Chapter 1

The Breaking Point

Chapter 1: The Breaking Point

The university hallways were way too quiet. I hurried toward my dorm, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. In this prestigious school, a place that was supposed to be my dream, I was living a waking nightmare, living in fear.

I was being hunted by a gang in school..This gang was dreadful and had not let me know a moment of peace since I gained admission into the University.

Bryan and his "golden trio" were just out of control. To the professors, they were the brilliant, well-behaved stars of the campus. To me, they were monsters. Just the other day, they cornered me, beat me until I was badly bruised, and stole my things. When I tried to report them, the Dean basically laughed in my face. “You’re just jealous of their grades,” they said.

"Stop right there," a raspy voice echoed behind me.

I froze. Elena.

I turned slowly, my breath hitching. Bryan stood there with his signature wicked smirk, flanked by his loyal dogs, Jack and Elena. Before I could move, Bryan lunged forward and snatched my bag, shoving me hard onto the cold floor.

"Trying to run, pretty one?" he mocked.

"Stop... please," I groaned. My vision blurred, and for a split second, my eyes flashed a different color. I was a werewolf, but a weak one, or so they thought. To them, I was just a stray from a low-level pack with no one to protect me.

Elena snarled, her teeth lengthening into jagged points. She grabbed my ponytail and slammed my head back toward the ground. Crack.

"What do you want from me?" I stammered, my face stinging from a sudden, piercing slap delivered by Elena.

"Shut up," she hissed.

They tore through my bag, looking for cash or electronics. Luckily, I had tucked my phone into my waistband the second I heard their footsteps. I’d already lost three phones to these jerks in two months; I wasn't losing a fourth. Finding only a bag of Doritos, they tossed my empty backpack at my face and sauntered off, laughing.

I sat on the floor, shaking. I was scared and I needed help that the school wouldn't give me. This university was a melting pot of humans, werewolves, and even vampires, but everyone stayed in their own lane.

I remembered a night in the library with my human friend, Helen. We had heard a bone-chilling growl from outside.

"Is that...?" I had asked, terrified.

"Just a wolf shifting," Helen had said casually, staring out the window. "They belong to packs. The most famous one is the MoonStone Pack. It's led by a billionaire’s son. He’s powerful, dangerous, and—honestly—gorgeous" she giggled.

The MoonStone Pack? The name stuck in my head like a lifeline. If the school authorities wouldn't protect me, maybe a real Alpha would.

I made it back to my dorm, my resolve hardening with every step. My roommate, Alicia, was already there. She was the campus "it-girl"—a blonde, blue-eyed cheerleader who had every guy on campus tripping over their feet to breathe her air.

She was lounging on her bed, looking uncharacteristically dazed.

"Alice?" I asked, dropping my bag. "I need to ask you something."

She blinked, focusing on me. "Shoot."

"I know you don't believe me about Bryan," I said, my voice firming up. "But I’m done being a victim. I need to find the leader of the MoonStone Pack. You know everyone—tell me where he is."

Alicia’s jaw dropped. "What for? Do you have any idea how dangerous those guys are?"

"I don't care," I snapped. "I'd rather face a King than let those bullies kill me."

Alicia stared at me for a long beat, then grabbed a notepad. She scribbled an address and a name, her hand trembling slightly as she handed it over.

"Here," she whispered.

I looked at the paper and smirked. Tomorrow, after class, the "weak" little wolf is going to find herself a protector. And Bryan? He had no idea what was coming.

I