Scarlet Moon: The Marked Heir

CHAPTER EIGHT

Aria's POV

Just as I was about to scream, a hand clamped over my mouth, pressing me against the wall while the door slammed shut behind us. “Quiet now, they can hear everything. t’s best if you stay quiet."

I turned to face the boy who had pulled me inside; it was the same guy I had defended when Rowan was at the height of beating him up. He gazed into my eyes, his round glasses sitting just right on his face.

He gradually pulled his hand away from my lips, his eyes quickly flicking to the door. After a few moments of silence, he swung the door open and took another look. He turned to me and asked, “What did you do?”

The tone emerged with a hint of worry, resembling an adult gently reprimanding a young pup. I let out a sigh and cleared my throat, putting in all my effort to make my voice sound deeper. Perhaps over time, I’ll adapt to it, without needing to put in much effort.

“What?”

He quickly held out his phone for me to see. The video that Rowan had captured of me was right there. The comments were wild, filled with insults and mockery.

“Rowan doesn’t just choose random guys and shove his phone in their face.” His voice emerged with a sense of urgency as he pieced it all together. “You must have done something to catch his eye.”

He was right, even though it was only my second week at this academy. Rowan wasn't just evil; he reveled in his sadism. He found happiness in hurting others, but he didn’t just choose anyone. He selected those who seemed vulnerable, individuals he could easily dominate without any pushback, or those who dared to challenge him in the things that brought him joy.

Looks like I messed up by standing up for this glass guy here.

“Oh… I did really need to thank you, you know.” He let out a chuckle, tucked his phone away in his pocket, and flicked on the lights. This place was awesome! It felt like stepping into a walk-in closet filled with amazing gadgets. He looked like the ultimate gamer, surrounded by a massive monitor, sleek keyboards, and vibrant gaming pads. He was cool, with all sorts of headsets and more!

“What for?”

He rubbed his shoulder, and his ear turned bright red, clearly showing his embarrassment. “Thanks for saving me out there; otherwise, Rowan would have torn me to shreds.”

I watched him closely; he seemed like the kind of person who would prefer to swat a fly than engage in conversation with anyone. His face alone revealed that he wasn’t troublesome, or perhaps he was just weak, but… I was curious about what he did to make Rowan so angry, even though he and his group of friends were laughing away.

“It’s fine,” I waved my hands, brushing off the compliments. I'm not quite sure how to gracefully accept compliments.

“So, what did you do to make Rowan so mad that he nearly dug his claw into you?”

Glass dude sighed as he made his way to the table and plopped down on it. The chair was so big that he had to place both of his feet on it. “I had a chat with Vivian.”

Absolutely, Vivian! I don’t know her well, but she often shows up at the training yard with Rowan beside her. Just because she’s his friend, she acts like she owns the world, ready to stomp on anything that crosses her path.

Absolutely, she was strong. On my first day, I witnessed her suddenly transform into her wolf form and pounce on one of the girls, all because Rowan had given her a compliment. Everyone knows what happens when he does that.

“I didn’t really talk to Vivian.” He pressed his hand against the bridge of his nose. “She came to me and asked if I could do some assessments for her.”

“Then Rowan spotted us, and I suppose it really set him off.”

I nodded, captivated by his story. I thought he might be one of the juniors, just because of how tall he was. At first glance, he seemed one way, but there was so much more to him—he was also incredibly skillful! I’m not sure, but I can sense it.

“I told him straight up that I was only lending a hand because of something, and Vivian wasn’t making things any easier.”

I let out a sigh, wondering how someone could feel so at ease simply because his father was the alpha of their territory, granting him the freedom to do whatever he wanted with anyone, all thanks to his powers.

“Sorry…” I mumbled, not feeling sad about his story, but because no one had ever shared such words with me before, since the pains. Still, I wanted this person to feel better.

“Nahh, no need to feel sorry for me.” He let out another chuckle, as if it were the most amusing thing in the world. I could see he was making an effort to brighten the atmosphere here. “He had pulled stunts like that before. He mostly had me do things for him because I'm a hybrid."

I took a sharp breath… my mouth was agape, continually staying that way. Hybrids were not purebreds; they were half-breeds or mixed breeds, and finding hybrids was quite a rarity. But just like the omegas or a pack member whose shift came later than usual, they are viewed as the underdogs. They are treated poorly and subjected to various forms of abuse.

Yet, there's one thing about hybrids that remains a mystery to them. They possess a unique kind of strength and abilities. While they don’t fully transform into wolves, their upper bodies undergo an exciting change, and they often appear slightly larger than ordinary wolves. However, not all of them possess strength; some tend to be weak, particularly those who are half wolf and half human.

“You… you didn’t see this coming?”

I nodded, having only heard tales of hybrids from my pack, but I had never laid eyes on one before. “Absolutely, it’s super cool!”

“No, it’s not,” he interrupted, his voice tinged with a hint of anger. I lifted my eyebrows at him, eager for him to elaborate further. “Hybrids here are similar to omegas. They despise us, labeling us as half breeds. It's really frustrating!"

I gasped in surprise as the realization hit me. I found myself admiring them, but halfbreeds were not loved in her pack; they were sent into exile.

“I’m the only hybrid here, and it feels like no one wants to be seen with me, or else they’ll get picked on.”

I blinked, remembering how he was laughed at for simply being himself, unable to change who he was. It filled me with sadness as I recalled the times I was teased for being the only one who hadn’t shifted. People quickly decided I was just an omega without a wolf. Even though they occasionally look down on me, my father's and brother's status often comes to my rescue.

“Oops, my bad, man…” I let out a sigh, and then he waved it up, a grin spreading across his face.

“No need to say sorry, you haven't done anything wrong.” He replied, tapping his finger on the nails, “Besides, it was quite a surprise to see someone stand up for me.” Thanks a lot!

We stayed silent for a while, and I took a seat on one of the chairs. My heart raced as I pondered when I would finally escape this small, unfamiliar room. I observed him skillfully tapping away at the keyboard, immersed in his video games. His character delivered a bloody kill to his opponent, despite having a human form.

It even made me forget that I had to leave, and then I coughed a little. “You never mentioned your name.”

“Oh… I'm sorry. I’m Raphael!” He glanced at me for a moment before shifting his focus back to his computer. “And I know you’re Arian; you’re already becoming famous around here.”

I chuckled nervously and gave a nod. Raphael was the very first person who showed me kindness since my arrival here. With a burst of energy, I stood up once more and swung the door open, eager to catch a glimpse of the hallway. My lungs tightened, my heart raced,

Noticing it was already empty, I moved quietly toward my room. Just as I was about to reach for the door, a hand shot out, grabbing me and pinning me against the wall.