Claimed by the Wrong Alphas

Charis

After leaving Slater’s room, the bell rang for dinner.

Since arriving at Ravenshore, this was practically the first time I would be eating in the main dining hall—I’d been surviving on the food Slater provided in his room.

The dining hall was buzzing with noise, laughter and the clinking of silverware when I stepped inside. It was my first time here, and it felt oddly warm. It was a massive hall with vaulted ceilings, long chandeliers and rows of wooden tables that could seat hundreds of students at once.

To the far right of the room was a buffet line that looked like it belonged in the Alpha King’s palace. There were steaming trays of seasoned meats, fresh vegetables, mashed roots, fruit platters, desserts and even a chocolate fountain that sat like a crown jewel at the end.

Uniformed servers stood behind each section, smiling politely at each student who approached.

I tugged at the edge of my hoodie, lowering it as far as it would go over my face. I kept my head down and quickly grabbed a tray before heading to the buffet line.

I picked simple things—grilled fish, steamed greens, soup and some fruit. With my tray in hand, I began scanning the room for an empty seat, immediately noticing that people were staring at me and whispering among themselves.

My anxiety spiked as I noticed a lot of them were nudging each other and pointing at me. My palms grew sweaty as I stood there holding my tray, feeling increasingly exposed and uncomfortable. It felt like a spotlight had been dropped over my head.

I continued to scan the room desperately for any space when I spotted Kael sitting at the farthest corner of the hall, eating by himself. Without thinking about whether he wanted company, I made my way over to him.

"Mind if I sit?" I asked when I reached him.