Three

"See ya, neighbor," Adrian muttered when they finally reached the dorms, both of theirs on the same floor. Each door had their name written on a sticky note. Adrian Payne opened his own door and gave Shay a tentative smile before entering, "I know we can't really be friends, since we're competing and all, but it's cool if we hang out sometimes... right? I mean, wolves have to stick together, especially here."

"Of course. Let's hang out," Shay responded, offering him a similar smile.

Adrian smiled a little wider and winked at her before slipping inside his dorm. Shay did the same.

The room was nothing exciting, just an average hotel room but with even less personality and more beige. The bed was big, though, and that was enough for her.

Shay's belongings were already inside the room, so she decided to spend her free time organizing both her clothes and her mind at the same time.

She took the time to pull everything out of her suitcases, hanging what needed to be hung and folding what needed to be folded. All while telling herself this could be a lot easier than she'd expected.

And maybe she could even have some fun, for once. This was her last chance to possibly do that.

Nobody knew exactly what happened in Luxe City unless they lived there, but Shay imagined it wasn't anything close to having fun, making friends or indulging in... attraction.

Perhaps that was why she was so fascinated by that handsome vampire. Not because Shay believed there was any chance she would ever actually experience something with him—of course not—but because she imagined this might be her only opportunity to feel this way.

Being attracted to someone so much, he consumed her entire brain for hours. And even better, someone she absolutely shouldn't want.

It felt hot and exciting, two things she had never felt before and probably never would again. Because once Shay finally reached Enlightenment, it would all be over. She would most likely turn into some elevated, spiritual, emotionally detached being. Like a monk. Or whatever the female equivalent of a monk was.

She was excited about that. About overcoming her most human weaknesses and finally reaching... perfection.

Or something close to it, at least.

Because Shay was the strongest werewolf in the United States—at least according to the Enlightenment Academy, who had sent her the invitation—but she didn't always feel like it.

Most days, she felt lacking.

She felt completely out of control. Incomplete. Restless in ways she couldn't explain. Like she was constantly fighting herself just to stay focused on what actually mattered.

Deep down, where it counted, Shay knew she was weak. She knew her heart was never in the right places.

Shay had never cared about the things most female werewolves considered important: Finding a mate. Settling down. Starting a giant family.

No. Shay was perfectly content with the small family she already had—just Mom, Dad and Shay. Not many friends. And definitely not the idea of some aggressively masculine Alpha wolf dominating her because instinct said he should.

Absolutely not that. Because Shay was different from most she-wolves. And she had always known any kind of romantic/sexual relationship with a male wolf would be completely impossible.

Two dominant people did not make sense together. Shay would need to find a submissive man and that did not sound like something she would be into. Not all the time.

So she usually dreamed about meeting someone who was strong enough to give her what she wanted without making her feel like she wanted to break his fucking neck. And was also very handsome. And nice. And funny. And smart.

Of course, Shay had never found anything even close to it. Therefore, she was as inexperienced as one could possibly be.

But if everything Shay had learned about the Enlightenment Program was true, all of her issues would eventually disappear.

In the meantime, she imagined it wouldn't hurt to have a fun, harmless crush on the vampire.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time Shay headed to orientation, a couple of staff members were already standing in the courtyard with tablets in hand, looking more like bored gym instructors than members of a prestigious magical institute.

Shay moved to the marked line where some of the novices were already gathering. Adrian touched her shoulder once in a brief good luck gesture before drifting toward the back to stand on his own.

Shay stood alone too.

She folded her arms and pretended not to feel awkward. She also had to pretend her senses weren't all over the place. There was a lot to take in—the new environment, unfamiliar levels of energy, and the most nerve-wracking detail of all:

Vampires approaching.

Her wolf instincts told her to stay aware and ready for anything.

Shay looked back for a second and caught sight of Ivan walking her way with a female vampire beside him, who was chatting his ear off. A tiny spark of annoyance tugged at her stomach when she saw Ivan smile at the blonde and answer her with an ease he didn’t show Shay.

Ivan had not been exactly nice or chatty to Shay, but apparently he could be nice and chatty with that vampire.

Okay.

Ivan Belov moved like he existed in slow motion compared to everyone else. Casual, unhurried and confident. He stepped into place behind Shay, close enough for her instincts to flare harder.

