The Luna Queen Is Reborn

Felicity

The sharp, loud ring of the dismissal bell shattered the silence, making half the class jump. Instantly, a frantic rustle of backpacks and scraping chairs filled the room as everyone scrambled to escape the heavy atmosphere. Louisa was out of her seat before the bell even finished ringing, marching out the door without looking back, her humiliated minions trailing frantically behind her.

"Come on," Summer said, her voice a low, urgent murmur as she swung her bag over her shoulder. "Let's get out of here before Harrison regains his speech."

I didn't need telling twice. I shoved my notebook into my bag, keeping my head down inside my hoodie, desperately trying to ignore the magnetic pull that flared in my chest as Kaelen stood up two rows away. I could feel his eyes tracking me through the crowd, but I forced my legs to move forward, following Summer out into the chaotic sea of the hallway.

"Cerelia!"

A familiar, breathless voice cut through the background drone of the lockers slamming.

Before I could even look up, a pair of arms wrapped securely around my shoulders, burying me in the scent of sweet vanilla and laundry detergent. The suffocating weight in my chest eased just a fraction.

"Oh my gosh, I was trying to get to the parking lot before first bell, but my dad held me up," Felicity panted, pulling back just enough to look at me. Her honey-colored eyes scanned my face with fierce, protective anxiety, completely ignoring the lingering stares of the students passing by. "Are you okay? I heard... I heard what happened at the house. I've been trying to call you all weekend."

"My dad took my phone," I whispered, the admission tasting like ash. But looking at her, seeing the genuine warmth in her expression, made me feel human for the first time all day. "I'm okay, Liss. Really."

"You're not, but we're going to fix it," she said fiercely, locking her arm tightly through mine, effectively shielding my left side while Summer flanked my right.

As the three of us began to walk down the hall, Felicity leaned closer, her voice dropping to a sharp whisper. "What is going on with the atmosphere in here? The whole hallway is practically vibrating. People are acting like they just saw a ghost—even Louisa looked like she was about to throw up when she ran past me."

"A new transfer student just joined Harrison's class," Summer answered for me, her green eyes scanning the crowd over our heads. "Kaelen. Some warrior line from the borders, supposedly. But he dropped an Alpha-level pressure on Louisa that almost cracked the floorboards because she wouldn't shut her mouth."

Felicity's head snapped in Summer's direction, as if only just noticing her presence. Her honey eyes widened a fraction in surprise. Why are you two together? she communicated silently with her eyes.

I just shrugged my shoulders in reply.

Felicity froze in her tracks, her honey eyes widening to the size of saucers. She looked back at Summer, then down at me. "Wait... a transfer student suppressed an Alpha's daughter? On his first day? Is he insane? Who is he?"

Before either of us could answer, the temperature in the hallway took a sudden, distinct plunge.

The casual chatter around us died down to a nervous murmur as students quickly pressed themselves against the lockers, clearing a wide, unobstructed path down the center of the corridor.

I didn't have to look up to know who it was. The sharp, electric sting of winter pine and ozone drifted over the crowd, tightening the invisible wire in my chest until it hummed.

Kaelen walked down the center of the hallway, entirely unbothered by the parting sea of shifters around him. His dark jacket was unzipped, his silver-blue eyes fixed straight ahead with that same aristocratic indifference.

As he neared our small group, Felicity stiffened beside me, her breath hitching as her instincts recognized the sheer, unyielding danger radiating off him. But Kaelen didn't look at the crowd. He didn't look at Summer or Felicity.

Just as he drew parallel to us, his stride slowed for a single, fleeting second. His silver-blue eyes shifted sideways, cutting straight through the shadow of my hood to lock onto mine. There was no smirk this time—just a quiet, intense acknowledgment that sent a shiver straight down my spine.

Then, as quickly as he had paused, he kept walking, disappearing into the crowd toward the courtyard.

Felicity let out the breath she had been holding, her fingers digging tightly into my forearm. She stared at the spot where he had just been, her voice trembling slightly.

"Cerelia..." she whispered, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and absolute terror. "He was looking right at you. Why was he looking at you like that?"

I almost face-palmed right there in the hallway. Could she behave like an Alpha's daughter for a single minute?

"But damn, does he look hot," she murmured, a silly, dazed smile completely taking over her face.

A few seconds ago, she had been in absolute awe and terrified out of her mind, and now she was completely love-struck.

Felicity tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and began nervously wringing her fingers. "Do you think he would like me?"

Summer scoffed loudly in reply, rolling her green eyes. "Have you forgotten how you look?"

Felicity’s jaw dropped, her honey eyes flashing with instant indignation as she smacked Summer’s arm. "Hey! There is absolutely nothing wrong with how I look, Summer, you jer-"

She didn't get the freedom to complete that sense,.Summer had just threw a one of her infamous glare.

"Did you not look in the mirror this morning," Summer replied smoothly, not even flinching as she navigated us past a group of staring underclassmen. "I’m just reminding you that you have eyes, a nose, and a pulse. You are entirely too soft to survive whatever the hell that guy is." She was right about that.

He didn't just suppress Louisa; he practically checked the entire room without blinking. Felicity would have passed out if he looked at her for more than three seconds.

"I would not," Felicity huffed, though a telltale flush crept up her neck, giving away her lie. She turned her attention back to me, her grip on my arm tightening protectively. "Don't listen to her, Lia. But seriously... why was he looking at you like that? Do you know him?"