Claimed By The King(s) Of Kings

AINA

Leaving the quiet sanctuary of the infirmary felt like stepping off a peaceful island straight back into a churning ocean. As soon as the heavy oak doors shut behind them, Aina braced herself for the impact of a hundred staring eyes.

After all, news travels at the speed of light in a school full of bored, wealthy wolves that have nothing better to do with their lives then gossip about others.

”Ignore them,” Molly murmured, sliding her arm through Aina’s with absolute confidence. ”They’re just jealous that you’re walking next to the most popular girl on campus.”

Aina let out a nervous chuckle, adjusting the strap of her oversized satchel. ”Right. Jealous. That’s definitely the word I’d use for the people glaring like they want to roast me on a spit.”

”Oh, hush! You’re with me now,” Molly giggled, steering her down the grand cobblestone archway that led toward the central courtyard. ”Come on, I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the crew before lunch. They’ve been dying to meet the mash guy who threw mash at my brother.”

”Please don’t call me the mash guy,” Aina pleaded under her breath, though a small smile cracked through her anxiety. Molly holding Aina’s hand took her down to the courtyard, near the fountain to meet her friends.Sitting on a plush bench near the marble fountain at the center of the courtyard were three girls who looked like they had stepped straight off the cover of a high-fashion magazine.

First was Delilah, a tall, stunning lycan beta with long, obsidian-black hair and an array of silver rings decorating her fingers. Next to her sat Chloe, a bright-eyed wolf shifter with faint, iridescent shimmer dusting her cheekbones and a pair of wing-like accessories behind her ear.

Finally, lounging on the edge of the fountain, was Beatrice, a sharp-tongued vampire who was casually sipping an iced blood-orange tea through a glass straw.

”Look who I found!” Molly announced cheerfully, dragging Aina forward. ”Girls, this is Travis!”

Delilah looked up from her enchanted leather journal, her dark eyes scanning Aina from head to toe. A sly, knowing grin spread across her face. ”So... this is the famous Travis Whitelock. The boy who survived an encounter with the Iron Fangs and won our princess’s heart in twenty-four hours.”

”It was fake! We aren’t...!” Aina stammered frantically, catching herself just in time as Molly pinched her elbow. ”Uh, nice to meet you all! I’ve been wanting to meet the love of my life’s friends.”

Chloe let out a musical giggle,clapping her hands in excitement. ”Oh, he’s adorable! Molly, where did you find him? He looks like a tiny, ruffled puppy in that oversized blazer.”

”Hey!” Aina protested, though her face flushed a bright, burning red.

”Don’t mind them, Travis,” Beatrice said, setting her tea down with a soft clink. ”They’re just shocked that a first-year as small as you, actually had the backbone to stand up to the royals. Honestly, what you did in the dining hall yesterday? Legendary. I’ve been waiting three years for someone to humble Malric.”

Aina rubbed the back of her neck, sliding onto the bench next to Delilah. ”Honestly, I didn’t mean to. My hand just... slipped.”

”A slip that saved the whole school from dying of boredom,” Delilah laughed, closing her journal. ”Now, come on. We need to get to the Lunch hall before the best buffet items are cleared out.”

If the main academy building looked like a castle, the Moonside Lunch Hall looked like a five-star Michelin restaurant designed for ancient royalty. The dinning hall where Aina slapped Malric and the Lunch hall were two very different halls, one was used for important dinners and ceremonies only while the other was used everyday.

Aina holding Molly’s hand and surrounded by her friends made her way to the lunch hall this time without taking a single wrong turn cause she wasn’t leading the way.

In the Lunch Hall, the high vaulted ceilings were lit by floating crystal chandeliers, and long marble tables were dressed in crisp white linen. Instead of the standard cafeteria fare Aina had expected from a boarding school, the buffet tables were stacked high with outrageous, impossibly expensive delicacies.

Aina stood frozen in front of the seafood station, her tray trembling in her hands. ”Is that... actual lobster?” Aina whispered, her eyes wide as sauce-drenched lobster tails, steamed king crab legs, and garlic-butter oysters glistened under the warm lights.

”Oh, yeah,” Chloe said, casually loading two truffle-infused steak medallions onto her plate. ”The culinary staff is hired straight from the capital’s top kitchens. The wolf packs pay ridiculous tuition fees, so the school budget is basically bottomless. Try the caviar crostini, it’s actually decent today.”

Aina didn’t need to be told twice. She piled her plate high with lobster, garlic parmesan potatoes, and a slice of rich, golden pastry, her mouth watering before she even sat down. The girls sat on one of the round tables scattered across the hall, they weren’t in lines like the dining hall.

Taking her first bite of the lobster, Aina practically melted into her chair. ”Oh, Goddess...” she groaned, closing her eyes in absolute bliss. ”This is incredible. If they kick me out tomorrow, at least I’ll die well-fed.” Molly laughed loudly across the table. ”You’re so dramatic, Travis! You’re not getting kicked out. Not while you’re with me.” As they ate, Aina looked around the table. Surrounding her were four gorgeous, highly influential girls, all chatting comfortably with her like she was just one of the crew. She paused mid-chew, a sudden realization hitting her.

Wait a minute... she thought to herself, taking a sip of her sparkling raspberry lemonade. I’m disguised as a boy, sitting at a table surrounded exclusively by girls. Is no one finding this odd?

She glanced over at a nearby table where a group of Alpha males were eating mountain-sized mounds of rare meat, talking loudly about weightlifting and hunting territory. Aina suppressed a shudder. Yeah, nope. I’d much rather be here.