Chapter 2 - Blend In

•• Seleste’s POV •••

“Every year, we lose candidates,” Principal Garrik said, his tone void of sympathy, cold even, holding a small sense of cruelty in it. “This is not a school for the weak. It is not a place for those who cannot follow orders. The Alpha Academy shapes leaders; only those who prove themselves worthy will be allowed to remain. And those who are unworthy would be sent home just as they have been brought here.”

I forced myself to remain still, despite the shiver that threatened to crawl up my spine. My breath fogged in the air, each exhale a reminder to stay calm, stay hidden. I was not Seleste. I was Aiden, just another Alpha among many.

I needed to play the role, but for me to be able to play it, I was going to have to believe it.

“And as you all know, those who are often sent home are sent with a little demotion letter.” Principal Garrick continued. “Or worse. Some might even get exiled or disowned.”

I swallowed hard, my gaze fixed straight ahead. 

Around me, the other trainees barely flinched. If there was fear in them, it was buried deep beneath layers of discipline and pride. I had to be the same. I had to be better. I had to stand, and I had to blend in just as they all did.

“Training starts now.” Garrick snapped his fingers, and a line of instructors stepped forward, each of them as intimidating as the man himself. “Divide into your groups. Follow your assigned leader. Do not waste my time. Unless, of course, you aim to lose more than you have come to gain, then if that is the case, then you can show yourself out the door before anything begins.”

The crowd moved, splitting into smaller clusters. I tightened my grip on the strap of my bag, blending into the group nearest to me. I kept my head down, my movements controlled, letting the flow of bodies guide me across the courtyard.

Just another face in the crowd.

You just need to blend in with all of them.

Our instructor was a woman with cropped blond hair and a scar running from her temple to her jaw. She wore her authority like armor, her expression hard as stone. “My name is Instructor Hale. You will refer to me as such. I don’t care who you were before. Here, you are all the same, pups waiting to prove you’re worth something.”

“How is it possible for a woman to be training us?” One of the alphas asked.

“Trust me, my training is going to make you all sobbing, wondering whether I am the woman or you are.” She said coldly.

Her gaze swept over us, lingering on each face for a heartbeat before moving on. When her eyes landed on me, I felt the weight of them, a flicker of curiosity quickly masked by indifference.

“Drop your bags. Form a line. Now.” She said, nodding at all of us.

The thud of bags hitting the ground echoed through the morning air. I moved quickly, positioning myself in the middle of the line, not too close to the front, not too far back. A safe, forgettable spot. They wouldn't notice me here. I was going to make sure that they didn't.

Instructor Hale didn’t waste time. “Fifty laps around the training ground. Move.”

The group surged forward, bodies jostling as the line broke into a sprint. I ran, my breath a steady rhythm, my feet pounding against the dirt path. The cold air burned my lungs, but I pushed through, matching the pace of the trainees around me. The training I had back at home finally made sense, proving worth the long hours.

It wasn't long before some began to falter, their breaths ragged, their steps stumbling. I kept going, my mind a mantra of every lesson I'd ever learned, endurance, control, silence. I couldn’t afford to stand out, but I couldn’t appear weak either.

I couldn't afford to be sent back because I did not do a good job. That was something that I was not going to allow.

One by one, the stragglers fell behind. The gap between the strong and the struggling widened, and still, I ran, yet I made sure I was not in the front line, despite being able to do so easily.

A figure appeared beside me, his movements fluid and unbothered. Dark hair, sharp jawline, a presence that seemed to draw the air around him. Skylar Rhiel. One of the twins. Everyone knew them, everyone was talking about them. Their strength was one that was undeniable. 

They'd been winning most of the contests around, but somehow, and in the end, it was the principal alpha son who often got the role of Alpha of Alphas of the year.

He didn’t look at me, his focus ahead, his breathing even. But his proximity sent a shiver through me, a warning and a promise. My wolf stirred, recognizing the pull, and I clenched my fists, forcing her back down.

“New blood,” he said, his voice low, barely audible over the sound of our feet hitting the ground. “You're new here.”

I didn’t respond. Couldn’t risk my voice giving me away.

He smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “You run well.”

“Thanks,” I managed, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.“And so do you.”

He glanced at me, something unreadable in his expression. “You don’t smell right.”

Panic tightened my chest. “Excuse me?”

“Your scent.” His brow furrowed. “It’s faint. It's different.”

I forced a shrug. “Sick. Lost my scent.”

His eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding his gaze, but before he could press further, Tristan appeared on his other side, his expression a stark contrast to his brother’s.

“Skylar,” Tristan’s voice was a quiet warning. “Focus.”

Skylar’s smirk returned, but he didn’t push. Instead, he picked up his pace, slipping ahead of me and his brother, his strides effortlessly long. Tristan lingered for a moment, his expression unreadable, then he too moved on.

I exhaled slowly, keeping my steps steady. They couldn’t know. Not yet. Not ever. 

By the time the run ended, my muscles burned, and my lungs felt raw. Instructor Hale barked more orders, leading us through a grueling set of drills that pushed every limit I had. I kept my head down, matching the movements of those around me, hiding in plain sight.

When the session finally ended, I made my way back to the dorm, my body aching, my mind a swirl of fear and relief. The halls were quiet, most of the trainees still at the training grounds or scattered across the academy.

I slipped inside Dorm 4B, letting the door click shut behind me. The room was dim, shadows stretching across the floor. I took a step forward—and froze.

Ezekiel sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, silver eyes catching the light as he looked up at me. His expression was unreadable, a mask of calm that only made my pulse race.

“You’re back early,” I said, hoping the tremor in my voice went unnoticed.

He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. “So are you.”

Silence settled between us, heavy and sharp. I forced myself to move, setting my bag down, keeping my movements slow and controlled. “Training’s done for the day.”

“Is it?” His tone was casual, but there was nothing relaxed about the way he watched me.

I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting blood. “Yeah.”

He leaned back, resting his weight on his palms. “You seemed to be hiding something. You look like you could keep up with the Rhiel twins, but held back instead.”

I stiffened. “I just did what everyone else did. I ran.”

“To the best of their abilities.” His smirk was a thin blade, cutting through the air; his hint that I didn’t do my best could be read between the lines. “You’re full of surprises, Aiden.”

My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I had to be careful. One wrong step, one slip, and it would all be over. “I’m just here to train.”

“Is that so?” His gaze sharpened, a predator catching the scent of blood. “Then why do I get the feeling there’s more to you than meets the eye?”

I forced a laugh, the sound hollow. “You’re imagining things.”

He stood, his movements slow, deliberate. He stopped a foot away from me, his presence a shadow over my skin. “I rarely imagine things. And I’m never wrong.”

His words hung in the air, a promise and a threat. I held my ground, refusing to back away, refusing to show fear.

“I guess there’s a first time for everything,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

Tristan’s lips curled into a smile, a dangerous edge to it. “We’ll see.”

He turned away, but I felt his stare even with his back to me—like a blade pressed between my shoulder blades.