"Pffft."
The class burst into laughter after recovering from the initial shock of her question. Disbelief turned to mutters and snickering, whispers slicing through the air like sharp daggers.
Even the teacher glanced at Mira with a pitiful look, the kind that said you couldn't even afford your school fees, and you're asking for a form that costs double that? His silence was louder than words. He didn't answer her question. Instead, he calmly picked up his books and began walking out of the classroom, completely ignoring her as if she hadn't said anything.
But Mira? Mira didn't flinch.
Let them stare. Let them whisper and laugh and mock. She didn't care.
She cleared her throat again.
And just like that, with her voice clear and unwavering, she repeated her question.
The room erupted.
They now believed she was either completely mad or simply foolish. The teacher paused, looking at her with an expression that said at least I tried to help you, then reluctantly turned around to explain.
He began walking them through the process of how to apply. It was an online form—accessible only through your mobile phone. You had to create an account on the Lycanridge portal, fill out your personal data, upload all required credentials and supporting documents, and finally submit it online. Simple. But definitely not cheap.
Mira nodded along and muttered a polite, "Thank you, sir."
The teacher, curious, asked, "So... you really want to apply?"
She replied without hesitation, "Yeah. I do."
A loud cackle tore through the back of the class.
Then a girl's voice followed, thick with sarcasm and cruelty, "Haa! I'm sure you're daft."
The rest of the class erupted again.
"You couldn't afford your school fees—you barely manage to pay each term—and now you want to apply for Lycanridge?! Hah!" she sneered. "The application form alone is double the school fees you struggle to afford. Not to talk of Lycanridge's actual tuition fee."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, then added with a smirk, tapping her chin like she was thinking deeply, "Maybe you can afford it... if your mum agrees to sleep with every man in this town."
The class exploded into full-blown laughter. Even some of the quiet students let out low chuckles.
But Mira?
She just shrugged. Cool. Unbothered. Dangerous.
"If you say so," she said, her voice flat and bored. "We'll see who has the last laugh."
Then she turned back to what she was doing like nothing had happened.
The girl's face twisted. Offended. Humiliated. She began rising from her seat to confront Mira directly, but the teacher, catching on fast, stepped in before things could explode.
He raised a calming hand. "Enough. That's enough."
The class reluctantly settled. The rest of the lesson passed in a dragging blur of whispers and side-eyes, but Mira didn't care. She sat through it all, enduring the boredom until the final bell rang.
And the moment it did, she was the first to leave.
When she arrived home, the house was quiet. Empty. Her mother and brother weren't around.
Good.
She slumped on the couch with a sigh of relief, pulling her phone from her bag. If they'd been home, there was no way she'd be able to do what she was about to do. They would've bombarded her with insults, locked the phone, and made sure she didn't dare apply.
But they weren't here.
And she had a mission.
Her fingers moved quickly, pulling up the online application portal the teacher had described. Step by step, she followed the process. She filled in her name, age, former school, uploaded the documents she had, and scrolled through the form, until—
Payment.
Her finger froze.
The price stared back at her.
Double her current school fees. And more.
No wonder they'd laughed. No wonder they'd mocked. The numbers were painful to look at. This wasn't a form fee—it was a warning to the poor to stay away.
Left to her, she'd never have dreamt of doing this.
But this wasn't about dreams. This was a deal.
She reached into her bag again and pulled out something sleek and sharp.
A black card.
The same black card that man—Dray—had given her. The one who made the deal. The one who promised to cover all expenses related to the application.
"Only what's necessary," he had told her. "Don't push it."
That man... he was cold. Shrewd. Dangerous.
There was something darker behind his smile. Something twisted hiding beneath his offer.
He was using her.
And she knew it.
But he'd regret ever choosing her.
He'd see that she wasn't some weak desperate girl. She'd make him wish he'd picked someone else.
A small smirk curled on her lips as the transaction processed.
Payment successful.
The form unlocked instantly, and Mira could now access the full application.
Her eyes scanned the fields quickly—her name, address, phone number, prior academic records. Then came the last part.
Three reasons why you want to attend Lycanridge Academy.
Mira chuckled.
What if I don't want to attend?
What if I just want to screw over the people who think they're using me?
They told her to apply.
They didn't say she had to get accepted.
And she certainly had no intention of playing along—at least not for them.
Mira began inputting her details, her fingers typing fast, her eyes burning with quiet fury.
They'd regret making this deal with her."Father, I told you—I have this under control," Xavier said in a low, commanding tone, each word wrapped in cold steel. He didn't blink, his intense gaze fixed on his father, Alpha Sam, who sat silently across from him, watching him with those same calculating eyes Xavier had inherited.
