School

"School?"

I asked. Already eager to hear. Was I going to be enrolled into college here?

"Of course, that's what an academy means."

Lucas seemed amused. He had seen the eagerness in that single word question and undoubtedly, in my eyes.

"I know."

I berated myself for almost losing it. Behaving like some local girl who had never had opportunity to attend school. Behave yourself, Katherina. I warned myself.

"You seem to like school."

Aaron said.

"Yes, I do love school."

"Well, you'll have your wish granted but don't have your hopes up on having free years within those academic walls. You think high school was brutal, college is worse. Especially here in Stone Shadow pack."

Lucas warned.

"I know first hand about brutality."

I replied.

"Is that so?"

Zach asked.

"Yes."

I noticed the four of them exchange looks. I wondered why and what it was all about. I struggled to stifle a yawn, it was unsuccessful. I was tired and getting sleepy. The day had been rough.

"You must be tired."

Lucas observed.

"Yes. Long day."

"We would have left you alone but it's going to be of no use."

"How do you mean?"

"Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough."

He grinned mischievously. I roamed my gaze on the faces of his brothers. Trenton's remained unchanging. Aaron remained calm but there was this amusement dancing in his eyes, though he was trying not to show it. Zachary was on his phone. None of them were giving away any clue. What was the worst that could happen?

"You said you know first hand about brutality?"

Aaron asked.

"Yes."

I affirmed.

"Were you the bully or the bullied?"

He probed further.

"There's no one without the other."

I did not want to talk about it. It was too painful to remember, especially when the people of Moon Rock began to hate on me and my mother. Treating us with contempt and disrespect. If only they could see us now. The stupid Alpha and his Elders. The woman they had chased out of their pack was now an Alpha's Luna. A pack bigger and better than theirs and the girl they bullied and saw as a nobody was the Alpha's stepdaughter. They would never believe it.

"Hmm."

"I am very certain she was the bullied."

Zach put in. Finally looking up from his phone to give me a scrutinizing once-over.

"Yes, me too. She doesn't look like the kind of person to who would hurt others for fun."

Aaron too agreed, looking at me.

"I agree with you too. Trenton, what do you think? She looks like a bully or the bullied?"

The only change in his expression is the slight raise of his brow.

"She lacks the spine."

He contributed and brought out his own phone and paid attention to it.

I blinked back tears. I would not cry simply because my stepbrothers see me as a spineless wussy. I swallowed embarrassment and as I stood to go to the bathroom to compose myself, I heard Lucas say;

"I think we hit a sensitive spot, guys."

I washed my face. They were my stepbrothers, I still needed to know them. To love them. They did not know me that well. I was going to be the bigger person and just let this one go. They were inconsiderate about my feelings but I was not going to give up just yet. After all, they had come to me. They came to find me in my room. It meant they were curious and wanted to know me in person. And they did not have to be there if they did not want to but they were. They remained still. I went back to the room and sat in my previous position.

"Sorry if we hit a sensitive nerve."

Lucas apologized.

The others said nothing.

"It's okay, Lucas. You guys did not know."

From my peripheral vision, Aaron was just staring at me. I was going to take it one after the other. Lucas was friendly and had accepted me, so I was going to establish something strong between us, then moved to the next brother who seem not too hard. I already knew Trenton was going to be the last on the list.

"Alright. So we are cool?"

"Yes, we're cool."

I mirrored his smile.

"I'm supposed to feel guilty for keeping you out of your bed."

"I'm guessing you're not."

"No. I'm not."

He said proudly.

"You should be ashamed of yourself."

I grinned. I was joking and he knew I was joking. He laughed and only made himself more comfortable.

"Too bad, I'm not."

"Keep it down."

Trenton warned.

"Or what?"

Lucas retorted.

Trenton glared at him. "Shut up."

"You shut up."

Lucas shot back and gave him the middle finger, then he raised the second one and they became two middle fingers.

I was amused at the funny expression Lucas was making. I chuckled.

"What's funny?"

Trenton turned his glare on me.

I froze and quickly sobered up.

"Stop bullying the poor girl, Trenton."

Aaron said.

Without another word, Trenton stood and left the room.

I sighed. Trenton was going to be really hard to crack.

"So what were we saying?"

Lucas turned to me like nothing had happened.

"You being a bed plunderer."

"Your bed is just so comfortable. I could sleep here."

I laughed. My mother would be surprised to see me laughing so freely with someone who was not her. Lucas had this free-spirited, cheerful way about him that seem to make me feel at ease with him, and it was barely an hour we had met.

"So tell me about Stone Shadow pack."

"What is it you want to know?"

"Anything you can tell me. This is going to be my home for the rest of my days, so I'd better start learning."

"Well, it is no news that throughout the region, Stone Shadow pack is the biggest and the most prosperous."

I wondered why I'd never heard of the pack's name before now. Well, I was an introvert so I did pay little to no attention to packs and the politics involved in it.

"Good evening, Your Highnesses."

Melissa had entered and bowed in greeting to the guys. She turned to me and bowed.

"Your presence is requested downstairs, Katherina."

"Katherina?"

Aaron looked surprised.

"I asked her to."

I explained.

"Never fraternize with the maids."

Lucas gave a gentle warning.

"This is why she will always be bullied."

Zach uttered, not looking up from his phone.

I kept mute, not wanting his words to affect me. But I noticed a smirk on Melissa's face at Zach's words. I decided not to call her out. I let it pass. I wanted her to like me, not hate me further.

"What is it, Melissa?"

"It's time for your welcome ritual."

She informed.

"And that is another significant thing you must know about Stone Shadow pack."

Lucas said, that same mischievous grin spread on his face.