Chapter 1 Scholarship Girl

VANESSA'S POV

The beeping of my alarm is the worst sound in the world. It's 5:30 AM, and my phone is screaming at me from the bedside table. I groan and reach out to kill the noise, but my fingers miss and I end up knocking the phone onto the floor. Great. Just great.

I lean over the edge of the bed to grab it. My phone screen is cracked in three different places, but it still works. Barely. I lie there for a minute, staring at the ceiling of my dorm room. It's small, plain and smells like the lemon cleaner the cleaners use to hide the fact that this building is old. This is Cresthaven Point Academy. It’s an expensive boarding school in California for kids whose parents basically own the sun, the moon, and the stars.

And then there's me. Vanessa Vance. The scholarship girl. I’m the one who has to be perfect, get straight A's, and never cause trouble just to keep my spot here. If I mess up once, I’m out.

Everyone thinks I’m lucky to be here. They think I’m some quiet girl who is grateful for the chance to study with the rich kids.

They have no idea.

Being poor isn't my biggest problem. Not even close.

I'm an only child, which means all my parents' stress is dumped right on me. I check my phone and see a missed text from my mom.

Mom: Did you lock the door? Be careful today, V. Don't let anyone notice anything. We love you.

I sigh and delete the message. My parents are terrified. They think if I even sneeze too loud, the world will find out what we are. We’re werewolves. In a world where my kind is supposed to be extinct, staying invisible isn't just a choice; it's how we stay alive. It's a lot to deal with every day.

I get up and start my routine. I use a cheap bar of soap, then I spray some vanilla body spray to hide the smell of trees and leaves that usually sticks to my skin.

Living here for eight weeks has been exhausting. Cresthaven is beautiful, sure. The buildings look like castles and the grass is always perfectly green. But the people? They are a lot. They walk around in designer clothes and think they’re better than everyone just because they’re rich. They treat me like I’m nothing, and I let them because It’s easier that way.

I finish getting ready and head out. My plan is simple: be invisible. If nobody sees me, nobody can mess with me. But today, my wolf is being a total pain.

As I step out of my room and head down the hallway, the smell hits me like a blow. Most people wouldn't notice, but my nose is a curse. The hallway is filled with five hundred different types of expensive perfumes, body mist, and cologne. It’s too much. The scent of vanilla, sandalwood, and heavy roses clashing together gives me a serious headache. It feels like someone is poking my brain with a needle.

The hallway is already crowded. I passed a group of girls talking about some party that was lit AF over the weekend. They're laughing so loud it sounds like thunder in my ears. Everything is louder for me. Someone slams a locker three rows down and I jump. To them, it's just a noise, but to me, it feels like someone is hitting my chest with a hammer.

I'm almost at my locker when the air feels different. It gets colder, or maybe just heavier. I don't need to look up to know who is blocking my locker.

Adrian Thorne.

He's leaning against the metal locker door like he owns it. His friends are all around him, the Elites. They're the hottest guys in school, and they know it, but they’re also the biggest jerks. Adrian is wearing his varsity jacket, looking bored as he scrolls through his phone.

"Vance," he says, not even looking up from his phone. He just holds out his hand like I’m a servant.

I know the drill. I’ve been doing his History homework for weeks now. It’s the tax I pay to keep him and his friends from bullying me. I reach into my bag and pull out the assignment.

Honestly, I’m so done with his attitude. I don't look away this time. I just hold the paper out and wait.

"Here," I mutter, handing it to him.

Usually, he just takes it and walks away. But today, Adrian finally looks at me. His eyes are gray and sharp, like he's trying to see right through my skin. He takes the paper, but he doesn't let go of the corner when I try to pull away.

He leans in a little closer, and my heart starts to beat very fast.

"Is this good, Vance?" he asks. His voice is low and smooth, but there's something else in it. "Because my grade is trash right now. If I fail, you fail."

"It’s better than you deserve," I say.

I can’t believe I actually said that to his face. Adrian stares at me for a second, looking surprised. He stays right in my space, squinting like he’s trying to figure me out

Inside, I'm screaming. I'm so done with this. I'm smarter than all these kids combined, but I have to play the servant. Last night, I finally snapped. I did his whole paper on the Cold War, but I messed up the facts on purpose. I wrote that the Soviet Union won because they had better disco dancers. I even put a tiny, pink heart over the "i" in his name at the top of the page.

I can’t wait to see the teacher's reaction. Adrian is going to look like a total idiot.

But Adrian doesn't move away. He stays in my space, his eyes squinting at me. He takes a deep breath, and I freeze. Is he... is he smelling me?

"You're acting weird today," he says. "Why are you shaking?"

"I'm not," I lied. I’m actually shaking because I’m trying so hard not to punch him. "Just take the paper, Adrian."

My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure he can hear it. I'm terrified he's going to notice the smell of trees on me, even under the vanilla spray. He's like a bloodhound. He stays there for a second too long, his fingers brushing against mine as he finally pulls the paper away.

"Whatever," he says, finally letting go. "Don't mess with me, Vanessa. I'm not in the mood."

He turns back to his friends, laughing at a joke one of them made. I quickly open my locker, grab my books, and head for class. I can feel his eyes on my back the whole way down the hall.

I reach the classroom and sit in the very back, pulling my hoodie up. I need to disappear. I need to be a ghost again. But I can still feel the spot on my hand where his skin touched mine.

Adrian Thorne is a problem. He's not just an annoying jock anymore. He's starting to look at me like I'm a puzzle he wants to solve. And for a girl with a secret like mine, being a puzzle is the most dangerous thing in the world.

I watch the clock on the wall, waiting for class to start. I wanted to prank him and have a little fun. But now that the bomb is ticking, I'm starting to think I made a huge mistake.

Because when Adrian Thorne finds out someone made a fool of him, he doesn't just get mad. He gets even.