Page 56 of The Moonborn's Curse

By midday, the students kept their distance.

Seren sat alone in the large dining hall, a wide, cavernous space where students clustered in groups—none of them near her.

She unwrapped her lunch.

A simple meal—an apple, a sandwich, a handful of nuts wrapped in brown paper. The smell of meat drifted to her, making her nauseous.

She took a slow bite, feeling the eyes of the room pressing in around her.

Then—

A small cub approached.

He was younger than the others, his dark eyes wide with curiosity, ears twitching as he studied her.

"Why is your skin so dark?" he asked plainly, tilting his head.

A ripple of silence spread across the surrounding tables.

Heat flared in Seren's face, the attention making her stomach twist.

But then she inhaled.

Slowly.

She had learned how to answer these kinds of questions before.

"There's a lot of sun where I used to live," she said, keeping her voice even. "Dark skin protects me from it."

The cub blinked, considering this. Then his ears flicked up.

"I wish I did too," he muttered. "I burn if I sit in the sun too long."

Seren stared at him, at his freckles, his pale skin and bright red hair.

"You are pretty," he said, smiling shyly.

She hadn't expected that.

"Thank you, pup," she whispered the unfamiliar endearment.

For the first time that day—

She smiled.

The last bell rang.

Seren gathered her things, stepping out into the courtyard where a warrior stood waiting.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, his posture rigid. He didn't look very friendly. Without a word, he started walking.

She walked behind him, falling into step beside him as they left the school grounds.

For a while, there was only silence.

Then, hesitantly, she asked—

"Don't we have to train?"

---