Luxemount High looked nothing like anything Lydia had ever seen before.
Her old school was all glass and modern design, sleek and new. This place? It was like walking into a castle. Massive brick buildings that looked like they had been standing for centuries. The kind of place where you could just tell - money wasn't new here. It was old. Ancient. Kids walked around like they owned the place. And maybe they did. Perfect uniforms. Expensive bags. The type of confident walk that screamed, "My family has been here for generations." Their movement almost felt choreographed. And then there were the looks. Oh, the looks. Some students did not even try to hide their stares. Those calculating eyes that seemed to measure her worth before she had even spoken a word. Rich kids had a way of doing that—sizing you up in seconds. Rebecca glanced at her. "You good?" Lydia nodded, keeping her face neutral. She had made a promise to herself-her mother had already sacrificed so much, and she did not deserve to worry any more than she already did. If that meant Lydia had to fake a smile or tell a little lie to make her feel better, then so be it. “I am fine," she said. But fine was a complicated word. Rebecca signed some papers at the front desk while Lydia stood awkwardly, feeling every single pair of eyes on her. The other students were not even trying to be subtle about their staring. "You will be in the Elysian building," the receptionist said, sliding Lydia's schedule across the counter. "Your room is room 203." Rebecca gave her one of those mom looks. The kind that said, "You have got this" without actually saying the words. "I will be fine," Lydia mumbled, sensing her mom was about to get emotional. The hug came anyway. Tight. Unexpected. Rebecca whispered something Lydia could barely hear. "Remember who you are." Lydia rolled her eyes. But she hugged back just as hard. "Love you," Rebecca said, pulling away. Her eyes were definitely getting watery. "Mom, seriously," Lydia groaned. But she was smiling. Rebecca left, her car disappearing down the street. Lydia took a deep breath, turning back toward the map the receptionist had handed her. "Elysian Building," she muttered, tracing her finger over the highlighted path. She slung her bag over her shoulder and followed the signs. When she finally saw the building, her jaw dropped. It was massive and way more impressive than she expected. Lydia’s footsteps echoed as she climbed the stairs, her fingers brushing the cool metal railing. Stepping inside, she turned slowly, eyes wide. The high ceilings, carved walls, and massive chandeliers made the place feel straight out of a museum. Room 203 She checked her schedule, pushed the door open then froze. A girl was pressed against the wall, arms wrapped around a guy who seemed more than happy about it. They were so caught up in their makeout session they did not notice her. "Oh—uh, sorry, wrong room," Lydia mumbled, stepping back. The girl pulled away, grinning. Her blonde hair was unkempt, her lipstick smeared, yet she did not appear ashamed at all. "Nah, you're good," she said. "He was just leaving." The guy chuckled, grabbed his jacket and nodded at Lydia on his way out. “Catch you later, Vanessa.” Vanessa rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Lydia. “You must be Lydia,” she said, leaning against the wall like nothing had just happened "Uh, yeah," Lydia said, still taking in what she had just encountered. She walked over to the other bed in the room, the one that virtually cried out 'new student' because of its perfectly folded blankets. "So, what kind of wolf are you?" Vanessa asked as she slumped onto her bed, sitting cross-legged and watching Lydia unpack. Lydia froze. "What?" she asked, her throat suddenly dry. Vanessa laughed. "Relax. I just meant how long have you been shifting? You know, since your first change? Everyone here is a wolf, so you can chill." "Oh." Lydia tried to sound casual, but she could feel her cheeks burning. "I have not, uh...done it much." Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "Not much, huh? Well, don't worry. This place is all about figuring that stuff out. You will get there." Lydia did not reply. She focused on unpacking, hoping Vanessa would not ask more questions about her nonexistent experience as a werewolf. After a moment, Vanessa grabbed her phone. "So, are you coming to the party tonight? It's kind of a big deal-welcome back and all that. Perfect time to meet everyone." Lydia shook her head quickly. "No, thanks. I think I will stay in and, uh, get familiar with my schedule." Vanessa snorted. "Wow. A bookworm. You are really going for the whole 'mysterious loner' thing, huh?” "It's not that," Lydia mumbled, avoiding Vanessa's eyes. "I just...I don't really like parties." Vanessa rolled her eyes dramatically. “This is Luxemount, girl. Live a little! But hey, suit yourself. Just don’t come crying to me when you are sitting here all alone, while the rest of us are out actually enjoying life.” Lydia gave her a smile and went back to arranging her things. Vanessa shrugged and started scrolling through her phone, clearly losing interest in the conversation. Luxemount was already proving to be something else, and she had only been here less than an hour. She folded her last sweater and slid it into the small wardrobe provided when a sudden commotion echoed from the corridor. Raised voices, cheers, and the unmistakable thud of heavy footsteps made her pause. “What is going on?” Lydia asked, turning to Vanessa. Vanessa smirked knowingly, still scrolling through her phone as if the ruckus was nothing new. “The runners are here.” “The runners?” Lydia tilted her head, her brow furrowing. “I don’t get it. What runners?” Vanessa tossed her phone aside, standing up and stretching lazily. “The ones who keep this place interesting.” Curiosity got the better of her. Lydia stood and moved toward the door. “Who exactly are they?” Vanessa shrugged, a sly grin playing on her lips. “Ethan and Riley Laurent. Pack royalty, practically. Everyone here either wants to be them or be with them.” Lydia hesitated at the door. “Pack royalty?” The phrase felt strange in her mouth, like something out of a fantasy novel. Vanessa gestured for her to follow. “C’mon, you will see what I mean.”The entire pack territory was alive with energy on the night of the Moon Fest. Gold lanterns swayed from trees branches, casting soft light across the clearing where the ancient ritual would unfold. The air carried the scent of pine, smoke and something wild—something that always comes with the full moon.Ethan stood in front of the mirror in his room. The ceremonial cloak was heavier than he’d imagined—black velvet with silver thread forming detailed patterns that told the history of their pack. The moon phases stitched along the edges shimmed under the full moonlight streaming through the window.