Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 9: The Lord's Mercy

Her assigned guide, Mary, was a tall and elegant blonde with an air of nobility that suggested she'd never had to lift a finger in her entire life. It wasn't surprising though, Lunaris Academy catered to the rich and elite humans after all.

People like Violet were only "privileged" to be here — so she's been reminded every step of the way. Since the moment she entered the campus, opulence surrounded her from the outside down to the inside of the academy grounds, making her feel out of place.

Yet, for someone from such a background, Mary's humility took Violet by surprise. It wasn't great to stereotype, but the rich often fit the mold of being arrogant, entitled, and dismissive. Mary, however, was kind, with a calm, gentle demeanor that, oddly enough, put Violet at ease.

That was saying a lot, given how much Violet trusted no one, especially in this school, where her worst assumptions had already been confirmed. Mary was a refreshing change from the students Violet had encountered so far.

"I don't know what's going on between you and Principal Jameson," Mary began, her tone soft but cautionary, "but trust me, you do not want to make an enemy out of —"

"I'm not scared of Principal Jameson if that's what you're worried about," Violet interrupted, her tone growing serious. "Trust me, I come from a district where the games you play here would feel like child's play."

Mary stopped walking abruptly, forcing Violet to halt as well. Violet saw an ugly sneer twist across the girl's face for the first time, a darkness flickering in her eyes.

"Who said I was talking about the principal?"

She stepped closer, her tall frame nearly towering over Violet. While Violet wasn't short, Mary had almost a head on her.

"It's not Jameson you should be worried about. It's them..."

While Mary didn't elaborate on who "them" referred to, Violet didn't need her to. There was clearly a powerful clique at the academy pulling the strings behind the scenes. Back at her old school, it had been Jasmine and her gang. Here at Lunaris, Violet could already tell Griffin Hale was one of "them," if not their leader. She hadn't missed the trace of fear in Principal Jameson's eyes at the mere mention of his name.

But even that didn't faze Violet. Back in the ghetto, Jasmine and her lackeys nearly had no limits, and Violet had dealt with them just fine. What could a group of spoiled, entitled brats throw at her that she couldn't take?

Violet met Mary's gaze with unwavering confidence. "I. Can. Handle. Them," she enunciated slowly, making sure the message was clear.

For a moment, Mary stared at her in disbelief before breaking into a slow, mocking laugh. "Oh, they're going to enjoy breaking you."

Wait—what? Violet blinked, caught off guard. Suddenly, she wondered if her instincts about trusting Mary was right.

"I've seen girls like you over the years," Mary continued, her tone almost pitying. "That fire in your eyes? It always gets extinguished. There's a hierarchy here, Violet, and until you learn your place, that fire is going to get swallowed whole by the storm."

The air between them thickened with tense silence, the severity of Mary's words lingering ominously. Whatever excitement Violet had for the tour evaporated.

But instead of backing down, Violet lifted her chin defiantly. "Maybe they've broken others but they haven't met me."

Mary shook her head, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thanks for the warning," Violet shot back, rolling her eyes. "Now, can we get this over with? It's getting boring."

Mary gave Violet an incredulous look. Despite all the warnings, nothing seemed to faze her. As a guide for this semester's new students, Mary had seen most of them lower their heads the moment they learned about the school's hierarchy, eager to stay out of sight and avoid trouble.

But Violet? She wasn't like the others. There was no hesitation, no fear in her eyes. Mary could already tell she was going to be trouble. Then again, the alphas would likely deal with her soon enough.

"Fine!" She huffed, momentarily thrown by Violet's unwavering confidence.

As they stepped out of the administrative floor and into the bustling hallway, it became clear that classes were over for the day. Students streamed out of classrooms, and the atmosphere buzzed with the end-of-day rush.

Violet could feel the weight of their stares, sharp and unsettling. It wasn't the curious glance reserved for a new girl, something novel and intriguing to look at. No, these looks were different, hungry, assessing. They watched her like predators sizing up prey, scrutinizing every inch as if they were trying to determine whether she would disrupt the order they were so used to.

But Violet didn't shrink under their gaze. Instead, she glared back with the same fierce intensity, her defiance meeting their scrutiny head-on. One by one, their eyes dropped, having gotten the message.

"Here," Mary said, pressing a heavy satchel into Violet's arms. Violet instinctively grabbed it, her curiosity piqued. She had noticed Mary leave Jameson's office with the bag but hadn't asked about it until now.

"That's your welcome satchel. Go ahead, open it," Mary urged when she caught Violet's questioning look.

eye. There was a

sealed phone

from... less privileged districts," she said, carefully choosing her words. "So, we provide free

distant as Violet eagerly unsealed the phone

hallway, the new phone resting in her palm. Her instincts screamed at her to shout or jump for joy, but the elegance of the academy reminded her that

her smile stretching wide as she admired it. Never in her wildest dreams had

put up to getting into Lunaris Academy, here she was, barely

manual, in case you don't know how

cut her off sharply, feeling a bit insulted. Just because she'd never

lifting her hands in mock surrender. "I was

the phone on. The brand name, AVAX, appeared with a dramatic flourish on the screen,

is customized for the students. I told you, Lunaris Academy doesn't miss a

as much as she didn't want to, the attention to detail was impressive. If the kids back home knew the level of luxury this school offered, they'd do anything to

maps, your schedule, school matches, the syllabus, and, of course, your ranking for the

to find all the things

Mary said, snatching the phone out of Violet's

photo of her without warning, the

let her be. For once, she admitted to herself

fault but one couldn't blame her. She had been independent all through her life

do now is log into the Lunaris Academy app," Mary explained. "The school offers free Wi-Fi, though most of us don't use it. While it's encrypted, some of Lunaris' top students

secrets became the real currency. Violet almost rolled her eyes, exasperated by how easy these

Mary had any idea that her district would kill for something as simple as free Wi-Fi, hacked or not. Even in the old world, the government had never cared about the welfare of the people, and in this new world, it was even worse. Her

she handed the phone back to Violet. Violet's eyes nearly bulged out

Monday

7:00 AM: Breakfast

- 9:30 AM: Werewolf Anthropology

on werewolf traditions, social hierarchy,

11:15 AM: Advanced Human Biology

human anatomy, genetics, and

- 12:30 PM: Physical Training (Compulsory

and endurance

1:30 PM:

PM - 3:00 PM: History of the New World

of post-war human

PM:

on manners, social behavior, and interacting with

- 6:00 PM: Mythology of Hybrid Creatures

of mythological

Dinner, Rest, Study Hour

curriculum. At her

syllabus is packed. But it makes sense when you think about the werewolves in our ranks. They need to stay active, or else chaos

separate school and

had to deal with werewolf-infused courses that hadn't been any of her business before. Sure, her old school had dabbled in some of those

Dynamics' and why is it compulsory?" She scowled, the absurdity of it

conspiratorial glint in her eyes.

Come on, let's head to the infirmary. Now that you've got the map, finding everything else should be a breeze." Mary gently guided her forward

day except weekends," Mary added. "And make sure you're wearing the complete uniform. Principal Jameson loves using that to

and Roman hadn't been fully dressed

trust me, Lunaris has its perks. You'll love it

shot her a look, not judging, but definitely