Blue wolf

AI has been used to translate this story from Dutch to English.

Ravy pov

I walked through the corridors of St. Lovelace Academy, keeping to the shadows where my grey dress helped camouflage me against the matching stone walls. I preferred it that way—remaining as invisible as possible. The students moved past me in dense throngs. Though they didn’t seem to actively notice me, they instinctively steered clear of my path. That suited me just fine. I had been teaching politics and history here for ten years now, but sometimes I felt as though I had been part of the furniture at this elite werewolf academy for an eternity. Only within the walls of my own classroom was I truly visible, and there I expected my students to listen and perform to the absolute limit of their abilities. I held compassion for those who genuinely tried but struggled, but I had zero tolerance for those who slacked off.

Reaching the heavy wooden door of the Headmaster’s office, I paused before knocking. I had been summoned here with utmost urgency. Although I knew and trusted the Headmaster well, I still preferred to avoid him. Solitude was my sanctuary. From inside, the low rumble of two male voices reached my ears. I recognized Adrian’s voice, but the other was entirely new. It was a commanding voice, clearly unused to defiance—authoritative and cold.

“Your staff keeps you waiting, Adrian, and by extension, they keep me waiting. I expect better.”

“She will be here momentarily, Edmond. She was finishing a class, and she is not the type to abandon her post for anything. That is simply her nature,” I heard the placating voice of the Headmaster. I could detect the tremor in his tone; he was trying desperately to sound steady, but an underlying current of submission—perhaps even fear—bled through. I knew Adrian was loyal, but his bravado was often nothing more than hot air. Something I had little patience for.

I knocked. It wasn’t even a hard strike, but in the hollow, empty corridors, it echoed like a cannon shot.

“Enter, Ravy.”

I pushed the heavy door open and was instantly hit by a wave of sandalwood, hearthfire, and old books. The scent belonged to the stranger. Yet, his scent—which carried an innate sense of trust—seemed entirely at odds with the large, broad-shouldered man in an expensive tailored suit who stood with his back to me. He was staring out the window, giving no sign that he even registered my presence.

“Ravy, thank you for coming. This is Mr. Lovelace, great-grandson of the academy’s founder.”

Ah. The father of the twins, Robert and Lia. The Alpha children who were as lazy as they were arrogant, fully convinced that their family name alone would guarantee them passing marks. I had a vague suspicion as to why he was here.

“Mr. Lovelace,” I said politely, dipping my head just slightly. He would get nothing more from me.

He turned around slowly, a single eyebrow arched, and locked his eyes directly onto mine. I refused to break eye contact or lower my gaze. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Adrian shifting nervously, but I ignored him. We held each other’s gaze for a long moment, while I quietly waited to see what he would bring to the table. With a cynical smirk, he seemed to decide to break the silence first.

“Miss Liberta... an exotic name. Certainly not from around here.”

I saw no reason to respond to the bait. It was blindingly obvious, so both denying or confirming it felt entirely useless.

“You teach my twins,” his voice suddenly turned sharp and businesslike, as if he suddenly remembered his time was too valuable to waste on pleasantries. “They are both failing your class, despite excelling in all their other subjects. This is their graduation year, meaning a failing grade could hold them back. That is not an option. Can you explain the discrepancy between your marks and those of your colleagues?”

“Why they receive high marks from others is a question you will have to put to my colleagues, Mr. Lovelace. It remains a mystery to me as well.” By now, I was thoroughly irritated by his tone and his insinuations. “In my curriculum, they were required to complete both an exam and a written dissertation. Their sole justification in the essay regarding the underlying motives for the betrayal of the Privet Order in 1376 was literally: ‘Because I say so.’ I do not accept such laziness. Furthermore, they completely botched their exam; not a single answer was entirely correct. They barely scraped by with a D- out of sheer mercy. I do not grade based on lineage, Mr. Lovelace. I grade solely on performance and effort.”

His eyes gleamed, and for a fleeting second, I wondered if I had pushed too far.

“They will raise their grades. I guarantee you that. Give them a re-test.”

I contemplated fighting back, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Adrian cowering, pale-faced, in his large leather chair. I had likely used up all my leeway.

“They can take a re-test on Monday. However, the grade for the dissertation stands. Regardless of how perfectly they perform on the test, the highest they can raise their final average is to a bare minimum passing grade, a D. To earn anything higher, they will need to demonstrate sustained motivation over time. They are entirely capable of it—they are intelligent children—but they rely entirely on the weight of their name.”

Adrian looked as though he might crawl under the desk at any moment. The other man’s face remained utterly inscrutable, like a statue carved from granite. He merely gave a stiff nod and strode right past me. He left the door wide open as he marched out, flanked by two hulking brutes in tailored suits—one of whom was presumably his Beta.

Even though he was gone, his absence left a suffocating silence in the room, as if his raw energy still clung to the walls. I exhaled, only now realizing I had been holding my breath. His scent still pricked my nostrils, lingering in the air around me.

“Ravy... do you have any idea what you have just done, speaking to him like that? He is the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack, and by far the most powerful man in this territory. He owns everything. If someone could own the sky, it would belong to him. You have just made an enemy... and I pray the school hasn’t made one either...” Adrian looked utterly distraught, running both hands through his hair simultaneously. His terror was pungent, vibrating through his aura.

I felt a small prickle of pity for him, but mostly, I was annoyed. “He is accustomed to getting away with everything, and so are his children. I see no reason to stroke his inflated ego any further. Furthermore, this is an institution of learning, and I take my duty as an educator seriously. What kind of lesson would I be teaching them if they could secure passing marks with nothing but an arrogant attitude and a loud mouth?”

I was done with this conversation. I turned on my heel, desperate to retreat back into my own bubble of invisibility.

“Ravy, please,” Adrian pleaded behind me. “Just don’t provoke him any further on Monday during that test. I mean, don’t provoke him against you. You know how dangerous it is if he takes a personal interest in you. He is the ultimate man you need to stay invisible from.”