Chapter 1

~Solange ~

I just got admitted into Lupine academy, an all boys academy and I was trying so hard to make sure my real identity will not be exposed. 

 I wrapped the fabric around my chest for the first time, tight, tighter, holy-shit-how-do-boys-breathe tight and watched my reflection flatten out until the girl looking back at me disappeared. Oh, I forgot boys don't need binders. Lange stared back instead. Short wig on my hair baggy shirt, jeans that actually fit for once. I looked… okay. Not great. Not convincing enough to fool anyone who looked twice. But it would have to do.

I remembered the day I first realized I was smarter than the teachers at the little pack school down the road. Mr. Callahan was droning on about basic serum reactions and I raised my hand, stupidly, excitedly and corrected him on the metabolite half-life. He laughed. But it sounded more like he was pissed off. “Sweetheart, girls don’t need to know the details. Just learn enough to help your mate when he comes home hurt. Or learn enough to assist the male doctors in the hospital okay? ” The whole class snickered. I sat there burning, fists under the desk, promising myself I’d never let anyone say that to me again.

But they kept saying it. Every year. Every test I aced. Every time I stayed up memorizing texts they’d never even read.

So here I was. Binding my tits. Lying to everyone. I took half shots and faked IDs and documents with the help of my best friend Mira. I didn't have much hopes but I got in. I thought I was going to get caught but I aced the exam and actually got into Lupine academy, the biggest werewolf academy in the country. This trained only males and for a while, other females who wanted to be doctors had been carrying out strikes. But I wasn't ready to wait for all that long, I had already started medicine in several academies and none of them were to my taste. I was already in my early twenties and I needed to do something fast enough. 

Mom called me out for dinner. Dinner that night was the usual torture.

Dad sat at the head like he was holding court, fork waving while he talked about Thorne. “Boy’s already running patrols like he was born for it. Became a pack enforcer at twenty-four. That’s legacy right there.”

Thorne just nodded, chewing slowly, looking pleased with himself like always.

Sylvia piped up next. “Professor said my bridge design could handle twice the load limit. Might even enter it in the regional showcase.”

Dad beamed. “That’s my girl. Engineering brains and beauty. You’ll have alphas lining up.”

Mom smiled that tight smile she saved for when she was disappointed in me. She turned to me last, like an afterthought.

“And you, Solange? Still nose-deep in those books?”

I poked at my potatoes. “Yeah. Still reading.”

She sighed. Loud. “Books won’t keep you warm at night. You’re twenty-two. Most girls your age are mated. Or at least courting if not doing engineering or politics related stuff.”

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. “I’m fine.”

“You’re wasting time,” she said softly, like it was a secret between us. “A good medical doctor is useful, sure, but a good mate is essential, no one would marry someone smarter than them.”

Dad chuckled. “She’s young. Plenty of time.”

But he didn’t look at me when he said it. He looked at Thorne. Always Thorne.

I excused myself before dessert. Mom called after me “Don’t forget to eat properly!” but I was already gone.

Later that night, when the house went quiet, Mira climbed through my window like she’d done since we were eight. She landed on the rug with a soft thump, backpack slung over one shoulder, grinning like we were about to rob a candy store instead of committing identity fraud.

“You look like a boy who just got dumped by his girlfriend,” she said, eyeing me up and down.

“Thanks. That’s the vibe I’m going for.”

She dropped the backpack and started unpacking. Binders, better ones, the kind that breathed. Glue for the wig I’d bought online in a panic. Shoulder pads. Boxers. A couple oversized hoodies. Boy jeans. Socks to stuff in places I didn’t want to think about. And of course pads because yah I still menstruated, I was a girl. 

“Voice modulator,” she said, holding up the necklace. “Clip it here. Test it.”

I did. “Testing, testing. Does this make me sound like a twelve-year-old boy with a cold?”

She snorted. “Close enough. Turn it down half a notch. There. Now you sound like a bored college dude who’s too cool to care.”

I laughed despite myself. It came out shaky. “Never mind I'll just try to sound like a guy this sucks.”

“No you suck girl…” she replied seizing it from me. 

Mira sat next to me on the bed. Our shoulders touched.

“You sure about this?” she asked quietly.

“No. But I’m doing it anyway.”

 “ Told mom I got a job up. He grunted and said ‘good, finally useful.’ Didn’t even ask where.”

I leaned my head on her shoulder. “We’re both liars now, since you helped me.”

“Elite club,” she muttered. “Membership benefits include anxiety attacks and constant fear of getting caught.”

We sat like that for a while. Then she pulled out her phone.

“Last chance to back out. I can drive you to the bus station right now. We’ll say you got food poisoning or something.”

I stared at the half-packed duffel on the floor. The one I’d labeled “work supplies” so no one would look inside.

“I can’t,” I said. “If I don’t go now, I never will. And I’ll hate myself forever.”

Mira squeezed my hand. “Then go be the best damn fake boy healer in history. And text me every night or I’ll drive up there and expose you myself.”

I laughed again. “Deal.”

She helped me finish packing. We stuffed everything into the biggest bag I owned clothes, books, extra binders, pads and tampons too. When it was done she hugged me so hard my ribs hurt.

“I'm sure you'll be gone very early tomorrow. Fighting! You both this,” she whispered.

“I don’t. Probably but yeah.”

She pulled back, eyes shiny. “Probably’s good enough.”

I left before dawn.

Slipped a note under Mom and Dad’s door: *Remember the job offer up north, I know you guys didn't remember but I was leaving today. Leaving early. Love you. Soso*

I knew they’d be pissed. I knew Mom would cry and Dad would yell about disrespect. But I couldn’t stay to watch it.

The bus ride was four hours of me staring out the window, heart in my throat, repeating the lies in my head until they felt almost true.

When I stepped off at the academy stop the sun was barely up. The gates loomed ahead, iron, tall, carved with wolf heads that looked like they were judging me.

Lange Voss.

First-year medicine student.

Not Solange anymore.

Now finally waiting to see what laid ahead for me.