บท 11: Moonsphere

Violet had never truly considered Nancy's trailer a home, and standing in this room made that painfully clear. She was left speechless by the sheer luxury surrounding her.

The expansive space boasted polished dark wooden floors that gleamed under the soft lighting. Four towering four-poster canopy beds, each fit for a princess, draped in crisp white sheets with plush pillows. Matching wardrobes and executive desks accompanied each bed, adding an air of sophistication.

Thankfully, the walls hadn't been painted a garish Barbie pink, otherwise, Violet would have thrown up on the spot. Instead, a dreamy blend of pastel pinks, blues, and purples washed over the room, evoking the whimsical sweetness of cotton candy.

A cozy bookshelf stood by the far end, but the true crown jewel of the space was the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. At the sight of it, Violet nearly forgot any trespasses this school had committed against her. This was fucking paradise.

There was a door to the side, and Violet guessed it led to the bathroom. Mary had mentioned that while each room in the west house had its own private bathroom, there was also a coed communal one "just in case of emergencies."

Violet had shuddered at the thought, unable to imagine what kind of emergency would drive her to use a coed bathroom.

This school scared her more than she wanted to admit. There seemed to be less focus on learning and more on... activities, if you caught her drift.

Thank God the rooms weren't coed as well.

Violet couldn't help but wonder, If the room was this grand, the bathroom would no doubt be just as luxurious. She was tempted to check it out immediately but reminded herself she'd see it soon enough when she bathed later. No need to get too excited just yet.

It wasn't hard to find her bed—her roommates had already claimed the others, and her bag from earlier sat neatly on the unoccupied one. Violet set her satchel down and turned to face the trio, who were still staring at her, wide-eyed.

"Hi, I'm Violet. Also, could one of you tell me if there's something on my back? Because all the staring is starting to creep me out," she said, hands on her hips, meeting their gazes head-on.

A girl with short, choppy blonde hair suddenly hopped up from her bed and approached Violet. Her disarming smile caught Violet's attention immediately, and she couldn't help but notice the girl's petite frame and high cheekbones. She looked more like a delicate fairy than a human.

"Hi, I'm Lila Meadows," she introduced herself in a chirpy voice, extending her hand with far more enthusiasm than Violet expected. "It's so nice to meet you, Violet Purple," she added, as if they'd been friends for years.

Violet blinked, taken aback by the sudden familiarity. Before she could ask any questions, Lila had already thrown an arm around her, steering her towards the others. "And that's Daisy Fairchild over there."

"Hello," the brunette greeted with a wave and a welcoming smile.

Daisy was strikingly pretty, with a subtle nerdy vibe, glasses perched on her nose and a textbook clutched in her hand.

"And the grumpy one over there is Ivy Sinclair," Lila said, pointing to another blonde whose face seemed permanently fixed in a scowl.

Ivy was stunning, with long, wavy blonde hair that framed her heart-shaped face, piercing blue eyes, and plump lips. Her hourglass figure was enviable, the kind many women would dream of having. Yet, there was an undeniable air of arrogance around her, the kind that only seemed to come naturally to aristocrats.

When their eyes met, Violet instantly sensed the disdain in Ivy's gaze. It was clear that this girl didn't like her. And Violet's instincts had never been wrong. Ivy made no effort to introduce herself, instead returning to her phone, typing as though Violet wasn't even worth her attention.

Lila, however, wasn't fazed in the slightest. She cheerfully said, "Don't mind Ivy. She's standoffish at first, but when you get to know her, she's all sugar and spice."

Ivy glared from her spot on the bed. "Shut up, Lila," she snapped, her tone dripping with annoyance.

Lila rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by Ivy's scowl. She leaned in even closer to Violet, her voice far from subtle as she announced. "Ivy's just jealous of you."

"Lila!" Ivy practically screamed this time, sitting up with fire blazing in her blue eyes. "I said shut that loud mouth of yours!"

Lila chuckled at Ivy's frustration, but Violet was frowning, her curiosity now gnawing at her.

She turned to Lila and asked, "What do you mean she's jealous of me?" Then, looking directly at Ivy, she added politely, "No offense, but we've just met. Why would you be jealous of me? That doesn't make any sense."

"Offense is taken," Ivy spat, her words sharp. "If you're actually believing the nonsense that loudmouth is spewing."

