There was way too much content for too little time. I stopped by the library and grabbed the most relevant books before heading home. I canceled my entire schedule to study. I skimmed through the more familiar topics just to refresh my memory, then dove deep into the subjects that were more important—and more likely to be on the test.I finished Border Geography in under an hour. I knew the map by heart, and even kids could recite the characteristics of the barrier by now. The Shadow Borders lined a vast coastal region. Only wolves could actually see the barrier—or be directly affected by it.To any humans who got close, it just looked like a normal ocean, with a rocky beach, crashing waves, and dangerous currents. That’s what the satellite maps and human surveillance cameras showed, anyway.The barrier looked like a massive black veil, radiating an energy so disturbing that no wolf could get too close. The ones who dared to try were dead before they even touched it.The leading theor
As I searched for answers in the whispers around me, I spotted Liam and Jonathan. When they saw me looking their way, they gave me a thumbs-up and smiled, silently letting me know I hadn’t done anything wrong.“Finished the evaluation?” Saulo asked Marcos.“Right here, sir!” Marcos handed over the clipboard. It was full of notes—it looked like an assessment report.“It was a test? Did I do okay?” I asked again. This time, both of them turned to me, smiling.“Did you do okay?” Marcos looked over the moon. “You completed the course in thirty-two minutes and nine seconds. The previous record holder was Alpha Clark—forty-eight minutes. But that’s not even the most impressive part. You went in blind, had no idea what the course was, and did it at night—when visibility’s garbage. We even had guards on standby in case we needed to pull you out. But you? You put on a show. The way you avoided the traps and handled the monsters—it was extraordinary.”“Your skills are on another level,” Saulo a
Saulo left right after, not giving me a chance to ask any questions. I took a deep breath and slung the quiver over my back. About ten minutes later, a blinding flash lit up the outside area, followed by the metallic clang of the gate opening.I stepped out cautiously, scanning my surroundings. There were tall stone walls on either side, leaving only one way forward—no chance of getting lost. Also, even though he said I couldn’t use my wolf form in the first part, he never said anything about borrowing her energy.I started running, sharpening all my senses. Right at the start, I triggered a basic trap, but managed to dodge just in time to avoid the falling rocks.Using my instincts and training, I kept running and dodging a series of traps. Some of them required a good amount of agility to get through untouched.It didn’t take long before I faced something beyond human-made traps. Dozens of small, furious monsters started popping up. They looked like gnomes. Not worth wasting arrows
As the warm-up was wrapping up, Saulo appeared with another man. I assumed he was an instructor based on the style of his jumpsuit—it had white detailing and two stars stitched on the pocket over the left side of his chest. A pen was tucked into the pocket, and he held a clipboard in his hand.All the students lined up in ten rows facing them. Saulo gestured for me to step forward. As I walked past, I waved at Liam and Jonathan, who were in the third row a bit farther up. The look on their faces was unreadable.“Eliza, this is Marcos. He’s the instructor here,” Saulo explained.“Nice to meet you, Marcos,” I said, offering a slight respectful bow. Not only did he have the same name as my agent, but his vibe reminded me of him too. Definitely a name I wouldn’t forget.“Attention!” Saulo barked, snapping everyone to attention. “Starting today, this young lady will be training with you. Quiet down, please!”He had to yell again when a wave of murmurs swept through the students. A good num
I sat in the station lobby, waiting for John to become available. John officially worked at the Siram Police Department. Just like William said, I decided to report in as soon as possible—so I left school right away and came straight here.“Miss Eliza,” the receptionist called. “The beta is ready to see you now. Follow me!”That was quicker than I expected. She led me down a hallway with gray walls and opened a door for me. When I stepped inside, I saw that Beta John wasn’t alone.“Eliza! What a surprise!” Arthur exclaimed, standing up to greet me.“Off duty already? Is being a cop that easy? If so, I’ve clearly come to the right place,” I teased.“Are you here to report something? Did something happen?” John asked, looking concerned.“Oh yeah, I’m here to report a crime. Write this down—the perp’s name is William Stone,” I said, joking. But John looked even more serious. “Sir, I’m reporting for duty.”I raised a hand to my forehead, pretending to be a soldier.“Eliza, don’t joke arou
My statement had a clear target, and I made that obvious by shooting a piercing glare at Lorraine before shifting into my wolf form in front of everyone. The girls closest to me jumped back immediately, terrified, whispering about how imposing my wolf was. They still didn’t seem to believe that everything that had just happened was real.Lisa had always wanted to let this secret out, always wanted to show off her strength—but she wasn’t nearly as thrilled in this moment as I thought she’d be. She was still focused on our unconscious mate. I didn’t have a choice. I had to get closer to William, standing in front of him. Just as planned, Lisa’s strong scent helped him regain consciousness faster. His eyes locked with mine. They looked calmer now, more in control.I couldn’t get any closer—I couldn’t show any signs of concern, because he wouldn’t accept that. So I just watched him carefully, letting him know I wasn’t going to do anything else. He stood up and started shifting back into h