Chapter 1 WHO IS CORMAC GRAVES?
MERRIELYNN.
I woke up with a start.
My room was still dark, and my heart raced when I rolled over to check the time on my phone.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
I scrambled out of bed, panic flooding my chest. My alarm hadn’t gone off and I was going to be late for my first day at Pinnthorpe Academy.
The other kids at the foster home I lived in were always finding ways to make my life miserable––and so it was no mystery how this had happened. They all knew I had a big day today, and trust them to make sure it didn’t go as planned.
I bit my lip with worry.
They didn’t have much to do here except mess with me. I hadn’t done anything to deserve their hate, but it had been like this for years. I was the only one who didn’t grow up with them from birth. Apparently I had shown up a few years ago, and they still saw me as an outsider.
This place was a run-down pack with no name, and a weak Alpha who no one respected outside this territory. My home was like a bad joke to the rest of the realm, and everyone who was here was a reject.
It was just that I was the biggest reject of them all, and the one everyone felt justified to pick on.
I had no real memory of my parents, just flashes of faces and voices. My life before this was a blur. But today was supposed to be different. I was finally going to Pinnthorpe Academy, the prestigious school for the rich and elite. I still couldn’t believe I had won the scholarship out of so many applicants. I had applied on a whim, never thinking I’d actually get in. The thought of leaving this place behind and starting fresh at Pinnthorpe was all I’d dreamed about for years.
I rushed around my tiny room, trying to get ready. I had to make a good first impression. I thought about Pinnthorpe’s reputation—its beautiful campus, its history, and how it was a stepping stone to a better future. If I did well there, I could escape this place and build a new life for myself.
But as I was about to put on my uniform, I saw that it was missing. I had laid it out last night, but now it was nowhere to be found. My stomach twisted with dread.
I knew exactly who was behind this; Evelyn and her stupid gang of friends who thought they ran this place. No surprise there, they had been waiting for the chance to ruin my big day.
I wrapped a towel around myself and marched downstairs.
The dining room was a mess of kids running around and making noise. I spotted my white shirt being tossed back and forth between two of the younger kids, while another child was parading around with my shirt draped over his shoulders like a cape.
“Hey!” I snapped, marching over to the kids. “That’s my shirt! Give it back!”
The kids froze, looking at me with wide eyes. I grabbed the shirt from one of them and tried to smooth out the wrinkles. Evelyn was standing in the corner of the room, smirking at the chaos she had caused.
“You think you’re so special, don’t you?” Evelyn sneered as she walked over. “Off to your fancy school while we stay here and make do.”
I shot her a glare. “I’m not here to argue with you. I have a big day ahead, so if you’re done, just leave me alone.”
Evelyn laughed, crossing her arms. “We’ll see how long you last there. You’re just trailer trash playing dress-up.”
Her friends snickered, clearly enjoying the scene. “Yeah, don’t get too used to the fancy clothes. We’ll be waiting for you to fail.”
Their words stung, but I tried to ignore them. I wasn’t going to let them ruin this for me. I held my uniform close, trying to ignore their taunts as I turned to head back to my room.
Evelyn and her friends followed me into the hallway, their voices full of venom. “You think you’re better than us now, huh? You think you’ll be different?”
I tried to keep my cool, but my hands clenched into fists. “I’m just trying to get out of here. I’m not here to compete with you.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes dramatically. “We all know you don’t belong in that fancy school. You’re just an omega freeloader who’ll never be more than what you are.”
Her words were harsh, but then she pretended to remember something. “Oh, and I almost forgot!” She snatched a full cup of hot coffee from the table and poured it over the uniform I was holding. The scalding liquid splashed over my hands and the floor, and I gasped at the burning sensation. “Much better,” she said with a smug smile.
I stood there, stunned, as the coffee soaked into the fabric. My heart sank as I saw the dark stain spreading. I tried to wipe it off, but it was too late. I could already see how this was going to ruin my uniform.
I rushed back to my room, desperately trying to get the stain out. I knew it was a losing battle, but I did my best to make the uniform presentable. I ended up with a wrinkled, barely clean outfit, but I had no choice but to wear it.
I took a deep breath and headed out the door, hoping the damage wasn’t too noticeable.
It felt like hours before the bus pulled up to the school building. I had taken extra time to set an alarm so I could wake up early enough to take the long commute and get to the campus on time.
I wasn’t late, not in any stretch, but I had wished all the drama this morning could have been avoided.
When I got off the bus, the other students’ stares made me feel like a fish out of water. They were dressed in their expensive clothes, their manners polished and perfect. They whispered as I passed by, and I caught the words ‘scholarship’ and ‘newcomer’ in their conversations. It was clear that I wasn’t just new here—I was different, and not in a good way.
My heart raced as I walked through the halls, trying to ignore the whispers and stares. I felt like I was shrinking into myself, my uniform only making me feel more out of place. I was about to give up when I spotted a girl standing by the entrance to the assembly hall.
She was different from the others. She had bright red hair and a friendly smile. She looked at me with genuine curiosity rather than disdain. “Hi there!” she said, waving. “I’m Emorie. You must be the new scholarship student, right?”
I smiled back, feeling a glimmer of hope. “Yes, I’m Merrielynn. It’s nice to meet you.”
Emorie’s eyes lit up. “Let’s stand here and watch the other students arrive. I’ll tell you a bit about the school and the people you’ll meet.”