"I'm not doubting you," Sam finally replied, voice deep and tight with concern. "But you do understand what this means for us now, right? How much more complicated this just became?"
Xavier didn't answer. He only tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.
"The Alpha heirs are going to be transferred over to the academy," Sam continued, "to intensify the Alpha Rank competition. And…"—his voice dropped a notch—"an application for an additional member is now open."
Xavier's fingers twitched on the armrest of his chair, but his face stayed calm—collected. Dangerous. "So what, Dad?" he said casually, brushing his fingers through his dark hair in that arrogant, effortless way of his. "It's actually better this way. The closer they are, the easier it is for me to keep tabs on them. They weren't threats before. They aren't threats now."
Sam narrowed his eyes. "Uh huh," he murmured. "Then what about the last one I mentioned? They're bringing someone in. And depending on who had that idea... it's either someone strong enough to actually win or someone sent to spy on you. Report directly to the Supreme Alpha. Either way, it's a threat to your claim as Supreme Alpha."
Xavier's eyes flashed with a dark gleam. He leaned forward, voice sharp and low. "Humans, Dad. They're looking for a human to be the new addition. You know what that means."
Sam stayed quiet, listening.
"Whatever plan they think they're cooking up, we'll beat them to it," Xavier said with a low, deadly smirk. "We just have to make sure we choose who gets in first. Someone we can control. Someone we can bend until they break. And thankfully, the spot is open to only humans." He chuckled darkly, his tone twisted with amusement. "And humans? They're the easiest to deceive. The easiest to break."
A long pause stretched between them. Then finally, Sam stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his expression neutral but filled with quiet trust. "I'll leave it all to you, then."
"Yeah," Xavier said, standing and walking away without another word. "I'll handle it."
---
The academy grounds were buzzing with late afternoon activity when Xavier arrived. His pace was smooth, unhurried, like a predator walking through a crowd of prey. Everyone who noticed him stepped aside instantly. No one dared meet his eyes. He moved through the building like a ghost wearing power as his cloak—until he reached the overhead office.
Without knocking, he pushed the door open, stepped in, and sat down behind the desk like it was made for him—which it was.
His fingers moved leisurely over the computer screen as he scrolled through the list of human applications. His expression remained unimpressed. One after another, names and faces flashed past the screen, none of them catching his attention. Each applicant tried too hard—listing glowing qualities, achievements, ambitions.
Useless.
Xavier didn't want ambition. He didn't want strength.
He wanted someone desperate.
Someone weak. Someone who could offer nothing.
Someone who would have no choice but to follow his lead.
His finger paused suddenly.
There.
A new application blinked on the screen.
He clicked it.
A photo loaded slowly—and then she appeared.
Blonde. Pretty. Too pretty. Her name lit up on the screen: Mira Dravell.
His eyes narrowed with interest as he scrolled. Her basic details passed by like wind, but when he got to the "About Me" section and her answer to "Why I Want to Attend Lycanridge Academy"—something changed.
His lips curled slowly into a darker, crueler grin.
The audacity of this girl.
Her answers were raw. Honest. Wounded. They reeked of desperation but also defiance. He could practically smell the struggle in her words, the fractured pride. This was exactly what he was looking for. She had fire, but not the kind that would burn him—the kind that would flicker and die if he stepped on it.
She was perfect.
Just as his finger hovered to click ACCEPT, his werewolf hearing picked up the sound of approaching footsteps and loud chatter echoing down the hallway. He leaned back in the chair, completely unbothered. The door swung open.
Silence.
The group that walked in went deathly quiet the moment they saw who was in the room.
"A–Alpha Xavier?" one of the men stammered, eyes wide, heart racing. The scent of fear filled the air.
Xavier didn't move. He tilted his head slowly and let a dangerous smirk rise on his face. "So you mean… you can be here—but I can't?"
Lucas, the man who spoke, froze. "No—I mean—I was just surprised to see you, that's all. Doing what we were... actually coming to handle."
Xavier turned fully in his chair to face them. His dark gaze cut straight through Lucas like a blade. "No need for that. I'm already handling it."
Lucas hesitated. "Umm, Alpha… we can't let you handle it."
The room froze.
Lucas's words hung in the air like smoke.
Xavier's eyes narrowed. The light in them dimmed until it was nothing but shadows. His voice dropped to a whisper laced with steel.
"So you dare defy my order?"
Lucas swallowed hard.
Shit.
What kind of situation had he just put himself in?
He couldn't disobey Xavier—but he also couldn't disobey the one who sent him.
He looked like he was about to pass out.
"I—I dare not, Alpha," Lucas whispered, head bowed in submission, voice cracking. "It's just... it's an order from above."