Page 55 of The Moonborn's Curse

"I have to leave for a little while, princess. I'll be back before you know it."

She nodded. Her eyes remained dry. Just.

She knew he would.

But by then, who knew what she would have become?

The moment Draken stepped onto the school grounds, the entire staff and student body seemed to shrink in submission. His aura seemed to push them to submit. Strangely, Seren was not affected. Maybe it did not work on non-shifters.

Teachers bowed their heads. Students parted like the great sea, keeping their distance. There was no question of who ruled this place.

Seren felt their gazes on her as Draken led her down the halls, his stride unapologetically dominant, his presence a silent warning to everyone present.

When they reached the classroom, he stopped just outside the door.

He sighed and hunched down.

"Seren, things will get better. We are here for you. Just give it time."

Seren nodded her head.

Draken sighed again "Hagan...Hagan will come around. He ...We should have prepared him better. Give him a chance"

Seren looked at him with her unnerving silver eyes, "Okay."

Draken smiled gently, "A warrior will be at the gate to take you home, alright"

Seren nodded again.

The teacher came out of the class and Draken introduced her.

Then he turned and left.

Inside, Hagan sat near the window.

He looked at her once—briefly—when the teacher introduced her and then looked away, uninterested.

The other faces were not as indifferent.

Dain. Lia. Veyr.

They were there too, along with a handful of other students.

And while none of them spoke, their thoughts slithered through her mind, like whispers in the dark.

She doesn't belong here.

What is she?

Not even a wolf.

Ugly.

Only Veyr was silent, his expression stoic, unreadable.

But the rest of them—

The rest of them ... their thoughts drifted to her like the sting of a scorpion's tail.

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