Chapter 232
WILLA
Life here wasn't what I had expected, I thought as I shuffled my way to the welcome assembly with a lot of other new students.
The old students were already there, talking amongst themselves in groups of two or three. Finally, we stopped in front of a raised section.
With nothing to do and no one to talk to, I looked around. The welcome assembly was being held in a clearing in the woods, close to the first tree ever planted in Worchmount.
I had seen pictures of it in my handbook, but no pictures could describe how tall it was, tall enough that it seemed to shoot through the blue skies. Or how wide and broad the branches were.
As we waited for the welcome speech to start, the new students mixed with the old, but you would still know who the newbies were with the way they gawked at everything.
The sudden feedback of a microphone had me hissing and pressing my fingers over my ears. Abruptly, it stopped.
The buzz of conversation died down as a woman in a smart pantsuit tapped the microphone and said, "Students of Worchmount, welcome. I give you, your Vice Chancellor."
There was a smattering of applause as a man detached himself from a group of other important-looking men, which included Dean Freeman.
The vice chancellor took the stage and beamed at the students. He raised one hand, and the clapping stopped immediately.
"New students of Worchmount," he said. "It is a pleasure to welcome you to this prestigious university. Here, we maintain very high standards. Here each of our students is expected to put in the work, to uphold the good name of the school..."
He went on and on. I wondered if he was going to talk about the so-called 'ranking system'. He didn't. All around me I could see it at work.
A bunch of students who were clearly Omegas and maybe some who were werewolves like me were standing clustered together. Though they were definitely students of Worchmount, they looked completely out of place.
Some of the other students kept shooting them dirty looks like they didn't belong.
I felt my shoulders sag a little more as I thought that this was probably what my life was going to be once everyone got to know that I was just a werewolf.
I heaved a sigh and flinched a little when I heard more applause. I clapped along with the rest.
The chancellor continued his speech: "We have state-of-the-art learning facilities, the very best teachers in every field of study, and of course, you, our esteemed students. Every one of you is special and important because, as you know, the student selection system here is very strict."
"Damn right," a boy said to his friend, and I picked up. "My sister's been trying to get in for three years now. I couldn't believe it myself when I got the admission letter." He added proudly. "First ever in my pack to go to Worchmount."
The Vice Chancellor continued as I returned my focus to him, "... study seriously. And now, I'm sure you young ones are already getting bored listening to an old guy like me drone on and on." There was good-humored laughter at this. "So join me in welcoming the Lycan Prince Lucian Drayton as he comes to address you all."
I had been zoning out ago, but my interest perked up when I noticed the stir Lucian Drayton's name caused. A lot of the students were actually standing on tiptoes, craning their necks to get a better view.
The boy I assumed to be Lucian Drayton, who was half a head taller than almost everyone else, stepped forward. Another guy suddenly moved in front of me, blocking my view of him.
"Excuse me. Excuse me," I said and fought my way a little to the front.
When I could see the small platform again, Lucian Drayton was already climbing it with the confidence of one who had done that sort of thing many times before.
I got my first glimpse of his face, and it felt like I had been punched in the gut. Everything—the murmurs of voices, the cheers, the clapping-—all faded away.
In that moment, there was only me and this stranger. My wolf stirred. I felt the word 'mate' slipping past my lips, and I bit down on my tongue to keep the word in.
Lucian's steps faltered just before he climbed the last step on the stage. He raised his head, and his wide brown eyes scanned the crowd, locking on mine. For a moment, he just stared, his gaze on me.
The applause died down. The murmurs and whispers started. Beside Lucian, the chancellor cleared his throat. He looked at Lucian, wondering why he wasn't saying anything.
He actually started reaching for him when Lucian blinked, looked away, and adjusted the microphone. The moment passed, but it didn't pass for me.
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