After Hours

Chapter Five – After Hours

Maelis’ POV

The academy was quieter after sunset.

The loud voices that had filled the training grounds during the day had faded, replaced by the gentle sound of the evening wind moving through the tall trees surrounding the campus.

Students had already returned to their dormitories.

Some were laughing with their roommates, while others were preparing for the next day’s lessons.

I wished I could do the same.

Instead, I sat alone on the edge of my bed, staring at my bandaged hand.

Everything had changed in a single day.

Yesterday, no one knew my name.

Today, everyone knew I was the girl who had almost lost control of her wolf.

A slow sigh escaped my lips.

I glanced across the room.

Cassandra stood in front of the mirror, carefully brushing her long hair. She hummed softly to herself as though nothing had happened between us.

The silence in the room felt uncomfortable.

I wanted to speak.

I wanted to explain myself again.

But every time I remembered the look in her eyes earlier, the words disappeared.

She had already made up her mind.

To her, I had become a problem.

Suddenly, she looked at me through the mirror. “What are you staring at?”

I quickly lowered my eyes. “Nothing.”

“Good.”

She placed the brush on the table. “Then remember what I told you.”

My fingers tightened around the edge of the mattress. “I remember.”

“You’d better.” She picked up a book and climbed into bed. “I don’t want Silas looking at you again.”

Those words settled heavily inside my chest. “I’ll try.”

She gave a short laugh. “No.”

Her eyes met mine. “You’ll do more than try.”

I didn’t answer.

There was nothing I could say. A few minutes later, Cassandra blew out the lamp beside her bed.

The room fell into darkness.

Before long, I heard her steady breathing.

She had fallen asleep, I remained awake.

Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered what had happened in the combat hall.

The pressure, the fear, the feeling of something clawing beneath my skin, desperate to break free.

My wolf had never behaved like that before.

Ever since I turned eighteen, I had always managed to suppress her.

It had been difficult, but never impossible.

Now… Everything felt different.

I quietly climbed out of bed. Careful not to wake Cassandra, I slipped on my shoes and wrapped a light cloak around my shoulders.

The corridors were almost empty. Moonlight poured through the tall windows, painting silver patterns across the stone floor, I walked without any destination in mind.

My feet eventually carried me toward the outdoor training grounds. Rows of wooden targets stood beneath the night sky.

Practice dummies cast long shadows across the grass. The place was completely deserted. Exactly what I wanted.

I stepped into the center of the field and closed my eyes.

“Please,” I whispered.

“I just want to understand you.”

Silence answered me. I took a slow breath.

Then another.I reached inward, searching for the presence I had spent months trying to ignore.

Almost immediately, I felt her.

She wasn’t angry, she wasn’t violent.

She was… Waiting.

A strange warmth spread through my chest.

It flowed into my arms and down my legs like a quiet river.

For one peaceful moment, everything felt calm.

Then fear crept into my mind. What if I lost control again?

The warmth instantly became hotter.

A growl echoed inside my head. “No.”

I stepped backward. “Not again.”

The pressure exploded through my body.

My breathing became uneven. Pain rushed through every muscle.

I grabbed my head with both hands. “Please stop…”

The growling only became louder.

My knees buckled.

Just before I fell, a calm voice reached my ears. “You’re fighting her.”

My eyes flew open. A tall figure stood beneath one of the old oak trees surrounding the training field.

The moonlight revealed familiar golden eyes.Silas.

Shock spread across my face.“You…”

He slowly walked toward me.

“I didn’t know anyone was here,” I said quietly.

“I did.” His voice remained calm.

There was no anger, no mockery, ih certainty.

Embarrassment washed over me. “I’ll leave.”

I turned, hoping to disappear before I embarrassed myself again.

“You don’t have to.” His words stopped me.

I looked back, he stood only a few steps away now.

His hands rested casually behind his back.

“You came here to train.” I nodded.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me anymore.”

For a long moment, he simply watched me.“I know.” 

I frowned. “You do?”

“I saw what happened yesterday.”

A bitter smile crossed my face. “So did everyone else.”

“No.” He shook his head. “They saw someone lose control.”

His eyes remained fixed on mine. “I saw someone trying with everything she had not to.”

Those words caught me off guard, no one had ever looked at yesterday that way.

Not even me.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone,” I whispered.

“I know.”

“You believe me?”

“I do.” The answer came so quickly that I forgot how to speak.

Silas looked toward the moon before returning his gaze to me. “A wolf doesn’t fight that hard to stay hidden unless its owner is protecting someone.”

I stared at him.

How could he understand something I had never told anyone? “I’ve spent my whole life hiding,” I admitted.

“It became easier than explaining.”

“You can’t hide forever.”

“I know.” A sad smile touched my lips. “But I don’t know any other way.”

Silas took another step closer.

He was close enough now that I could clearly see the determination in his eyes. “You’re making one mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“You’re treating your wolf like an enemy.”

I looked away. “What if she is?”

He shook his head. “If she wanted to destroy you, she wouldn’t have waited this long.”

His words settled deep inside me.

I had never thought about it that way. “What should I do?”

“Listen.”

I frowned. “Listen?”

“Don’t force her down.” His voice remained steady. “Find out why she’s trying so hard to reach you.”

I hesitated. “What if I fail?”

“Then try again.”

“What if I lose control?”

His expression softened. “You won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because this time…” He held my gaze. “You won’t be alone.”

Something inside me shifted, not my wolf but my heart.

For the first time since arriving at Alpha Academy, someone wasn’t looking at me with pity, fear, or suspicion.

Someone believed I could succeed.

Silas stepped back and folded his arms. “Try again.”

I closed my eyes.

This time, I didn’t fight the warmth, I welcomed it.

The familiar presence slowly surrounded me.

Instead of pushing her away, I listened.

The growling became quieter, the pressure eased.

My breathing slowed.

For one brief moment, I saw the world differently.

Every sound became clearer.

Every scent became sharper.

When I opened my eyes again, the golden color disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

I was still myself.

I hadn’t lost control.

A smile slowly spread across my face before I could stop it. “I… I did it.”

Silas gave a small nod. “You did.”

A horn echoed across the academy grounds, curfew .

I looked toward the main building. “I should go.”

“So should I.”

We began walking back in the same direction.

Neither of us spoke for a while.

Surprisingly, the silence didn’t feel uncomfortable.

It felt… peaceful.

As we reached the path leading back to the dormitories, Silas stopped. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I blinked.

“You will?”

“If you’re willing to keep training.”

I looked at him in surprise.

“You’d really help me?”

“I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”

Before I could thank him, he turned and walked away.

I stood there watching his figure disappear into the night.

For the first time since stepping through the gates of Alpha Academy, I felt a tiny spark of hope.

Maybe… Just maybe…

I didn’t have to face whatever I was becoming on my own anymore.