My Vampire King And Wolf King Wants To Claim Me

I stood outside the gates of Blackwood University, staring at the enormous stone entrance in front of me. For a few seconds, I couldn't move. The buildings were enormous, the gardens perfectly maintained, and expensive cars lined the road outside the main entrance. Students walked past wearing designer clothes, carrying expensive bags, laughing as if the world had never given them a reason to worry. This was the place where the children of millionaires studied. And somehow... I was standing among them. I tightened my grip around the strap of my old bag. I had spent years dreaming about this moment. Not because I wanted their luxury. Not because I wanted to become one of them. I wanted an education. That was all. An education good enough to give my mother a better life. I looked down at my simple clothes. They weren't expensive. My shoes had already started showing signs of wear, and my bag was something I'd owned for years. But I didn't care. I'd worked for this. I'd studied late into the night while my mother slept in the next room. I'd taken every scholarship exam I could find. I'd worked part-time whenever I could. I'd learned how to stretch a small amount of money across an entire week. I'd learned how to smile when I was exhausted. I'd learned how to say, I'm fine, even when I wasn't. Because there had never been anyone else. Just my mother and me. My father had never been part of my life. I didn't know what it felt like to have a father waiting outside school. I didn't know what it felt like to have someone tell me, Don't worry. I've got you. My mother had been both parents to me. And now she was sick. That thought made my chest tighten. I swallowed hard. That's why I'm here. Not for them. For her. I could already imagine how difficult this place would be. I knew people would look at me differently. I knew some students would laugh at my clothes. I knew some would look down on me because I was here on a scholarship. But I had survived worse things. If I had to suffer a little more to give my mother a better future... I could handle it. I lifted my chin. "One step at a time, Amelia." Then I walked through the gates. The moment I entered the university grounds, I could feel people looking at me. At first, I tried to ignore them. I kept walking. Don't look around. Just find your classroom. Don't give anyone a reason to think you're nervous. I had almost reached the main building when— "Hey!" I stopped. Three girls were standing a few feet away. They were dressed perfectly. Their hair was styled, their bags looked more expensive than everything I owned, and they were staring directly at me. I continued walking. Maybe they weren't talking to me. "Hey, scholarship girl!" I stopped again. This time, there was no doubt. I slowly turned around. The girl in the middle folded her arms. She had long, perfectly styled blonde hair and an expression that immediately told me she wasn't used to hearing the word no. She looked me up and down. Then she smiled. Not kindly. "So it's true." One of the girls beside her laughed. "What?" "She's the scholarship student everyone was talking about." The other girl looked at me. "Seriously? She actually came?" They all laughed. I took a slow breath. "Do you need something?" The blonde girl raised an eyebrow. "Oh, she talks." "I asked if you needed something." Her smile disappeared. "What's your name?" "Amelia." "Amelia..." She repeated my name as if she were tasting something unpleasant. "I'm Victoria." I already knew. I'd heard her name several times during orientation. Victoria Sterling. Her family name was apparently more important than half the university's faculty. Still, I didn't react. "Nice to meet you." I turned to leave. Victoria stepped directly into my path. "Where are you going?" "Class." She laughed. "Of course you are." I looked at her. "What does that mean?" "It means I didn't expect someone like you to actually have the courage to show her face here." I felt my fingers tighten around my bag. "Someone like me?" Victoria looked at her friends. "See? She doesn't even understand." Her friend giggled. "Maybe she thinks she's one of us now." Victoria looked back at me. "Let me make something clear, Amelia. This university isn't like whatever school you came from." "I know." "No, you don't." She stepped closer. "People here have families with money. Influence. Names." Her eyes moved over my clothes again. "And then there are people who get in through scholarships." I smiled faintly. "Scholarships are given to students who earn them." Her expression hardened. "Are you trying to be clever?" "No." "Because you don't look clever." Her friends laughed. I could feel several students nearby slowing down to watch. Perfect. A crowd. Exactly what she wanted. Victoria tilted her head. "Tell me something. How did you actually get this scholarship?" I stared at her. "I qualified for it." "That's not what I asked." One of her friends covered her mouth, pretending to whisper. "Maybe her grades weren't enough." Victoria laughed. "Then perhaps she found another way." My stomach turned. I knew exactly what she was implying. I looked directly into her eyes. "Be careful." The smile on her face disappeared. "What?" "You heard me." Her friends exchanged surprised looks. Victoria stepped closer. "Are you threatening me?" "No." I held her gaze. "I'm warning you not to say something you'll regret." She laughed. "You really don't know who you're talking to." "I know exactly who I'm talking to." "Oh?" "Victoria Sterling." Her smile returned. "Good. At least you know my name." "I also know that having a powerful family doesn't give you the right to insult people." The girls around us went silent. Victoria stared at me. Then she laughed. "You're brave." "No. I'm just not afraid of you." That clearly hit a nerve. Victoria's jaw tightened. "You think you're special because you got a scholarship?" "No." "Then why are you acting like you belong here?" I glanced at the university building behind her. "Because I earned my place here." Her eyes narrowed. "With your grades?" "Yes." "Or with a little help from wealthy men?" A few people nearby gasped. Victoria continued before I could answer. "Come on, Amelia. Everyone knows girls like you don't suddenly get into universities like this without finding another way." My face