“You look terrified,” Riley said from the doorway, smirking.“I am terrified,” Ethan admitted, fiddling with the clasp at his throat. “But it’s not just nerves.”Riley stepped closer. “What do you mean?”He looked at his reflection, voice low. “It’s like there’s a stone in my chest. My wolf keeps pacing. Something about tonight feels off.”Riley’s smile faded, concern creeping in. “You thin
The dinning room felt different tonight. The same long table that once held pack dinners and council meetings now felt like a stage—one where everyone was waiting for something to break. Alpha Alexander sat at the head, stiff and slow from his injuries, but his eyes were sharp, watching every single person in the room. Luna Valeria sat to his right, calm but guarded. Ethan was across from her with Lydia next to him, their fingers laced together under the table. Rebecca sat quietly beside Lydia. Riley was next to her mother and Elvis looking like he’d rather be anywhere else sat beside her. His eyes kept darting to the door like he was counting the seconds until he could make a run for it. No one like him had ever been invited to sit at this table before.Alpha Alexander’s gaze landed on him, voice low. “Elvis. I wasn’t expecting you.”Elvis straightened up a bit, nervous. “I was just about leaving, Alpha. This is a family business and I...”“Stay.” Riley’s voice cut through before E
They made it back to the Manor in silence. Luna Valeria helped him upstairs, carefully setting him on the bed. She laid out fresh change of clothes within reach and made sure he ate. Moving around the room with quiet efficiency, she adjusted the pillows, set up the IV the healer insisted on, and drew the curtains shut. She was calm and in control but Alpha Alexander could feel the stress rolling off her like heat from a fire.He shifted against the pillow with a low grunt, his body finally admitting how much the fight with Caelan had taken from him. Every breath felt like he was swallowing glass and his heart pounded painfully, but the worst pain wasn’t physical. It was in how Luna Valeria was acting. She wasn’t looking at him the way she used to. Infact she wasn’t looking at him .“The healers will watch your vitals all night,” she said, cold and businesslike as she arranged his meds on the bedside table. “Your pain medication is here, anti-inflammatories here. Don’t exceed the doses
Three days had gone by since Alpha Alexander was rushed into emergency surgery. Three days of hushed conversations in the Laurent Manor, of Luna Valeria pacing, of the pack growing restless without their leader's presence. The healers kept saying "stable but critical," which everyone knew was medical term for "we honestly don't know."Lydia found Rebecca sitting alone in the garden at dawn, staring at nothing. For a long moment, Lydia stood there arms folded, watching her. Her chest was still sore from crying but her eyes were dry now. Tired, but clear.“You dragged a mattress into the backyard and laid beside me all night when I was having a hard time,” Lydia finally said, voice quiet. “You pointed at every star and gave each one a name. Said they were all mine.”Rebecca blinked and looked up, surprised. “I...I remember.”“You made me lemon rice everytime I cried after school,” Lydia went on. “Even when we didn’t have lemons. You just faked it with vinegar and honey.”Rebecca let out
“Okay,” Lydia said, stepping fully into the room. Her voice shaky, but her eyes were locked in Rebecca. “Where’s the camera? Y’all can come out now. Is this supposed to be a joke or something?“Rebecca stood up from the couch slowly. “Lydia...”“Mom.” Her voice cracked and the second the word left her mouth, her eyes filled with tears. “Please... just tell me it’s not true.”Rebecca’s mouth trembled as she took a step closer. “I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispered, crying too. “You weren’t supposed to find out like this. I should have told you long ago.”Lydia shook her head like she was trying to knock the truth out of her ears. “So what...my whole life has just been one big lie?” Her voice cracked. “You told me my dad died before I was born. You looked me in the eye and said that like it was gospel. And now you’re telling me I belonged to someone else this whole time?”She dragged her sleeve across her face, wiping tears that kept falling anyway.Rebecca’s hand were shaking. “I was try
Ethan waking up lit the whole house. Riley screamed so loud it startled the birds outside, Elvis froze mid-step, then grinned so wide his face hurt. Luna Valeria gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, eyes already wet. She didn’t bother hiding the tears. And Lydia? She hadn’t stopped smiling since.She was everywhere he was, claiming his side like it was sacred ground. If he shifted, she shifted. If he scratched his head, she was already handing him water like dehydration might fix whatever near-death curse had almost taken him. “You don’t have to follow me to the bathroom,” he murmured that morning, half-laughing, half-weary.She looked offended. “What if you faint? What if you forget how your knees work?”“Pretty sure I’m solid,” he said, holding up his arm. She grabbed it anyway, hugging it to her chest. “Doesn’t matter. You still owe me. You still owe me eight days, four hours and thirteen minutes of stolen time.”Ethan just shook his head with a soft chuckle, letting her keep h