"Did you see him? Oh my gosh, he looks like some kind of Greek god!" Ava squealed, clutching her face dramatically.
Skylar leaned closer. "Hazel, why was he staring at you like that? Don't tell me it's love at first sight!"
"Why didn't he look my way? I'm pretty too!" Ava pouted.
Hazel blinked, glancing between her friends, her thoughts still tangled in confusion—the way the new guy had stared at her... or had he been looking at the seat behind her instead?
She was probably overthinking it. Why would he stare at her—they don't know each other.
Hazel let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Hazel, why don't you ask for his number? He totally seems into you!" Skylar urged.
Hazel frowned. "I can't do that," she muttered. "I don't think he's into me."
Ava and Skylar's brows shot up the instant Samantha and her troop swept into the classroom like they owned the place.
Samantha's eyes met Hazel's for a fleeting moment before she turned toward the new student's desk.
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Samantha. And you are?" She asked, her voice soft yet confident.
"Xavier" he muttered, his voice low and distant.
Samantha's lips curved. "Such a nice name for someone this cute," she cooed. "Would you like me to lend you some notes?"
Xavier's eyes met hers, emotionless. "If you wish," he said simply.
Samantha's lips curved into a satisfied smile. With a flick of her wrist, she snatched her bag from june, pulled out three books and placed them neatly on his desk.
"When you're done with these, feel free to ask me and I'll bring more," she said sweetly, then turned on her heel and walked off with her troops trailing behind, leaving a faint trace of perfume in the air.
The classroom buzzed with applause, most students clapping enthusiastically.
"Wow, talk about an easy way to win a guy over!" one girl said, and the others burst into giggles.
"Honestly, who wouldn't fall for Samantha? She's stunning!" another added, her tone dripping with pride.
"What a shameless bitch!" Skylar hissed through clenched teeth.
"Samantha keeps stealing all the cute guys in this school! " Ava whined, letting out a dramatic sob.
"Tell me about it," Skylar said, rolling her eyes. "And did you hear? Mrs. Quinn actually addressed that whole party incident. She made Samantha confessed that she was the one who hosted it. After that, Mrs. Quinn just packed up and left—and she never came back to Wexford college. Now we have a new principal!" Skylar jumped in.
"This one's nice, but super strict, " Ava said, lowering her voice like it was a secret. "She doesn't let anyone roam around the school at night."
"Yeah," Skylar muttered, nodding. "The management's serious about it too. I heard the school owner gave them orders—once it's curfew, no one leaves their dorms."
"If you get caught roaming around after curfew, you'll be punished!" Ava hissed, her tone a mix of fear and excitement.
"That's... strange," Hazel murmured, frowning slightly. "But what changed? Why the sudden rules?"
Skylar leaned closer, glancing around before lowering her voice. "A student was found dead one night. They said it was... an animal attack "
Hazel froze—her heart gave a frightened thump. "What? An... animal attack?" she whispered.
******
••LIBRARY••
Hazel stood up and walked toward the bookshelf, slipping the book she'd been reading back into place.
Even after leaving the classroom, she couldn't stop thinking about what Ava and Skylar had told her about the animal attack. The thought lingered in her mind. To distract herself, she decided to come to the library and read for a while.
"Hi."
Startled by the soft voice, Hazel turned around and saw a girl she didn't recognize. She had long fizzy-red hair that framed her fair face.
"H—Hi," Hazel muttered, caught off guard.
"I'm Reese, " the girl said warmly. "I just thought I'd say hello. I noticed you earlier—it kind of looked like you were staring at the pages instead of actually reading."
Hazel smiled, a little embarrassed.
"Yeah... I guess my mind's somewhere else."
Reese chuckled softly. "It's okay. Um, can I borrow the book you were reading? I've been looking for something new to read."
"Sure," Hazel said, handing her the book.
"Thanks! See you around," Reese said cheerfully, waving before she walked away.
Hazel watched her go, wondering why the girl's sudden friendliness felt so unexpected.
She walked out of the library and headed toward her dorm. As she turned a corner, she saw Xavier—the new guy—walking past her. A moment later, something fell from his hand.
It was his pen.
"Uh—hello? Hello! Xavier!" Hazel called out, her voice slightly shaky.
