Chapter 6

Southern House…

Nikolas, the Southern Alpha, was everything Silas was not. Sun-kissed where Silas was shadowed. Laid-back where Silas was calculating.

His charm was effortless and dangerous in its own way, and his wolf burned with restless energy that mirrored his territory’s fiery spirit.

He was standing by the balcony when Silas entered, his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves with sunlight streaming over his tanned skin.

“Silas,” Nikolas greeted, his tone easy, a hint of amusement in his eyes. 

“Miss me already, Brother?” 

Silas smirked. ‘Yeah, they were brothers, all right…just not by blood.’ 

The world treated the four cardinal Alphas as if they were blood brothers. Still, they forget that they became cardinal Alphas because they were born on the night of the Blood Moon, the sacred night when the goddess blesses the firstborn son of a cardinal Alpha with an heir and gifts him with a special ability meant for him alone. 

Thus binding them to something older and deeper: the moon goddess’s divine decree. 

Frankly, Silas had never considered his abilities a blessing. If anything, he felt they were a curse. 

Because despite being born to different parents and living different lives, the special abilities of the cardinal Alphas marked them, linked them, and pitted them against each other from the moment they took their first breaths. 

Four boys shaped by power they never asked for, pushed into rivalry because the world expected greatness from the descendants of Cardinal Alphas. 

And when the world expects greatness, it demands warriors, not children. 

However, everyone needed a support system, and Silas felt Nikolas’s sunshine vibes perfectly matched his winter vibes, so he got along with him better than his remaining “cardinal brothers.”

“Your temporary bride, I came to offer congratulations,” Silas said simply.

Nikolas’s lips twitched. “Ah, Miss Quinn. She arrived this morning.” He tilted his head, studying Silas like one might study a rare animal. “She’s an interesting one.”

Silas smirked. “She is.”

Nikolas laughed softly, the sound low and unhurried. “Is that so? Don't tell me she caught your attention.” 

“Maybe,” Silas drawled lazily. There was no need to hide it. He was sure his encounter with her had been uploaded on CBB by now.

Nikolas took a slow sip from his glass, unbothered. “Since you're offering congratulations, accept my late congratulations on your temporary bride… What's her name again? I think it was Miss Hunt, or was it Miss Hunter?” He asked, looking lost. 

“I’m as clueless as you,” Silas said nonchalantly, causing Nikolas to look at him in surprise. 

“Is it just me, or do you seem more interested in my temporary bride than yours?” Nikolas probed. 

“What do you think?” Silas asked back, and their gazes locked. 

For a moment, neither said anything. The tension between them coiled thick and heavy, the unspoken rivalry stretching back years.

However, Silas burst into laughter, something Nikolas thought was strange since he rarely laughed. 

“Why act so seriously? She's just your temporary bride. I could win her as my Luna during the Celestial Convergence.” 

Nikolas smiled faintly, the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course, Silas, but that someone could also be me.”

Their gazes locked, two predators circling the same prey, until a soft chime echoed through the hall, signaling it was time for the opening ceremony.

Silas turned away first, the faintest trace of a smirk ghosting across his lips. “See you at the ceremony, Brother.”

As he disappeared through the door, Nikolas exhaled slowly, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.

“Careful, Silas,” he murmured to the empty room, his tone calm but edged with warning. “You might find this time the board doesn’t move the way you expect.”

Outside, the Academy bells tolled, a sound that seemed to echo through every corner of Celestial Moon Academy, calling Alphas, heirs, and hopeful brides to order.