We stood together, watching as students entered the hall. Emorie’s friendly demeanor was a welcome relief from the coldness I had experienced so far.
As students rolled in through the main door, she stayed true to her words, giving me information about each and every person, although I was ninety percent sure I would forget more than half of them before the day was over.
“So,” she continued, just as a tall boy with tussled brown hair stepped through the doors, “Pinnthorpe has a few important people you should know about. At the top of the hierarchy, we had people like Valtor over there. He’s the Alpha Heir to the Bronxe Wolves pack.”
My gaze caught on an older woman who walked in after him. Her purse swayed by her high-heeled feet as she catwalked, offering smiles and waves to the students she passed.
“Is she a student here?” I asked, unable to help myself. “She doesn’t look like a teenager.”
Emorie blanched as she turned to me, “You don’t know who that is?”
I glanced at the woman once again, coming up blank. “Am I supposed to?”
“That’s Elizabeth Steinfeld. She’s a senior staff here. But—” She shot me a look, “She’s also King Killian’s very public girlfriend.”
My eyes widened, “King Killian as in, The Lycan King? The most powerful man in the realm King Killian?”
Her head bounced up and down swiftly on an energetic nod, “Exactly.”
My brows furrowed, “But isn’t King Killian supposed to be married?”
My knowledge on the royal family and all things that existed outside the borders of my pack were always just things I’d overheard all the other foster kids talking about from time to time.
“He is.” She said, “But I doubt the Queen really cares. They’ve been going at it for over a year now. Morning Miss Elizabeth.” Emorie greeted as the woman passed us by.
Miss Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder gently, responding with a warm smile, “Welcome back, Emorie.”
‘She’s hot!’ I mouthed, under my breath once she was gone.
“That’s probably why King Killian wants everyone to know she’s taken.” She glanced to the side, “Ou, look who just came in.”
I turned around to find a beautiful redhead walk in through the doors. There was a regal air about her, and Emorie leaned in to whisper, “Transfixed? No kidding. That’s Juniper Pierce. She’s an Alpha Princess, from the Pierce Wolves pack.”
“Oh?” I nodded, watching as she strutted to a corner of girls and guys Emorie had introduced earlier, Valtor being one of them.
“Their little posey sucks.” Emorie sneered, “But she’s just ugh! I can’t stand her. She always walks around thinking she’s better than everyone. As far as I’m concerned, she only stays relevant because she kept breaking up and getting back together with Chaos. They’re the most toxic couple I have ever laid eyes on, if you can even call them that.”
I turned to her, “Chaos?”
It was such an odd name.
“Yeah,” She dragged out the word with a sidelong glance, “About him. I was gonna save the worst for last since he hasn’t even gotten here. But I’m talking about Cormac Graves. He goes here you know.”
Cormac Graves.
There was something about that name… but I just couldn’t put my finger on it at the moment. “Who is Cormac Graves?”
Emorie glanced at me, “Okay now you’re starting to scare me. You really know nothing about our world, did you? Cormac Graves? As in Prince Cormac Graves?”
“So he’s a prince?”
“Not just any prince.” She corrected, “He’s the Lycan prince of the realm. King Killian’s son.”
Oh!
“Yeah,” She said, taking in my expression, “He’s royalty, but we all call him the devil prince, or in other words, Chaos.”
Chaos. I tested the word on my tongue.
“Why Chaos?”
“Because he’s like... the God of destruction.” Emorie waved her hands all over the place, “I don’t even know how to put it, but he’s… intense.”
“Intense?” I asked, “Intense good or intense bad?”
“I’m just gonna advise that you stay away from him. He’s bad news, and he’s powerful, both physically and socially.” She shrugged, “I mean he’s hot, but, I don’t think it’s worth it. He doesn’t play nice, and goddess forbid anyone gets on his bad side. All those Royal heirs are like that, it’s just that he’s the worst.” Emorie hesitated, a hint of unease in her voice. “And Chaos is… different. He’s a bit of a wild card. Powerful, but not easy to predict.”
“Okay, stay away from Chaos. Got it.”
Emorie hummed, stepping closer to my side, “Speaking of the devil…”
But even before the words were fully out of her mouth, I noticed a shift in the entrance way. How almost all the lingering students stiffened or looked away.
But me? It was like I was drawn to the source.
A heady rush filled me, as my head swam. I felt light on my feet, and all I wanted to do was chase the scent that wrapped around me like fine silk.
The hell?
I turned around, and a chill ran through me.
He stood at six feet, towering over most of us, his broad shoulders blocking out the sunlight streaming in through the door behind him.
Something inside of me erupted.
Olive skin trapping the intricate spread of veined muscle on the sliver of his forearm exposed by his rolled up shirt sleeves. My eyes traveled up his chest, over his slackened tie, over his adam’s apple, and right to his face.
Goddess.
He was… beautiful.
There was no other word to describe his angular features, the high points of his cheekbones slanting down towards full pink lips.
Which was such a contrast to the tightness of his jaw.
A curly, disheveled mop of black hair sat atop his head. And thick, trimmed brows slanted over vivid green eyes.
Green eyes that were focused on me.
My heart pounded within my chest as something in me rose with a force I couldn’t shake, my wolf clawing to the surface.
Bum bum. Bum bum. Bum bum.
There was no way.
The mental declaration stole my breath away.
Mate.