"You aren't cleaning my study anymore. As of tomorrow, you are an official student at the North Elite Academy."
Faith's eyes widened. "The... the academy? But I can't go there! I'm a Dud! It's for the top shifters in the country, they will kill me!".
"I'm an Alpha, Faith. I don't give suggestions," Killian said, his voice dropping into that bossy, authoritative tone. "I'm sending you there as my 'ward.' Your cover story is that your late parents were loyal friends of my family. The administration won't dare ask questions."
"But what about the competition? My scholarship—"
"Forget the scholarship," Killian interrupted, leaning over the desk. "You don't need their charity. Consider this an investment. I want that brain of yours in my tech division, and to get there, you need an elite degree. I'm paying the tuition. The debt of the car... we'll adjust the interest later."
He looked her up and down, his nose wrinkling. "But first, we have a problem. You look like you're about to go to a funeral." Follow me! Huh? To where? Faith muttered. Killian didn't answer instead he dragged her arm while he walked to his garage.
Three hours later, Faith stood in the center of the most exclusive boutique in the North City. The lighting was flattering, the floors were white marble, and the air smelled like money.
"I have no idea what to choose," she admitted to the sales associate, who was looking at her simple, worn dress with poorly hidden disdain.
"Everything on that rack," Killian said, sweeping his hand toward the 'Limited Edition' collections. He was sitting in a high-backed leather chair, looking profoundly bored, but his gaze never left Faith. "She needs an entirely new wardrobe. Formal, casual, academic. If it doesn't cost more than a year's rent in the trenches, it's not for her."
He looked at the manager. "And get her out of that hideous thing she's wearing. She's a Nightshade ward now. Make her look like it."
A group of sales associates quickly ushered faith to the dressing room.For an hour, they draped her in fabrics she never wore before or even know the names of. They painted her lips, brushed and styled her hair until it looked like silk, and slipped her feet into designer shoes that made her feel ten feet tall.
When the curtain finally pulled open, Killian was mid-text. He looked up, and for the second time that week, the powerful Alpha completely forgot how to breathe.
Faith stood there, no longer looking like the tired orphan. She was wearing a perfectly tailored, midnight-blue cocktail dress that brought out the warmth in her skin. Her high cheekbones were highlighted, her soulful eyes large and capturing. The dress emphasized her subtle curves, curves her maid's uniform had hidden.
Killian's throat went dry. His wolf, which usually remained passive until challenged, let out a possessive, thunderous roar.she no longer smells of bleach. She now smelled of Rain and wild honey. It was her scent. The Dud's scent. And it was driving him crazy.
He stood up, his intense gaze never left hers as He walked toward her, and for a split second, the polished concrete floor seemed to turn to grass. The mall sounds faded.
He reached out, his finger grazing her cheekbone, making her skin sizzle with that familiar electricity.
"I thought you said I was just an investment," Faith said softly, her breath catching as he leaned close.
Killian paused, his eyes glowing gold. "An investment is meant to appreciate in value, Faith," he murmured, his voice thick with a strained desire. "I didn't realize how quickly that would happen."
The next morning, the high tension between them had settled into a heavy, dynamic silence. Killian was driving her to the Academy in his new Rolls Royce, and Faith was gripping the handle of her sleek new backpack.
As they pulled up to the gates, a low vibration of sound hit the car. It wasn't music; it was the combined scent and noise of a thousand young, powerful shifters in one place.
Faith looked at the massive gothic building, her stomach churning. She was the only Dud. She had zero protection. Killian couldn't be inside the school with her.
"Faith," Killian said, pulling the car to a halt. He turned to her, his expression unusually serious. He handed her a silver bracelet—heavy and cool. "If anyone so much as looks at you wrong, you press that button. My guards are stationed in the nearby trees. I'll be here in two minutes."
He reached out and squeezed her hand. His hand was warm, grounding her. "You are smarter than they are, Faith. Use that. Let them underestimate you. And remember…. his voice dropped, "You belong to the Nightshade Alpha. Nobody touches you."
Faith walked through the massive gates alone. As she checked her schedule, a hand suddenly slammed onto her backpack , nearly making her drop it. A group of students surrounded her, led by the familiar scent of vanilla and expensive perfume.
Maya was standing there, surrounded by five powerful-looking wolves. She looked at Faith's elite new wardrobe, her new phone, and her confident posture, and her face contorted with jealousy.
"Look what the trash drug in," Maya sneered, her eyes glowing amber. "I heard you got lucky and found a fancy sponsor, Dud. But did your sponsor tell you that in this school, we take 'investment' strictly ? It's hunting season."