And somewhere across the courtyard, oblivious to the storm she had just stepped into, Olivia was unpacking her bag, unaware that two of the most powerful cardinal Alphas in Celestial Moon Academy had already decided her fate.  

~~~ 

Olivia 

If there was one thing I realized about Celestial Moon Academy since I stepped foot here, it was the knack it had for making people feel small. 

The main hall stretched wide and glittered like something from a dream, chandeliers dripping with moonlight, marble floors polished enough to see your soul…and possibly your trauma. 

Every corner whispered luxury and authority, and I suddenly became acutely aware of how painfully average I looked in comparison. 

“Breathe, Liv,” Chloe warned, her voice low as she adjusted my sleeve with a bright smile on her face. 

“I am,” I hissed under my breath, pretending my lungs weren’t staging a protest. 

“Chin up, Liv. Points will be awarded for confidence.”

Easy for her to say—she wasn’t about to parade herself in front of strangers who might judge her worth in points. 

We had barely entered before— 

“Miss Olivia Quinn, representing the Central Plains,” the announcer’s voice echoed through the hall, shattering the silence that had gathered around me. 

Great. It's my turn to be publicly humiliated. 

As I stepped forward, I could feel the weight of their eyes, hundreds of them, crawling across my skin. 

Some looked curious, others outright judgmental as their whispers rippled through the hall. I was used to that. 

The wolf-less, adopted, and charity case of the Central Plains. I could probably give a masterclass on being the odd one out. 

‘Breathe, Olivia. Don’t faint. Don’t give these people the satisfaction.’ 

Headmistress Adelaide entered soon after, dressed in deep silver robes that shimmered with moonlight embroidery.

Her white hair was styled elegantly, her posture regal and unyielding. She didn’t need to introduce herself; she radiated authority like a living command. 

“Come with me,” she said to me, and I could see how all eyes turned to watch with curiosity and interest as I followed behind the headmistress onto the stage, leaving Chloe behind. 

The air felt charged, heavy with unseen energy. My chest tightened, and even Chloe lowered her head. 

Headmistress Adelaide took her place on the stage behind the podium as she began to give a welcoming speech to the students. 

She spoke about the new academic year and what was expected of all students. She also spoke about maintaining law and order and how points would be deducted for bad conduct. 

Her eyes finally settled upon me and the remaining four Luna candidates who were still down the stage with the other students. 

“Welcome, chosen daughters of the moon,” Headmistress Adelaide said, her voice like velvet and steel. 

“You have been summoned here for one reason—to prove you are worthy of the Luna crown.”

A ripple of whispers passed through the room as Yvonne, Evelyn, Mira, and Kathy… sorry, Katherine, stepped forward, taking their places beside me.

Headmistress Adelaide’s voice cut through the tension like a whip.

“You five have been chosen to represent the five regions: North, South, East, West, and Central. You will live, learn, and compete within these walls until the Celestial Convergence, when the four Alphas shall make their final choice.”

Final choice… Right... Because apparently, we were prizes now.

Yvonne’s eyes found mine—cold, knowing. 

“Even the Central Plains, once forgotten, have their chance this year,” she said softly, her tone almost mocking. “Do not mistake mercy for favoritism, Miss Quinn.” 

I stare at her in confusion. What is her problem? 

“Stay away from Silas,” she hissed, and my eyes widened… just briefly before I pretended I didn't understand what she meant. 

How did she know about Silas and me? 

The headmistress raised her hands, and the great doors behind her swung open.

Light poured in, blinding and ethereal as four tall silhouettes stepped inside.

The air itself shifted. Power. That’s what it was. The kind that makes your skin prickle and your instincts scream, "Kneel."

Four men strode into the hall, each radiating a distinct, overwhelming presence.

The Cardinal Alphas.

The first—Alpha Nikolas of the South—walked with the confidence of a man used to being obeyed. His golden brown hair caught the light, his forest green eyes sharp and warm and dangerous all at once. His gaze lingered on me for a heartbeat too long, and my pulse stuttered.

The second, Alpha Lucien of the West, leaned lazily against a pillar, his smirk careless but his eyes sharp. There was something boyishly wicked about him, like he found the entire ceremony amusing.

Then Alpha Killian of the East—tall, pale, and quiet. His eyes, strikingly blue, swept over us with calm detachment. He didn’t seem impressed—or maybe he just didn’t care.

And finally, Alpha Silas of the North.

His entrance was silent, his presence anything but. Shadows seemed to follow him, and when his steel gray eyes found mine, the air left my lungs. He didn’t smile. He didn’t blink. He simply “looked.”

And somehow, I felt seen in a way that was… unsettling.

Headmistress Adelaide’s voice sliced through the silence.

“These are your future Alphas—the pillars of the four cardinal territories. They will observe, test, and decide who among you is worthy to stand beside them as Luna.”

My knees wobbled slightly, but I forced myself to stand tall. I’d been humiliated before. I’d been rejected before, but this—this was different. 

One mistake here wouldn’t just break my heart… It could destroy me. 

The silence that followed their entrance was suffocating.

It was as though the entire hall bowed to their presence—even the air felt denser. 

Headmistress Adelaide lifted her hand, and the hall’s massive doors sealed shut behind the Alphas, the sound echoing like a warning. 

“These four men,” she said, her voice steady and sharp, “are not simply leaders. They are the pillars that keep our world balanced. To stand beside them is to share their strength… and their burden.” 

Her gaze swept across the five of us, her tone like the crack of thunder.

“You are here because the Moon has deemed you potential Lunas. But only one among you will be chosen by each Alpha—and one will walk away alone.” 

Katherine's lips curved into a soft, poisonous smile. “Well,” she whispered under her breath, “I’m sure it won’t be me.”