Chapter 3: New roommate

Vae

“Your name?” the registration clerk asked, still typing.

“Vae Shadowmoon.”

She typed a bit more, then pulled a keycard from the small machine beside her.

“Omega Hall – Room 217. Wait at the Omega waiting area. Your dorm master will come soon. Next.”

I took the card and walked over to where she pointed.

The waiting area was full of girls. All Omegas. Most of them looked timid, shoulders slightly hunched as if they were afraid of taking up too much space. Some were returning students already dressed in the academy uniform, while others, like me, wore ordinary clothes and carried luggage.

None of them looked like they could hurt a fly.

I scanned the hall carefully. Students from the other dorms were being taken away immediately by their dorm masters the moment they got their keycards. Only the Omega dorm master was missing.

I rolled my eyes. Probably somewhere kissing an Alpha heir’s boots.

This academy has ranks just like the Black Lotus Guild, only they don’t kill and use knives. From what I had gathered, Ironfang Royal Academy had three main student residences. Nobleclaw Tower housed Alpha heirs and children of powerful nobles from different packs. Stoneclaw Dormitory was for ordinary werewolf students. And then there was Omega Hall, reserved for omegas. Separate. Lower. Easier to control.

The Crown Prince lived somewhere entirely different. The Royal Spire. According to the academy rumors, it was practically a second palace built specifically for Ryker Ironfang. He rarely participated in normal school activities and appeared on campus only when absolutely necessary.

That was fine. If he refused to come to me, I would find another way to get close to him.

Still… I have to pretend to be a weak Omega. Pfft.

I kept my posture soft like the others. Inside, the silver pills sat quiet in my bag. Two months. That was all the Guild had given me. Two months before they ran out and the mission either ended or I did. The real prince had already slipped past me once through a substitute. I would not let that happen again.

A group of she-wolves walked past, talking loudly as their dorm master led them away.

“Have you heard? The Crown Prince is arriving this week.”

I kept quiet and listened.

“Wait, you mean Crown Prince Ryker?”

“Yeah. I thought he wasn’t coming. He hardly ever shows up.”

One of them clutched her chest like she was about to faint.

“If he looked at me even once, I’d die.”

“Please. He only has eyes for one person.”

“Don’t crush my dreams of becoming the future Luna!”

This week?

Interesting. A prince who almost never appears suddenly decides to show up. It just makes things easier. And tighter at the same time. The closer he was, the faster the clock would feel. I let the thought settle without showing it on my face.

I waited. The minutes stretched. Every time another group left, the space around me felt thinner. I counted the exits again and kept my breathing even. No one looked at me twice. Good.

“Good day, ladies. I’m your dorm master, Mrs. Hales.”

A woman in her late fifties finally appeared.

Where the hell had she been?

She started leading us toward Omega Hall.

“Before we continue, there are a few rules you must remember,” she announced.

The girls quieted immediately.

“All students must return to their assigned dormitories before eleven p.m. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary punishment.”

She glanced over us sternly.

“Male wolves are not permitted inside Omega Hall.”

A few girls giggled shyly.

“And absolutely no mating inside the dormitory.”

More embarrassed laughter followed.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. The rules were clear enough. Curfew. No males. No shifting. No weapons. Everything designed to keep Omegas soft, contained, and easy to watch. The same kind of cage I had been trained to slip through without making a sound.

“Partial or complete wolf shifting inside the dorms is strictly forbidden. Combat weapons must remain in the designated training areas. Any unauthorized weapon found inside a dormitory will be confiscated, and the owner will face immediate disciplinary action.”

The whispers started again as we entered Omega Hall.

The building was far more luxurious than I expected for an omega residence. Soft silver lights glowed along the corridors, moon-patterned carpets covered the floors, and large windows overlooked the academy grounds and the distant mountains.

So omegas were expected to live comfortably while remaining harmless.

Interesting strategy. Give them pretty rooms and soft lights. Let them believe the walls around them were protection instead of bars. That way fewer of them ever thought about climbing out.

The other girls quickly began introducing themselves and exchanging social media contacts as they searched for their rooms. Voices rose in soft excitement. Someone laughed. Someone else asked about classes.

I slipped away from the crowd and checked the number on my keycard.

217.

After a short walk down the east corridor, I found the door.

I pressed the keycard against the scanner.

Access Granted.

The door slid open smoothly.

The room was surprisingly spacious. Two neatly made beds stood on opposite sides of the room, separated by a shared study table. A small sitting area occupied the corner beside a tall window that overlooked the moonlit forest surrounding the academy. Soft cream curtains framed the glass, and shelves lined one wall for books and personal belongings.

The space smelled faintly of frost and lavender.

Someone was already inside.

A girl with midnight-black hair turned from the window and looked at me. Her eyes were sharp, not timid at all.

We stared at each other for a second. Something in her gaze made the air feel tighter. Not fear. Not the usual Omega softness. Just quiet assessment, like she was measuring me the same way I measured everyone else.

Then she gave a small smile.

“You’re my roommate?”

“Looks like it,” I said.

She walked closer. Her steps were light, but not uncertain.

“I’m Nyxara, but you can call me Nyx.”

“Vae.”

She nodded toward the bed near the window.

“I already took that one. Hope it’s okay.”

“It’s fine.” I said, managing a small smile.

I dropped my bag on the other bed and glanced out the window. Somewhere past those buildings was the Royal Spire. And inside it was the prince I came here to kill.

Two months.

That’s all I had.

I sat on the edge of the bed and let my hands rest on my knees. Nyx still stood near the window, watching the forest with that same sharp look. I wondered how long she had been here before me. Whether those eyes of hers missed anything.

“First year?” she asked without turning.

“Yeah.”

“Same.” She finally looked back at me. “You don’t look nervous.”

I kept my expression soft. “Should I?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Most of them do. First day and all.”

I gave a quiet little laugh, the kind that didn’t show teeth. “Guess I’m just tired from the trip.”

Nyx studied me a second longer, then nodded like she was filing the answer away. “Fair enough.”

She moved to her own bed and started unpacking with calm, efficient hands. No nervous chatter. Just quiet movements and the occasional glance toward the window.

I turned my attention back to the view. The moon hung low over the trees. Far beyond the training grounds, the outline of the Royal Spire cut against the night sky. Lights glowed in a few of its high windows. Not many. Just enough to prove someone lived there.

Ryker Ironfang.

Crown Prince. Heir. The real one this time.

I thought about the girls in the waiting area, the way they whispered about dying if he looked at them. About the soft carpets and silver lights meant to keep everyone comfortable and small.

None of it would matter in the end.

I pulled my bag closer and began unpacking slowly. Behind me, Nyx moved around the room without speaking. The faint scent of frost and lavender settled deeper into the air.

Outside, the academy kept breathing under the moonlight.

Inside, I started counting the days.

The silver pills were in the bottom of the bag, quiet and final. Two months. That was the line the Guild had drawn. Fail again and there would be no third chance. This time I would get it right. Stay quiet. Watch. Learn the rhythm of this place. Get close enough that when the time came, there would be no room left for him to run.

My hand brushed the edge of the Silvermoon crest still tucked deep in the bag. The old tightness returned for a moment. I let it sit there, then pushed it down the way I always did.

Justice first.

Everything else could wait.

I finished unpacking, set the bag under the bed, and lay back against the pillow. The room was quiet except for the soft sound of Nyx settling in on the other side. Somewhere past the trees, the real prince was either already here or on his way.

I closed my eyes and let the tension settle into something colder and more useful.

Two months.

I would not waste them.