Ash POV

I woke up groggy and incredibly drowsy. It was barely light out and the orange glow that flows through the tall windows through the coral curtains in the nearly completely round room made it look even more pink than it already was.

I yawn, rubbing my eyes of their 'eye boogers' do those things have names?

The events of the night before were blurry, us flying through the roof, Cade meeting Nicole, being reunited with my family.

My mother had of course, as per usual, squeezed me in a bone crushing hug. As with Nicole. My father had been more skeptical, embracing me lightly with something in his eyes that I couldn't quite describe.

Caden had overhead me whispering to Nicole about Archie. I wanted to break it to him in a much gentler way, but it couldn't be helped. At least he had Nicole, and Nicole had him now.

Mariella had sent us straight to bed for the night, and Cade was staying with Will, as the boy with the blonde hair and emerald eyes name from his female equivalent in everything, except maybe for charisma. Samantha just seemed to bounce around everywhere and everything.

Except after ascending or descending the stairs leading to our dorm room.

It was just as bright and girly as I remembered it to be. My black clothes had felt incredibly contrasting and my bare feet had practically sunk into the lush carpet after the cold stones around the rest of the castle.

I yawn again and roll over, my tangled hair scratching at my chin. The duvet was wrapped around me, so warm and inviting... I could drift off again...

The warmth was stripped from me in an instant and I groan in protest at the alien feeling.

"La la la!!! Wakey wakey!! Ashy-bear!!" A mocking cheerful voice floated through the air as the curtains were yanked aside from above my head, the brightest sunlight that seemed possible streaming through one of three the tall windows around the large circular room. I had been lying there for a while it would seem.

"Go away Cadey-Wadey!" My voice was thick with sleep and muffled by the pillow wrapped around my head. I kick my leg out to the side of the bed. It hit something soft. I heard Oomph and a groan.

"That's not very nice Ashy Bear " He exclaims, tugging at the pillow. I peek out of the covers and he's lying on the pink floor, one hand clutching his stomach and the other tightly wrapped around the edge of my warm haven.

"That's right, make your way out, don't be afraid."

I kick him again before storming into the bathroom to tame my mane.

I'm more like a lion, and he knows that. Especially in the mornings.

~~○~~

I collapse down onto the bench connecting to one of the many round wooden tables in the canteen, dropping my tray of porridge and fruit

I study the scrapes and dents in the wood with my head in my chin, wondering how many people had sat in this spot before me.

"What's the crack, new girl?"

I jump in my seat as a tall, lanky boy plops himself on the opposite side of me, eyeing me and Cade up and down. He takes a bite out of his pancake before pointing at it sloppily in our direction before speaking again.

"Quite a stir you made last night, buttercup, what with you being a legend and myth, your bro too."

I wasn't really paying attention, he was blabbering on and on and on. All I could really pick up was that he was from up North somewhere. Donegal, maybe? Was he a Dragon too? Was everyone here a Dragon?

"I kinda keep separate from the rest of the wolves, they don't really accept 'who I am as a person' and 'you are no wolf if you can't produce an heir' and all that hanky-panky."

I suppose there were other shifters than dragons. I tune back into the conversation. Well, half a one.

"Well... why can't you just adopt?"

"I'm glad you asked, sweet cheeks, but it's not that easy," he was flopping the pancake at us again, more than half eaten now. "You see..."

Another voice interrupts him.

"That's enough Adam. Please, for me, big bro, you know I love you for who you are, but please stop talking." There was an exasperated sigh before Naomi, in all of her sparkling pink glory, settled herself down beside her brother.

Adam crosses his arms across his chest, slumping against the table. He angrily rips a chunk of pancake off with his teeth, muttering with a stuffed mouth. Naomi slaps the back of his head. "I heard that."

I stick my spoon in the thick gruel of a porridge. It stands straight. I sigh and look at the ceiling. This day was not going well. At least there was fruit.

~~○~~

Sam joined us a while later. After she managed to drag her arse out of bed. She was as charismatic as ever. Her brooding brother looked tired. My eyes lingered on him, concerned. He looked pale.

Adam was chattering away, Naomi stabbing him with glares and plastic forks once in a while.

Cade and I kept silent most of the time, and I keep finding myself wandering into a daydream while absentmindidly chewing on a slice of apple.

The tonging of a bell snaps me out of my thoughtless daze. Emerald eyes meet mine for half a second before flitting away in an instant.

A hand tugs at mine. I look up to see Cade on his feet with the rest of our table and bustling stone hall. He smiles warily at me. "Come on, lil sister. Naomi's in all of our classes. Just because you're a Dragon now doesn't mean we get to miss school," He nudges my shoulder lightly. I smile back and push him. I push him a little harder than I probably meant to, sending him stumbling right into Adam. Whoops.

"Now, now. Just because I admitted I swung the other way doesn't mean I need every male falling at my feet every other minute." Adam's amber eyes were sparkling with humour as he helped my brother to his feet.

My brother's face deepens to the shade of my hair. "Sorry, Sorry," he mumbles, but Adam just ruffles his hair with a long fingered hand. He was taller than any of the rest of us, and was obviously at least three years older than us.

Caden flushes as he brushes himself off, his eyes diverted to the floor. Adam walks away backwards, flashing a call me sign at my brother and I grin. "See you later my favourite little dumplings!" he calls over his shoulder as he slings his arm over an older girl. She just shrugs him off and chitters on to her clique of friends. Adam doesn't seem to mind, grinning wolfishly as he follows the with a mischievous glint in his unnatural eyes. He darts around the corner after them before he disappears from my vision.

I bump shoulders with Cade as Naomi chatters to Samantha and her brother. Will is eternally brooding.

"You've got yourself an admirer, eh?" I tease. He ignores me, mumbling under his breath.

Nicole breaks off from her conversation to approach us. She flashes Cade a reassuring smile. "He's just showing off, don't worry about it. You're not his type, anyway. He aims more for the muscular kind. Older too." She gestures to an eighteen year old walking past.

My eyes follow him. I see her point.

That's when I see that pretty much everyone is looking at me, their whispers taunting me as they stretch across the entrance hall that Naomi is pulling me across. My eyes dart to all of their faces, heads leaning to meet one another, whispers exchanged under covered mouths. Some were shouted blatantly at me. But the words were the same.

Golden.

Impossible.

Freaks.

Extinct.

I heard that she only shifted two weeks ago!

That's her!

The daughter of the long lost Queen.

The children of Queen Caroline.