A whir of red rounds the corner at the end of the hall, and the precisely controlled disdain that had been fueling my veins burns and rolls again.

I'd call our first meeting a success.

Nora Randolph, I would never refer to her as a McAlister, must be eliminated. Everything she is, everyone she is now connected to, is dirty. And now that I have her as a pawn, we can finally expose her dear old stepdad for what he is.

A murderer.

The bell for period one sounds, a perfect chiming melody that I know Nora must not be familiar with. Back in whatever hole of a town she crawled out of, they probably bang on a cowbell or something equally as barbarian.

My classmates mill about, the younger ones scurrying with books loaded in their arms, running for their first classes.

Me? I just lean against the row of lockers that Nora's resides in, metaphorically sharpening my claws like a tiger’s. Not that senior year needed to be here for me to reign over Winston Prep, but I could almost smell the fresh blood in the air.

This school taught and raised the most elite of the elite. Parliament members, world business leaders, royals, athletes ... they all sent their children here. To the famed academy that created them, to the school that rewarded with connections and a certain air on a résumé.

And I was at the center of it all. Asher William Frederick of the Cornwall Frederick's. My father was one of the most powerful men in the British government, as all of my family members were influential on the London society scene.

"Are you already bending women to your will? At least give the rest of us a day’s head start, mate."

I don't have to turn to know that Edward Le Deux just slapped my shoulder, his voice scratchy from the rough night we had a mere eight hours ago. Ed, my best mate since we were nine, had decided it would be a great idea to throw a massive party in his father's grand library as a way to commemorate summer term ending. It was a miracle either of us were standing here, bright eyed at 7:30 a.m.

"Nope, that one I just intend to shock and frighten." A sneer curls my lip.

“Whatever you say, mate. You have such odd relationships with these birds. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re one of those whips and chains blokes.”

"Sod off." Like I was going to talk about how I liked to fuck.

"Love you too, chap. Anyways, let's get going. Professor Hugh is only going to make so many exceptions for us this year."

I didn't care about that. My early acceptance at Oxford was secured. I barely needed to float through the year and grease each teacher with my Frederick charm.

"Or we could go to The Gentleman's Lounge and work off the exhaustion of last night." I raise an eyebrow. A lap dance sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

Ed groans. "You tosser, I'd love nothing more. But my mother will beat me mad."

My best mate was typically all mouth and no trousers, and this instance was no different.

"Fine. I'll go to class only because it's the first day."

But I took one last look at the end of the hall before I followed Ed.

I expected the arousal from exuding power over someone else. It was in my breeding to strike fear with a well-placed smirk, or exert control with just a movement of my fingers.

What I didn't expect was the tightness in my balls from the sight of her. The papers didn't do her justice; she might be American but she was a pretty little thing. All long legs and impoverished innocence. She doesn’t know what this world is like, what people like the ones I associate with could do to her.

What I could, and intended, to do to her.

As I took my seat in Eighteenth Century European History, my head still swam with the piss of anger, and the plans of destruction that were yet to come.