CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The path narrowed into a rugged incline, forcing the small group of recruits into a single-file line. Tree roots jutted like veins from the earth, and every step demanded more from muscles already sore and weary.

Rhea—Rian—walked second to last, a deliberate choice. She kept her head down, her posture hunched just enough to appear tired but not weak. Blending in. Not too fast. Not too slow.

The boys ahead of her grunted and joked, mostly between Ryker and a taller recruit with sandy hair and a crooked smile named Dane. They’d been the most vocal since the journey began, testing dominance with every interaction—subtle nudges, offhand insults, and half-hearted wrestling matches when they stopped to rest.

Rhea had mostly escaped attention. Until now.

“Hey, you,” came a voice behind her—low and curious, but loud enough to make her stomach flip.

She turned her head slowly to find a boy walking beside her, boots crunching over brittle pine needles. He had shaggy dark hair and sharp cheekbones, his eyes a light, perceptive amber. His scent was neutral—neither dominant nor submissive—but carried a familiar bitterness that marked him as packless.

He arched an eyebrow. “You’ve been quiet, ghost boy. Name?”

Her pulse kicked up. Her throat tightened. She swallowed it down and cleared her voice before answering, pitching it lower than natural.

“…Rian,” she said carefully, letting the name rest flat in her mouth.

The boy smirked and nodded. “Seth. From the north ridge. You rogue?”

She hesitated—just long enough to be cautious, not suspicious. “Yeah.”

Seth shrugged, as if that explained everything.

“Figures. Got that starved look,” he said, not unkindly. “Most of us are. Trying to claw our way out of nowhere.”

Rhea gave a small nod, thankful the boy wasn’t pushing harder. But he didn’t leave.

“You aiming for rank?” he asked.

She blinked. “What?”

“Rank,” Seth repeated, flicking his chin toward the front of the line where Ryker and Dane walked with loud swagger. “You gonna fight your way up or hide behind the alphas?”

Rhea kept her expression neutral. “Depends who’s in the ring.”

Seth grinned at that, nodding appreciatively. “Smart answer. Most here think with their fists.”

They walked in silence for a few more steps. Rhea tried not to let her shoulders rise with tension. She could feel her wolf pacing beneath the surface, unsettled by the sustained conversation. Holding her voice in that controlled pitch felt like holding her breath—tight and strained.

Then Seth spoke again, quieter now. “You read the handbook?”

Her eyes flicked to him, startled.

He shrugged. “Noticed you keep looking at your satchel like it might bite. Only reason anyone stares at a bag like that is if they’re memorizing the rules or hiding contraband.”

Rhea smirked faintly—barely. “You always talk this much?”

“Only when I sense I’m walking next to someone smarter than they let on,” Seth replied, still casual. “You’re not like the others.”

“Is that a problem?” she asked, careful to keep her voice clipped, the syllables tight in her throat.

“No,” Seth said, grinning wider. “It’s interesting.”

She looked ahead, trying to hide the rush of panic building in her chest.

“Let me give you a tip,” Seth continued, gesturing subtly toward the group ahead. “Those two? Ryker and Dane? They’re brash, but not stupid. They’re feeling everyone out. Seeing who’s weak enough to bully, strong enough to challenge.”

“And the rest?”

Seth’s expression turned grim. “Doesn’t matter. Not once we reach the academy. The real danger starts when the heirs show up.”

She frowned. “Heirs?”

He nodded, lowering his voice further. “Elite bloodlines. Sons of the most powerful alphas. They rule the dorms, they run the trials. Some of them have been training since they could walk. Their packs practically bred them for dominance.”

Rhea’s stomach tightened.

Seth went on, his voice low and steady. “There are a few names you need to know: Kaelen of Crimson Vale, Draven of Nightspire, Thorne of Blackreach, and Silas of Bloodveil. They don’t just hold rank—they enforce it. They expect deference. Loyalty. Obedience. If you don’t give it…”

He trailed off, but the implication hung like a blade in the air.

Rhea exhaled slowly, barely a sound. “What happens?”

Seth’s jaw clenched. “They make examples. Public ones. Weakness is a punishable offense in their eyes. There’s no protection, no fairness. Not unless you earn it—or become something they can use.”

“Use how?” she asked, voice tightening.

“They’ll test you. Break you. If they like what’s left, they might keep you around. If not...” He shook his head. “Don’t give them a reason to notice you. And whatever you do—don’t cross Kael.”

She looked at him sharply. “Kael?”

“Kaelen Stormvale,” Seth said darkly. “Redmaw heir. He doesn’t care about rules—only results. Broke a boy’s ribs once over a late sparring challenge. Another ended up half-blind for bumping into him during training. Dangerous doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s merciless. And worse—he enjoys it.”

Rhea’s mouth went dry.

Seth continued, “The instructors won’t stop him. His pack bankrolls half the Academy’s resources. So he acts with impunity. And he can smell fear like a hound.”

She swallowed. “So don’t get on his radar.”

“Exactly,” Seth said. “Blend in. Keep your head down. Don’t talk back. Don’t try to be brave. Not around him.”

The conversation mercifully ended as the terrain leveled out, revealing the faint silhouette of distant buildings between the thinning trees. Smoke curled from high chimneys—stone structures looming in disciplined rows against the pale horizon. The Academy.

Rhea’s pulse roared in her ears.

She’d made it this far. But the hardest part hadn’t even begun.

She fell back slightly, letting Seth move ahead. Her thoughts spiraled as she replayed his words.

Kael. Draven. Thorne. Silas.

Powerful. Dangerous. Watching.

And behind her, a father who would strip her freedom away if he ever found out.

She inhaled deeply, grounding herself with the memory of Mira’s whispered warnings and the rules she'd studied from the handbook. She repeated them in her mind like scripture.

Blend in. Endure. Survive.

And above all—never show weakness.