Chapter 2

~ Marina's POV ~

I stumbled out of the thick forest, my lungs burning with every breath, and for once, luck seemed to favor me—the pack warriors weren’t chasing me like they had for the past two days. My legs quivered, half from exhaustion, half from relief.

I returned to the home I had grown up in... the place where I had been locked away, where every single day had been nothing but training and endless scrutiny.

Just like Louis, I had been locked away by my father. I only caught snippets of the outside world through the rogue maids, who whispered tales of life beyond our walls, but nothing of true freedom.

As I walked down the long, echoing hallway, tears spilled over despite my efforts to hold them back. The walls were lined with grand portraits of my father and me, frozen in smiles that felt hollow now.

He had been strict, yes, but I had been closer to him than to my mother. My mother… for reasons I could never understand, seemed to loathe it whenever I tried to get near her, always calling me weak.

Even though our bond had been frail at best, I still missed her. Never once had I wished her dead… and yet, the pack wolves had taken her from me.

I wiped my tears, forcing my shoulders straight, and went to my room. Memories of my father’s rare bedtime stories flickered in my mind, warm and fleeting, like sunlight through a storm—but I pushed them away. There was no room for sentiment now. I needed to be emotionally strong if I was to join that academy and claim my revenge.

I lingered for a moment, glancing around my room as if memorizing it for the last time. By dawn, I would no longer be Marina, I would be someone else... pretending to be someone I'm not.

I strode to my mirror. My dark, curly hair tumbled to my arms, thick and rich—the one thing I had always loved about myself. But I needed to cut it. To hide. To become a boy in the eyes of the academy.

I exhaled sharply, my hands trembling slightly, as I picked up the scissors. With each snip, strands of my hair fell to the wooden floor, and a strange pang of loss twisted inside me.

I only stopped when my hair was short, styled into a rough bowl cut. Staring at the reflection, I barely recognized myself. A stranger stared back, and yet it was still me.

I flattened my chest with wraps. I also resized my father’s clothes to fit me, and by the time I was done, the sky was paling with the first light of morning. My eyes were heavy, but sleep was a luxury I couldn’t afford... not yet. Not until I was a student at Moonreign Academy.

I quickly bathed and rubbed fragrant oil all over my body. My father had told me the oil keeps pack wolves from identifying a rogue. I planned on using the oil until I have my revenge on them.

Dressed in one of my father’s clothes, I studied my reflection in the mirror. A small, satisfied smile tugged at my lips. It was me, but I looked like a boy. Perfect. No one would suspect a thing.

They would all think I’m just a cute boy. And it made sense… since Louis had been nothing but a weak wolf.

I grabbed the luggage containing my father’s remaining clothes and headed for Dravenmoor. My stomach clenched when I got closer to the gate.

How would I get in? There were heavily built werewolves protecting the gate. They looked dangerous, and their faces screamed at me that they wouldn't hesitate to kill an enemy.

With a thudding heart, I took a step forward to pass through the gate, my heart hammering, only for one of them to block my path. My chest felt hollow.

Would he recognize me as a rogue? As a girl?

"Who are you, young boy? I haven’t seen you around here before?" he said.

He called me a boy? It means I really looked like a boy. Relief surged, but I forced it down, keeping my voice steady.

"I... I'm heading to Moonreign Academy," I said, forcing my voice into a boyish timbre, trembling beneath the weight of my lie.

"You are going to be part of the academy?" His gaze pierced me, sharp and assessing.

I nodded quickly, avoiding his eyes. "I come from another pack outside Dravenmoor. I was granted the privilege to join the academy here." My throat tightened with every word, anxiety clawing at me.

The hefty werewolves stared at me without blinking.

Why were they staring at me this way? Did they sense my lie? Is there no pack outside the territory of Dravenmoor applying to be a student in the academy?

I can't introduce myself as Louis of the Night-Claw Pack. I'm going to get caught for sure because the Packs inside the academy don't live outside of the territory.

"Is… something wrong, sir?" I asked, trying to mask my panic. I wanted to know if they believed my lies or not.

Their gaze lingered for agonizing seconds before one spoke. "Not at all… Moonreign All-Boys Alpha Academy is open to other packs outside Dravenmoor. You’re lucky you arrived on time. We wouldn’t have allowed entry if you had come tomorrow."

A shaky laugh escaped me, and I clapped my hands. "Wow! Thank the Moon Goddess."

The Moon Goddess? She can go to hell. I don't like her. My father mentioned that she only favors the pack wolves and not us.

Nevertheless, the gate of Dravenmoor was open for me by the hefty men. I took a step to enter the territory, but I halted.

I had no idea where the academy was.

"The academy is near the Mountain of Blossom," one of them said, and I quickly turned to him.

"Huh?" I uttered.

"You're new to Dravenmoor, so I figured you might not know where it's located. It's near the Mountain of Blossom," he replied.

Mountain of Blossom? Where was that also located?

I wanted to ask him, but I decided not to. Too many questions might expose my identity. I'm Marina... I'll try to figure out where it is.

The most important thing was entering the territory.

"Thank you," I smiled faintly and tried to step my feet inside the territory, but his hand clamped on my shoulder.

My eyes widened.

What does he want now?

Did I perhaps smile too much and he figured out I'm a girl and definitely not a pack wolf? But the fragrant oil is strong enough to hide my rogue smell.

I turned, forcing a smile, hiding the tremor in my voice. "What… what do you want?"

"Be careful,” he said, concern threading his voice. "You look weak. The future Alphas at Moonreign Academy are stronger than you. Avoid their ire… especially Conrad Frost."

I nodded my head, not bothering to ask who the hell Conrad was. All I wanted was to get into the academy and plan my revenge.

He let go of me and nudged his head for me to go in. I took a deep breath as I made my first step inside the academy. And when I made my second step, a smirk spread across my lips.

I was finally inside the territory of Dravenmoor.

This was the beginning of their downfall.