The moment Professor Eldridge declared the orientation dismissed, the lecture hall erupted. The collective sound of hundreds of benches scraping back and the instantaneous release of pent-up energy was deafening. Lila, still rigid with the adrenaline of her near-death conversation, didn't wait. She bolted.
She risked one final, lightning-fast glance at Adrian Wolfhart. He was standing now, tall and impossibly dominating, effortlessly retrieving a thick, leather-bound volume from his bag. He didn't look at her, yet the heat of his presence—the metallic, cold-iron scent—still felt like a brand on her skin.
He thinks I'm delicious. Delicious fear. I am literally a savory snack to this terrifying man. My life is officially a high-stakes cooking show.
Before she could execute her planned, silent dash for the exit, she was ambushed.
Chloe and Tiffany descended on her like two excited mosquitoes, dragging the timid Elara in their wake. They were trembling slightly from Adrian's aura, but the fear was clearly mixed with a feverish excitement, a common side effect of the True Blood Alpha's lethal appeal.
"Lila! Lila, are you okay? What did he say?" Chloe demanded, her voice a piercing whisper.
"I swear, my heart almost stopped when he looked over here!" Tiffany chimed in, grabbing Lila's arm. "You two were talking for so long! Did he try to hit on you? The way he looks at people is so... crude, but... hot."
Lila internally thanked the universe for these two brainless plot characters. Their distraction was perfect; Adrian, who was still standing there, merely shifted his weight, radiating an air of untouchable arrogance, but his silver gaze was still tracking her.
Lila had to keep the mask on. She pulled her arm free with a graceful, dismissive flick of her wrist. "Hit on me?" she scoffed, channeling the haughty disdain of the original villainess. "Please. Adrian Wolfhart is many things, but a man of manners is not one of them. He was complaining that my perfume was too strong."
A perfect lie! It fits the arrogant Lila Blackwood persona and puts him down just enough to satisfy their gossip.
Tiffany gasped, delighted. "Oh! How awful! Did you tell him off?"
"Naturally," Lila drawled, finally pushing past the crowd and heading for the wide doors. "Now, I suggest you both cease gossiping and find your next lecture hall. My next subject is Mathematics, and I refuse to be late."
This was the next challenge: the curriculum. Lila hadn't paid any attention to the Academy schedule, only the plot points. She knew the subjects were old-world—Wolf History, Basic Science, and Math—but had had no idea where the classes were held.
She managed to shed Chloe and Tiffany at a crowded junction, leaving them to bicker excitedly over the 'Runic Math' classroom's location. Elara, however, was like a limpet.
"Lila," Elara whispered, clutching her chart. "Runic Math is in the North Wing, second floor. I—I can show you. And my class, —which is really just Wolf History—is right across the hall."
Lila stopped, staring at the unassuming Beta. "You memorized the whole map, Elara?"
"Of course," Elara replied, looking startled that Lila would ask. "It's a very large Academy. We wouldn't want to waste time."
I have not only accidentally acquired a loyal, non-plot sidekick, but a highly organized, highly intelligent non-plot sidekick!
"Excellent," Lila said, giving Elara a terrifyingly small, satisfied smile. "Lead the way, Elara. And keep your mouth shut."
Elara beamed, utterly missing the threat and interpreting it as a high honor.
They navigated the massive stone halls, which smelled of beeswax and ancient wood, finally reaching the Math classroom. The class was focused on calculating and measuring, using chalkboards and scrolls, confirming the low-tech nature of this world.
Lila slid into a seat at the back, Elara settling right beside her, nervously taking notes for her next class.
Lila opened her ledger and pen, trying to focus on the symbols. She could handle the math, but the constant paranoia was exhausting.
Did Adrian Wolfhart leave? Is he in another lecture? Will he be in my class after lunch?
Her mind was a whirlwind of suspense and morbid curiosity.
He said I smell 'other.' That means he knows something is wrong. He's not pursuing me because I'm the villainess, he's pursuing me because I'm an anomaly. If I can figure out what he's sensing, maybe I can mask it.
She glanced down at her arm, where a tiny, faint bruise was starting to bloom from her collision with the planter earlier. She tried to rub it, feeling helpless. This beautiful Omega body was nothing but a fragile glass doll in this world of sharp, dangerous Alphas.
The math professor began talking about the numerical sequence. Lila wrote down the formula, but her thoughts kept returning to the silver eyes of her killer.
Wolfhart. Adrian. Beautiful, malicious, arrogant, and definitely smells like he enjoys the sound of screaming. I need a plan that goes beyond 'avoid everyone.' I need a plan that involves distracting this creature. How do you distract a True Blood Alpha?
Lila suddenly remembered a key piece of information from the book: The True Blood Alpha was obsessed with power or that's what she thought, specifically the ancient artifacts stored deep within the Academy vaults. If she could point his attention back to his real goals, maybe she could get herself off his execution list.
As the Math lecture continued, Lila subtly opened her book bag, pulling out a crisp, blank sheet of paper and her pen. She needed information, and the only person she could trust was herself—or rather, the reader who was still trapped in her head.
I need to find the restricted library section where the ancient lore is kept. That's the key to the next plot point, and Adrian's true objective.
She wrote a single, cryptic instruction on the paper, intending to leave it for herself in her room later: "Find the magic stone."
Just as she was about to hide the note, the door to the classroom slowly opened, and a young, impeccably dressed Beta stepped inside. He handed the professor a small, folded scroll, then scanned the class. His eyes landed directly on Lila.
He walked straight toward her bench.
"Ms. Blackwood," he murmured, inclining his head. "My Master requests your presence for the remainder of the afternoon lectures. You are to be relocated."
Lila's heart seized up. Master? There was only one person in this Academy who commanded that title.
She looked up, forcing a sneer. "And who is your Master, Beta?"
The Beta didn't even flinch. "Alpha Adrian Wolfhart."