Chapter 164: Calm before the storm

Odin stared blankly at Alyssa as she rummaged through her bag. When his gaze fell upon the tubes of cosmetics, his brows furrowed with unconcealed irritation.

"Luna, you are holding up the line," he muttered and glanced at his watch. "The examination starts in five minutes."

"I know," Alyssa whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she lowered the bag.

Her mind was completely blank. She stared at the lipstick tubes, unable to comprehend how the contents of her bag had been exchanged.

Behind her, the line of students began to rustle. Whispers rippled through the crowd, every eye fixed on her.

Odin’s lips pressed into a straight line. "Well? Present your registration slip and exam pass."

"I don’t have them," Alyssa said, the heat of embarrassment rising up her neck. "I had them this morning; I checked before leaving. I don’t understand how this happened."

Odin let out a loud, theatrical sigh. "Luna, this is the most critical entrance examination of the year. While academic admission might be a casual matter for you, every other student here has labored for months to earn it."

"Showing up here with nothing but cosmetic supplies demonstrates a severe lack of respect for the process," one of the female examiner assistants chimed in under her breath.

"I am not taking this lightly," Alyssa replied, forcing her voice to remain steady despite the rage burning in her chest. "This is a misunderstanding."

She looked at Odin. "My name is on your folder, and you know I’m registered. Can you simply verify my identity and let me take my seat? I will produce the pass immediately after the exam."

"I cannot grant special exemptions, Luna," Odin said, shaking his head with finality. "Rules are rules. Every student must present physical documentation for screening. I’m afraid you’ll have to forfeit today’s paper and reapply next year."

Alyssa felt the cold weight of shock sink straight to her stomach. "What?"

"Please step out of the line," Odin instructed coldly. "We have dozens of prepared candidates waiting. We cannot delay the schedule."

He wasn’t moved in the slightest. In his mind, her missing paperwork was proof of privileged carelessness; a spoiled Queen who assumed her title would carry her through.

Alyssa stepped out of the queue, her pulse hammering in her ears. Forfeiting was not an option. Not after the endless nights spent studying, not after everything she had proven to Dorian and herself. If she walked away now, the rumors would brand her as incompetent and irresponsible.

She needed Alec. Immediately.

Turning away from the main entrance, she hurried toward the administrative wing. The whispers followed her like a dark cloud.

Halfway there, her mind abruptly locked onto a sharp realization. Her foot halted mid-step as a name flared up in her mind.

Elvira.

The identical bags. It hadn’t been an accident; Elvira had deliberately grabbed Alyssa’s bag when she stepped out of the car, leaving her own useless luxury items behind. It was a calculated sabotage designed to ruin her future before it even began.

Alyssa’s expression hardened into ice. She turned sharply, heading straight for the administrative building, her stride fast and purposeful. Staff members bowed and offered hasty greetings as she passed, but she paid them no mind.

She reached Admin Keno’s private office at the end of the hallway and grabbed the doorknob. It was locked.

She rattled it violently, but it didn’t budge. Keno wasn’t inside.

"Oh no, no, not today," she hissed through gritted teeth.

Swallowing her frustration, she whirled around to search the parking lot for Alec. As she rounded the corner, she brushed past a figure in a grey cloak and froze for a moment. A strange prickle of familiarity washed over her, stopping her in her tracks.

Before she could process the feeling, Alec’s voice called out behind her.

"Luna?"

Alyssa turned to find him hurrying toward her, his eyes scanning her frantic posture with concern. "What happened? Why aren’t you inside the hall?"

"Elvira switched our bags!" she blurted out. "When she got out of the car, she took mine! Everything I need is in there. My textbooks, my registration slip, my exam pass!"

Alec blinked, processing the words. "Your entry documents were in that bag?"

"Yes!" Alyssa pressed her palms to her temples, her breathing short. "Odin refused to let me in without them. He told me I have to forfeit the exam!"

"Calm down, Luna," Alec said softly, his voice soft and steady. "Take a breath and calm yourself. I’ll handle this."

He pulled out his phone and dialed Elvira’s line. Switched off. A dark scowl crossed his face. He couldn’t call Dorian because the whole Academy would feel his wrath the moment he arrived.

His jaw set into a hard line. He shoved the phone into his pocket and met Alyssa’s eyes. "Come with me."

The easygoing demeanor he usually carried was gone, replaced by a cold commanding presence. Alyssa followed him back toward the main examination hall, feeling the waves of suppressed anger rolling off him.

By the time they reached the entrance, the doors were being pulled shut. The remaining students were already seated inside.

Odin stepped into the doorway, raising a hand. "Gamma Alec, as I previously informed the Luna, protocol dictates that without physical verification..."

"I don’t want to cause a scene, Odin, so listen carefully to me," Alec cut in smoothly. "My Luna’s documents were stolen from her car this morning, which is why she doesn’t have them here."

He stepped into the examiner’s space, towering over the larger man. "So you’re going to let her into the hall, and let her sit for her examination. Unless you want to face the Alpha King’s wrath."

Odin swallowed hard, but it seemed he wasn’t ready to back off. "Are you threatening me, Gamma Alec?"

"You bet I am!" Alec retorted. "I’m sick of your bullshit about preferential treatments. The Luna deserves it. She is Queen, and you should be thankful that she overlooked your disrespect in the way you addressed her earlier."

Odin swallowed the words that rose to his throat. He knew better than to argue.

Without another word, he backed away from the entrance and stepped aside.

Alec turned back to Alyssa, his tone instantly shifting back to gentle respect. "Do you need anything else, Luna? Maybe the textbooks?"

"No," Alyssa smiled gratefully at him. "I don’t need them. I only brought them along to study before the exams began. I just need a pen now."

Alec turned back to Odin. He plucked the blue pen peeking from his breast pocket, then placed it gently into Alyssa’s hand.

"I’ll be waiting out here," he said clearly, ensuring Odin heard every word. "If you need anything, or anyone causes you the slightest disturbance, let me know immediately."

"Thank you, Alec," Alyssa whispered.

She walked into the silent hall, ignoring the dozens of eyes that turned to follow her. She found her desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down. When the examination paper was laid before her, she closed her eyes, exhaled the lingering adrenaline, and uncapped the pen.

...

Two hours later, the exam ended.

Alyssa handed in her completed paper, having answered every section with meticulous precision.

The drive back to the estate was in total silence. Alec watched her in the mirror, realizing that her silence was like the calm before a raging storm.

When he pulled into the driveway, Alyssa grabbed Elvira’s bag and stepped out of the car.

The front door opened. Elvira stepped out onto the porch, a slight, victorious smile playing on her lips as she watched Alyssa walk towards her.

"Welcome back, Luna," she cooed smoothly, her eyes searching Alyssa’s face for any sign of defeat. "I trust your exam went exceptionally well?"

Alyssa didn’t answer. Her grip on the bag tightened for a second before she casually tossed it aside.

She marched up the stone steps to Elvira and slapped her across the face with the full force of her hand.