"God, your pride is legendary, especially considering how you were talking about that video just moments ago," Daisy finally spoke up, her face tight with annoyance.

But Violet wasn't interested in whatever confrontation was brewing. Her attention snapped to the new piece of information she'd just overheard. She stepped away from the overly touchy Lila, her voice cold. "What video are we talking about?"

All three girls turned to her, looking at her as if she were a clueless novice. Violet felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. What was she missing?

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "You haven't checked your Moonfeed?"

"Moonfeed?" Violet echoed, even more confused.

"Moonsphere," Daisy explained. "It's the site where both humans and werewolves at Lunaris Academy get all the gossip, trending topics, and the latest campus news. It's not like LunarLink, the official academic network. Moonsphere's student-run. More fun, more entertaining. And yeah, you're currently trending."

What the hell? Violet's mind raced. This wasn't how she imagined finding out something important.

Before she could pull out her phone to search for this so-called Moonsphere, Lila had already whipped hers out. She moved closer to Violet, showing her the screen. "You might want to sit down for this one," she said, her voice almost gleeful.

Violet didn't need to be told twice. She sat on the edge of the bed, Lila settling in beside her. With a few quick taps, Lila searched for the video using her name, and there it was, front and center. Violet's eyes widened the moment it started playing.

The video circulating on Moonfeed was a clip of Griffin manhandling her. He lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing, letting her dangle helplessly before throwing her down like a ragdoll. Violet winced, her stomach twisting with humiliation as she watched herself hit the floor, ungraceful and vulnerable.

The thought that the entire school had seen her like that burned in her chest. She wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor and never be seen again.

Violet was still in utter disbelief when Lila grinned and said, "And now, for the highlight of the day." She tapped on the comment section.

By the gods…..

@WolfBro87: "Bruh, did you see how she dropped like a sack of potatoes? Griffin wasn't even trying! 😂 #GriffinRocks #VioletFalls"

@SilverClawGirl :"Ugh, Griffin is so hot when he's mad. Violet has no idea how lucky she was! I'd let him throw me down any day. 💀 #griffinfanclub"

@AlphaKing23: "That fall was hilarious! She hit the ground like a damn rock. Someone teach her how to land at least. #GriffinCrushedIt #LunarisLife"

@SheWolfQueen: "Girl, do you see those muscles on Griffin's arm when he was choking her? Whew, I'd give anything to be in her place 😏 #GriffinGoals #LuckyViolet"

@FurryBeast99: "Bet she was hoping Griffin would 'throw' her in a different way, if you know what I mean. 😏 #IfOnly"

@FangLust:"Griffin manhandling her was the hottest thing I've seen all day. Where can I sign up to be next? 😏 #griffinrocks #LuckyViolet"

@WolfPackJock12: "Can't believe she got that close to Griffin. I'd 'drop' her too if she came near me. 😂 #GriffinTheBoss #NoMercy"

@NightHowlLover: "Bro, the way she hit the ground? Classic! Almost felt bad for a second... almost. 💀 #GriffinKnowsBest #LunarisLOL"

@LunaLust666: "Let's be real... I wouldn't mind being lifted like that, especially if Griffin's hands are around my throat. 🖤 #GriffinFantasy #ChokedAndLovingIt"

@PackAlpha99: "She should know her place by now. No one cares if you're new—act right, or get put down. Just like Griffin did. #KnowYourRole #LunarisJustice"

@AlphaQueen10: "Lucky Violet? More like ungrateful. If Griffin ever laid his hands on me like that, I'd thank him. 🙌 #WishItWereMe #GriffinCrush"

@FangBro345: "Why couldn't she fall my way? Could've gotten a peek at what's under those clothes. 😏 #GriffinDidGood #WhatWasSheWearing"

@DarkMoonDiva: "Griffin is such a beast, I'm jealous! I'd let him toss me around anytime. Violet doesn't know how lucky she is! #GriffinGoals #PickMeNext"

@AlphaStarGal: "Let's be real, Violet shouldn't even have come here if she wasn't ready to handle it. Griffin just set the bar for her welcome. 👏 #GriffinWins #LunarisPride"

@AlphaBro: "Lol Violet got wrecked! Griffin showing everyone how it's done! Should've seen her face when she hit the ground 😂 #griffindomination #LunarisSmackdown"

"What the fuck….."