The Golden Lycans (Ella) novel Chapter 41

The New Student

*Ella***

On Monday morning I was making my way to the science labs for my chemistry class, and

receiving quite a few stares along the way, from various students I didn’t even know.

+25 Points

While I could figure out these students were clearly not among the memory-wiped humans, I

wondered how much they all knew about what happened at the formal on Saturday night.

Regardless, they were keeping their distance and weren’t engaging with me, and this was all I really

wanted at this time. They could stare as much as they liked, I didn’t care.

I enter the lab and put my satchel on the bag rack, automatically donning one of the white lab

coats before taking my seat at my usual station to wait for my lab partner Sarah to arrive.

Over the next ten minutes, the rest of the class file in, but Sarah doesn’t show. Mr Taite, the chemistry teacher eventually shuts the door and addresses the class.

“Good morning ladies and gents, today we will be doing a practical activity. It is basic, but fundamentally important. We are investigating the effect temperature has on particular chemical

reactions-”

He is interrupted by a loud knock on the door, and I assume it is Sarah, uncharacteristically late for class. Mr Taite goes to the door and after some discussion he comes back into the classroom.

“It appears we have a new student joining us, having just transferred from one of our sister schools; Howardian Park.”

The class all look toward the door in unison as a tall and strikingly handsome young man walks

through the door.

He has short, medium brown hair, sharp cheekbones and an angular face. He had broad shoulders

but a decisively leaner appearance compared to the rest of the muscular guys at the school. But

the most unusual part of his appearance are his purple eyes. Overall he resembled a brooding

catwalk model, giving me the immediate impression that he must be some sort of high ranking

Lycan. Were his purple eyes protected from the humans by the enchantments, too? Or were they

just contacts?

He looks around at the class, eliciting a couple of gasps and a few mutterings across the room

which tells me that perhaps this student isn’t as much of a stranger to everyone else as he is to

1. Maybe my initial impression isn’t far off after all?

“Bag goes on the rack over there, grab a lab coat and take an empty seat,” Mr Taite says quickly, gesturing toward the empty seat opposite me.

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+25 Point

The tall stranger does just that, taking Sarah’s empty seat. There is definitely something decisively odd about this student, but I can’t place what it is. The hairs on my arms raise in reaction to something about him as he approaches and I hug my arms around myself protectively once he sits

down.

Mr Taite explains the rest of the lab activity and then I get up to collect a tray of the equipment

needed.

get back to the lab station and the new student pushes my lab stool out with his foot for me to sit

down.

“Thank you,” I say politely, placing the equipment down on the lab station and sitting down.

“I should probably introduce myself. I am Will,” he says, regarding me with his unusual purple eyes. I shift uncomfortably on my stool, he is making me feel very strange and it is putting me on edge. The air around him feels almost static and I am quite unnerved.

“Welcome to the school…I am Ella,” I reply, setting up the test tube rack and other equipment, “you should probably know that I usually have a lab partner, her name is Sarah, but she doesn’t seem to

be here today.”

“How interesting. I was told a student had left and that there was now one space in this chemistry class, so I do not think you will see her again,” he replies, flashing a charming smile at me which disarms me a little. I wasn’t too surprised to hear this about Sarah, but I was disappointed. I knew she missed home a lot, but I wish she’d said something.

Will leans back on his stool and looks at me intensely with his brow furrowed, before looking aroun d me for a minute or two. His unusual eyes widen and he smiles, his expression one of curious

excitement.

“Can I help you?” I ask quietly, unsure what he is doing. He leans forward.

“What are you?” he whispers excitedly, “you possess magic, but you are neither elf nor witch and you are most definitely not human…”

A chill goes through me and I take a deep breath in, wondering how this guy was able to tell so quic kly, and so definitively. What was his deal, or was it now only obvious since the events of Saturday night. I bite my lip anxiously and stare at him for a few seconds while contemplating my answer.

“Uh…well…what I am is still very new to me, so if you don’t mind, can we please just focus on the practical?” I ask in a harsh whisper, following up with a small but polite smile. He leans back and

nods calmly.

I busy myself with connecting the bunsen burner to the gas outlet and I try to ignite it with the

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lighter. Nothing.

try again…still nothing.

+25 Points

I grumble at it and sigh, wondering if it’s the lighter or the burner. Will leans forwards and clicks his fingers in front of me, a small flame appearing on the tip of his thumb. My eyes widen. I of course knew that magic went on at this school, but this was the first time I’d seen anyone use it. I was shocked that anyone would do it so blatantly in a normal human class, too. I instinctively blow on his finger to extinguish the flame, but it remains. Will laughs lightly in response before making the

flame disappear.

Clearly NOT Lycan.

“I’m just going to go get a new one,” I say quietly, slipping off the stool to go grab one.

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