The tension in her shoulders was instant, like the air itself knew wolves and vampires weren't meant to stand so close.

Shay stared straight ahead, but Ivan stared directly at her.

She could feel those pale green eyes burning into the back of her neck.

And he was still talking to the blonde.

A few seconds later, a very tall woman approached, looking more regal than anyone Shay had ever seen before. She was obviously a vampire by the way she moved and carried herself.

Her skin was a deep shade of black and so smooth it looked almost glassy. Her head was completely bald and perfectly round in a way that scratched Shay's brain just right.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Sera," she started, immediately making every novice shut up and listen. Finally, Ivan and his blonde friend were forced to stop talking, "I will be your mentor during this program. There are eight of you right now, but as you know, only one novice will reach Enlightenment and be granted access to Luxe City. I have been a Luxe citizen for the past one hundred and fifty years, so I'm pretty sure I'll know who has what it takes and who doesn't."

Shay nodded subtly, refusing to look down when Sera's eyes landed on her before moving to the others.

"We don't like wasting time here. This isn't school. You won't get a participation trophy. As soon as it becomes clear you do not have what it takes, you will be expelled from the program. It could happen anytime... even right now," she added with a mischievous little smile.

Shay's stomach tightened for a second.

"But so far, I have a good feeling about this group."

Sera continued speaking logistics for a few more minutes.

"... I am sure you are curious about the tests," she continued, making Shay straighten slightly. She was very curious, "But you have to keep in mind, you have been tested from the moment you stepped inside this academy. There is no privacy here, you cannot hide... but most importantly, you should not even try to hide. If you do, you are implying we are stupid enough not to notice, which means you are not very smart yourself. For the next three months, you are encouraged to become your truest self."

Shay swallowed hard. She wasn't sure how to feel about that information.

Because she wasn't hiding anything... at least she didn't think so.

"Now, for the physical aspect," Sera said again, "What we need most is a good Nereu. Nereus are what we call the warriors of Luxe City. People who can manipulate energy. All of you here were selected for your Nereu abilities, so we will work on them during these three months."

Nereu.

Shay could picture it now—her new job, possibly protecting Luxe City from... what exactly?

Who attacked the city? And why?

Well, Shay would find out soon enough.

In three months, when she—

"Don't get too excited. I will win," Ivan whispered suddenly from directly behind her. So close, his cold chest brushed lightly against her back, "You have a long life ahead of you. And Luxe is no place for a puppy anyway."

"Shh! Pay attention to the mentor," Shay muttered through clenched teeth, throwing him a quick side glance. She also stepped away from him, not wanting to be grouped in with the troublemaker.

But Ivan took another step too, making it impossible for Shay to move farther unless she wanted to walk straight into Sera.

So she exhaled slowly and forced herself to focus. To stay in control. Without thinking about how she could practically feel Ivan staring at the side of her throat.

Like he wanted to—

"Ivan," Sera interrupted suddenly, turning toward him, "Good to see you again. Maybe this time you'll finally get it right."

"Maybe. Or maybe I just wanted to spend another summer around you," Ivan replied smoothly.

Flirting with the mentor.

The guy had absolutely no respect for hierarchy and that irritated Shay immediately. She shook her head and stepped away from him again.

"You couldn't handle me if you tried, kid," Sera chuckled before continuing her speech.

Shay listened carefully. She prided herself on obedience. On being the kind of wolf who followed instructions exactly as they were given. But her focus fractured every time she felt that cold presence behind her.

Ivan didn't move closer again after Shay stepped away, but he didn't retreat either. He stood exactly where he had been, hands in his pockets, posture lazy and confident. Like he didn't need to try very hard to win anything.

That irritated Shay more than anything else.

She hated arrogance.

"You will begin physical evaluations tomorrow morning at six," Sera concluded, "Until then... settle in. Do your own thing."

The group dispersed slowly, tension lingering in the courtyard.

Shay tried not to look for Ivan.

She failed.

The vampire was already watching her intensely. Then he motioned to the right with his head and started walking that way, like he expected...

What?

For Shay to follow him?

She wouldn't.

She shouldn't.

But her legs started moving anyway.