He turned slowly, his cold gaze meeting hers. Hazel froze, her throat tightening.
"I... you dropped your pen," she mumbled nervously, holding it out to him.
Xavier started toward her, each step measured and deliberate. Hazel's eyes widened, and she instinctively took a step back.
He stopped right in front of her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he just stared at her, his gaze piercing—then wordlessly, he took the pen from her trembling hand.
With a quiet sigh, he stepped back and rubbed his forehead, looking tired.
"Why are you scared of me...?" he muttered, his tone low—not really a question, more like a statement.
Before Hazel could answer, he turned and walked away.
She stood there, staring at his retreating figure, her heart pounding violently in her chest.
Why wouldn't she be scared of him when he always acted like that!
Besides, how did he know that she was scared?
******
••VAELMONT MANSION••
Reese burst into the mansion, tossing the bag carelessly onto the couch.
"Welcome, young miss—"
"Where's Brother Vladimir?" Reese cut the maid off, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"The young master is currently in his study," The maid replied politely, picking up the bag Reese had thrown and carrying it upstairs.
Reese grinned and hurried up the grand staircase toward Vladimir's study. Without knocking, she pushed the door open and strode inside.
Vladimir sat on an armchair, a book in his hand. His cold gaze flickered up from the page to meet hers.
"Brother Vladimir! You didn't tell me you were the one who fired Mrs. Quinn!" Reese pouted. "Anyway, guess what? I scored a hundred in my math exam!"
Vladimir sighed softly and set his book down on the table. "I'm a little busy right now," he said lazily, "but what do you want?"
Reese's eyes lit up. "Let's go out, I want an ice cream! " She said sweetly.
"Okay," Vladimir replied with a small nod, standing up and straightening his suit jacket.
******
A black car screeched to a halt in front of the ice cream shop.
Vladimir stepped out first, leaning lazily against the sleek vehicle as Reese climbed out beside him.
"Go in and pick whatever flavour you want," he said in his usual lazy tone.
"Okay!" Reese chirped, dashing into the shop with a wide smile.
Vladimir lifted his gaze to the sky. The clouds were heavy and dark—a storm was brewing. His thoughts drifted far from the street.
Hazel Morgan.
He wondered how his little bunny was doing. Ever since that night he set his eyes on her, he hadn't been able to think straight. She was like his muse, he wanted to keep her close, hidden from the world, far from the eyes of other men.
With that thought, Vladimir sighed and ran his fingers through his messy black hair.
"Young master—"
"When she's done, take her home safely," Vladimir said, cutting Kael off coldly.
Before Kael could reply, Vladimir had already vanished into the shadows.
Kael stood there, eyes flickering with surprise as he watched his master disappear into the night.
******
••WEXFORD COLLEGE••
Hazel lay fast asleep in her bed, lost deep in dreamland.
She saw him—Vladimir Vaelmont. He stood near the window, the moonlight casting a soft glow around him. When he noticed her, he turned slowly, his dark eyes meeting hers.
"You always appear when I'm thinking about you," He muttered, his voice low and smooth. His gaze softened for a moment before it darkened.
He took slow, deliberate steps toward her until the distance between them vanished. His arm slipped around her waist— possessively, drawing her close. She felt his breath near her neck, warm and steady, before his lips brushed lightly against her skin.
Hazel gasped softly
She felt her body heat up instantly, her heart fluttering widely—not from fear this time but from something strange and different.
Desire. Longing. A strange dangerous pull she couldn't fight.
He separated her legs, caressing her thighs—his hands going deeper until he touched the waistline of her pantie. He shifted her pantie aside and slipped a finger into her wet core.
"Ah—!" Hazel gasped softly as she held on to his arm as though her life depended on it.
Vladimir's lips hovered near her skin, his breath brushing against her neck before he whispered, "Mine,"
A sharp sting followed—pain mingled with pleasure—as his fangs sank gently into her flesh.
"Ah—!" Hazel gasped awake, drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded widely, the room felt so hot and her skin still burned as if his touch lingered.
She turned toward the window which she had closed before falling asleep, now stood open.
And there, in the pale moonlight, a figure stood watching her.
"S—Sir Vladimir...?" she whispered.