LUNAR BONDS: WHEN FATE DEFIES HIERARCHY

Daisy

I'm running at full speed to catch the entrance exam that will completely change my life.

This isn't just any test. It's my ticket to studying in the most prestigious school in the supernatural world called the Lunar Crest Academy.

My heart pounds against my ribs but I push myself faster as the morning air burns through my lungs.

"You can do this," I whisper to myself. "One month of studying has to be enough."

I don't know if I'll pass, but I've really studied harder than I have before.

I've had more than a month of preparation, late nights poring over borrowed textbooks and practicing until my hand cramped.

I'm already visualizing my success as I approach the imposing examination hall.

The stone building looms ahead with spires that reach toward the clouds.

I slow down just enough to catch my breath before pushing through the heavy wooden doors.

Students mill about inside. Most of them carry themselves with the easy confidence that comes from privilege.

I go straight to look for my name on the posted lists. Five minutes of searching pass before I finally find my place near the bottom of the roster.

"Room 103," I mutter to myself before adjusting my worn backpack strap and heading down the corridor.

I find my assigned seat then sit down to methodically prepare myself. I take out what I need which are papers, pens, a small calculator.

I arrange everything neatly on the desk while reassuring myself that all will be fine though the knot in my stomach suggests otherwise.

I take a moment to look around to notice that there aren't many people in the room yet but I don't recognize anyone.

They're probably from Class B, the ones who usually pass these kinds of tests without breaking a sweat. Their wolves are naturally stronger plus their minds are sharper by birthright alone.

Am I the only one from Class S here? The thought makes me sink lower in my seat. Being Class S means being at the bottom of werewolf society. The weakest, the poorest and the ones whose wolves manifested with minimal strength or special abilities.

The proctor enters and silences the room with a stern look before distributing the exam papers.

"You have three hours. Begin now."

Three hours pass and the test is finally over but don't ask me if I did well because I really don't know. I kept writing the entire time, barely looking up from my paper.

I forgot what I wrote for some sections because my hand was moving almost independently from my brain after the first hour.

"Time's up. Pens down," the proctor announces.

I reluctantly hand over my paper.

Do I have to worry now? Is it okay that I can't remember what I wrote, or should I just give in to the urge to cry?

The pressure that's been building inside me threatens to spill over, but I hold it together as I leave the examination hall.

The walk home takes nearly an hour. I could shift and run since my wolf form is unusually fast for a Class S.

That was one of the few blessings in my life but I prefer walking. It gives me time to think and process the exam questions that still swirl in my mind.

I belong to Class S whose wolves are usually slow when running, but my wolf is always fast, unlike others of my rank.

This is why I rarely tell anyone about my classification.

Sometimes I feel that I'm not weak at all and that I excel in many ways over those who are supposedly better than me just because of their birth class.

It's really unfair to differentiate between werewolves like this. Aren't we all the same underneath? Don't we all bleed the same? But that's just how our world works.

We are divided by abilities we were born with, not the ones we develop.

I finally reach our small house on the outskirts of Light Flock territory only to find that the house is completely empty.

No one's home which indicates that my grandparents are still at work.

I live on the outskirts of the Light Flock territory, in a small house with my grandfather and grandmother. I'm an orphan whose last memory with my father was when I was 10 years old. Now, more than nine years have passed since that day.

My mother died even earlier. I barely remember her face now.

My grandfather works as a guard for the Alpha Palace of our pack, and my grandmother works as an Omega there. It's true that we are from the weakest class but we're not completely destitute because of their palace connections.

My success in that test and my entry into the school of my dreams will take me and my grandparents out of this life.

I head to the kitchen and find two eggs in the refrigerator. There's nothing else there so I make do with what we have.

I start preparing this meager meal before turning on the television to watch the news.

The news anchors drone on about the recovery of the supernatural economy, cooperation and peace treaties occurring between creatures around the world. It's all politics and posturing which is nothing that affects someone like me directly.

I begin flipping between television channels when I stumble upon a press conference featuring the son of an Alpha from Class A.

The camera focuses on a young man at a podium. He is tall with sharp features and dark hair that falls just above his intense eyes.

'I have a strange feeling when I look at him,' Aru my wolf speaks to me.

She is alerting me that there is something unusual about the character on the television.

'That's Damien Grimspire,' I murmur after recognizing him immediately. 'He's one of the most powerful and richest Alphas among the Class A. His family owns several companies around the world. You could say they practically control the supernatural economy. There are 15 families in Class A, and the Grimspires stand at the top of even that elite group.'

'Perhaps it's because they're so rich,' Aru suggests.

I myself couldn't even dream of standing in front of someone like him.

I suddenly hear the key to the door turning and find my grandmother entering the house with bags of food in her hands.

Her gray hair is neatly pinned back but a few strands have escaped after her long workday.

"Oh, Grandma! You're finally back. You're late today. Where's Grandpa?" I ask as I watch her enter the kitchen with the bags.

"Your grandfather will be a little late at work. He won't be able to eat dinner with us tonight," she replies before setting down her burden on the counter.

I peer into the bags and instantly recognize the high-quality food that would normally never be within our budget. "Okay, I see, and are these the waste of the Alpha and his wife?"

"Shame on you!" My grandmother's face flushes. "Whatever it is, this is still food."

"You really... how is that possible, Grandma? You prepare their food, you work so hard, and they don't even give you proper payment for your work?" I can't keep the bitterness from my voice.

"Don't forget that they are also struggling. Our Alpha is only from Class B, my little girl. They barely manage the pack compared to stronger packs."

"So go to a Class A pack, they will pay you well," I suggest.

"I don't think they would accept someone like me..." She sighs before suddenly brightening. "Ah, right! What happened with your test?"