Chapter 5

25 minutes ago, 

Silas had barely stepped out of the Northern House when the world shifted—just slightly, just enough. His senses stretched, sharpened, and tightened like a wire pulled taut.

And then he saw her.

Olivia.

She wasn’t doing anything—just being her usual shy self, clutching her bag so tight it was one wrong breath away from collapsing. But she carried a quiet gravity, a fragile sort of radiance that didn’t demand attention… yet stole it anyway.

His wolf froze mid-step.

“Mine.”

The word slammed through him, instinctive, undeniable, older than the bloodlines that crowned him Alpha.

But before he could move toward her, something else entered the frame—a shadow brushing her space where it had no right to be.

Nikolas.

The Southern Alpha. His “brother” by title, rival by nature. The predator who preferred smiling while he sank his teeth into your weaknesses.

Silas watched as the strap of Olivia’s bag snapped, books scattering at her feet like fallen secrets. And of course Nikolas swooped in, so effortlessly, as if the moment had been placed there for him. 

He crouched beside her, collecting her things with that calculated air of Southern charm—the kind meant to disarm and mislead. His expression was unreadable, but his gaze lingered. Far too long. Too comfortably. Too deliberately.

Silas’s jaw flexed.

Nikolas leaned in, whispering something that made Olivia’s lips part—soft, startled. Her fingers tightened around her notebook, knuckles whitening, a flush blooming at her throat.

And Nikolas… He smirked.

Something cold uncoiled inside Silas. A slow, serene chill. Not anger. Not jealousy. Something sharper.

His wolf bristled, hackles rising—not with fury, but with interest.

A rival had drawn first blood, even if Olivia didn’t see it. Even if Nikolas didn’t understand what he had just touched.

“So the Southern Alpha is already circling,” Silas mused.

How predictable.

From his vantage point, Silas studied Nikolas—the relaxed slant of his shoulders and the measured confidence in his posture. A stance that said, “Challenge me.”

A stance Silas had broken before.

Nikolas moved differently around Olivia, though. And Silas didn’t miss it.

His lips curved, slow and dangerous.

“Let him play.”

The words were a whisper meant only for the wind.

“Every king needs a distraction before the real war begins.”

Because this—whatever small scrap Nikolas thought he was claiming—wasn’t war. It wasn’t even a warm-up.

Then Olivia smiled—small, uncertain, but enough to tighten something deep in Silas’s chest. Enough to make his hands curl into fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms.

She didn’t know… She couldn’t know.

Not yet.

“Soon,” he promised himself.

Let Nikolas take the spotlight beside her. Let the academy watch her like she was simply another Luna candidate. Let everyone mistake her uncertainty for weakness.

After all, she was just 'Nikolas' temporary bride.'

In the end, they would all learn the same truth.

Every piece on this board moved because he allowed it.

And Olivia?

She was the final move. The quiet, unassuming checkmate no one saw coming but him.

The queen he had already chosen.

And he, Silas, never lost. 

********

Olivia,

I followed Chloe like some reluctant stray who accidentally signed up for a destiny she didn’t order as she skidded down the long corridor until we stopped in front of a tall double door carved out of pale silverwood so pale and elegant it looked like it judged anyone who touched it. 

“This will be your quarters, Liv!” Chloe chirped, and before I could process anything, she shoved the doors open. 

I stepped inside and blinked. Then blinked again. 

The place was gorgeous. Offensively gorgeous. The kind of gorgeous that makes you want to apologize for breathing too loudly. 

A four-post bed draped in snow-white silk, shelves filled with texts I was 89% sure would melt my brain—Luna-law? Diplomacy? History? Why not just add “How Not to Embarrass Yourself in Front of Alphas” while they were at it? A wide window overlooked a moonlit courtyard so pretty it felt illegal. 

And then, at the far end, another immaculate bed—Chloe’s, untouched, waiting, like it already knew I was the messy one. 

Chloe squealed and bounced onto her bed like a sugar-high ten-year-old. “Wow, so soft!” 

I shook my head but couldn’t help the tiny smile tugging at my lips. Meanwhile, I approached my bed like it might reject me on contact. I traced a finger down a smooth bedpost—yep, definitely too nice for someone who still wasn’t sure she belonged here. Future Luna candidate? Try future imposter. 

Then— “chime.” 

The sound shot straight through my ribcage. I slapped a hand to my chest like someone had fired a warning shot. 

A soft, eerie voice flowed from a crystal embedded in the wall: “Welcome, Candidate Olivia Quinn. Night curfew begins at 9:00 pm. Orientation packets and your class schedule have been placed on the desk for your reference. Be advised: dormitory wards register visitors and potential threats. Rest well.” 

Silence. 

“What the hell was that?” I asked, trying—and failing—to sound calm. 

Chloe giggled. “That’s the system ward confirming occupancy.” 

“Confirming…?” I gaped at her. “Does that mean they’re watching us? Like—actually watching? Because if someone out there sees me doing anything embarrassing, I’m jumping out that window.” 

“I don’t think so,” she offered and I could tell from her expression that she wasn't so sure herself. 

“You don’t think so?” My voice jumped an octave I didn’t approve of. 

“O-Of course they can’t see inside! That would be an invasion of privacy,” she insisted. 

“Right. Privacy,” I muttered, already scanning every corner for hidden cameras, cursed eyeballs, the ghost of some judgmental Elder—something. 

I wandered toward the mirror but stopped halfway, suddenly feeling… observed. Ridiculous, right? And yet… 

“Who would be watching you?” Chloe snarked. 

“I don’t know,” I muttered. 

“Maybe the four Alphas.” Because why not? My brain clearly hated me today. 

“They probably sit up in their magical balcony seats, all powerful and ancient and staring down at us like we’re chess pieces.” 

Chloe rolled her eyes as if I was being dramatic. 

Two of them had watched me like I was a puzzle they didn’t know whether to solve or throw away. 

One… like he was ready to hunt. 

And one… like he’d already made a decision about my entire fate without consulting me. 

“How exactly do you explain how I ended up in this room?” I pressed, my stomach twisting. 

“You think the Alphas have time to worry about a charity case from the Central Plains?” Chloe, ever the critic snapped. “Be serious.” 

Yeah. Maybe I was being dramatic. 

I finally perched on the edge of the bed, letting out a long breath I didn’t know I’d kidnapped. The sheets were warm against my palms, soft, comforting—things I wasn’t sure I’d earned. 

But one thing was for certain: This wasn’t a sanctuary. It felt like a gilded stage. 

And I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to perform… or survive.