The next morning, the air was thick with the sounds of students preparing for class.
Theodora had woken up first thing in the morning, making sure she had lain with her face looking the other way the whole time. She had gone through the items Eric had packed for her in the luggage and was choosing something suitable to wear for her first day of class.
She glanced at the Coat she was given at the Commandant's Office, and according to the schedule, which was more like a student handbook, the coat was to be worn on Mondays and Thursdays.
Today was Monday.
She had already worn a change of shirt in the bathroom and was half focused on Eric who was moving around the room with careless ease, when she felt that prickling sensation in her back.
Finn was watching her again.
He's been watching her since they woke up. He never stared long enough for Eric to notice, but his eyes would slide over her with an aura of possessiveness in them. And whenever she and Eric shared a word or glance, his head would tilt slightly and his jaw would tighten as though fighting the urge to interrupt.
Eric was oblivious to this. Theodora simply kept pretending she didn't know what was going on.
"Are we ready?" Eric asked, sliding in his second boot.
"Yeah," Theo replied and threw on her coat.
"What class do you have after the general assembly?" Eric asked her.
She saw the corners of Finn's lips twitch, and ignored him, "Sparring and Combat training," She replied.
"Ohhhh," Eric seemed excited, "It's gonna be bloody. I wonder whose nose you're gonna bash in,"
Just then, the bell tolled seven, the clangs echoing through every corridor of the school. Sea of boys, dressed in black and silver coats trooped down, heading toward the main hall.
The three boys fell into the sea, with Eric and Theodore wearing silver coats while Finn had a dark coat.
The Grand assembly hall was cathedral-like with arched ceilings and banners of wolf sigils fluttering along the walls, and at the far end a massive obsidian podium where the professors stood like carved statues.
She felt the weight of their power in the air. Each professor radiated Alpha authority, their eyes scanning the crowd like hawks about to pick apart prey.
Then there was him.
The blue-eyed professor.
He was standing right next to the Commandant with both hands clasped to his back. His eyes scanned the crowd quickly, raking through every living thing standing there in straight lines as though he could see right through them, or probably trying to freeze them solid with the cold in his eyes.
Then, they found her...and stopped.
Theo's breath hitched, and she looked away instantly with the pretence of adjusting something on her sleeve.
When she peeked back, he was looking somewhere else.
"Who's that?" She asked Eric who stood in front of her, "The teacher standing next to the Commandant in glasses,"
"That's Sylas Veylor. He's the second in command of this school, and rumour has it he wields even more power and authority than the Commandant himself," Eric whispered in a hushed tone, "Careful. Do not look at him directly in his eyes,"
'Too late' she thought.
General Draegor stepped forward, tall and composed with that hardened jaw and face that were thoroughly scarred. When he spoke, it was as if thunder had struck, "Wolves of Gravemont. Remember why you are here. To sharpen your fangs. To bleed so you may learn. This academy is not for the weak. Each of you is being forged to command, to lead, to conquer. Fail to rise, and you will be crushed. By your rivals… or by yourselves!"
The hall responded in unison, "Strength above all!"
When the assembly ended, students began leaving the hall for their various classes.
Theodore walked next to Eric and Finn as the two boys chatted away about something. She listened to them ramble about drills, but her softened gaze was mostly on Eric's face and lips as she spoke.
She almost forgot herself, until she got too close and inhaled the sharp scent that tried to burn her senses to a crisp.
Hezekiah.
He seemed to have appeared from behind the door, about to step into the Grand hall, at the same time they were about to leave. He had caught her staring at Eric a little too fondly, and his gaze sharpened at that.
The three of them looked up at him. He was taller than they were, and his dark hair fell into his eyes, and tattoos peeked out of his neck. She could see that he also had a lot of piercings in his ears, with tiny golden earrings glistening in the light. And the way his black coat danced behind him curled his demeanour even more.
"Out of my way," Eric stated.
"You first," Zeke retorted, and the corridor seemed to shrink as both men stared at each other.
Eric squared his shoulders, trying to look taller, "Don't test me,"
Zeke tilted his head slowly and deliberately with a slight smirk, "Why test a coward?!"
Eric's fists curled at his sides, "At least I'm not rotting inside,"
Those words must have burned because the smirk faded and his eyes turned into something colder, burning like coal. For a moment, Theodore thought Zeke was about to pounce on Eric and was ready to intercept.
Then, Zeke stepped forward, close enough that his shoulders brushed over Eric's in a form of intimidation, "Not rotting, Little brother, just burning. Something you've never had the guts to do!"
Theodore paused. Little... brother? Did she hear that right or were her ears now deceiving her?!
With that, he moved forward, bumping his shoulders into both of them and walking away. Theodora wasn't bothered by that, she was still perplexed at what she had just heard.
Then, she turned to look at an angry Eric.
His dark eyes, which were somewhat similar to Zeke's.
Their hard cut jawlines and the way both of them squared their shoulders as though they were bred from the same bloodline.
Theodore's jaw almost dropped. Zeke was really Eric's Older brother? It was...as unbelievable as it seemed to be believable. And the fact that Eric didn't say anything and neither did Finn, confirmed the truth.
All this time, she's been thinking Eric was the only son and the heir of his father's Bloodline.
She glanced back to look at Zeke warily, only to see that he had already stopped a few feet away and was staring back at her. There were questions in his eyes, something she couldn't comprehend.
Then, something seemed to click into place and the corners of his lips tugged into a dangerous smirk, right before a wave of intense heat burned down her veins.
'Why is he staring at you like that?' Seraphina asked.
'No idea,' Her voice was shaky, 'But I think I should heed to Eric's advice and ask for a room change'