Chapter Two: The Alpha’s Instinct

Rayne moved through the stone corridors of Blackmoon Academy, feeling the weight of dozens of eyes on her. The scent of sweat, dominance, and untamed power filled the air as recruits—future Alphas—sized each other up, forming silent hierarchies of strength.

She had expected attention after the fight. She just hadn’t expected his attention.

Lucian Wolfe.

His silver eyes had locked onto her with a hunter’s gaze, sharp and unrelenting, as if he could already sense that something about her was… wrong.

She needed to stay out of his sight. To remain unnoticed.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

Recruits crowded around a large board in the center of the hall, where dorm assignments were listed. Rayne pushed through, scanning the names.

Her stomach dropped.

Rei Valen—Elite Wing, Room 11. Roommate: Lucian Wolfe.

The paper blurred in her vision for a moment.

She had wanted to prove herself. To show she belonged here.

But sharing a room with the strongest Alpha in the academy?

That was dangerous.

The dormitory halls were quieter now, shadows stretching across the stone walls as recruits settled into their rooms.

Rayne moved with steady steps, but inside, her heart pounded like a war drum.

Rooming with Lucian Wolfe was a risk she hadn’t accounted for.

She had studied him before coming here—his dominance, his reputation, his ability to break opponents with just a look. But knowing about Lucian Wolfe and standing in his presence were two different things.

And now, she was about to live in the same room as him.

Focus, Rayne. You trained for this. You can do this.

She pushed open the door gently.

Lucian was there, shirtless, lounging on his bed, a book resting in his large hands. His muscles were taut beneath the dim glow of the lanterns, the scars along his arms telling stories of battles fought and won. But the moment the door swung open, his body tensed like a predator sensing an intruder.

His silver eyes snapped to her.

His fingers tightened around the book. His entire frame went rigid.

For a moment, he just stared. Stunned. Unmoving. Almost… wary.

Steeling herself, Rayne stepped inside, adjusting the strap of her bag, her expression carefully neutral. "I assume this is Room 11?"

Lucian didn’t answer.

His brows furrowed slightly, his jaw clenching as if his instincts were screaming something he couldn’t understand.

The room suddenly felt too small, too thick with tension.

Rayne tossed her bag onto the empty bed, acting as if she hadn’t noticed his reaction. "Looks like we’re roommates."

Lucian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He leaned back against the headboard, exhaling slowly, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t disappear.

"I wasn’t expecting—" He stopped himself.

Rayne raised a brow. "Expecting what?"

Lucian studied her. Not just looking at her—studying.

There was something in his gaze, something unsettling. Like a hunter trying to figure out why his prey didn’t smell like prey.

"You’re not what I expected," he finally said, voice low.

Rayne’s pulse jumped, but she kept her expression cool. "Disappointed?"

Lucian let out a short, humorless chuckle. "No. Just curious."

But curious was dangerous.

Rayne turned her back to unpack her things, but she felt him. The weight of his gaze pressing against her spine, like he was trying to unravel something he wasn’t supposed to understand yet.

Then—a shift in the air.

The faintest growl rumbled in Lucian’s chest.

Rayne froze.

It was barely there, but she knew what it was. His wolf reacting.

She forced herself to keep moving.

Lucian exhaled sharply, like he was shaking something off.

"No. It’s impossible."

He was still watching her, his fingers flexing like he was fighting the instinct to reach out, to test something.

Rayne finally turned back to him, forcing a smirk. "Staring is rude, Wolfe."

Lucian tilted his head, smirking right back, but there was something dangerous in his gaze.

"You don’t smell like an Alpha."

The words were casual, but Rayne knew better.

They were a test.

She rolled her shoulders. "Neither do you."

Lucian let out another short chuckle, but there was something unreadable in his expression now.

Something like suspicion.

Like a wolf catching the scent of something it wasn’t supposed to find.

"You fight differently too," he mused, sitting up slightly. "Not like an Alpha. Not like a Beta either."

Rayne’s fists clenched, but she forced herself to remain casual. "Maybe I just had good teachers."

Lucian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Too close. Too perceptive.

"Or maybe," he murmured, "you’re hiding something."

For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them—tense, electric.

Then Rayne scoffed, shaking her head. "You think too much, Wolfe."

Lucian smirked. "And you don’t think enough, Valen."

Rayne turned away, pulling off her boots, pretending like his words didn’t unnerve her. 

She had to be careful.

Because if Lucian Wolfe ever discovered the truth about her…

He wouldn’t just expose her.

He might destroy her.

And she wouldn’t just lose her chance to lead.

She’d lose everything.

----

Rayne barely slept.

She lay still in the unfamiliar bed, listening to Lucian’s steady breathing from across the room. Even in sleep, his presence was suffocating.

Her muscles remained tense, her mind replaying every second of their earlier conversation.

"You don’t smell like an Alpha."

It wasn’t just a comment. It was an instinct.

A dangerous instinct.

She had trained for years to suppress her scent, to mask every trace of herself beneath layers of control and precision. But Lucian Wolfe wasn’t like the others. His wolf didn’t just rely on sight or sound—it hunted through instinct.

And somehow, she had caught his attention.

She needed to fix that.