Chapter 3

In the office, Professor Doyle sat behind his desk, casually twirling a pen in his hand.

"Seraphina, someone reported you for engaging in immoral transactions off-campus."

He tossed a stack of photos onto the desk. They were pictures of me getting into my family's car the other day.

"Professor Doyle, that's a rumor." I took a deep breath before continuing, "These men are actually my family."

"Family?" Professor Doyle snorted with contempt. "As far as I know, your file lists you as an orphan who got in on scholarship. Don't tell me the orphanages are filled with people driving Rolls-Royce now? Seraphina, there's a limit to lying."

He stood up and came to a stop in front of me after rounding the desk.

"The academy has zero tolerance for scandals like this, and expulsion is certain. However…" His voice dropped to a low murmur as his gaze grew thick with desire and began to slowly roam all over me.

"I've always been quite interested in the Lumarian genetic structure. If you're willing to be my private research specimen, I could consider suppressing this for you. Come to my apartment tonight and assist with some data collection."

"Professor Doyle." I took a step back, my eyes turning cold. "If I recall correctly, your mother is a jackal, isn't she? And in the werewolf bloodline hierarchy, jackal-wolf hybrids are classified as a C-rank bloodline. So, does an impure half-breed like you even have the right to talk about genetics?"

The air instantly froze.

Professor Doyle's face flushed a dark, mottled purple.

"W-What did you say? You lowly nobody!"

He raised his hand to strike me, but I turned and rushed out after yanking the door open.

Behind me, Professor Doyle's roar echoed, "Seraphina, you're finished! I'll make sure you won't be able to survive anywhere in the entire werewolf territory."

I sprinted out of the office building. Panic drove me into a narrow side path, only to find a dead end at a high wall.

Heavy footsteps thudded behind me.

Killian, along with several other he-wolves, blocked the entrance to the path. In his hand, he held a large pair of sharp scissors.

"Go on, keep running. Why'd you stop?"

Killian snipped the air with the scissors. "Word is Professor Doyle is furious. Hey Seraphina, did you know that Lumarian dark hair fetches a high price on the black market, especially if it's natural?

"If I cut off your hair and sell it to the wig factory, that should cover the cost of my combat boots, right?"

"Stay back!" I pressed my back against the wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.

"Grab her!" Killian ordered.

Two boys rushed forward, pinning my shoulders and slamming me against the wall.

Killian walked over and grabbed a lock of my long hair. He then brought it to his nose and took a deep breath.

"Mm, it smells so good. Too bad it's on a half-breed's head."

The scissors came down with a snip, and a lock of dark hair drifted lightly to the ground.

I lifted my head, no longer hiding the murderous gleam in my eyes, and stared fixedly at Killian.

He faltered for a moment under my gaze.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped before slapping me across the face with the back of his hand.

Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth.

I didn't cry, nor did I struggle anymore. Instead, I reached into my pocket with my free hand and pulled out another phone. Then, I pressed the red emergency call button. It was answered instantly.

"Uncle Neil, someone cut my hair," I said calmly. "He also called us new money upstarts and said he'd sell my hair to buy new combat boots."

There was a second of silence on the other end of the line, then came an earsplitting howl.

"Which piece of trash did that to you? Send me your location, and I'll bring the Royal Enforcement Squad to wipe out his entire bloodline right now!"

After hanging up, the campus broadcast suddenly crackled with a sharp burst of static.

"Announcement—all faculty and students, proceed to the Combat Arena immediately for a disciplinary assembly. Seraphina Vane, report to the stage at once for a self-reflection session."

Killian tossed the scissors aside and grabbed my arm.

"Hear that? Your judgment day has come. Let's go—it's time for the whole school to enjoy your little self-reflection session."