The wolf without a howl

Episode 6:A Curious Mistake

Aurelia Vale's POV

By the time I returned to the hostel, the afternoon sun had already begun to set.

My shoulders were sore from Omega training, and my legs felt like lead. Captain Lyra had not been easy on us, and judging from the groans of my fellow Omegas, none of us had been favored in her eyes.

I pushed the door to the hostel room open and dropped my training bag on my bed with a sigh.

The room was surprisingly quiet.

"Maya?" I called out.

There was no answer. I glanced at her side of the room and noted that her training bag was missing, as was the jacket she had tossed over her chair this morning.

She was probably still with her New Blood classmates.

I smiled to myself, relieved.

Good for her.

She had found her pack.

They would train together, laugh together, and, most importantly, survive together.

I wasn't jealous.

At least...

I didn't want to be.

I changed out of my training gear into a pair of black jeans and a gray sweatshirt and splashed some cold water on my face in the mirror.

The girl who stared back at me was tired.

Dark shadows already clung to the corners of my eyes.

Blackthorn was not a place for Omegas.

I blew out a slow breath.

"I need some air."

I couldn't stay in this room, listening to the ghosts of laughter and whispers that still clung to the air.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and slipped it back in as I walked out the door.

The evening air was cool as I walked along the road, my mind wandering.

Groups of students walked in clusters of two or three, chatting as they made their way to the cafeterias, study halls, or sports courts.

It was different from the busy roads near the dormitories, and I found myself wandering down a less-traveled road.

I had no particular place in mind.

The further I walked, the quieter it got.

The laughter and bustle of the academy grew faint, until all that was left were the occasional murmurs of passing students.

Instead of the dormitories, I found myself walking past a row of upscale villas.

They were set well back from the road, their wrought-iron gates hidden behind trimmed hedges and blooming trees.

It was all very pretty, but it hardly seemed like the kind of place for students to live.

I slowed my pace, taking in the scenery.

"I didn't know there were places like this at Blackthorn."

I paused to read the welcome sign hanging on the gate.

Silver Fang Residence

"So they don't all live in the dorms..." I muttered.

Further down the road, another villa was set among the trees.

This one was even more impressive than the last, and I read the sign hanging above the gate.

Iron Fang Residence

I blinked.

"So that's how it is..."

No wonder the students were so obsessed with them.

Even their homes were an extension of their status.

My curiosity got the best of me, and I walked on.

The road grew even quieter as I neared the end of the street.

It was almost peaceful.

At the very end, a particularly large villa loomed over the landscape.

It was even more impressive than the others, its large windows catching the light of the setting sun.

Fountains decorated the front lawn, and black luxury cars were parked along the street.

It hardly looked like the home of a student.

Another plaque was mounted on the gate this time.

President's Villa

I halted in my tracks.

"So..." I murmured.

"This is where he lives."

Xavi Blackwood.

The strongest student at Blackthorn.

The President.

The boy whose name struck fear in the hearts of all who heard it.

For some reason, my heart pounded in my chest at the thought.

I had only ever seen him from afar, and even then, he seemed untouchable.

I glanced around the street, my breath catching in my throat.

There were no guards, no students, no teachers.

I should leave.

I should turn around and walk back to the hostel, pretending I had never strayed this far from the dormitories.

Instead, I found myself walking forward.

"It's just one look," I told myself.

"I'll leave as soon as I see him."

The gate was slightly ajar, and I slipped inside the grounds.

The garden was beautiful, with trimmed grass and blooming white roses.

I walked until I reached the side of the villa, where one of the large windows overlooked a sitting room.

The curtains were not drawn all the way, and I hesitated before peeking inside.

At first, I saw nothing but the room itself.

Then I saw him.

A young man stood at the center of the room, his back to the window.

He had just finished showering, judging by the dampness of his hair and the towel wrapped around his neck.

His shirt was still off, revealing broad shoulders and a muscular frame.

Scars littered his back in random places, none of them particularly noticeable.

For a moment, I stared.

"So that's..."

My heart raced as I took in the sight before me.

Heat prickled at my cheeks.

"Oh my God..."

What was I doing?

I immediately dropped down to my knees, my heart pounding in my ears.

"This is so embarrassing..." I groaned.

Without another thought, I jumped down from the ledge and landed on the ground with a soft thud.

I winced as my knees protested the sudden movement and ran off, not looking back.

By the time I reached the main road, I was out of breath.

I bent over, pressing my hands against my knees.

"What is wrong with me?" I groaned.

"I actually snuck a peek at the President's villa."

If Maya ever found out...

She would never let me live it down.

---Back at the hostel, Maya had returned.

"There you are!" she said. "Where were you?"

"Oh... nowhere."

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"That's not very convincing."

"I went for a walk."

She shrugged.

"Okay then."

Thankfully, she didn't press me for any details.

After dinner, we talked for a while before getting ready for bed.

The lights were off, and the room was quiet.

I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling.

Sleep would not come, however.

Every time my eyes grew heavy, I would see those broad shoulders and the faint scars littering his back.

I groaned in frustration, burying my face in my pillow.

"What am I thinking about?"

I muttered to myself.

"I don't even know him."

I turned onto my side.

"This academy is making me crazy."

Eventually, sleep came, and I drifted off, my dreams filled with the image of a certain President.

---Xavi Blackwood's POV

The hot shower washed away the sweat from my body, but it did little to relax my tense muscles.

Training had been a disappointment today.

I hadn't been able to last more than twenty minutes against any of the Highborn students.

I growled in frustration as I stepped out of the shower, my damp hair tied back as I walked to the chair by the window.

I picked up the report one of my Highborn had left on the table for me.

As I opened it, my eyes caught sight of something moving in the corner of my vision.

I frowned and looked up, not at the window, but at the large mirror on the opposite side of the room.

It showed the garden outside, and I saw someone crouched down behind the window.

I didn't move, not yet.

The figure slowly raised their head until only their eyes and forehead were visible.

They were peeping inside the house!

My lips twitched into a smirk.

Curious little Omega.

A few seconds later, I recognized the girl.

The Omega from the dining hall.

She stared for a few more seconds before her face paled, and she vanished as quickly as she had come.

It was almost amusing.

I heard the dull thud of her jumping down from the ledge and the sound of her footsteps running away.

It wasn't until the sound had completely died away that I got up from the chair.

I chuckled to myself, sha

king my head.

"That little curious Omega."

I picked up the report from the table as I walked back to the window, pretending I hadn't seen anything.

Whatever she was, she was already gone.

And I had more important things to worry about than some curious first-year Omega.