CHAPTER 4: CALM BEFORE THE SPARK

The morning sun bathed Cold Valley in soft amber light, casting long shadows through the windows of Cold Valley High School. The bell rang sharply across the courtyard, scattering sleepy students to their classes with half-zipped backpacks and unfinished breakfasts.

Alison moved down the hall, a worn-out textbook clutched to her chest. She was dressed simply in black jeans, an oversized navy hoodie, and sneakers. But her silver eyes, even dulled with lack of sleep, still caught attention as they always did. If it wasn't for her father, she would have hidden these eyes with a contact lens. But he always said her eyes were his favourite view, now how could she deny the man who raised her well and with so much love and care to see her eyes.

“Alison!” Kira’s voice echoed across the hallway, followed by the thud of her boots.

“Hey,” Alison turned, catching up with her friends Kira and Sara who were waiting at her locker.

“You look like you saw a ghost,” Sara noted, tilting her head. “Another night of weird dream?”

“Yeah,” Alison muttered. “Same one. Forest. Woman calling me ‘Althea.’ And last night…” She paused, unsure whether to say it aloud.

“What?” Kira leaned in, curious.

“I think I saw a wolf outside the diner.”

Sara blinked. “A wolf? Here in Cold Valley? Girl, that’s your imagination. Or you stayed up too late watching horror movies again.”

“Maybe,” Alison said. “It just felt… real.”

“Anyway,” Kira looped her arm through Alison’s, “we’ve got bigger problems. One week until final exams. Then we’re officially out of here!”

“Yeah, and into the big city,” Sara added, wiggling her eyebrows. “New life, new vibes, and hopefully hot city boys.”

“Please don't start,” Alison groaned with a small laugh.

“ We should get you a hot city boy ” Kira suggested

“ Not my type ” Ally argued

“ Do you even have a type Ally? ” Sara asked

“ I don't think so, I never had time to think of those stuff ” Ally explained to her friends

“ Knew it, mother Teresa. ” Kira teased

“ Don't worry, you will get one soon. I can feel it,” Sara laughed

The girls spent the morning going from class to class, math reviews, English essays, and college prep meetings. The end of high school loomed like a distant promise, and though Alison was usually focused, her mind drifted constantly.

When lunch came, they sat under their usual tree in the school courtyard. The warm spring air buzzed with chatter and plans for graduation.

“ I already got a dress for the graduation ” Sara announced

“ I will get mine tomorrow, what about you Ally” Kira asked their non challant friend

“ I don't know, dad said he will get me a dress ” Alison replied

“ I'm sure it will be pretty, ” Sara spoke

“I can’t wait for that camp trip,” Kira said between bites of her sandwich. “Two weeks in the woods, no teachers, and no alarms? I’m so ready.”

“Same,” Sara grinned. “But I’m mostly going to escape my mom’s lectures and maybe flirt with someone who doesn’t use TikTok to flirt.”

Alison chuckled. “You guys are hopeless.”

“You say that now, but wait till you meet a cute loner boy with messy hair and a dark secret,” Kira teased, nudging her.

Alison rolled her eyes but smiled. Deep down, she wondered if the dreams and the wolf sightings were leading to something, some kind of change. Something felt like it was shifting inside her, but she couldn’t explain it.

Meanwhile, in a neighboring town…

At a cozy street café hidden behind ivy-covered walls, Damian sat slouched in a wooden chair, sipping iced black coffee with barely disguised disgust.

“This tastes like disappointment,” he muttered.

Kevin laughed. “That’s because your royal tongue only knows moon-nectar and blood-orange wine. Welcome to the human world freedom seeking Prince.”

They were seated casually, both dressed in clean-cut black uniforms, their new school’s requirement. It was strange, fitting in like humans, but Kevin looked relaxed. Damian, less so.

“ By now the whole palace is in chaos, their favourite prince has escaped ” Kevin chuckled

“ Serves them right for caging me, and I was very tired of everything. All they talk about is responsibilities and duties of being an Alpha king, then there's the forcing of having Betha as my mate. The moon Goddess hasn't even once showed me my real mate but they are already forcing me to accept a power obsessed girl,” Damian complained

Across the street, two girls giggled and stole glances at them.

“Yep. Day one and you’ve already got fans,” Kevin said.

“I hate it,” Damian replied.

“You should try smiling.”

“I’d rather eat rocks.”

Kevin sighed. “We start school tomorrow. Just keep your aura low and don’t punch anyone.”

“No promises. Hey Kevin, I want to drift and drive at a high speed. Come on ” Damian urged his friend and he agreed

Back in Arvendale…

Storm clouds rolled low over the silver peaks of Arvendale. Inside the great stone halls of the royal palace, Queen Selene sat silently beside her mate, King Varkas. Their eyes burned with worry.

“He left a note,” the Queen said, holding the folded parchment tightly. “He’s gone to the human realm.”

“The boy has no idea what kind of danger he’s putting himself in,” the King growled.

“He’s searching for freedom… or his mate,” Selene whispered.

King Varkas stood abruptly. “Send the scouts. Quietly. If word spreads that the Alpha Prince is missing, it will stir unrest in the packs. If only he was not the selected Alpha by the Moon Goddess, I would have never given him the position of King ”

“ Don't say that my King, he's just overwhelmed and wants to feel freedom before he ventures into this heavy responsibility of being an Alpha King ” Queen Selene defended her son, as a mother she understood how her son felt and tried to reason with the father

Later that day…

Betha strolled confidently through the palace gardens, her crimson gown sweeping across the stones like fire. She had arrived for a casual visit to remind Damian that she was Luna material. She had dreamt of being a Luna Queen for years and she was obsessed with Damian even though he showed no interest in her. She was lucky the King and Queen liked her, well it's all thanks to her fake personality which she shows to them.

Instead, she found his chamber empty. No guards. No scent.

“Where is he?” she asked coldly.

The guards fumbled. “He left… last night.”

Betha’s green eyes narrowed. Rage flared in her chest like wildfire.

“You fools let him run away?” she hissed. “He’s mine. He’s supposed to be mine!”

Without waiting for permission, she spun on her heel and stormed back to her car and drove to meet her people.

There, she summoned her most loyal spies, dark wolves who moved without sound and answered only to her.

“Find him,” she ordered. “Search the human towns. Track his scent. I don’t care how long it takes or who gets hurt… Damian will be mine.”