burned. But I refused to look away. "Girls like me?" "Poor girls." She smiled. "Girls without a family name." Then she leaned closer. "Girls who will do anything to enter a world they don't belong to." For one second, the noise around us disappeared. I could hear my own heartbeat. I thought about my mother. Her tired face. Her medicine. The nights she'd worked until she could barely stand. And suddenly, Victoria's words didn't hurt as much. Because she didn't know me. She didn't know what I'd sacrificed. She didn't know how many nights I'd studied until my eyes hurt. She didn't know how many meals I'd skipped because we needed the money elsewhere. She didn't know anything. So I smiled. "You're right about one thing." Victoria looked surprised. "What?" "I don't belong to your world." Her smile widened. "Exactly." "But I never wanted to." Her expression froze. I continued. "I came here to study." I pointed toward the building. "Not to compete with you over money." The crowd went quiet. Victoria's cheeks reddened. "You—" "And if you're worried that my scholarship is taking something away from you..." I shrugged. "Maybe you should talk to the university." A few students laughed. Victoria's eyes flashed with anger. "You little—" She raised her hand. I instinctively stepped back. Before she could do anything, a calm male voice cut through the tension. "That's enough." Everyone turned. A tall boy was walking toward us. He looked like he belonged in a completely different world. He was broad-shouldered, athletic, and dressed casually in a dark university jacket. His hair was slightly messy, as though he hadn't bothered to style it. But what caught my attention most was his expression. He wasn't angry. He simply looked... unimpressed. He stopped beside us. "What's going on?" Victoria's entire attitude changed. The anger disappeared from her face almost instantly. "Oh, nothing." Her voice became softer. "Adrian, you're here." The boy glanced at her. Then at me. "She was about to hit her." Victoria immediately looked offended. "What? No!" "I saw you." Victoria's eyes widened. "You misunderstood." He didn't answer. Instead, he looked at me. "Are you okay?" I nodded. "I'm fine." He studied me for a second. Then he looked back at Victoria. "Then why were you raising your hand?" Victoria laughed nervously. "We were just talking." "That didn't look like talking." Her friends immediately became quiet. Victoria moved closer to him. "Adrian, don't listen to her." She reached for his arm. He stepped away before she could touch him. The movement was subtle. But everyone noticed. Victoria's face stiffened. "I was just trying to help." "By insulting her?" "No." She looked at me. "She misunderstood what I said." I almost laughed. Of course. She had gone from attacking me to playing the victim in less than ten seconds. Adrian looked at me again. "Did she insult you?" I hesitated. "It's not important." Victoria smiled triumphantly. "See?" Adrian's expression didn't change. "That wasn't an answer." I looked at him. "Yes." Victoria immediately interrupted. "But she insulted me first!" I turned toward her. "When?" "You called me arrogant." "Because you were insulting me." "I was only asking questions!" "Questions about how I got my scholarship?" "Yes!" "And suggesting I earned it through wealthy men?" Victoria's face changed. "I never said that." "You did." Several students around us nodded. Victoria looked around desperately. "No, I didn't." Adrian sighed. "Victoria." She immediately looked at him. "What?" "Stop." "But—" "I said stop." For the first time, Victoria actually went silent. I looked at him. "Thank you." He smiled. "No problem." Victoria stared at us. I could practically see the jealousy forming in her eyes. She stepped toward Adrian again. "Adrian, we were supposed to have lunch together." "Were we?" She smiled. "Yes." "I don't remember agreeing." Her smile became strained. "You promised." "I did?" She nodded quickly. "Yes." He looked at her for a moment. "I don't remember." Her cheeks turned red. "But—" "I'm going to class." He turned toward me. "You?" "Same." "Come on." I blinked. "Where?" "Your classroom is this way, right?" I nodded slowly. "Yes." "Then let's go." I glanced at Victoria. She looked furious. But she forced a smile. "Of course." Her voice was sweet. Far too sweet. "See you later, Adrian." He simply nodded. I followed him toward the main building. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. Then he glanced at me. "You really shouldn't let people talk to you like that." I smiled. "I don't." "You did." "I was deciding whether she was worth arguing with." He laughed. "Fair enough." I looked at him. "You're surprisingly friendly." "Is that a compliment?" "Maybe." He smiled. "I'm Adrian." "I know." He raised an eyebrow. "You know me?" "Everyone seems to." He laughed. "That sounds dangerous." I smiled. "Probably." We reached the classroom corridor. I stopped. "Thanks for helping me." He shrugged. "Anyone would have done the same." I looked back at him. I wasn't sure that was true. Before I could say anything else, he smiled and walked away. I watched him disappear into the crowd. Then I shook my head. Focus, Amelia. I had come here for one reason. My education. My future. My mother. Nothing else. I entered my classroom. The moment I stepped inside, whispers started. "That's her." "The scholarship girl." "Victoria was fighting with her." "She actually stood up to Victoria." I ignored them. I walked to the nearest empty seat and placed my bag down. But before I could sit, my phone vibrated. Mom. I immediately answered. "Mom?" Her voice was weak but cheerful. "Did you reach?" I smiled. "Yes." "How is the university?" I looked around the classroom. Students were still whispering. I swallowed. "It's beautiful." "I'm glad." "Mom?" "Yes?" "I'm going to make this worth it." There was silence on the other end. Then she softly said, "I know you will." I closed my eyes. For the first time that morning, I smiled genuinely. "I have to go. Class is starting." "Take care, sweetheart." "You too." I ended the call. Then I looked toward the classroom door. For some reason, I had the strange feeling that today wasn't going to be an ordinary first day. I just didn't know how right I was. Because I thought the hardest part of entering this university would be proving that I belonged here.