Chapter 5

I woke early on my first full morning at the academy, hoping to slip through the day unnoticed. The dormitory was still quiet as I dressed in the simple uniform provided, braided my long silver hair, and stepped out into the crisp morning air. That hope shattered the moment I reached the main pathway.

Whispers followed me like shadows. Students deliberately bumped into my shoulder as they passed, murmuring loud enough for me to hear.

“There’s the wolfless beauty.”

“I still can’t believe the academy accepted her. Must have been because of that face.”

“Maybe she charmed the admissions board. Strength clearly wasn’t part of the criteria.”

I clenched my jaw and kept walking, refusing to let their words ruin my day. I had endured far worse at home. These strangers wouldn’t break me so easily.

Orientation took place in a large open courtyard surrounded by flowering trees. I found an empty seat near the back and tried to make myself small. A timid girl with light brown hair and soft green eyes was already sitting there. The moment I sat down, she flinched and began apologizing.

“I…I’m sorry,” she stammered, clutching her books tightly. “I’m taking up too much space, aren’t I? I can move if you want…”

“It’s fine,” I said gently. “There’s plenty of room.”

She peeked at me through her lashes. “I’m Emma Willow,” she managed, voice barely above a whisper. “Nice to meet you.”

“Seraphina Ashwyn.”

Before we could say more, a group of girls a few rows ahead turned around and began mocking Emma openly. “Look at her. So weak and awkward. No wonder she’s in the lowest training group already.”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears as she shrank into herself. Something protective flared in my chest. I met the girls’ eyes calmly. “Leave her alone. She’s not bothering anyone.”

The bullies glared at me, resentment burning in their expressions, but they turned back around. Emma looked at me with wide-eyed gratitude. “Th…thank you,” she whispered. “No one’s ever done that for me before.”

Orientation ended with the announcement that we would be divided into training groups based on our assessed abilities. As I stood to leave, a girl with striking red hair stepped directly into my path. She smiled sweetly, though something about it felt too perfect.

“I’m Cassandra,” she said, offering me a cup of fragrant herbal tea. “It’s a welcome gift for all the new students. I hope you enjoy your time here.”

Emma hesitated beside me, sensing something off, but before I could take the cup, another student called my name from across the courtyard. I set the tea down on a nearby stone table and walked over for what I thought would be only a moment.

When I returned, chaos had erupted.

Emma was on the ground. The cup lay shattered beside her. Her face was deathly pale, her breathing shallow and uneven. She had collapsed only seconds after drinking from it.

“Emma!” I dropped to my knees beside her, desperately trying to wake her.

“Someone help! What happened?!”

Students screamed for the academy healers. Panic spread through the courtyard like wildfire. Cassandra had already vanished into the crowd. The healers arrived swiftly, working with practiced efficiency. They managed to stabilize Emma, but their faces were grim as they lifted her onto a stretcher. One of them pulled me aside quietly.

“It was poison,” he murmured. “A rare toxin that can kill a werewolf within minutes if untreated. She’s lucky we got to her in time.”

The Headmaster ordered an immediate investigation, but no one could identify who had prepared the tea or where it had truly come from. Most assumed Emma had been the intended target because of her timid nature and low status. But I couldn’t shake the cold feeling in my gut. The cup had been offered to me first.

News of the poisoning spread across the academy within hours. By evening, rumors swirled everywhere I went. Some students said I attracted nothing but trouble. Others whispered that someone powerful already wanted the wolfless girl dead. I stayed by Emma’s side in the infirmary as the sun set, guilt eating away at me. She looked so small and fragile in the bed, still pale but breathing steadily now. Later that evening, the door opened quietly. Kael Draven stepped inside. He didn’t speak to me. Instead, he approached one of the healers and asked in a low, controlled voice about

Emma’s condition how long recovery would take, what the toxin was, and whether there had been any other incidents like this. His emerald eyes flicked toward me once, unreadable, before he left as silently as he had come.

Adrian arrived shortly after, carrying a small bouquet of bright flowers. He placed them on the table beside Emma’s bed with a gentle smile.

“These are for you, little one. Heard you had a rough day. Thought these might brighten things up.”

Emma’s eyes lit up for the first time since the incident. She managed a shy smile. “Th…thank you…”

Rowan appeared last, quietly questioning nearby students and healers about anyone who might have seen Cassandra after the tea was offered. His calm, strategic questioning revealed nothing new, but the fact that all three princes had become involved in what should have been a simple academy accident only fueled the gossip even more.

I sat beside Emma’s bed long after the princes had left, watching her sleep. Guilt settled heavy in my chest. “I’m so sorry, Emma,” I whispered. “I think that poison was meant for me. I promise you…whoever did this won’t get another chance to hurt you. Not while I’m here.”

Neither of us noticed the tiny crescent moon engraved on the broken shard of the teacup that had been carefully collected as evidence by the healers. The academy had only just begun, and already danger lurked in the shadows. But for the first time, I wasn’t facing it completely alone. Emma was my first real friend here, and I would protect her with everything I had. Even if it meant drawing more attention from three infuriating Alpha princes who seemed determined to involve themselves in my troubles.