ROGUES AND KISSES
1642 Words
Adinna’s POV
The seriousness on Riley’s face makes me throw my head back in laughter. I laugh so hard my stomach hurts and I wipe a fake tear from her eye.
“That guy? Dangerous? Please. He looked like he was auditioning for Moody Brood of the Year. What’s so terrifying about him?”
Riley doesn’t laugh. She just starts walking, her tone clipped. “You really don’t get it, do you? They’re not just any guys, Adinna. They’re the four alphas of the four regions. Their parents own this academy. This whole place is practically theirs.”
I frown but listen as Riley ticks them off on her fingers.
“Hunter Grayhorn is Alpha of the North which is the biggest territory of all. Hunter doesn’t need to talk much because everyone already knows what he’s capable of.”
“Sure,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “Mister Broody with a chin-grabbing fetish. Very scary.”
Riley ignores me and keeps going. “Salem Bloodmark is Alpha of the East. He’s a shameless playboy. Girls throw themselves at him, and he never says no.”
I smirk. “So, he’s basically the campus flirt with a wolf problem.”
“Then there’s Dean Stormspire. Alpha of the South.” Riley’s voice softens without her realizing, her lips curving ever so slightly. “He’s really sweet and gentle. Always kind to people. But don’t be fooled, he can be vicious when he wants to be.”
I stop, staring at Riley with raised brows. “Wait.” A grin creeps onto my face. “You like him.”
“What? No...no, I don’t. Shut up,” Riley stammers, her cheeks reddening as she quickly turns away.
I bite back a laugh, my mood lifting for the first time. “Oh my god, you totally do. You’ve got a crush on the southern gentleman.”
Riley clears her throat dramatically. “Moving on!”
“Right,” I mutter, amused.
“We also have Jace Stormborn. Alpha of the West. He’s spoiled, rude and vicious. He hates everyone beneath him and makes sure they never forget it.”
I exhale. “So that one’s just a jerk with extra steps.”
But Riley doesn’t let me off easy with the last one. Her expression hardens again.
“And then… there’s Hunter.” She shakes her head.
“There are no words to classify him. He’s not just dangerous, Adinna. He is danger.”
I swallow, but lift my chin anyway. “We’ll see about that.”
We finally stop in front of a tall, carved door. Riley plants a hand on the handle, her voice suddenly dropping into that low, serious tone again.
“Last warning, Adinna. Don’t cross them. Don’t mouth off. Honestly? It’s safer if you don’t even look at them. Pretend they don’t exist.”
I snort. “How’s that supposed to work? We’re all students. We all live in the same dorm, right? What do you want me to do, walk around staring at the floor?”
Riley scoffs and throws me a sideways look.
“Same dorm” she says, smirking as she pushes the door open.
The door swings open, and I stop dead in my tracks.
This can’t be a dorm room.
There’s a wide bed pushed neatly against the wall, silver-grey sheets tucked smooth like something out of a catalogue. Sunlight filters in through tall windows with simple curtains.
A sturdy desk sits nearby, already stacked with supplies, new notebooks, pens, even a lamp that isn’t cracked or flickering. Shelves line one side of the room, filled with books I don’t recognize.
It’s not extravagant, but it’s bigger and cleaner and warmer than anywhere I’ve ever called home.
It’s definitely better than that cramped space I used to share with Theo and Mia back in the human city.
I blink hard, convinced that my brain is making this up.
“This… is mine?” I ask, my voice cracking.
Riley smirks, leaning against the doorframe like she’s enjoying the show.
“Yep.”
I take another step in, my eyes darting from the bed to the soft rug to the little chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“This is mine?” I repeat, louder this time, like she didn’t hear me the first time.
“Yes, Adinna,” Riley says with a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes.
“It’s yours. All of it. So please stop looking like you won the lottery and pay attention, because if you want to survive here, you need to focus.”
I’m still turning in slow circles, trying to take in every ridiculous inch of the room, when Riley clears her throat.
“Okay, listen up, princess. Time for a crash course in survival.”
