Shadows of the Throne

In the stillness of the early morning, before the birds began their songs.

Samantha Rendall, a 14-year-old werewolf, lay curled up and trembling in her sleep, haunted by memories of her first day at Saint Luther's Academy.

"Hey, Sam, how’s the first day treating you?" Ryan asked with a warm smile, his blue eyes crinkling as they stood in the cafeteria line.Great! Samantha replied, beaming.

"I came first in track and met Nicola. She’s really nice—I can see why you’re always hanging out with her.

"That’s awesome, Sam. Yeah, Nicola’s pretty great," he said, smiling as they grabbed their food and made their way to her group of friends sitting at a corner table.

Just as they reached the table, Nicola accidentally bumped into Samantha, causing her tray to spill all over Nicola.

Horrified, Samantha stammered, "I’m so sorry, Nicola! "It’s fine," Nicola replied with a small smile, though her red lips tightened slightly.

"Accidents happen. Would you mind helping me clean this up? "Of course! I’m really sorry—it wasn’t on purpose," Samantha said, relieved, as they headed to the girls’ bathroom together.

The moment they were inside, Nicola’s demeanor changed. She spun around, slamming Samantha against the wall with enough force to crack a tile and cut her head.You clumsy little idiot," Nicola hissed, her dark brown eyes blazing with fury.

"First, you show me up in PE, and now you dump your lunch all over me? How dare you disrespect me like this!"

 "I didn't mean to show you any disrespect and it really was an accident" Samantha whispered knowing she can hear her. "Oh, my mistake. I forgive you" Nicola says still holding her against the tiled wall her hand closing around Samantha's throat.

"NOT! Now keep your filthy little mixed blooded hands off of Ryan. I will ruin you, you will be so miserable you will wish you were never born you filthy mixed blooded slot" she spat at her.

Samantha couldn't help but stare mouth agape as the seemingly kind, bubbly, considerate and beautiful Nicola was really a psycho in disguise. "don't you dare stare at me you piece of filth" She says slamming Samantha's head against the wall again cracking more tiles and cutting her head more, the blood now trickling down the side of her face.

Releasing her Nicola takes a step back, the disgusts felt displayed on her face "Oh, one more thing.don't bother trying to tell anyone about this, it's not like they will believe you" she says with a flip of her glossy straight black hair before exiting the bathroom, leaving a stunned and bleeding Samantha sliding down against the wall.

Sitting on the floor with blood trickling down her face, beyond confused. Samantha sniffles to her self wondering if she was just having a bad dream because surely no one is THAT crazy.

Minutes pass before she wipes the few tears from her face, takes a few deep breaths to calm her self then begins cleaning the blood and food from her face and clothes.

'Ding dong, ding dong' the bell for 5th period rings. "Haah, guess I have to go back out there eventually" She sighs before fixing her hair across the small cuts along the side of her forehead.

If only she had her wolf they would have healed already.

Shaking useless thoughts from her mind she takes another set of calming breathes before pulling the bathroom door open and heading to class with her head down, hoping no one will really notice a first year with messy hair and a wet shirt.

The hair on the back of her neck begins to prickle, it feels like people are watching her. Glancing around she finds people everyone glaring at her "what the" she mumbles to herself.

Ignoring the glares she picks up speed rounding a corner and almost bumps into a bawling Nicola in the arms of her older brother Donovan, the future Alpha while Ryan is patting her back in soothing circles.

Nicola smiles a devilish grin her way before crying harder saying "that's her Donny" then wails into his shirt. "Ry, take Nici home I will deal with this trash and be there soon" Donovan practically growls, his dark blue eyes glaring at her as he passes Nicola over to Ryan and begins stalking towards her.

The rage emanating from him making it clear to anyone watching she would be in for a world of hurt. "Ry, please tell them it was an accident you saw, I didn't do anything" She begged tears welling in her eyes but he just looks down at Nicola, picks her up bridal style and walks away, not even sparing a glance in her direction.

Hurt and confused Samantha looks back to Donovan, his well muscled figure towering over her, the hatred in his eyes making her freeze in terror. "how dare you!" he growls at her, knocking her to the ground with a harsh back hand to the face, the cold concrete floor biting into the skin of her legs.

