Etiquette and Social Dynamics was a class Violet had genuinely been curious about, mostly because she had no clue what it entailed. The title sounded fancy, like something out of a blue-blooded socialite’s handbook.
If she’d had more time—or less chaos dominating her life—she might have taken a moment to look over the curriculum. But considering she’d started school the day after her arrival and had been drowning in drama since, researching class details hadn’t exactly made it onto her priority list.
Violet must have a knack for being late because by the time she pushed open the door and stepped inside, the lesson on manners and social behavior was already in full swing. Violet barely made it two steps into the classroom before she froze, her breath hitching.
Her sudden halt had nothing to do with the teacher, who paused mid-sentence and turned to regard her with a raised brow. No, Violet’s paralysis came from the unexpected sight of him.
Asher Nightshade.
And not just him, all the cardinal alphas were here.
Her stomach plummeted as her eyes darted to the corner of the room, where the four most infamous and powerful students at Lunaris Academy were seated. They exuded an effortless dominance that made the rest of the classroom fade into the background.
Relaxed yet undeniably commanding, their presence alone shifted the energy in the room. Together, all four of them were a wall of charisma, power, and danger, a combination that put everyone on edge, whether they realized it or not.
Her pulse quickened as she realized all four pairs of colored eyes—amber, emerald, electric blue, and smoky gray—had turned their full attention on her. It was like a predator locking onto its prey, and she was standing in the open, vulnerable and unarmed.
Why the hell were they all here? Violet thought, her pulse quickening.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the cardinal alphas rarely occupied the same space unless there was some purpose behind it. They sitting together like some elite council of chaos, was anything but comforting.
They weren’t the best of friends by any stretch, only tolerating each other when it suited their individual agendas. If they were gathered like this, it could only mean trouble. And judging by the way all four of them were focused on her, she had the sinking feeling that trouble might involve her.
"Miss Violet, I assume?" the teacher’s voice broke through her thoughts, snapping Violet back to the present like a slap of icy water.
Violet’s head shot up, her golden eyes meeting the teacher’s eager gaze.
"Yes, ma?" she responded, unsure and already feeling the knots in her stomach tighten.
"Good," the woman said, sounding definitive, if not almost gleeful. "We have been waiting for you for so long, and I’m so glad you’re finally here."
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