Fated To The Lycan Brothers
Chapter 25

Suri Nightingale

I swear that there has got to be somebody out there controling my life and if they are, they're having a pretty damn good f*****g laugh right about now.

How is it possible that out of the hundreds of students in this academy that my assigned student guide was freaking Stefanie Lancaster? The one girl I was trying my best to avoid.

First it was seeing her after her sexual endeavors with Wes, then it was dropping my ice cream on her, and now this? Whoever is out there watching me suffer, you are one sadistic little shit. "Uh-huh, I'm a part of the Lancaster legacy." She adds to her introduction and I blink at her, confused.

Does she expect me to know what she's talking about? I made a mental note to add her to my list of people I will meet and have to research afterwards.

For what it's worth, Stefanie doesn't seem to recall who I am. Either that or she was just a very good actress playing the good school girl part. Maybe after class she'll pull me to the back of the school and beat me up with her posse. I wouldn't be surprised, but at the same time I doubt she would go through all that to pick a fight with the new girl.

Her manicured gel nails and perfectly applied makeup tells me that she's not a 'one on one' kind of girl.

Her uniform is also impeccably neat. Instead of the same pastel purple color as mine though, she's wearing the pastel pink version. Everything about her screams money. So much so that I feel like a butler would pop out from behind her to roll out a red carpet when she starts walking.

And though it doesn't happen when we do start walking, her movements were so poised that it already looks like she's strutting a runway. Every step she took, her white gem encrusted platform Mary Jane heels click and clack on the floors of the academy. I trail closely beside her as we walk and she talks.

"Freshmen wing. Classroom, classroom, comfort room. Lab room. More classrooms." She exclaims as her french tip nails point at various doors while we walk down the hall.

The entire academy feels like a mix of a hotel and a mall with an overall biophilic design, nature coming together as one with modern technology.

Stefanie doesn't seem very enthusiastic about this whole tour, but I don't blame her. In fact, I'm just waiting for this to be over. I would have been fine with just a map of the academy and I would explore on my own, but I guess Headmistress Sunshine wanted to show the Thorne Academy hospitality - the one Atlas deprived me of earlier.

When we reach the sophomore's wing, I then replace out that Stefanie really was just acting earlier. She knew who I was. At least, for the most part.

"Club room, specifically journalism. You might spend some time here if you choose that club. You seem nosy enough." She comments with a slight snicker that I caught instantly.

I thought she'd stop and turn to look at me, but she just keeps going. I don't know if I'm supposed to acknowledge her comment or to let it go, somehow pretend I didn't hear it.

I opted to just stay quiet, not wanting to dig myself a deeper hole with the Queen of Diamonds.

We finally made it to the senior wing, which is filled with more students compared to the other wings, probably because, as the headmistress said, the first period was only Study Hall. It seems seniors have the privilege of having more freedom with their time. "Your locker," Stefanie says before she slammed it shut, creating a loud and uncomfortable sound that made others in the hallway turn to us.

What the hell is her problem?

"If I were you, I'd make sure to always keep this locked." She warns me. "You don't know what these other students are capable of." She adds with an eerie whisper.

If I didn't know any better, I would think she was referring to herself and her posse.

I gulped nervously, but made sure not to let her see that I was affected by her. God knows how much that would feed into her ego.

"Anyways," she flips her long blonde hair over her shoulder before turning away and continuing to walk along the hallway.

A bunch of students see her and ecstatically greet her with a wide smile. There's an obvious adoration in their eyes, whether they be male or female. And if I'm not mistaken, there was also some fear as well.

Obviously, she was the Queen Bee, so it was a given that wherever she went, she'd get a lot of looks. I on the other hand was getting looked at which was not pleasant for me at all.

Mostly because their looks were clearly far from admiration, but more on judgment. They knew I didn't belong here. Damn it.

Thankfully, we made it to the outside where there seemed to be no other students, so that meant no prying eyes.

We started walking down a cobble-stone path lined with the most beautiful pink-colored trees on each side and stopped in front of another glass building that resembles Keith's pool lounge, only this time it's much bigger. Like... twenty times bigger. I can see the reflection coming from the pool and it looks like a mini island inside with all the indoor plants towering around the area.

"That's where senior physical education takes place. Swimming for now. Most girls have been waiting for this moment since freshman year." She says and I turn to her confused.

"Why?" I asked her, and I realized that's the first thing that's come out of my mouth since we started the tour like half an hour ago.

Her blue eyes fixated on my face. She seems to be sizing me up or trying to figure out if I genuinely didn't know what I apparently should know.

"Topless men, duh. Specifically the Wolfe brothers."

I choked on air when she mentioned their name. Of course everyone would be crazed hormonal teenagers over the brothers.

I mean, I'm not going to lie. I too was mesmerized by them at first. Specifically with Atlas when I first saw him at the pool, but when I had the chance to talk to them? Yeah, I realized how much of an asshole they were-save for Devon-and I instantly lost all forms of admiration. (At least that's what I tell myself.)

Stefanie turned to me with a raised brow, probably confused by my absurd reaction and I quickly realized I shouldn't have acted so... obvious, because now I've caught her curiosity.

