THE ABOMINABLE WOLF

MONSTER HEART ACADEMY

MISHA’S POV

The bus ride felt endless. By the time we pulled through the iron gates of Monster Heart Academy, my stomach had tied itself into about a hundred knots.

If Denkville was a cage, this place looked like the ghost of one.

The buildings were old, tall, and covered in crawling ivy. A thin mist curled around the towers, and the sky above looked like it hadn’t seen sunlight in weeks. Everything was grey and quiet, except for the faint sound of a bell echoing somewhere in the distance.

Monster Heart Academy; home of the broken, the unwanted, the “impure.”

At least that’s what the world called us.

The ones who didn’t fit in anywhere else.

Half-wolf, half-vampire.

Half-wolf, half-angel.

Half-wolf, half-demon.

And then there was me.

Half-wolf, half-human, the weakest mix of all. The lowest of the low.

Even here, where everyone was part “something else,” I still didn’t belong.

The air was cold when I stepped off the bus. I hugged my backpack tighter, watching other students move across the courtyard. Some had strange markings that shimmered faintly under their skin. One boy had silver eyes that glowed when he laughed. Another girl’s wings flickered like smoke behind her shoulders before vanishing again.

They looked like a painting that someone had half-finished and given up on, beautiful, but broken.

And me?

I just looked… human.

I followed the sign that said Dorms → East Wing, keeping my head down as I walked through the huge arched doors. The floor gleamed, and the sound of my sneakers echoed too loud in the silence.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe I could just keep my head down, stay invisible, and survive.

But life never lets me be invisible for long.

It happened fast.

One second, I was walking. The next, my foot slid out from under me.

There was a sharp gasp, a loud splash, and suddenly I was on the floor, soaked from the waist down. Cold water spread under me in a shining puddle.

The janitor froze mid-mop, eyes wide. “Oh no, I.. I’m so sorry, miss! I just..”

But before he could finish, laughter erupted down the hall.

I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

A tall, stunning girl with long platinum hair and icy blue eyes strutted forward, flanked by two others who looked like they walked straight out of a supernatural fashion magazine.

Seraphina Vale.

I knew her name before anyone said it. You could just tell. The way people’s eyes followed her. The way her power filled the space.

“Well, well,” she said, pulling out her phone. “What do we have here? The human pup’s first day, and she’s already marking her territory.”

Her friends snickered. One of them actually took a photo.

The flash burned across my face.

“Please don’t..” I started, but my voice came out small and shaky.

They laughed harder.

Seraphina tilted her head. “Oh, come on. You can’t be that sensitive. It’s just a little photo. For memories.”

“Delete it,” I said, a little louder this time. My heart is still pounding.

She raised an eyebrow, amused. “Excuse me?”

And that’s when I heard another voice. Calm, low, and confident, the kind of voice that makes everyone else shut up.

“She said delete it.”

The laughter died immediately.

I looked up and saw him.

He stood a few feet away, leaning casually against a locker, his hands in his pockets. Dark hair fell across his forehead, and his eyes, sharp grey with a hint of gold, seemed to catch everything. His blazer was half unbuttoned, tie loose, like he didn’t care about rules or anyone who made them.

Seraphina’s smirk faltered just a little. “Hamid,” she said sweetly. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Yeah,” he said, stepping closer. “You were too busy being cruel. Again.”

Her eyes narrowed, but her smile didn’t move. “Relax. We were just having fun.”

“Funny,” he said, glancing at me. “Doesn’t look like she’s laughing.”

A few students had stopped to watch. The tension thickened like fog.

Seraphina gave a sharp laugh. “You always have to play the hero, don’t you?”

Hamid shrugged. “Someone has to.”

She stared at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes and turned to her friend. “Fine. Delete it.”

The girl hesitated. Seraphina’s voice hardened. “Now.”

The picture disappeared with a few taps, and she flipped her phone shut. “Happy now, Savior Boy?”

Hamid ignored her. He crouched down beside me and held out his hand. “You okay?”

For a second, I just stared at it, his hand, his face, the warmth in his eyes.

Then I nodded slowly and took it.

His grip was steady and warm. He pulled me up like it was nothing. The janitor muttered another apology and hurried off, embarrassed.

“Thanks,” I said quietly, brushing off my wet jeans.

He smiled faintly. “You might want to watch out for Seraphina. She eats people like you for breakfast.”

I tried to laugh, but it came out shaky. “Good to know.”

He started to walk away, then turned back over his shoulder. “By the way… welcome to Monster Heart.”

And then he was gone, swallowed up by the crowd of students filling the hall.

I stood there, dripping and humiliated, but for the first time that day…

I felt something strange.

Like maybe, just maybe I wasn’t completely alone.