Every head swiveled, benches creaking, as the students turned to pinpoint the source of the outburst.
Alex's pulse hammered, his hazel eyes darting through the crowd until they landed on the speaker, a figure rising from the back like a storm cloud taking form.
The boy was striking, his very dark hair falling in sleek waves, framing a face that was handsome in its severity, high cheekbones, a square jaw clenched tight, and piercing green eyes that burned with a scowl aimed directly at Alex.
His wine-colored tunic hugged a lean, powerful frame, its fabric richer, more lustrous than the others, embroidered with subtle threads that caught the chandelier light.
His family crest, pinned prominently, gleamed with an almost arrogant brilliance, its intricate design and polished surface outshining every crest Alex had seen, as if it demanded reverence.
The boy's presence was magnetic, commanding, and unmistakably hostile.
He didn't flinch under the weight of all those stares.
