Chapter 1 1

The scissors felt heavier than they should have in my trembling hands.

I stared at my reflection in the cracked mirror of the abandoned gas station bathroom.

"In three hours, I’ll be on that bus," I whispered, my voice shaking. "In three hours, Aria Silverbane will be dead."

You mean Liora will be alive, my wolf corrected me sharply, her voice echoing in the back of my head. You have to do this. Because the alternative is worse than death.

"Malrick Voss," I breathed, bile rising in my throat. "No. Never again."

The first snip echoed too loudly in the silence. Silver strands fell to the filthy floor like stars ripped from the sky. Each cut stripped away more than hair it tore away the girl who used to braid flowers, who dreamed of true mates and happy endings.

"Aria Silverbane is weak," I told the broken reflection. "Aria runs. But Arden…" My lips curved around the name Aunt Luma had given me. "Arden fights."

Arden fights, Liora agreed, though her growl carried doubt. But this is madness. We should run. We should hide in the mountains, live free

"And spend our lives hunted?" I hissed. "No. The Academy will make me strong. Strong enough to end this. Strong enough to never belong to anyone again."

The bindings flattened my chest. The dirt smudged under my eyes sharpened my features. The bitter scent blocker burned my nose and left nausea clawing at my stomach, but it buried my pheromones deep.

When I pinned the fake ID to my stolen uniform, the words glared up at me like a brand:

Arden Cross. Age 18. Orphan. Blood status: Beta with Alpha potential.

The lies were survival.

The bus rattled through the night. I kept my head down, earbuds in, pretending to be another surly boy who didn’t want to talk. Inside, my pulse thundered.

What if they smell us? What if someone knows? Liora’s voice trembled.

Then we run, I told her. But we try first.

When the gates rose from the dark forest, iron stretching into the sky, even Liora went silent. The Academy loomed black stone and sharp towers clawing at the stars.

“Last chance to run,” she whispered.

Instead, I stepped off the bus.

Inside the main hall, a mocking voice rang out.

“Fresh meat!”

Laughter followed.

I kept walking, face blank, eyes sharp. Exit routes. Potential threats. The way the older wolves stalked like predators already sizing up prey.

“Attention, new recruits!”

The voice cut through the noise like a whip.

Alpha Benedict stood at the top of the staircase, massive, terrifying, his golden eyes slicing through the crowd. Instinct screamed to bow my head, bare my throat. I forced myself to stay still.

“Welcome to hell,” he said coldly. “Half of you will be gone before your first semester ends. Only the strongest will survive. There are three rules here. Don’t show weakness. Don’t make excuses. Don’t disappoint me.”

The silence after was suffocating.

“C Wing dormitories, follow me.”

Our dorm leader sharp eyed, prematurely gray led us through stone corridors. “Dining hall, five to eight. Training grounds, through there. Underground levels…” His gaze darkened. “Stay out unless you want to die early.”

We climbed to the third floor. He stopped at a heavy door marked C5.

“Arden Cross and…” He paused, eyes flickering. “…Kai Thorn.”

Whispers rippled like wildfire.

“Thorn? The Shadowfang heir?”

“He’s never lost a fight.”

“Poor bastard, rooming with him…”

The dorm leader shoved a key at me. “Try not to die your first night, Cross.”

He left me with dread crawling through my veins.

I unlocked the door. The room was simple two beds, two desks, two wardrobes. One side already claimed. Expensive luggage. A row of throwing knives gleaming like promises.

I tossed my duffel on the empty bed, hands shaking as I unpacked.

The door slammed.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

I froze.

Kai Thorn filled the doorway like a shadow come alive. Shirtless, scars slashed across his chest and arms. Dark hair still wet, towel draped around his neck, green eyes burning with lazy danger.

“You must be my new roommate,” he drawled, stepping closer. “Arden Cross, right?”

My throat locked. I forced a nod.

He inhaled, frowning. “Huh. You don’t smell like the other Beta brats.”

Liora stirred in panic. He knows.

“Actually…” His eyes narrowed. “You don’t look much like a fighter either. So tell me, Cross what makes you think you’re Alpha material?”

A test. If I flinched, I’d be finished.

I met his stare head on. “I guess you’ll find out.”

For a second, surprise flickered. Then his mouth curved into a smile that showed teeth.

“I guess I will.” He tugged a shirt over his scars, still watching me. “Word of advice this place eats the weak alive. If you can’t handle me…” He let the silence hang, heavy and threatening.

“I can handle it,” I said quietly.

His grin sharpened. “We’ll see.” He turned to leave, pausing at the door. “Oh and I have company sometimes. Female company. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

Heat clawed up my neck, but I forced my voice steady. “Your business is yours.”

“Smart answer.” His smile was pure predator. “I think I’m going to like you, Cross. Welcome to the Academy.”

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving only the echo of pine and rain and danger.

That was close, Liora whispered. He suspects.

He suspects I’m weak, I corrected. Not that I’m a girl.

But deep down, I wasn’t sure. Kai Thorn’s eyes hadn’t just seen weakness. They’d seen something else. Something he meant to unravel.

And tomorrow, the real test would begin.