My purple Queen

The strange man

Chapter two

The strange man

My stomach growled painfully as I lay awake in my tiny, metallic bed.

The last piece of bread I had eaten hours ago was long gone, leaving only hunger behind. Desperate for something to fill the emptiness, I walked to the bathroom and reached out to the tap. The water tasted strange –metallic ,almost looking like blood– the taste was usual but this time it was to much

Disgusted, I quietly crept towards the kitchen leave the door behind me flung open , hoping to find fresh water before my stepmother noticed.

**

As I reached the doorway, I froze. A tall stranger man sat at the table. I slowly turned my head and glanced over.His eyes which were filled with envy locked onto my golden eyes. I froze, certain that he would mock me like everyone else, and lowered my head in shame.

For a moment, the entire room fell silent.

Something flashed across his face—surprise, curiosity, recognition.The glass in his hand slipped from his fingers and shattered against the floor. His eyes widened with wonder, as though he had found exactly what he had been searching for.

My stepmother jumped."What are you doing out of your room?" she snapped. "Go back to your room immediately!"I lowered my gaze and turned to leave.

"Wait."

The stranger's voice was calm but commanding.My stepmother instantly fell silent.The man's eyes remained fixed on me.

"How old is she?" he asked.

"Sixteen," my stepmother replied nervously.

A strange smile appeared on his face."I believe she may qualify for a scholarship at Moonvale Academy."

Moonvale Academy.

The most prestigious academy in the Kingdom of Moonvale.The academy where the four powerful Alphas studied and ruled.I stared at him in disbelief.

There was no way someone like me could ever belong in a place like that.

***

Without another word, pulled his black glass from the table and walked out of the house anonymously.Silence filled the room. Then I felt my stepmother's eyes on me. When I looked up, I saw something I had never seen before.

Hope.

Not hope for me.Hope for poor life."Did you hear what he said?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes."

"I'm not going," I replied firmly.

"What?"

"I don't want anything to do with Alphas. I mean look at me, who would desire a poor girl like me full of scars everywhere" I replied disappointed pulling my torn clothes

"You will go," she snapped.

"No."

"You will go because this is our chance."

"Our chance?"

"Do you know what happens to girls who get close to the Alphas?" she whispered. "They become powerful. They become wealthy."

I shook my head.She stepped closer."You are going to Moonvale Academy, Violet."

I ran into my room and slammed the door behind me.I sat on my bed crying painfully.For the first time in my life, I felt as if fate was pulling me toward something I could not escape.And somehow, that frightened me more than my hunger ever had.