CHAPTER ONE – CRIMSON BONDS

Alice had always been good at pretending.

She didn’t think of it as lying, it was more like survival. At Westbridge High, where everything seemed to revolve around who made the swim team, who was dating who, and which table you sat at during lunch, being “different” wasn’t just awkward, it was social suicide. And Alice Ashford? She was very different.

So she played her part. She smiled when teachers made eye contact, laughed at the right moments, kept her grades up, and wore the mask of the quiet, slightly pretty new girl. Not invisible, new students never were, but not remarkable either. Just Alice. Dark hair, shy, uncertain on which crowd to join.

No one knew that while other kids spent weekends attending parties, clubbing , shopping, or gossiping over sleepovers, Alice’s weekends were the opposite. She spent them polishing silver blades until they could reflect the light, practicing with a crossbow until her arms trembled, and memorizing drawings of beasts most people thought were nothing more than myths…..Werewolves.

That was the Ashford legacy. She hadn’t understood it until she was old enough to read through the family’s old journals: heavy leather-bound books with cramped writing. The stories were always the same, The Ashfords hunting wolves. The Ashfords wiping out entire packs. The Ashfords fighting alphas under blood moons. Some of them even traded their blood for silver steel.

That was her family’s pride. And her prison.

Her father made sure she never forgot. Every morning he pulled her out of bed at dawn, shoved a weapon into her hands, and barked orders until her body gave out. “Again,” he snapped as she stabbed at training dummies. “Again,” as she strung and unstrung her crossbow until her fingertips ached. “Again,” as she sprinted through the woods behind their house, heart pounding and lungs burning.

“You’re an Ashford,” he reminded her, his voice as sharp as a two edged sword. “Don’t forget it.”

But under the bright field lights of Westbridge High, Alice wanted to forget. Just for a little while.

The gym smelled like sweat and chlorine. Sneakers squeaked against polished wood as basketballs bounced. Alice sat on the bleachers during PE, pulling her hoodie tighter.

That’s when she noticed him.

Liam Hart.

He was the kind of boy who caught the attention of the whole team, both male and female. Captain of the swim team, tanned from practice, quick with his laugh. People moved closer without even realizing it, their moods lifting when he joined in. Watching him throw a basketball to a friend felt like watching a scene from some high school drama. Too smooth. Too perfect. Too magnetic.

Alice tried not to look. She really did. But when Liam’s gaze suddenly locked on hers, her chest tightened and her breathing seized for a second. It was like the world was on pause for a second.

The world didn’t actually stop, balls still bounced, coaches still shouted, but it felt like it. His smile slipped for a second, replaced with something curious, and Alice’s pulse jumped.

She looked away too fast, face hot. Pretend, she reminded herself. Pretend it didn’t matter. Pretend she didn’t feel anything.

But then her eyes landed on someone else.

Kane.

He wasn’t in the spotlight like Liam. No jokes, no crowd around him. He leaned against the far wall, folding his arms, eyes scanning the room as if he was waiting for something dangerous to happen. If Liam was fire, Kane was shadow. Cold, still, and silent.

And yet, his gaze was on her. Steady, almost unwavering. Not the fluttery kind of attention Liam’s gave, but something heavier. Older. Like he knew something about her she hadn’t figured out herself.

Alice shivered and pulled her hoodie closer.

Two pairs of eyes. One burning like fire, the other watching like shadow.

At lunch, another piece of the puzzle appeared. Her name was Mira.

Alice had noticed her before. Everyone had. Mira was the type of girl who didn’t just own a room; she expected people to acknowledge her presence. Golden hair that shined as bright as the sun, a smile sharp enough to slice through fruits, and a laugh that carried across the cafeteria. People followed her without thinking.

She was beautiful, and she knew she was.

In the two weeks Alice had been here, she’d heard the whispers. Mira used to be the undisputed queen, the most popular girl in West-bridge High. But now, things were shifting. Liam wasn’t paying as much attention to her anymore.

During lunch period, Mira walked into the cafeteria and immediately went to sit next to Alice, her sugary smile in place, Alice felt her stomach twist.

“Hey,” Mira said, twirling her hair. “You’re Alice, right? The new girl?”

Alice nodded. “Yeah.”

“I thought so.” Mira’s smile stretched wider. “I’ve seen you around. With Liam.”

And there it was.

Alice kept her voice even. “We’ve talked a little.”

Mira leaned in, lowering her voice like they were sharing secrets. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? Captain, future champion. Everyone loves him. But…” Her smile thinned. “…he’s not always easy.”

Alice didn’t want to respond. She mumbled. “Hmm, yeah.” Reluctantly responding to Mira.

Mira’s tone shifted, loud enough for others to overhear. “Anyway, it’s nice that Liam’s being protective. He’s always been like that.”

Protective. The word carried weight. Not a compliment, more like a warning.

Alice stabbed at her food, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn’t decide which was harder, was it keeping up with her father’s brutal training, or dodging the games of high school girls like Mira.