The midday bell rang, unleashing the hungry hordes into the main dining hall. After the previous day's humiliation, Lyrana had skipped breakfast and class assembly, spending the morning catching up on sleep in the deserted library annex.
Now, hunger gnawed at her, forcing her back into the hostile territory of the cafeteria.
She settled at her usual corner table, far from the main seating areas where the high-ranking shifters and vampires congregated.
Lunch for her was a practical affair: two slices of stale, slightly tough bread she had brought from home and a modest container of her grandmother's stew, the same vegetable stew she'd cooked two nights ago.
Lyrana carefully opened the container, and a comforting, rich aroma of savory broth, thyme, and rosemary wafted up. It was a humble, inexpensive meal, but it was warm, nourishing, and smelled like home.
She had barely lifted the spoon when a dramatic shriek cut through the general cafeteria noise.
"What is that reek?" The voice belonged to Tamsin, a high-ranking feline shifter, known for her hypersensitive nose and even more sensitive ego.
"It smells like boiled weeds and low-grade oil! Someone must have dragged in actual peasant food."
The noise level dropped as students started sniffing the air, their attention focusing on the periphery of the hall.
"Yeah, that's disgusting," another voice added. "It's near the back."
Then, Rhys, the Beta Kael had humiliated last night, spoke up, clearly eager to score points and attention. "I think it's Lyrana. She's eating some kind of river muck."
Lyrana felt her cheeks burn. It wasn't "muck"; it was carefully cooked food that had cost her grandmother's meager funds. She quickly clamped the lid back onto the container, hoping to contain the scent and the shame.
She ducked her head, trying to become small again, but it was too late. Several students were turning to look, their faces contorted in expressions of disgust and aristocratic superiority. Even the Volkov Twins, perched at their table, gave her a brief, chillingly superior glance.
Lyrana prepared herself for the inevitable stream of insults. She knew she should just leave, but she couldn't afford to waste the meal. She clutched the stale bread tightly.
Then, she felt the familiar, crushing force of the Alpha's proximity. Kael was standing directly over her table.
He hadn't made a sound. He simply was.
His shadow enveloped her, blocking the hall lights. His golden eyes swept over the half-eaten bread and the closed container of stew, then fixed on the cluster of shifters who had been taunting her.
His silence was more lethal than a shout. The wolves immediately looked away, their bravado evaporating once more.
Kael bent down, his face a terrifyingly short distance from hers.
He didn't speak. He simply snatched the container of stew from her hand and tossed it, not onto the floor, but into the nearest waste bin with a soft thud.
Lyrana gasped, her eyes widening in genuine panic. "Kael! Why did you do that? That was my lunch!"
"It stinks," he stated, his tone flat and unyielding. "You are embarrassing yourself and, by extension, distracting me."
He seized her arm in a tight, non-negotiable grip, just firm enough to leave no room for argument, but not painful.
He began dragging her out of the chair, away from her corner, and directly toward the front of the hall where the elite food service line was.
"Get up," he commanded, pulling her along.
Lyrana stumbled, trying to resist. "Stop! Kael, let go! I don't want to go up there!"
She knew what was coming. The Academy dining hall offered specialty, high-grade meals that were prohibitively expensive, costing more than her grandmother earned in a week.
"I can't afford that! I don't have the funds," she pleaded, trying to pull her arm back.
Kael ignored her completely, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He didn't even slow his powerful stride.
He dragged her right up to the front counter, where the scent of rich, slow-roasted meats and fresh, buttered bread was almost intoxicating. The two serving chefs, a pair of nervous domestic Fae, froze upon seeing the Alpha approach.
Kael released Lyrana's arm, his touch immediately replaced by the cold, heavy realization of where she was.
"Two platters," Kael told the chef, his voice devoid of inflection. "The rosemary-crusted boar and a side of the spring vegetables. And a glass of fresh orange juice."
Lyrana tried to intervene, desperation making her reckless. "No! Kael, please, stop! You don't understand, I can't pay for this! I can't take charity…"
He cut her off sharply, turning his intimidating presence entirely on her. His golden eyes were intense, challenging her defiance.
"You will eat," he stated, his voice a low, hard demand. "You will eat proper food, and you will stop carrying that wretched smell. You are my problem to deal with, and I will ensure my property is maintained."
He then pulled out his student ID card, which was linked to his pack's vast financial accounts, and handed it to the Fae chef.
Lyrana watched, mortified, as the Fae quickly swiped the card. The transaction was instant and likely cost more than ten of her grandmother's meals.
When the two platters were handed over, Kael pushed one into Lyrana's hands.
"Eat it all," he ordered, his expression softening not an ounce. "You clearly need the strength if you're going to survive the next few weeks."
He then strode back to his table, leaving Lyrana standing there, holding a plate of gourmet food she couldn't afford, having been rescued, and simultaneously humiliated, by the Alpha for the second time in less than twenty-four hours.
She carried the expensive, beautiful plate of food back to her corner, acutely aware that every eye in the hall was watching. She sat, silent and alone, staring at the roast boar.
The food smelled incredible, but the taste of shame was already overpowering.
Kael watched her from his table, his expression unreadable, confirming that the cost of his protection was her absolute compliance.