The sun sank toward the horizon.
The afterglow threw swathes of red and orange across the sky. The golden beams glided through the large window of St. Michael Academy and enveloped the crouching figure.
Severine's vision was blurry.
"Ughh!"
A strangled gasp slipped through her parted lips.
A young man with unnatural blonde hair twisted her arms behind her back, forcing another wave of pain.
Cold sweat dripped down her temples. It merged into a thin line before sliding inside the collar of her white shirt.
However, the main culprit of Severine's state wasn't the man, but Emily Rhodes.
Clothed in a blue blazer and grey skirt, Emily's heels clicked on the floor as she approached Severine.
"Bring Alina here tomorrow, or you lose your hand. Understand?"
Despite the sweet voice, her blue eyes were filled with contempt.
The kneeling position with her arms twisted behind her back made Severine uncomfortable. Yet she refused to utter another word.
It wasn't that she didn't want to speak, but she was well aware of the reality now. No matter what she said, it would be useless.
Instead, it might make her situation worse.
After all, in front of the "Awakened," she, a mere human, was no match.
She just wanted this to be over and return to her dorm room.
However, Emily refused to let her go easily.
She pulled Severine's long black hair back. Staring at the cold expression on that exquisite face made her teeth itch with hate.
No matter what she did, it was almost impossible to get any reaction from this cold doll.
"As stubborn as ever, I see. Should I give a call to my father?"
That threat brought a faint flicker of anxiety to bubble up in Severine's dark eyes. But it vanished just as quickly.
It's okay, I just have to endure a bit. Just a bit...
Her gaze slipped past Emily and landed on the figure in the corner.
Grey pants made his legs look long, while the blue academy blazer rested on his elbow. The top three buttons were deliberately left open, showing the healthy physique.
The unmistakable physical dominance of a wolf-blooded heir showed in the way his shirt stretched over his exaggerated muscles.
To others, this was the picture of a handsome youngster, capable of impressing the young girls with his wild charm.
Yet, to Severine, this person was nothing but a lunatic. The very source of her nightmare.
Damien Rhodes was Emily Rhodes's twin brother and the young heir of Rhodes Corporation.
Both had piercing blue eyes akin to deep sapphires, the famous trait of the Rhodes family, the well-known descendants of the ancient Wolves.
Leaning against the wall, his tall frame was covered in shadow, making it hard to see his features. But that couldn't hide the wildness evident in his raised eyebrows.
A cigarette dangled between his smirking lips as he looked back at Severine.
"Damn it! You still dare to look back at me?!" Emily, not realizing where Severine's gaze was, slapped her so hard that her face instantly bruised.
"Mmmh!"
Severine bit her lip hard, reluctant to cry out loud.
The sharp static beeped in her ear, igniting the flame of rage she had been trying to suppress.
Barely concealed disgust threatened to spill from her pursed lips. She struggled, and the grip on her arm tightened even more.
Without a doubt, there would be bruises.
"Emily," Damien's playful voice echoed as he stepped forward. Evening light caught on the silver earring dangling from his left ear. "If you are done playing, we need to go. We can't be late for the family dinner."
Emily instantly put on a sweet smile. "Ah, yes! Silly me, I almost forgot Mom's message. Let's go, let's go."
When she turned to Severine, her smile turned malicious. "But what should we do with this disobedient girl, brother?"
Disobedient girl...
They called her as if they were talking about their servants, dismissing her at their whim.
Damn it.
"Fuck! This wretch-" the blond young man cursed when Severine twisted her arm and broke free from the restraint.
Within a second, she threw a punch at Emily.
Before her punch could land, Damien's sharp kick to her stomach sent her tumbling against the wall.
All the energy drained out of her.
Her mind went black, only intense pain exploding in her vision. Her limbs refused to move. Even breathing felt like a chore.
Her hands clutched her stomach as she lay there, curled up on the dusty floor.
A huge sense of humiliation engulfed Severine. Her teeth clenched, watery eyes blazed with hate. But she refused to let her tears fall.
Damien stared at his feet that had just kicked her and then back at Severine. "You ruined my shoes."
"You better bring that bitch here or else, it won't end with just a kick. I am not as merciful as my brother." Emily flicked her ponytail back before turning around. "Let's go."
Damien's gaze at Severine appeared as if he were looking at a dirty rag rather than a human. Then, his gaze once again travelled to his shoes. Heavy disgust in his deep blue eyes seemed to overflow.
The door clicked shut, and Severine was left alone.
She tried to breathe lightly to lessen the pain as her trembling body tried to adjust to the new bruises.
It was all true.
The coldness of the floor, the beating, those words uttered by the Rhodes twins... and her new dorm mate, Alina Hart.
If Severine hadn't dreamt of this several times already, she wouldn't have believed it either.
And yet her last night's "dream" had come true. Vividly so.
It was just that in her dreams, she couldn't resist the power of these Alpha Werewolves at all. She didn't throw a punch at her bully.
Damien hadn't looked at her either, nor had he kicked her.
What had happened now had made Severine believe in the absurd reality of her fragmented dreams.
She was living in a dark romance novel!