I glance at her, still half-dazed. “Survival?”
She walks round the room like she owns the place.
“There are five houses in Lunareth. The lowest one, the one you’re in, is for people like you. Rogues that they find in the human world and bring back here.”
“Rogues?” I echo, my brows knitting.
Riley nods like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Yeah. Strays. Wolves who don’t belong to any pack, no parents or bloodline to claim them. They dump all of you in the Rogue house.”
“Wow,” I mutter. “Great start. I love being the charity case.”
“Next up, we’ve got the Omegas. These are brand new wolves just learning to shift and figuring out their powers. They’re basically toddlers in fur.”
I snort. “Great. So, if I ever need to babysit, I know where to go.”
Riley shoots me a flat look but keeps going.
“Above them are the Gammas, that’s my house. We're respectable. Not flashy, but stable. We have average grades, decent dorms and rules we actually follow. We’ve also got a little hierarchy, but it’s chill. The Gamma house is known for being dependable.
I grin. “So basically, you’re middle class.”
She rolls her eyes. “Exactly.”
“Betas sit one step higher,” Riley continues, her voice dipping slightly like she’s trying to make me take this part seriously. “They’ve got rank, respect, and authority. Most Betas come from strong families, old bloodlines. They’re groomed for leadership and trusted with responsibility.”
“Right,” I mutter. “So, they’re like the honour roll kids but with claws.”
Riley ignores me this time, her expression tightening.
“And then…” She pauses, her eyes narrowing, voice dropping like she’s about to tell me a ghost story.
“The Alphas. The top house. That’s where the boys stay.”
A chill slides down my spine despite myself.
Riley goes on, eyes distant. “The Alpha house isn’t just bigger, it’s sacred. They live like kings, completely separate from the rest of us. They don’t follow rules because they are the rules. Every student in this Academy knows better than to cross them. Their word can make or break you, and trust me, they don’t care if you live or die.”
I force myself to scoff. “So, what you’re saying is, as long as I keep my head down, I won’t see them again?”
Riley hesitates, then smirks bitterly.
“Most of them, yeah. But Hunter…” Her voice dips lower. “Hunter stays in the Rogue house. Your house. So, no matter how low you keep your head…” She lets it hang there, eyes gleaming with warning. “He’ll always be around.”
I blink at her, my mouth falling open. “Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. The supposed most dangerous guy in this entire school, Mr. Grab-Your-Chin-And-Glare-Is-My-Hobby, lives in this house?”
Riley just nods grimly.
My mouth goes dry.
“Wait… why the hell is he even in the Rogue house if he’s supposed to be the Alpha of the North? And the biggest one at that?”
Riley just shrugs, tossing her hair back like it’s nothing. “Nobody knows. It’s been that way for years. He’s got his own wing in this building, a whole section no one dares step into.”
I blink at her. “So basically, he’s camping in my backyard.”
“Exactly.” Riley leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. “But as long as you keep your head low and don’t pull any more stunts like the one you pulled today, you should be fine.”
I still don’t buy half of what Riley’s saying, but I nod anyway. “Okay.” Honestly, I’m just too relieved that I have my own personal space to argue further.
A sudden chime beeps from Riley’s wristwatch. She glances at it, then back at me with a quick smile. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll be back on Monday to take you to class. In the meantime, someone will bring in all the stuff you’ll need, uniforms, books, the works. Just settle in. I have something urgent I need to do.”
She then suddenly leans in and presses her lips against mine. My body freezes.
By the time I blink, she’s already pulling back with a playful grin.
“Welcome again,” she says softly. “You’re going to love it here at Luna Academy. It might seem strange at first, but trust me, it’s really interesting. You’ll enjoy it.”
And just like that, she’s rushing out, leaving me rooted in place.
I touch my lips, still tingling, my heart stumbling over itself. “What the hell just happened?” I whisper to the empty room.
The silence presses down, and I gulp hard, muttering to myself. “Yeah… I might need to get out of here.”
- Writer
