Chapter 1 - Entering the Academy

•• Seleste’s POV •••

The iron gates of the Alpha Academy, the famous Ravenwood Academy loomed ahead, towering over me like steel sentinels. 

Everyone around me looked at me. Everyone was curious about who I was, but they all knew that a new student would be enrolled here today. It seemed to me that they were already expecting me.

I tightened my grip on the strap of my worn duffel bag, my knuckles white against the dark fabric. The weight of the moment settled deep in my bones, each step forward an echo of the choice I had made. Each step told me that I was signing for my death in this place, that I was signing for something that I might not be able to fulfill, but something that I did not intend to step back from.

I was not Seleste Rivas here. I was Aiden Rivas, a young Alpha-in-training, a male, and the one chance my pack had at earning a place in the academy’s prestigious ranks. I could not afford a mistake. Not even the tiniest slip. Unless, of course, I wanted to lose my life, my dad’s life, and the Lighttail Banes Pack.

I took a steadying breath, keeping my strides measured and even. My boots crunched against the gravel path, and I dipped my chin, letting my short, blond hair shadow my face. If anyone looked too closely, if they noticed the curve of my jaw or the slight build beneath my baggy clothes, even though I had bound my breasts, everything would be over before it even began.

And that was not something I wanted. It was not something that I would allow to happen.

Stay small. Stay quiet. Blend in.

You're going to be able to make it. All you have to do is blend in.

Easier said than done when I barely reached the shoulders of the other students moving around me. Alphas in training, all of them tall, broad, and brimming with strength. The air hummed with power, the kind that made my wolf bristle beneath my skin, a reminder of my own capabilities. A reminder that I had every right to be here, even if the world refused to acknowledge it.

I was an alpha born as much as they were. If I were a girl, it was not my fault. They were going to just have to accept things the way that they were. Well, if that were the case, then I wouldn't have had to pretend to be a male, would I?

The academy grounds spread out in manicured perfection, with stone buildings featuring ivy-covered walls, training grounds that stretched endlessly, and groups of students already moving in sync, sparring, and strategizing.

My steps echoed through the polished halls. 

Everything here was sharp lines and cold edges, just like the man who sat behind the oak desk as I entered his office. Principal Garrick didn’t look up immediately. 

He was busy with whatever papers were in front of him. I was the least of his concerns.

“Rivas?” His voice was a low rumble, like a distant storm.

“Yes, sir.” I deepened my voice, letting it scrape against my throat, hoping it sounded more Aiden than Seleste.

He finally looked up, gray eyes like slate. His gaze swept over me, lingering too long on the slightness of my frame, the way my clothes hung just a bit too loose. A bead of sweat rolled down my spine.

“You’re the Alpha candidate from the Lighttail Banes Pack?” His disbelief was palpable, filling the room and making it harder to breathe. “They sent you? Of all the people that would have been sent, they sent you?”

“Yes, sir,” I said, forcing my shoulders back as I looked him in the eye.

“Is there no one else in your pack capable of attending? You’re… smaller than expected.” He said, raising an eyebrow as he studied me carefully, as if trying to read me.

“I’m stronger than I look,” I said, fighting back the urge to bite the inside of my cheek.

“Is that so?” His lips twisted into a smirk. “I hope, for your sake, that’s true. The academy is no place for weakness. Otherwise, you're going to be sent out long before you’ve managed to settle.”

My wolf, Freya, bristled at the insult, a low growl pushing against my control. I swallowed it down, keeping my expression neutral. Now is not the time for me to be taking offense.

“Understood, sir,” I said, giving a curt nod.

He tapped the papers again, then slid a key across the desk. “You’ve been assigned to Dorm 4B. I expect you at orientation tomorrow morning, 0600 sharp. Do not be late.”

“I won’t be,” I said, looking down at the key that was in front of me. He looked down at my hand for a moment, raising an eyebrow. It was smaller than a male's hand, but I was not going to give him an advantage over me. I was not going to make him doubt my word.

“Dismissed.” He turned his attention back to the documents, already done with me.

I forced my legs to move, one foot in front of the other, from one another until the door shut behind me. The moment I was alone, I released a shaky breath, my chest tight. I couldn’t afford to let his words get to me. Couldn’t allow doubt to creep in. I had come too far, sacrificed too much.

As I walked down the corridor, voices echoed through the open courtyard below. I paused, hidden by the shadows, and let my gaze drift through the large window. Two figures stood at the edge of the training grounds, their postures mirrored yet distinct from one another.

Twins.

Broad shoulders, dark hair, and an aura that seemed to command the space around them. Even from a distance, I felt the pull, a faint whisper beneath my skin. My wolf stirred, a soft whine of recognition, and I gritted my teeth, forcing her back down.

Not now. Not here.

One of the twins, the one with a slightly softer expression, laughed at something, his head tipping back. The other remained stoic, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd as if he could sense something was amiss. I stepped back, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

They couldn’t know. They couldn’t.

Forcing myself forward, I reached the dormitory wing. The number 4B was painted in crisp white on the dark wood of the door. I twisted the key, the lock giving way with a soft click. The room beyond was simple: three beds, a shared desk, and the faint scent of cedar and smoke.

I stepped inside, letting the door close behind me. My eyes adjusted to the dim light, and that’s when I saw him. Leaning against the window frame, arms crossed, with a smirk curling his lips.

Ezekiel Syrus.

One of the heirs I knew from the past. His father was my father's partner. Even the idea of sharing a dorm with him was one that I didn't want to tolerate. 

His gray eyes caught the light, a spark of mischief mixed with something sharper. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just watched me. A shiver crawled up my spine, and I forced myself to set my bag down, to act normal. I looked down on my feet, avoiding his eyes for a moment. I just needed to act normal.

“You must be the new guy.” His voice was smooth, the kind that slithered under the skin. “Aiden, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He pushed off the wall, his movements languid but controlled. Like a predator who knew his prey had nowhere to run. “Interesting. You don’t look like much. I've never seen you around before. And to think that I have met the entire Rivas family.”

“I was away for some time,” I said, looking him in the eye. “And don't worry about me, I am stronger than I look.”

His smirk widened, but his eyes, those silver, unsettling eyes, never wavered. “I hope so. Otherwise, you won’t last long here.”

He moved past me, his shoulder brushing mine. I felt the heat of his skin through the fabric, a whisper of power that made my wolf bristle. I didn’t turn, didn’t let him see how his presence rattled me.

“My bed is on the far side. You can keep the one in the middle empty and choose the other one. I would recommend that…”

He didn’t wait for me to respond before he walked out, shutting the door behind him, leaving me alone.

I released a breath before I could stop myself, my hands trembling. Ezekiel knew something. I could feel it in the way he looked at me, like he was already peeling back the layers of my disguise.

And if he did, if he uncovered my secret, I wouldn’t be the only one in danger.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, letting the fear wash over me for just a moment. I had to be careful. I had to be perfect. Because here, in the Alpha Academy, mistakes were more than just dangerous.

They were deadly.