"So..." She says with a small smirk, equals parts out of intrigue and criticism. "It seems you're not a big fan of the brothers then?"

I shrugged my shoulders, wanting to seem as unbothered as possible. "I don't see the big deal."

(That was a lie.)

I see it perfectly like a person with 20/20 vision. I see it in their gorgeous eyes, their chiseled bodies, and their even more sculpted to perfection faces. Those boys were created as if they were meant to be praised and admired the second they step outside into the public. Too bad you can't say the same about their attitude.

But then again, if the students of Thorne Academy were so 'in love' with these boys, then does that mean they didn't act like a bunch of douchebags with them like they do to me? I guess that would explain a lot...

Stefanie lets out an amused chuckle. "Clearly, you're in the zero point five percent of people who think that way about the brothers."

She takes a step forward and because she's wearing absurdly high heels, she uses this to her advantage as she looks down at me like I'm merely a tiny ant and she's queen of the jungle, which is technically, a lot like in this situation right now.

"I'll only say this to you once and I really think you should take it seriously, but here in Thorne, you need to know one crucial thing."

I assume she's about to tell me about Atlas being the King or some s**t like that and in that case, I could barely give a crap. I didn't think she'd bother to inform me of it though so I guess I could give her a few points for that.

It's almost as if she wants to look out for me.

"This academy is a jungle, and the Wolfe brothers? Yeah, just think of them as actual wolves. They rule this entire school. It doesn't matter where you come from or who you were in the past. If you're a student here, they already own you." "Nobody owns me," I corrected her.

She shakes her head. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

I scoffed at her, disappointed that someone like her was actually just a little sheep that was terrified of wolves like Atlas and Wes. I would think that with her confidence and whatnot she would actually be able to stand up to boys like them, but I was wrong. They were all the same s**k ups and try-hards.

"I think we can both agree that this tour is pretty much over now." I let Stefanie know-with obvious disapproval in my voice-that I wasn't going to let myself be dragged by her absurd beliefs and claims.

She may be a queen or some s**t, but I'm starting to think it was a good thing I spilled that ice cream on her the first time.

What followed was an intense stare-off between the two of us. No words were exchanged as we just looked at each other, our eyes almost shooting daggers and I knew that if it could, Stefanie would lose.

I know because even though she acts all tough and whatnot, deep down inside, she is just another girl that is easily blinded by the Wolfe brothers and that is her first mistake. Her second one is that she thinks she can overpower me. Just because she's rich and influential, it doesn't mean that she's any better.

Frankly, her little show last Friday where she practically begged Wes for sex has her placed low on the pointing scale. I'm not going to let her know that I know about that, though. I'll keep it to myself and maybe in the future it can even be used as blackmail. Stefanie rolls her eyes at me before sighing and crossing her arms. "You should know one last thing."

I look at her emotionless, impatiently waiting for her to finish.

"The only reason you're not halfway to your funeral right now is because the brothers haven't given you the rogue status... yet."

I gave her a raised brow. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"What? Don't they tell you what 'rogue' means in public schools?" She sneered at me.

I clenched my fists in order to stop myself from pulling her hair out. "I know what rogue means. I'm asking, what's that got to do with the brothers and me?"

A smirk touches her lips. "Once the brothers deem you a rogue, you'll be a nobody. A reject. An outcast."

The word 'outcast' sends shivers down my spine and my clenched fist was so tight, I think I pierced through my skin with my nails.

"Or worse..." Stefanie leans closer, her eyes looking at me menacingly. "You'll become everybody's enemy."

I chuckled at the absurdity, but mostly to mask the uncomfortability I felt at her words. I don't know if she's serious, but what I do know is that I was bigger than all of this. Whatever bullshit they're on about, I don't care. I shouldn't care.

Once I graduate and get my diploma, I'm out of here in a heartbeat. Maybe after that I'll get into an Ivy League college, but my main goal is to get a job doing whatever is the highest paid work there is that won't make me want to s ta b myself as I do exactly that until I retire.

Bottom line is, once I'm out of these doors, I plan on never having to see these assholes ever again.

"Ohhhh, I'm so scared. I'm shaking in my boots. Poor new girl is going to feel so left out because she can't join nail spa dates with Stefanie Lancaster and her posse." I mocked.

She got pissed. Greatly.

"You just wait and see, Sunny!"

"It's Suri," I corrected her with a grimace. How the hell did she mistake my name for Sunny?

She rolled her eyes at me again. "Who the hell cares? Seriously. I've known you for like half an hour and it's already way too damn long. Sure you're living with the Wolfe brothers, but that doesn't give you immunity. Atlas might not have chosen what to do with you yet, but I have a very strong feeling he will soon. So if I were you, I'd cherish my last few weeks- no, days of peace."

Those were her last words before flipping her hair-making sure to hit me on the face-and walking away, strutting her expensive heels and pushed up butt until she was no longer in my line of sight.

Jesus... That was tiring.

As I found myself standing under the summer sun with only a small shade from the tree next to me, I realized that this wasn't going to be the last time I will feel like my entire energy has been drained. If anything, it might happen more than I would like. Just then, I heard the school bell ring and I psyched myself up for what was going to be a very, very long first day.