Chapter 1

One wrong move and the entire academy would learn the truth.

The stadium erupted as Dane Wilder powered across the finish line. The roar hit him like a wave. Teammates swarmed him instantly, voices overlapping in the chaos.

"Dane, you madman! That last sprint saved us," Marcus shouted, grabbing his shoulders. "We were dead in the water until you took charge. How the hell do you pull that off every single time?"

Dane wiped sweat from his eyes and grinned through the exhaustion. "You set the pace, Marcus. I just closed the gap. Team effort all the way."

Jake pushed through the group, still catching his breath. "Captain, the rival coaches are staring like they want to recruit you on the spot. That final push? Pure fire. You carrying us again?"

"Cut it out, Jake," Dane said with a quick laugh. "You anchored the middle leg like a pro. Without you we wouldn't have been close enough for me to make a move."

The crowd kept chanting. "Wilder! Wilder!" Flags waved wildly in the stands. Coach Harlan marched over, trophy in hand, and clapped Dane hard on the back.

"Wilder, you just put on a clinic out there," the coach said. "Strength like that, leadership under pressure. The board is buzzing about you already. National team scouts were watching. What do you say to that?"

Dane shook his head, keeping his voice level. "Tell them the whole squad showed up today, Coach. I couldn't do it alone. These guys trained just as hard."

Coach Harlan laughed and raised the silver cup high. "Listen to that noise. They know who the star is. Get up here for the speech. Make it count, son."

Dane took the microphone as his teammates cheered louder. He scanned the excited faces in the stands. "Thanks to everyone who came out. This win is for Shadowpeak. We fight together, we win together. Let's keep showing the other academies what real pack strength looks like."

The cheers exploded again. Marcus yelled up at him, "You're a legend, Dane! Next meet we go even bigger. Save some of that magic for us next time though."

"Yeah, leave a little glory for the rest of the team," Jake added with a grin. "That burst at the end? I swear you were about to shift right there on the track and lap them twice."

Dane's smile held steady but his chest tightened. "Nah, saving the big stuff for the championships. You know how it is. Gotta keep some surprises."

A reporter squeezed closer with a recorder. "Dane Wilder, they call you the perfect Alpha around here. What's your secret to staying on top? Advice for the younger wolves watching?"

Dane handed the trophy off and leaned in. "No real secret. Work hard every day, trust your teammates, and push through when it hurts. We all bring something different to the pack."

More questions flew but the team pulled him away for photos and more back slaps. The celebration stretched out under the lowering sun. Teammates kept talking over each other.

"Party in the dorms tonight?" Marcus asked. "You have to come, captain. We earned this."

Dane waved them off gently. "Rain check, guys. I need to stretch and clear my head. Go celebrate without me. I'll catch up tomorrow."

Jake frowned a little. "You sure? You look pretty wiped after that meet. Don't push too hard."

"I'm good," Dane replied. "Just need some air. Enjoy the win for me."

As the voices finally faded, Dane slipped away from the main paths. He moved quickly into the woods behind the academy grounds. Tall pines closed in around him. The noise from campus died down to nothing but his own footsteps and the occasional night bird call.

He reached a familiar small clearing and stopped. His hands trembled as he dropped his jacket on a fallen log. "Alright," he muttered. "Let's try this again. You led the whole team today. You can handle one shift."

Dane rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes. "Come on, wolf. Feel the moon. Let it happen. I know you're there."

Nothing came at first. He pushed harder. "Why won't you come out? Everyone else shifts without thinking. What's wrong with me? My parents trusted me with the family name. How do I carry that if I can't even do this?"

Pain flared through his muscles like hot wires. He dropped to one knee. "Fight it. Don't quit now. You dominated out there. This should be easy."

He tried again, fists tight. "Shift. Give me something. Claws, fangs, anything. Don't leave me stuck like this forever."

The agony built fast. His body locked up hard. Dane fell forward onto his hands, gasping. "Damn it. Not tonight. Please, just work once."

Sweat dripped down his face mixing with dirt. "I hate this. All that cheering today, everyone thinking I'm the strongest. And here I am, failing again. If they knew I can't shift, it would all be over."

He stayed on the ground, breathing rough. "I make excuses every full moon. Every challenge. But it gets harder. I can't keep faking it."

A twig snapped nearby. Dane was too lost in the pain to notice.

Ezra Kane had slowed his night run when he heard the sounds. He stepped quietly to the edge of the clearing and watched. His green eyes widened. The arrogant track star had come out to blow off steam after his own second place finish, still annoyed about missing his record. This changed everything.

Dane kept muttering through the hurt. "I can't keep pretending. The team looks up to me. The academy does too. One slip and it's gone. All of it."

Ezra stayed hidden, heart racing. He had always viewed Dane as the untouchable golden boy everyone worshipped. Seeing him like this felt strange. Part of him wanted to step out, but he held back.

Dane tried to push up. "Tomorrow I play the part again. Perfect Alpha. Leader. But how long until someone finds out?"

He grabbed his jacket and stood on shaky legs. "Enough for tonight. Can't risk anyone seeing this mess."

Dane headed back toward campus, footsteps fading into the trees.

Ezra remained still for a long moment. "Well," he muttered to himself with a smirk. "The great Dane Wilder has a secret. This is going to be interesting."

He turned and continued his run, but his mind stayed locked on what he had just witnessed. The night suddenly felt full of new tension. Things at Shadowpeak Academy were about to change fast.