Reckless Royals of Nocturne Prep

8. The First Class

RAE

I sat on the edge of my bed, my cheek still sore from the slap from those cruel bullies. The folder Cassian had given me lay on my lap, a little wrinkled now after everything. My fingers brushed over the creases as I flipped it open. A class schedule stared back at me, all neat fonts and color-coded boxes. Most students would start fresh on Mondays. Today was Thursday. Maybe it would’ve been smart to wait. Take time to settle, hide, lick my wounds.

But if I waited, those girls would get there first. Their whispers would twist my story into something unrecognizable. They’d poison the air before I even stepped into a room. And I knew better than anyone how fast people believed the first version of a truth, no matter how false it was.

I glanced at the photo still tucked behind the lamp. Saraphina and Luca. Her smile lit up her whole face. I didn’t remember her smiling like that for me, not since we were kids. And him… Luca Ashborne. His name echoed in my head. I didn’t know why, but something about that photo wouldn’t leave me alone. If anyone knew what happened to Saraphina, it had to be him.

I stood up, shaking off the ache in my knees. If I stayed in this room, I’d never leave. I’d curl up in a corner and vanish. That’s what they wanted. That’s what people like my father and those cruel girls expected from Omegas. But I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction.

My first class was in the west wing, third floor. Shifter Studies: Pack Structure and Instinct. I’d be walking into a room full of wolves, maybe vampires too. I straightened my spine and walked out.

The halls were quieter than before. A few students passed by, giving me a once-over. I heard a few whispers, caught my name in the air, followed by snickers. I kept walking.

The classroom door was already open. Inside, the professor was at the front, tall and broad with salt-and-pepper hair and a presence that made you straighten your back whether you wanted to or not. The room smelled like pine and sweat. Dozens of eyes turned toward me the second I stepped in.

I took a shaky breath and walked down the steps. The professor stopped mid-sentence.

“You’re late,” he said, his voice even but not unkind.

“I’m sorry. I’m new,” I said, holding up my folder like it explained anything.

He tilted his head. “Name?”

“Rae Vale.”

The room went still.

“Vale?” he repeated, brows lifting. “As in…”

“I’m related to the Vales,” I said quickly. “Distantly.”

He looked at me for a beat longer, then nodded. “Welcome, Miss Vale. There’s an empty seat in the back. Take it.”

I slid into the seat, heart thudding. Around me, students murmured, but I didn’t catch all the words. My wolf stirred, uneasy but curious.

The class went on. He talked about dominance displays, scent-marking, the importance of posture in pack interactions. I took notes, grateful for the distraction. One girl beside me—blonde, freckles, soft voice—let me copy a section I missed. When I thanked her, she smiled. It was small, but it felt real.

Maybe this place wasn’t so bad.

Class ended with the ringing of a soft bell, and students started packing up. The professor walked out, talking to a senior near the door. I turned to the girl beside me.

“Thanks again for letting me copy that,” I said.

“No problem,” she said, then stood to leave.

Before she could walk away, I asked, “Do you know Luca Ashborne?”

She froze. Her smile vanished.

The slap came so fast I didn’t see it coming.

My head snapped to the side. My hand flew to my cheek as heat bloomed under my skin.

“I tried to be nice but how dare filth speak to me,” she hissed.

The entire class went quiet. Then laughter. A few chuckles at first, then louder. It rolled across the room like a wave, crashing over me.

She pulled out a tiny bottle of sanitizer and rubbed her hand like she’d touched something diseased. “You’ve got a lot of nerve for an Omega,” she sneered. “What’s next? Going after Luca? Or maybe Conrad Firstchild next? Or will it be Kieran Duskmoor?”

I blinked, stunned. “Omega? I’m not sure what you mean.”

A boy near the back leaned forward. His eyes glittered with interest. “Should I play with your pheromones? See if you drop to your knees and beg for my c**k?”

“Gods,” the girl muttered, laughing. “Do it. I want to see how Omegas beg. Always heard they looked pathetic in heat.”

I stood, the chair scraping behind me. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Too late,” another voice said.

The door slammed shut. A tall boy I didn’t know stood in front of it, arms crossed, blocking the way.

“You look terrified,” he said. “Relax. No one’s going to touch you. We just want to see how lower life forms react to superior genes.”

My legs moved on instinct. I tried to rush past him, but he shoved me back. I stumbled, caught myself on a desk.

“You think you’re better than us?” the girl said. “Coming in here with your Vale name, an Omega bastard pretending you’re one of us? You don’t belong here.”

Her hand struck out again, but I blocked it. Barely. Another blow came, this time to my side. I dodged it, but not well. A kick caught me in the shin. Pain bloomed up my leg. My wolf whimpered inside me.

“How dare you,” she snapped. “You don’t get to fight back. You’re nothing.”

They circled me. Shoving. Slapping. Laughing. I crouched low, arms up, trying to shield my face. My breathing turned shallow. My chest tightened. My eyes stung, but I didn’t cry. I refused.

And then I smelled it.

That scent. Rich, sharp, sweet. Like rain on burning wood. It was similar. Akin even. To Cassian the incubus. I thought for a second it was him. My heart leapt with relief.

The door swung open and the hope that bloomed in my chest shattered.

It wasn’t Cassian.

A boy stepped into the room. Tall, lean, with a face that looked like it had been carved out of moonlight. His eyes scanned the chaos, slow and cold. Then they found me.

And everything stopped.

My wolf went still. Then it spoke.

Mate.

My heart skipped a beat. I stared, breath caught in my throat. Blood pounded in my ears. I barely felt the next kick that caught my shoulder. My eyes were locked on him. On the way his hands curled into fists. On the way his jaw clenched when he saw me on the floor.

I didn’t know his name. I didn’t know who he was or why he looked at me like that.

But my wolf had never been wrong. I felt it too. Then my eyes left his face and wandered to the name tag clipped to his shirt.

Luca Ashborne.

The photograph's other half stood before me, no longer frozen in time but breathing, real, and staring at me like I'd shattered his world just by existing.

And I… I was too broken to question it.

All I could do was whisper one word, low and afraid, as the room fell silent.

“What?”