Chapter 1

When I submitted my college application, there was less than a minute left before the deadline.

One click of the confirm button, and my training path for the next four years would be locked in.

My finger hovered over the button. I couldn't bring it down.

If I chose a different academy than Charles, we'd end up territories apart.

The thought of spending the next four years without training together the way we always had made my chest ache before I could stop it.

But before that ache could settle, my phone lit up.

Charles's voice came through, laced with obvious impatience.

"Lilith, are you still not ready? The academy's Moon Night banquet is about to start."

"Kevin and the others are already at the front gate. Everyone's here. If you keep dragging your feet, you'll miss the first round."

I shot to my feet, shoved everything on my desk into my bag without looking, didn't even confirm my college application, and ran toward the school entrance.

The academy corridor was long. I sprinted down the stone steps and my foot caught on one of them in the rush.

My knee slammed into the edge. The skin split open on impact.

The pain made me freeze for a second, but then I thought about them waiting. I didn't even look down at the wound. I clenched my teeth and kept running.

By the time I made it through the corridor to the plaza, the school driver was already doing a headcount.

Charles was standing in the group. Annie was right beside him.

I exhaled with relief and ran toward them.

But just as I was about to reach them, the driver had already turned and climbed into the vehicle. He was about to close the door.

"Wait!" I shouted.

From a distance, Charles seemed to hear me. He turned and glanced back.

But the next second, Annie said something to him, and he looked away.

The bus started moving. The headlights swept past. Their figures disappeared.

The screen light faded. I stood there, rooted to the spot, barely able to breathe.

Again. They always said they'd wait. But every single time, I'd get left behind at the very last second.

The Moon Lake trial. The academy night hunt, where I got stuck at the edge of the barrier and they didn't even notice I wasn't behind them.

This time too. All he had to do was tell the driver I wasn't on board yet. Just one more minute.

But he said nothing.

As long as I was a little slow, they never looked back.

But those one or two minutes. Were they really that important?

I couldn't figure it out.

The questions jammed in my throat and never made it out. All that was left was a bitterness that kept getting thicker.

"Excuse me, just a moment."

I was still standing at the gate, dazed, when an instructor stopped me.

She was holding a slim training booklet. She held it out.

"You're Charles's friend, right? He left this at the front gate. I was going to wait for him to come back, but they probably won't be returning tonight."

I took the booklet and flipped through it without thinking.

It was the academy's training partner registry.

Charles's name was listed inside.

But the name that made my fingers go rigid was the one right next to his.

Annie.

They'd already registered as official training partners.

I stared at those two names for a long time. The ache in my chest came flooding back.

Because just yesterday, Charles had smiled and told me:

"Lilith, once college apps are done, let's go register as training partners together."

"Your wolf spirit's always been a little unstable. I can train with you. We'll take it slow."