HER THREE CRUEL MATE

Chapter 3

ISLA POV'S

I stood frozen as three identical boys stepped out of the black car. They weren't just tall; they were massive, with broad shoulders that seemed to block out the sun. They moved with a silent, heavy arrogance that made the air feel thick. Every other student in the courtyard stopped moving, like they were afraid to even breathe.

The boys looked like they were carved from ice. Their expressions were cold, their eyes sharp, and they walked like they owned the very ground beneath their boots.

“How dare they!” I snapped, my temper flaring. The fear from earlier turned into hot anger. “They almost hit us!”

I started to march toward them, but the girl beside me—the one who had been so kind—grabbed my wrist. Her grip was tight, her knuckles white.

“Please don’t,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

I turned to her, confused. “Why not? They’re reckless. They could have hurt you.” I realized I didn't even know who she was. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“I’m Lina,” she said quickly, her eyes darting toward the three boys. “And seriously, Isla, do not go over there. Just... walk away.”

“Why?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because they have expensive cars?”

Lina let out a nervous, breathless laugh. “Those are the Vance triplets. Rowan, Soran, and Cairo.”

I blinked. “Vance?” . The same name as Sera. The same name as the woman who owned my life.

“Sorry not Vance , Blackwood” she corrected

“So? Does that give them the right to run people over?”

“Isla, listen to me,” Lina stepped closer, her voice dropping to a tiny whisper. “They are the kings of this school. Their parents basically own the Academy. No one messes with them. No one even looks at them the wrong way. If you end up on their radar, your life here is over before it starts.”

I looked back at the triplets. Great. As if Sera wasn't enough trouble, now I had to deal with three more versions of her. “Fantastic,” I muttered. “I’m surrounded by Vances.”

“Trust me,” Lina urged, pulling me toward the doors. “Stay invisible. They don’t forgive, and they never forget.”

I sighed, letting her lead me away. As we reached the hallway, I couldn't help but look back one last time. Rowan—the one walking in the middle—caught my eyes. For a split second, our gazes locked. His eyes were a storm-gray, deep and unreadable. He didn't look angry; he looked bored. He dismissed me with a single blink and turned away like I was nothing more than a piece of dust.

My stomach twisted. Those boys weren't just popular. They were dangerous.

Lina walked me through the halls until we reached a large bulletin board covered in schedules. She pointed to a line on my paper.

“You’ve got math now,” she said with a sympathetic grin.

“Is it that bad?” I asked.

“Well, you’re stuck with Mrs. Kain. People say she’s allergic to joy. She hasn't smiled since the Great War.”

I laughed softly. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll see you at lunch?”

“Count on it. Good luck surviving the dragon!”

The bell rang, a loud, ringing sound that echoed through the stone corridors. I found my classroom and stepped inside. The moment the door creaked open, the room went silent. Every head turned. Thirty pairs of eyes stared at my messy hair and my scuffed boots.

Mrs. Kain stood at the front, her gray hair pulled into a bun so tight it looked painful. She didn't smile. “Everyone, this is our new student.”

The silence was heavy. I could feel the judgment in the room. A girl in the front row coughed dramatically, and a boy in the back whispered something that made a group of girls snicker.

“Come up and introduce yourself,” the teacher commanded.

I felt like I was walking to my own execution. I forced my feet to move to the front of the room. “My name is Isla Mones,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

“Mones?” a boy shouted from the back. “Never heard of that family.”

“Are you an elite wolf or just a peasant?” a girl asked. The whole room erupted into mean, sharp laughter.

I froze. I didn't know what an "elite wolf" was, but I knew what "peasant" meant. The word felt like a slap.

“Enough!” Mrs. Kain barked, slamming her book on the desk. “Take your seat in the back, Mones.”

I hurried to a desk at the very back. The boy sitting next to me had thick glasses and a pile of books. He looked as out of place as I did.

“Hey,” he whispered as I sat down. “I’m Derek.”

“I’m Isla,” I replied, giving him a small, grateful smile.

“Don’t mind them,” Derek whispered, nodding toward the popular kids. “They think their fur is shinier than everyone else’s just because their parents have gold in their pockets.”

I almost laughed. At least there was one decent person in this room.

By the time the lunch bell rang, I felt like my brain was melting. Derek and I walked to the cafeteria together. It was a massive room with high ceilings and long wooden tables. We spotted Lina waving at us from a corner in the back.

“You brought the nerd!” Lina teased as we sat down.

“Lina, be nice,” I warned, but Derek just smiled.

“It’s okay,” he said. “She’s right. I am a nerd.”

“I’m just kidding,” Lina laughed, nudging his shoulder. “You’re one of the only people here who isn't a jerk. Relax.”

We started to eat, and for a moment, I actually felt okay. We were talking and laughing, and the Academy didn't feel so scary—until a shadow fell over our table.

“You’re in our seat, nerds.”

I looked up. Three girls were standing there, looking down at us like we were trash. Sera was one of them. She had her arms crossed, her face a mask of cold indifference. She wouldn't even look at me.

The girl in the middle—a blonde with a cruel smirk—tilted her head. “Did you not hear me? Move.”

“There are fifty other tables,” Lina said, not moving an inch.

“Not like this one,” the blonde snapped. “This is our spot. You must be the new girl. I’ll forgive your stupidity this once. Now, get lost.”

Derek started to stand up. “We can just go—”

“No,” Lina said, narrowing her eyes. “We were here first.”

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow, looking ready to start a fight. But suddenly, the entire cafeteria went quiet. A ripple of excitement moved through the room.

“They’re here!” someone gasped.

“Oh my god, look!”

The heavy doors swung open. Rowan, Soran, and Cairo walked in. The room fell into a reverent, terrified silence. Girls straightened their hair; boys looked at the floor. The triplets walked with a terrifying level of confidence, their eyes focused on nothing.

My eyes followed Rowan. He was in the lead. He scanned the room with those storm-gray eyes, looking bored with everything he saw. Then, his gaze landed on our table.

The blonde girl who had been bullying us suddenly changed. Her voice became high and sweet. “Rowan! Over here!”

Rowan didn't even blink. He didn't look at her. He stopped right at the edge of our table. He looked down at his expensive sleeve, where a tiny drop of juice had splashed. His jaw tightened.

The whole room held its breath. It was just a tiny drop of juice, but he looked like someone had insulted his bloodline.

He reached out, grabbed a napkin from our table, and slowly wiped the stain. Then, without saying a word, he tossed the dirty, crumpled napkin onto my tray. He walked past us like we were invisible.

Lina exhaled a breath she had been holding. “Holy crap,” she whispered. “He actually stopped here. You’re either the luckiest girl in school or you’re cursed, Isla.”

I stared at the napkin on my food, my blood boiling. “What is his problem?”

“Just pray he forgets your face,” Lina warned.

But the universe wasn't done with me. As I reached for my drink, my elbow caught the edge of my tray. The plastic slid across the smooth table like it was on ice. I watched in slow motion as my entire lunch—the soup, the juice, the mashed potatoes—flew off the table.

It didn't hit the floor.

It hit one of the triplets right in the back of his pristine, white shirt.

The entire cafeteria went dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

I looked up. The boy turned around slowly. It was Soran. A thick glob of mashed potatoes was sliding down his shoulder.

He didn't look bored anymore. He looked like he was going to kill me.