LOGINAUSTIN
Sitting in the dining room, I dig my fork into a piece of steak before shoving it into my mouth. Arthur has already found his new prey: the daughter of the alpha of the New Moon pack. She wouldn’t last two minutes in her father’s place. I’ve only known her for a few minutes, but I’ve already figured out her two favorite hobbies: shopping and boys.
“Isn’t that your sister over there?” Arthur asks her, glancing at the table with the new betas.
“Who? Kaia? Fuck no, she’s not my sister. Her father was my father’s beta; her parents died tragically when we were kids, so he took pity on her and brought her into our home. She lived with us but we are not related,” she says bitterly. Damn, she’s rotten to the core.
I look over at the table and notice that Asher, my future beta, is sitting next to her. They’re sitting in silence while the other two make small talk. I’ve known Asher since he was born, and the way he’s looking at her, it seems like he’s into her.I grab my plate and stand up. “What are you doing, man?” Arthur asks me.
“I’m going to the betas’ table. Asher is going to be my future beta, and he’s my friend,” I tell them before walking over. I hear a “Leave him alone” from across the room.
I sit down in the empty chair, and all four pairs of eyes turn toward me. I understand why Asher seems to have fallen for her. She’s the complete opposite of Miss Debbie.
“Hey, Austin, how’s it going?” Asher asks me.
“I’m good. How about you guys? Have you settled in yet?”
“Yeah, our room’s cool, but we weren’t as lucky as Kaia, who has her own private suite.” The guy I think is Vincenzo answers me, and Kaia flashes a smile while avoiding eye contact.
What was I saying? The complete opposite of Miss Debbie.
“We treat the ladies right here,” I say, and she looks up—she has beautiful blue eyes—and gives me a little smile. “I’m a sophomore and Asher’s future alpha, so don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.”
“Thanks, man, that’s cool.” A guy with long hair holds out his hand, and I shake it. “Chris.”
So, I point to each of them in turn. “So, Chris, Vincenzo, Kaia, and of course, Asher. Welcome to Blackwood Academy.”
We stay and chat for a while, with Kaia chiming in from time to time, but I can tell she’s not really comfortable. Her apple scent fills the table, and I suddenly get a craving for pie.
When we get up to head back to our respective dorms, I feel envious of the boys who get the chance to walk her back to her room. My dad has often told me how he met my mom. It was love at first sight for both of them, and I’d like to experience that myself someday.I don’t know if Kaia could be my mate, but one thing is certain: this girl intrigues me, she seems to be nice, and I want to get to know her better.
KAIAWhen I can't express what's really on my mind, my solution is always the same.Run.I've been doing it for years.Whenever my thoughts become too loud or my emotions threaten to spill over, I lace up my running shoes and keep moving until the noise inside my head finally quiets.But this time...There was nowhere to run.Not from Professor Matthews.Not from Deborah.Not from the whispers that had followed me through the hallways after class.I should have kept my mouth shut.Instead, I'd let my pride answer for me.I'd held everything in for so long that, the second class ended, I'd practically sprinted back to the dormitories just to change into my running clothes.It was only the first day, and I already had assignments waiting for me, so I promised myself I'd keep it short.Thirty minutes.Just enough to clear my head.The late afternoon air had cooled since morning, carrying the earthy scent of damp pine needles and freshly cut grass. The Academy grounds stretched endlessly
KAIAProfessor Matthews seems like a perfectly decent person—well-spoken, impeccably dressed, and with the kind of calm voice that immediately commands attention—if you ignore the fact that he's openly against having Betas at the Academy.Standing at the front of the lecture hall, he looks every bit the distinguished professor. His silver hair is neatly combed back, not a strand out of place, and his charcoal-gray suit fits him with military precision. Thin-rimmed glasses rest on the bridge of his nose, giving him an air of quiet intelligence. If I had met him anywhere else, I probably would have liked him.Instead, every time he speaks about tradition, I want to argue with him.Since class began, he's repeated at least three times that Blackwood Academy has always been an elite institution, founded to educate the future leaders of werewolf society.His emphasis on elite isn't accidental.Everyone knows exactly what he means.Alphas.Not Betas.Definitely not me.It irritates me far m
KAIARunning until your lungs burn and every muscle in your body hums with exhaustion—what better way to start the day?After dinner last night, I spent nearly two hours studying the Academy's floor plans. Every building, every corridor, every shortcut had become etched into my memory. The sprawling campus was almost a city in itself, with its labyrinth of stone hallways connecting centuries-old buildings, vast indoor training arenas, outdoor combat fields surrounded by towering pines, an enormous library that looked more like an ancient cathedral, a state-of-the-art infirmary, an auditorium large enough to host every student, and even a movie theater.Blackwood Academy was no longer a mystery.I knew it like the back of my hand.Or maybe even better.Claire always joked that I was basically a human GPS, and honestly... she wasn't wrong.By the time I went to bed, I'd already mapped out four different routes for my morning run, each one passing through different parts of the campus.T
AUSTINSitting in the dining room, I dig my fork into a piece of steak before shoving it into my mouth. Arthur has already found his new prey: the daughter of the alpha of the New Moon pack. She wouldn’t last two minutes in her father’s place. I’ve only known her for a few minutes, but I’ve already figured out her two favorite hobbies: shopping and boys.“Isn’t that your sister over there?” Arthur asks her, glancing at the table with the new betas. “Who? Kaia? Fuck no, she’s not my sister. Her father was my father’s beta; her parents died tragically when we were kids, so he took pity on her and brought her into our home. She lived with us but we are not related,” she says bitterly. Damn, she’s rotten to the core.I look over at the table and notice that Asher, my future beta, is sitting next to her. They’re sitting in silence while the other two make small talk. I’ve known Asher since he was born, and the way he’s looking at her, it seems like he’s into her. I grab my plate and sta
KAIAI'm grateful to have a room all to myself—Debbie will be green with envy when she finds out. The only downside is how masculine this floor is. They put us on the top floor of the dorm building, all by ourselves, as if we were just second-class students. “What pack are you from?” Vinnie asks me. He’s pretty forward—I mean, I guess he’s used to girls falling at his feet. I mean, he’s got it all: he’s tall, with a tan, long black eyelashes, green eyes… okay, I’m getting off track. “The New Moon pack.”“That’s down south, right?”“Yes.” I don’t know if he’s trying to make small talk, but he’s really bad at it. If he wants to get me to talk, he should at least ask me open-ended questions.“You must be really talented if they chose you to be one of the first four alphas admitted here,” he continues.“I guess so.” I hear a stifled laugh behind me and pick up the pace. I arrived less than two hours ago and people are already making fun of me. “Vinnie, looks like you scared her off wit
KAIABlackwood Academy is exactly as it appears in the brochure—a massive gray-brick building. Daniel parks in the lot, where many families have already gathered, unloading large suitcases from their trunks. When we get out of the car, my gaze drifts to the car next to ours. A tall blonde girl, who looks about our age, hugs her parents before heading toward the entrance, dragging her two suitcases behind her. Daniel sets my suitcase down next to me before pulling out Deborah’s four suitcases.“How am I supposed to carry all this?” she asks. “Dad, you have to come with me.”“I can’t. The rules are clear—we have to leave you here.” She grumbles before a young man with closely cropped black hair approaches her. “Need a hand? I’m Arthur Campbell, from the Moonlight Pack—I’m a sophomore.”Debbie’s cheeks flush, and I roll my eyes. “Sure, I’d love that… thanks.” “Shall we each take two?” he asks, smiling and revealing his dimples. Okay, I’ll admit he’s cute. She nods. “Problem solved. G







