Moonlit Waltz

Chapter 7 - Ria's Despair

The plane flew smoothly over the endless sea of clouds. Ria and Angelina sat comfortably in the first-class cabin, enjoying the excellent service provided by the stewardesses. They were the two most important people in Nicholas’s life right now, and they were fast friends who were soon chatting away about anything and everything.

The long journey to the Scottish Highlands gave Ria a fair amount of time to gain a good understanding of Angelina. As a she-wolf, she was nearly perfect. She was cheerful, beautiful, strong, and a very popular character in the werewolf college.

The video that was leaked by McKinsey and his friends during her past life forced her to drop out of high school to evade the bullying and even miss college. That was one of her greatest regrets. But now, not only was Ria going to college, she was being sent to one of the best werewolf colleges in the world, and the longing for the college life she missed was able to somewhat dampen the gloom she felt from being separated from Nicholas.

The air was slightly chilly during the fall in Inverness. Angelina drove while Ria sat in the passenger seat, and they chatted as they admired the scenic town that was surrounded by a medieval atmosphere. Classical and modern styles blended together perfectly without seeming out of place as if one were traveling back and forth between modern and medieval times.

As they drove north, the scenery around them grew more secluded until the hills on both sides of the road became steep. More greenery could be seen with far fewer human settlements. After a three-hour drive, they finally arrived at a brightly lit vintage town in the evening.

“We’re here! This place is called Werewolf Town. Most of the town’s residents are werewolves, but of course, there are a few humans around, too. The werewolves and humans are aware of each other’s identities, but they coexist peacefully here. The college doesn’t belong to any wolf pack; they’re a neutral force and also provide protection to the town to uphold law and order, so it's very safe here," Angelina introduced the town to her. "The college is located west of the town, right over there. It's a private institution, so its students generally stay in the dorms. Unless under special circumstances, parents and guardians are only allowed to visit during a holiday. You're going to have to stay in the town for a while, but it won't be for long. The summer break is starting soon, and new admissions are processed after that. The buildings here may look shabby, but trust me when I tell you that every plot of land here is worth its weight in gold. Only the most elite wolves can attend this college."

"Then how did I get admitted?" Ria was curious after hearing what she said about the college.

"That's because my brother is actually one of the special guest fighting instructors at this school. He comes to teach for one month every year." Angelina looked proud of her brother.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Ria had never known any of this in her past life. Despite being her partner, Nicholas felt more like a stranger to her sometimes.

"Here we are! This is the house that the college prepared for my brother. Most of the people who live here generally have some sort of connection with the college." Angelina pulled her car up into the villa. Even though the villa seemed quite small, it was at least equivalent to a fancy mansion in the city here where land prices were astronomical.

The villa was separated into two floors. There was a kitchen, living room, dining room, and storage room on the first floor, while the rooms were all upstairs. There were three rooms in total, one large and one small. Angelina said to Ria, "The main bedroom belongs to my brother, so feel free to make yourself at home there. As for the other two rooms, one of them is mine, and the other belongs to Stella. Stella's my best friend from the college, but she only comes by to hang out with me for one night on the weekends. I'll introduce her to you the next time she comes around."

Stella?

The name seemed vaguely familiar, but Ria could not quite put her finger on who that was. After all, Stella was a common name, so it was most likely a different person.

Angelina was going to prepare dinner, but Ria stubbornly insisted that she could do it and prepared a sumptuous feast for both of them. Before her rebirth, it was through her cooking skills that Ria was selected to become one of the Banquet's chefs, and that was also how she got to meet the three wolf kings.

"Oh my god, Ria, I swear on the Goddess, this is the best food I've ever had! Your culinary skills are simply superb! I can't even imagine how I'm going to live without you now that my taste buds have been spoiled…" Angelina was ecstatic to have such good food, and she praised her profusely while asking for seconds.

"Thanks…"

When the night set in, Ria, who was tired from being up and about all day, laid down on Nicholas's bed, recalling the short but sweet moments they spent together as she took in his scent. While dreaming of a wonderful future together, she fell asleep.

The next day, Ria stretched her muscles in front of the window as she enjoyed the peaceful view outside.

Suddenly, a familiar figure suddenly walked out into the yard opposite her, instantly shattering Ria's wonderful view.

Ria quickly pulled her curtains shut and leaned against the wall, shuddering in fear. Blood drained from her face, and she struggled to breathe like a scared doe separated from its mother, afraid of being discovered by the man standing just twenty meters away from her, past the wall against her back.

That man was one of Ria's three fated alphas!

Ria would rather go back to the cruel tyrant Nicholas than meet with this demon again… Wolf King August!

August was the most notorious of the three wolf kings. Nicholas was known as a heartless tyrant, but August was a perverse beast devoid of any morals. His greatest sin was lust, and he would never let go of the chance to turn any woman into his plaything as long as he fancied them, be they humans or she-wolves. None could escape the demon's claws. Ria was one of the rare examples of one who got away.

Ria had even thought of ending her own life if she were ever caught by that man.

Not even in her wildest dreams would Ria imagine that August would be Angelina's neighbor! If he ever caught her scent and discovered that she was his fated mate… Ria did not even dare to think about what would happen…

Ria was still pale and visibly shaken during breakfast with Angelina. Angelina could not help but ask, "Your complexion looks horrible this morning, Ria. Did you not sleep well last night?"

"Oh, I guess not…" Ria was unable to reveal her secret to Angelina. She could hardly tell her that she had returned to the past after being killed in her last life. After all, becoming the luna of three wolf kings at once was a sensitive topic. It was hard for her to just blurt it out to her. After hesitating for a moment, Ria pretended to strike up a casual conversation. "By the way, I saw our neighbor just now. The uh… really tall guy… What kind of person is he?"

"Ria! Promise me you'll stay as far away from him as possible!" Angelina's face turned stern in an instant. She warned, "His name is August, and believe me, it's no exaggeration when I say that he's the most notorious guest instructor in the history of the college! Nobody can even hold a candle to that pervert. He's got an insatiable lust, and he comes to the college every year specifically to hunt for new prey! Countless students and lecturers have already been caught by him, but that's not his only identity. He's known as the wolf king of all the wolf packs in the west. Even the headmaster, the one who holds the most power in the college, shudders in fear at his authority…"