The abandoned wolfless but true princess

CHAPTER FIVE

ELEANOR’s POV.

I kept running like my life depended on it. I knew if I stopped, I would be dead meat. I could hear steps all around me. It was like every one of the students had come out to get me. I couldn’t afford to be caught because I genuinely didn’t know what the students would do to me.

I knew nothing about this hunting game and I hated it with every fiber of my being. Why the heck would the school even allow this to happen?

I ran into the thick forest at the back of the field, hoping to find a place to hide. I was tired. My legs were giving way already and the cuts on my body annoyed me. I had stumbled over a stone earlier and as if that was not enough, I was caught up in a tree. I think the forest was out to get me more than the students were because why the heck was it hurting me rather than helping me?

In my thoughts, I stumbled again and I landed face first on the ground, blood immediately splashed out of my mouth and I spat it out, my arm immediately began to ache. I had just finished the punishment the coach gave me and now this—I hated everything already.

I could still hear the students, I could still hear them looking for me but I wasn’t going to let any of them catch me—not now.

I finally saw a huge tree and I made my way towards it but at that moment, I heard footsteps behind me and I turned around to see Corey standing. My heart skipped a beat. How the heck did he get here? I didn’t even hear him.

“Found you,” his voice rang out, his eyes dripping with something I couldn't quite fathom.

I was too surprised to say anything. This hunt, I didn’t know what it meant or what the consequences would be if I was found by anyone. But the fact that I was found by Corey himself was something else.

“You really thought you could outrun me, Eleanor?” He began, taking slow and calculated steps towards me. His eyes held anger and dread like he wouldn’t mind bashing my head against the tree and watching me bleed to death.

He came to a halt in front of me and leaned forward, our faces only a few inches apart but I have never seen a much murderous intent in someone’s eyes like I saw in him right now—my whole body shivered.

“I could kill you here and no one would ever know, Eleanor,” he added again, his tone still calm but dreadful, “did you hear me?”

Before I could gather my thoughts, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along. I couldn’t set myself free from his grasp. The more I tried the more his grip on me tightened. He was visibly stronger than I was.

We walked for a while until we finally burst into the garden. There, I saw that a lot of students were already gathered. They must have known that Corey would catch me himself. My eyes travelled round the entire place and stopped when I saw Xena and her gang of truants. I have never seen her smile so wide since I knew her. Jorge stood behind her, an expressionless look on his face while Zaki looked amused as usual. Everyone was clearly enjoying what was about to happen.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Corey asked, staring deep into my eyes, “Will you beg for forgiveness?”

“I already did but you didn’t listen,” I snapped back. Even if he was going to do anything to me, I wasn’t going down without a fight.

“You are still trying to act tough even when you are on the chopping board?” He raised an eyebrow at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. I knew people like Corey and how they operated. They liked their prey timid and begging for mercy but that was his loss. I will never beg him to spare me. If there was no justice in this school, then I was more than willing to lay down my life than beg.

“What will you do?” I snapped again, “kill me or make my life a living hell? What exactly do you want me to do rather than say sorry?”

His eyes darkened and he took a step closer to me. He was furious, his jaw was clenched tight.

“You talk too much,” Corey hissed and grabbed my neck and my breath immediately cut off but at that moment, a hand drooped on his shoulder and I raised my head to see Branko. I didn’t know if I sighed in relief because I saw him—Corey’s grip was tight.

“That’s enough, Corey” he said, “let her go,”

Corey hesitated for a moment, he didn’t look like he wanted to do what he was being asked.

“Let her go, Corey” Branko said again “and yes, this was a good one. It helped with everyone’s speed training,”

What? My jaw dropped. Was he being serious right now? Here I was fighting for my life and he was praising Corey for a job well done? He should have handed Corey a knife and asked him to stab me with it.

“But we are not done with her yet, coach” Corey said, “this will build her up the more. I was only trying to help”

I scoffed. He might as well kill me.

“That’s enough now,” Branko added, “if anything happens to another student a few weeks after enrollment, don’t you think that will be a disaster? The hunting game could also be abolished if words get out. Do you understand that?”

So this was even illegal in all ramifications. f**k! I want to pull out all their hair.

“You shouldn’t waste your time on someone weaker than you, Corey”

That cut through me like a blade but I didn’t say a word, I just kept staring.

“Everyone should go take a rest. Classes resume in a few minutes. Eleanor,” his gaze dropped to me, “come with me”

Without another word, he turned around and made his way and I immediately followed him. Even if I didn’t like any of them, it was better to go with Branko now than Corey.

Rolling my eyes at Corey, I immediately followed Branko and I heard him cuss behind me. This was not over, I knew it.

I followed Branko until we entered his office and I watched him lower himself on his chair before gesturing me to the one opposite him.

“You really need to stop acting like you know it all, Eleanor,” he began, his gaze becoming intense.

I scoffed. What the heck was I expecting? I was the one who was almost killed but well, I was always the problem.

“You need to tone down your promiscuity, Eleanor”

“I was the one who was almost killed, coach”

“If you do not tone down your actions, everyone will find out who you are, Eleanor”

“What?” A confused look flashed through my face.

“If I had arrived a minute later, you would be dead, princess,” he further added, confirming my suspicions—he knew who I was.