Chapter 3

The morning sun rose too quickly, casting golden light across the Mooncrest Pack mansion as preparations for my departure began. Unlike Isabella, who was surrounded by a flurry of servants carefully folding expensive silks, packing jeweled accessories, and loading luxurious trunks filled with gifts meant to impress, I stood alone in the courtyard with nothing but a single worn travel bag at my feet.

Luna Vivienne handed it to me herself, her expression cold and dismissive. “Take only what you truly need,” she said flatly. “The family will not waste good money on someone who will likely be expelled within the first week.”

Isabella leaned against a pillar nearby, smirking as servants fussed over her. “Try not to disgrace the Mooncrest Pack too badly, dear sister. I can already picture the entire academy laughing at the beautiful wolfless girl who thought she belonged among real wolves.”

The words stung, sharp as claws, but I swallowed the hurt and kept my face blank. I refused to cry in front of them. I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. Instead, I nodded silently, slung the light bag over my shoulder, and turned toward the waiting carriage. Before I could climb in, Elder Rosalind appeared from the side path, moving with surprising speed for her age. She pulled me into a warm, fierce hug that smelled of lavender and old books. No one else was watching closely enough to notice as she slipped a small pouch of coins into my hand.

“Courage is sometimes worth more than strength, my dear,” she whispered against my hair. “Keep your heart open. The moon has plans for you.”

I clutched the pouch tightly, feeling the weight of her love in that single gesture.

“Thank you, Grandmother,” I whispered back, my voice thick. She released me with one last gentle smile before disappearing back toward the house.

As I stepped toward the carriage, another figure rushed out from the mansion doors. Elena, the palace maid, hurried forward carrying a neatly wrapped package. The scent of fresh pastries warm, buttery, and sweet drifted toward me.

“For the journey,” she said softly, holding it out with both hands. Her warm amber eyes were filled with quiet hope.

Embarrassment flooded my cheeks. Everyone was watching. “I don’t need that,” I said, more harshly than I intended. “Stop treating me like a helpless child. I can manage on my own.”

Elena’s expression faltered for just a moment, but she recovered with a small, sad smile. While I looked away, pretending to adjust my bag, she quietly placed the package inside the carriage anyway. I pretended not to notice. The carriage door closed behind me, and the horses began to move. I didn’t look back at the mansion. Not once. The journey to the Royal Werewolf Academy took two full days, and for the first time in my life, I tasted something close to freedom. The carriage rolled through landscapes I had only heard about in stories. We passed the towering spires of the Shadow Kingdom, where dark forests seemed to whisper secrets. Bustling markets in neutral territories overflowed with colorful stalls, spices, and laughter. I saw powerful werewolves walking openly in their human forms, auras of strength radiating around them something I had never possessed. At a crowded inn on the first evening, I sat alone at a corner table, nursing a cup of tea. The common room was loud and warm, filled with travelers and students heading to the academy. A group of arrogant Alpha males nearby overheard the innkeeper mention my destination.

One of them, tall with a cruel grin, approached.

“So you’re the wolfless girl invited to the academy?” he sneered after sniffing the air and sensing my dormant wolf. His friends laughed.

Before I could respond, he deliberately bumped into my table, spilling hot tea across my clothes. The liquid burned against my skin, but I refused to flinch.

“Oops,” he said mockingly. “Guess the academy made a mistake accepting someone like you.”

The room quieted, waiting for my reaction. Instead of lowering my head or apologizing like I might have done at home, I calmly met his gaze. “Strength isn’t measured by how loudly someone humiliates others,” I said evenly, my voice steady despite the burning tea soaking my dress. “It’s measured by what you do when no one is watching.”

The Alpha student stared, momentarily speechless. His friends shifted uncomfortably. One of them muttered under his breath, “You’ll regret embarrassing us, silver girl.”

I turned back to my tea as if nothing had happened, heart racing but refusing to show it. Small victories still felt foreign, but they tasted sweet. The next afternoon, the academy finally came into view.

Towering stone gates rose against the horizon, adorned with flowing banners representing the three Alpha Kingdoms black and silver for Shadow, gold and crimson for Solar, and deep green and brown for Earth. Hundreds of new students milled about in excited chaos. Carriages, horses, and enchanted transports filled the wide road leading to the entrance.

The moment I stepped out of my carriage and through the gates, carrying my single worn bag, countless eyes turned toward me. Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through grass.

“Who is she?”

“Look at that silver hair… she’s stunning.”

“But… I don’t sense a wolf aura. Is she really wolfless?”

Admiration shifted quickly into ridicule. Laughter echoed across the courtyard. Someone called out, “The academy really let in the charity case?” More snickers followed.

I kept my chin high and walked forward, ignoring the heat rising in my cheeks. This was my chance. I wouldn’t let them break me on the very first day. At that exact moment, three luxury vehicles bearing the royal crests of the kingdoms rolled through the gates one after another. The entire courtyard fell into a stunned hush before exploding into cheers and excited shouts. The three Alpha heirs had arrived.

The first to step out was Kael Draven of the Shadow Kingdom. Jet black hair, piercing emerald eyes, and an aura so cold and intimidating it seemed to lower the temperature around him. He scanned the courtyard with unreadable precision.

Adrian Valerius followed, golden blond hair gleaming in the sunlight, sapphire blue eyes sparkling with effortless charm. He waved to the crowd with a bright smile, greeting students like old friends.

Rowan Ashford emerged last, dark brown hair slightly tousled, dark brown eyes quietly observant. He moved with calm confidence, taking in every detail around him. While students surged forward to greet the princes, all three of them suddenly paused. For the briefest moment, their heads turned almost in unison toward the same place toward me. Their expressions flickered with something unreadable, as if their wolves had reacted to a scent on the wind. I felt the weight of their combined attention like a physical touch.

I sighed softly to myself and muttered under my breath, “They look far too serious and full of themselves.” Turning away, I adjusted my bag and continued walking deeper into the academy grounds, completely unaware that their brief glance had already sparked the newest wave of gossip spreading like wildfire through the crowd.

Somewhere behind a nearby pillar, I thought I caught a glimpse of a hooded figure watching everything intently. But when I looked again, the figure was gone. Probably just my imagination after such a long journey. I took a deep breath and kept moving forward. The Royal Werewolf Academy stretched out before me grand buildings of white stone and towering spires, training fields visible in the distance, and an air thick with magic and possibility. Whatever waited here, I was ready to face it. Even if it meant facing three infuriatingly intense Alpha princes who had already noticed me for all the wrong reasons.