FATED TO THE LYCAN PRINCE

3: He Hates Humans

XENIA

I was only able to lie and convince Mom that I was okay because I got home before her. That way, I've washed my uniforms and I've prepped myself to be in a better mood. But just once glance at me and she knew something had happened. I just had to convince her that it was the stress of getting settled into a new school, a school that's especially for supernaturals with even superior beings when I was just a random human.

“Okay, just make sure you tell me if anything happens, okay?”

“Yeah, sure Mom.”

I retired to bed, suddenly overwhelmed with everything. I've always tried to put a tight lid on my feelings but tonight, everything seemed to catch up with me. Dad’s death. Hendrix death. And now, the sore loser in the body of the so-called Alpha Prince called Matteo who seemed to be out for my blood.

I swallowed as I remembered the events of last year, the one that made him hate me this much. It was the prestigious League of Scholars competition; a once in a once-in-a-decade competition where top students from top schools were housed in a ten-day-long competition. I was the only human among the competitors and as expected, I was made an outcast and I was expected to be eliminated in the first stage.

I not only survived till the end but I won over the acclaimed Alpha Prince, ruining his chances of securing a consecutive win for his school. He had lost his mind and made it clear that I didn't deserve to win not because I wasn't brilliant enough to but because I was a lowly human and I was supposed to be his slave.

One would think that because werewolves were the most powerful and superior in the Veralh Dynasty, they wouldn't bother people who were much weaker than them. But reverse was the case, they seemed to do that to flaunt their powers and be reminded of how powerful they are.

I hissed at the remembrance of what I was subjected to today. I wasn't going to cower and be meek just to feed an alpha prince’s insecure ass. I was going to show them that I wasn't to be messed with.

******

My resolve died when I got to school the next day. I tripped on countless outstretched legs in the hallway. I knew they were intentional and I couldn't even confront the perpetrators. Not only because I couldn't see them but because nobody paid attention to me. I managed to get to the class with bruised knees and wrists and the sight of my desk made my heart sink.

It was filled with all sorts of demeaning writings; w***e, disgusting human, go to hell, I hope you die! b***h.

I blinked back tears. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Knowing they were breaking me would only give them the urge to try to break me more.

So I pretended I didn't see the writings, I just sat on my chair, took out my notes, and pretended nothing happened.

I tried to stifle my surprise when I entered the school’s cafeteria but I failed. It was the most beautiful cafeteria I've ever seen and it looked like something that belonged to a palace. That didn't surprise me because the whole of Hailsmith looked like something out of a fairytale, huge brown walls, great architectural designs, amazing decor, and all.

I ignored the snickers as I served myself and just when I was about to turn and make my way to the tables, I tripped on something and fell face flat on the floor, soiling my face and clothes with the food.

The cafeteria erupted into laughter. No one made a move to help me. They were all entertained by my predicament as they either laughed or made videos. I bit down on my lips to stop myself from crying.

“Looks like you're already enjoying your stay here,” I heard Matteo’s voice, the disdain and sarcasm in his voice as he stepped over me to walk away. I picked myself up from the floor and without a backward glance, I left the cafeteria.

I found the laundry room by myself. No one would have answered me anyway. As I threw my blazers in the washer, I paced and tried to recite the 13th multiplication table from behind to stop myself from crying.

I was still pacing when the door opened and someone stepped in. A girl. A human just like me. Just when I was starting to think I was the only human in the school.

“Hello,” she smiled at me, a smile and almost hesitant smile as if she wasn't sure how I’d welcome her.

“Hi,” I returned her smile. I felt like hugging her. I just felt welcomed and seen, seeing my kind.

“I’m Claudia,” she moved closer to me. She had a petite frame, a baby face, and a shirt hair that stopped on her neck.

“I wanted to come to you yesterday but with everything that happened with Matteo, I had to wait for the perfect time to come to you.”

“How did you know something happened with Matteo?” I asked her even though it felt like a stupid question.

“Everybody in the school knows what happened with Matteo,” she explained as she stopped right in front of me, “the videos are already being shared on w******p groups. That's how the whole school knows you talked back to the alpha prince and why they are after your blood.”

There was something about her tone when she said ‘Alpha Prince’. I just didn't understand if it was awe or disgust.

“That’s how they are; mindlessly defending Matteo Moore to the point of bullying harmless humans.”

The anger in her tone cleared my uncertainty. It wasn't awe, it was disgust.

“I didn't know… I thought I was the only human here, had no idea there's still another human left in Hailsmith.”

“The school keeps admitting humans that'd end up dropping out after a week or two,” she told me, a bitter undertone in her voice, “it makes no sense that they'd continue to open their gates to humans when no measures have been put in place to ensure their safety.”

Was it that bad? The bullying? The ostracism? To the point that humans keep dropping out?

“Why?”

“Why do you think? Matteo Moore hates humans and he'd go out of his way to make our lives a living hell. The funny thing is that he doesn't even need to try, the students here follow him blindly and they'd do everything to carry out his bidding.”

Hate humans? That logic was behind me. Why would the second-strongest person in the whole dynasty hate the people who don't even hold a candle to him? It makes no sense.

“It’s really bad, Xenia, really really bad. Matteo Moore isn't to be messed with. I can't count the number of humans that dropped out because of what he subjected them to. No human has spent more than a month here and I can't say it worse for you because you spoke back to him. No one has ever done that. I can't say the length he'd go to make your life a living hell.”

The suggestion in her tone was very clear but god forbid I drop out. I'd stay here. I'd beat Matteo in his own games.

“And you? Why are you still here?”

“I’m here because I can't leave,” she sounded resigned, looked resigned, “I'm a welfare scholarship student and the only hope of my impoverished family. If I drop out of Hailsmith, I’d have to attend a public school and that'd take me further away from getting into a good college and achieving my dreams.”

Her voice broke as tears glistened in her eyes. That broke my heart and it made me so angry at the sheer injustice of everything that was happening.

“If my parents could afford to send me to a decent school without their welfare scholarship, I wouldn't be here, in this hellhole where I'm an outcast and where I'm constantly bullied.”

My heart shattered even more. Without thinking twice about it, I moved closer and pulled her into my arms. The hug seemed to trigger her because she broke down and started bawling. My anger intensified as I consoled her. I patted her back slowly.

“I’m sorry, I'm here now. I'll make sure things are better, I'll make sure no one bothers you again.”

My promises sounded hollow to my ears because I was equally a victim as she was. But I was ready to do anything and everything to put a stop to this madness.

Even if it means doing the unthinkable.