POV: Desi Whitmore

The pack hierarchy demonstration left a bitter taste in Desi's mouth that had nothing to do with the cafeteria's overpriced coffee. She sat in the Eastmoor Hall common room, ostensibly working on her Political Theory assignment but actually replaying Derek Matthews's casual cruelty toward Otto Moorland with growing disgust.

"Dead weight anyway. Might as well make it official."

The words echoed in her mind like a slap, not because they were particularly creative insults, ...