without a doubt, you could sit there and enjoy the view from that spot.
My steps became a bit more confident as I resumed walking, eager to see my dorm. The central building was the one I belonged to. I approached slowly, trying to savor every second of this moment, immediately regretting that decision.
"Damn, Reiner, yes, like that!"
I stopped abruptly when I heard more than I should have, my overly curious eyes flying to the side of the dorm to find an unwelcome scene, my smile vanishing from my face.
Not very hidden, a couple stood between the left and central buildings. The girl was pressed against the wall, her face pushed into the red bricks as she moaned, completely unconcerned if anyone could hear. Behind her was a boy, taller than her, one hand on her waist and the other tangled in her dark hair as he moved in and out of her with a certain brutality that made my stomach churn.
It didn't take much intelligence to figure out what they were doing.
I was a little shocked by the scene, barely blinking, dazed. Were they really doing that here?
As if sensing someone was watching, the boy looked in my direction without stopping what he was doing, and I felt my heart race, startled when a malicious smile appeared on his lips as our eyes met. I shuddered.
Was he enjoying being watched?
Did he not care about the other people passing by all the time? Or worse, did the people around me, entering and leaving the dorm, not care about what they were doing?
I quickly averted my gaze before my stomach betrayed me. I didn't want people to think I was looking because I liked watching that...
Just a few hours inside the academy, and I had already seen more than I should have. Not a great way to start.
"Hey, wait!" Klaus tried to stop Athena from watching the scene he had just seen, but he wasn't quick enough to stop her from seeing her boyfriend kissing her half-sister. ________ Athena had always been a simple and lovely girl, even when people hurt her heart. All that changed when she discovered that her boyfriend, Marcel, was cheating on her with her half-sister, Selena.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.