I fiddled with the straps of my bag, pretending to be nervous while I waited for the bus to stop. I hated that I was acting like a little kid, but I knew that it was the only way that I could get there safely.

I looked around me to see that I wasn't the youngest person, nor was I the oldest.

The oldest person was barely sixteen, while the youngest was five. They were all from different backgrounds and different races, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them that they were being transported to this place, to this hell on earth.

The place that we were going to be "prepped" at was an old, gray building that housed a spaceship underneath, the same one that had transported half of my species to Earth.

The gray building was basically like a prison where different children were sent because they either were the smartest children or did so terrible in school that they needed "summer school."

However, the parents of these children thought that the "school" was this grand private school that their child received a full scholarship to go to, and their child was getting the best education that their child could get.

"Hey, it's fine," someone said, breaking me from my thoughts. The person touched my hand, and I moved my hand away from their grasp and turned to look at them to see that it was a boy.

The boy was the oldest child on the bus, and I could tell that he was once a jock before he was sent here. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes that held kindness but shone with fear. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes while he looked at me. "We'll be safe," he said, his voice deep and losing most of his childhood voice. "Everything that people have said about this school is just rumors."

There have been rumors about this school and how children disappear, but there had been little to no evidence about those rumors. The people that tried to find information about the school disappeared without a trace.

"It's not," a girl around eleven-years-old said. She turned around in her seat and looked at us with eyes filled with fear and annoyance. She scowled and narrowed her eyes, and I could tell that she wasn't going to like this place, which I agreed with. "My sister went there, and she didn't come back when they said she would come back."

The male looked at her and scowled, and the girl flinched, becoming a little more nervous with his scowl. "Maybe she didn't want to go back to her old life," he snapped, and she winced and ducked down in her seat, and I had to bite my lip to keep from snapping at him.

He clenched his hands into fists and glared at his hands, and I could tell that he was angry about the way that he lived. "I know that I don't," he said, grumbling.

"Why not?" I asked and cocked my head.

"My parents hate me," he said bitterly. He looked at his hands and scowled. He blinked back tears, and again, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "I am the "golden boy" at my school and a jock, but they don't care. All they cared about is my little sister and my deceased older brother."

My heart broke for him. I could tell that he was a fighter and athletic, and I knew that he was just trying to make his parents proud in whatever way he could do, but they never cared about him.

I was the same way with Dr. Kelly and Briggs because I didn't have any parents, at least any parents that I was in contact with. And, it didn't help that most people didn't like me because I was a halfbreed.

The boy forced a smile on his face, and I could tell that he caught my look. "Don't worry about me," he said. "I will be fine." He shrugged. "Besides, if something happens to me, then they'll be happy because they won't have to deal with me anymore." He rolled his eyes and scowled.

I furrowed my brows and cocked my head. "But, I don't think that they will," I said, portraying the innocent girl that I had to be. "I mean, you are their kid, their son. I heard that parents tried to protect their kids." I shrugged and grimaced before I looked away from him. "I wouldn't know, though," I said sadly. "My parents are dead, and my foster parents got tired of me after a day and didn't want to deal with child services or something like that."

"Well, that sucks," he said and frowned. He cleared his throat while he held out his hand and smiled. "Names Andrew," he said, "but people call me Drew."

I smiled, making sure to look as innocent and angelic as a little kid as I could while I shook his hand. "Andy," I replied and let go of his hand. I shrugged and smiled, still keeping up the innocent act. "It's Andrea, but I normally go by Andy."

Drew smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Andy," he said. He nudged me teasingly, and I moved with the nudge. "Let's be friends. Us "Andy's" gotta stick together. Ya?" He winked and nudged me again, and I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway.

He kept the smile on his face, but I could tell that it was fake. He wanted to find a place that could make him happy and be free from the past that haunted him, and I prayed that he would one day find one.

He seemed like a good guy, and he deserved that more than going here and into this hellhole.

Maybe he would be happy with the Committee...

He'd have a better time there than me...

***

The bus driver stopped the bus at the school and let us off. He watched as everyone got off the bus, and I knew that he was hating his mate for putting him in a position that he did not want to be in.

However, for the safety of his mate, he did what he was told to do without complaints, nor did he send a warning to the higher ups that we were coming and infiltrating this place again, but this time stronger than the last few times.

I waited until Drew was off the bus and stopped beside him. I kept my eyes on the group of kids waiting for me and made sure that none would try to go back on and foil the plan that we had set. "Remember your promise," I hummed, making sure that only he was able to hear me. "She is safe only if you do not tell them that we are here and are going to free the kids from their grasp."

The male scowled and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He kept looking forward while he glared at the windshield, and I was grateful that we were alone except for the children that were waiting for me.

He didn't like me; I could tell, and I could tell that he was debating on whether or not he should contact his leader and tell him what was going on. However, he knew that it would be the end of him and his mate if he did, and he didn't want his mate to get killed. "You are going to kill your kind because of them?" he asked, spatting the word "them" as if it was something bad he had tasted. "They fear you, and they don't like you."

I set my jaw and made no move to hit him like I wanted to because I knew that they didn't like me, and some did fear me because of the fact that I was like the group that they feared, even though I spent more time with them than I did with that group.

However, they knew that I was an asset to them, especially when it came to infiltrating this group because I was able to understand their dialect and am able to pick up on the symbols that they used better than a normal human.

"And you would have killed me the moment that I was of age."

"You are working for murderers."

"And are you any different?" I asked. I looked at him and scowled, wanting to punch him in the nose, but I didn't. I clenched my hand tighter together and made a fist, but I didn't punch him.

I set my jaw and looked away from him and at the children that I swore I'd protect. "Innocent children have died here because of the promise of better education than the one that they received. There are other things that you can eat other than human children."

"I hope your father kills you."

I bit back a snort and looked at him, sneering. I flashed my sharpened teeth, and I saw a small look of fear flash through this grown man's eyes. "I hope that he tries," I said and bared my teeth at him.

I didn't wait for him to say another word and hopped off the bus. I walked over to where Drew was waiting for me, making sure that I became the innocent little girl that he saw me as and not the trained warrior that I actually was. "I lost something on the bus," I said and looked at him with wide eyes. "I was wondering if the bus driver had found it, but he didn't." I shrugged and pouted. "I guess I left it at home."

Drew patted my arm sympathetically, and both of us walked over to where the others were waiting. He didn't say a word while he looked at the people that joined us, all older than him and of the same breed as me.

I took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing my body. My heart started to pound faster and faster, and I had to make sure that it didn't alert them that I was different.

In less than twenty-four hours, two things could happen.

One, I would be killed, and the whole operation would be in jeopardy, and we'd be back at square one. Or two, we succeeded, and I would be living in constant fear of getting killed in my sleep by those who thought that my job was done and that I needed to be eradicated before I could start a riot.

And to be honest, I wouldn't mind getting killed if it was because I had saved multiple children from getting eaten.

It was the least that I could do.