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PROLOGUE
Victoria
The school bus is warm and packed with teenagers of all ages greeting each other wildly after the long summer holidays. They squeal and pat seats enthusiastically saved for their friends, anxious to pack as much catching up as possible into the brief journey across town to the school.
I survey the crowded bus and mentally kick myself for refusing my father’s offer of a ride to school.
My heart is in my throat.
I move further and further up the bus, trying to find an available seat.
Some of my new schoolmates look at me sympathetically, lifting their shoulders in a kindly indication that they would love to offer me a seat if they could. Some growl and grip the backpack on the seat next to them in determined defiance. Some just look through me as though I am not even there. Regardless of intent, the message is clear: you can’t sit here.
The bus moves off and I stagger slightly as I make my way up the aisle, hope fading fast as I frantically scan the last few rows for a place to sit. The back seat, the domain of a particularly rowdy bunch of boys, looms. Perhaps I should just turn back here. I could make my way back to the front of the bus and stand there without attracting too much attention.
Too late.
A whistle from the back row makes my stomach drop.
They’ve spotted me.
“Oi, newbie! Newbie! Newww…..bbbiiiieeee!”
I don’t want to look at him, but I know he is not going to stop yelling at me unless I do.
“Yes, you!” he crows as I turn to face him, delighted to have caught my attention. “You can come and sit here if you like.” The boy pats his lap, grinning and thrusting his pelvis, much to the delight and wild amusement of his companions who hoot and cheer in appreciation.
I pull at the edge of my blazer and turn away, their puerile laughter ringing over the blood pounding in my ears. My cheeks burn scarlet.
A voice growls. “Tyler, stop that.”
I look down. Eyes as blue as a mid-summer sky look up at me.
“You can sit here if you like.”
The boy-giant with the blue eyes uncurls his leg and sits straight, making room for me on the seat beside him.
“I…thanks…” I mumble and slide into the empty seat.
He holds out his hand. “You are new, aren’t you?”
I nod. With no time to do anything about it, I suck in a breath and hope that he won’t notice the dampness of my palm as I shake his hand.
He looks at me over our locked palms.
“Vic…Victoria…” I stammer, trying but failing to tear my eyes from his.
“Corran. Pleasure to meet you. Excuse me a minute.”
He twists his huge frame, leaning back over the seat.
“Tyler, I said quit it. Don’t make me tell you again.”
The tittering from the back row instantly subsides. Corran slides back into his seat.
“Well, Victoria, welcome to Ravenswood Academy.”
CHAPTER ONE