Clutching her throbbing cheek she sobs out "I didn't do it on purpose, it was an accident" more tears spilling from her eyes.

"Stay away from my sister you useless piece of shiet" he says, eyes flicking to black before kicking her in the ribs before stalking off leaving her broken and sobbing on the cold concrete.

As she lay there in the foetal position trying to collect herself both students and teachers alike walk passed giving her confused and hateful glares, no one was willing to oppose the future Alpha, not even her friends.

Her memory like dream fades to another one where Brianna and Rhianna - the Gamma's twin daughters and Nicola's closest confidants- cornered her in the bathroom, whenever they find her alone the punishments were always more severe.

As Rhianna had her pinned against the wall and unleashing on her abdomen a new face walked in the door, her face forming a horrified O which quickly turned to anger.

"what are you doing to her?" she demanded of Brianna who made her usual b*tch face scowl "it's none of your business, if you have a problem with it talk to our future Alpha, Now leave us" she said as Rhianna went back to beating Samantha.

"Stop it!" the new person said lunging at Brianna knocking her to the ground, in that moment Samantha thought she was a guardian angel with her light blue eyes, platinum blonde hair and high cheek bones.

"what is going on here?" Nicola said, having snuck in during the scuffle "they were kicking the daylights out of her" The new girl said pointing between them "As they should be, now if you don't mind leave as I have some business with this little sl*t" Nicola said sneering at Samantha.

The new girl looking at all four of them quizzically but felt she had no choice but to leave now that Nicola was involved, leaving Samantha to suffer one of her worst beatings.

Later on in the day as Samantha hobbled to a class she overheard the new girl approaching Dickface Donovan about her "Excuse me Alpha Donovan, may I have a word?" she asked "Yes you may, Dakota is it? sorry I am still learning all the new arrivals names" he said politely, the new arrivals were five adolescence ranging from 8 - 15 years of age, that were orphaned during a rogue attack in the Secridor region causing them to move to Vostria to join their new guardians who reside there.

"Yes that's me, I was just wondering what the story is with Samantha Rendall, I saw her being bullied and when I tried to intervene was told to talk to you about it...." Sighing and tousling his hair he said "she abused and threatened my sister on her first day of school, I had to hold my crying sister because of the pain Samantha caused her" "what happened?" "just know it was bad enough for her to deserve this, I prevent it from getting out of hand but she really did a number on Nicola, I recommend keeping your distance" he finished with finality.

Samantha sighed how could he think it was all her fault? She didn't even touch her! she had hoped she could make a friend of her but Dakota wouldn't even look her way.

After hours of tossing and turning as she relived some of her worst days at the academy over the past two year Samantha finally awoke in a cold sweat.

Wiping the sweat from her face and ripping the blankets from her body, she sat awake looking out her window as the sun slowly rose and the birds began their morning song.

"Just one more week, just one week and I get a break from that hell hole" she whispered to herself to prevent her parents from hearing her.

Grabbing her towel and heading to her ensuite she just knew it was going to be another dreadful day, one of pain, heartache and the weird feeling watching Dakota and Donovan and their public displays of affection causes.

"Selene when can we tells her" Sol complains cutting the vision of our direct descendant, the anger from watching her pain and being unable to interfere clear in the creases on his forehead.

"Soon my dear, remember she ends her wolf for us to bestow her the full power we wish to gift her, doing anything sooner will just cause her further problems." I say with a sigh running my hand through his golden curls.

"Ugh, great!" I groan, realizing I hadn't heard my alarm while I was in the shower.

Now, I’m ridiculously late for science. Sprinting as fast as I can, I finally reach the elevator—only to find it out of order.

"Just my luck!" I mutter. Five flights of stairs it is. I’m definitely getting detention for this.By the time I hit the second flight, I notice something eerie—the stairwell is completely empty.

My heartbeat quickens, my palms start to sweat, and I push myself to move faster, taking two steps at a time. Being alone never ends well for me.

Memories of past beatings flood my mind, sending a chill through me. The last time I ended up alone, I was coughing up blood for a week.

"Finally," I gasp, reaching the top of the stairs. Just as I extend my hand toward the door, it swings open, revealing Nicola.

The wicked grin that spreads across her face freezes the blood in my veins."Well, well, well, look who it is," she says, stepping into my path an