THE ATTACK

Three days had passed since their conversation in the classroom but Maya could not stop thinking about Damien Blackwood.

His words continued to replay inside her head. “You remind me of someone I know.”

The way he had said it bothered her because the Alpha King looked genuinely shaken. 

Maya sat near the window in her dorm room. Outside, the Frostpine Mountains stretched toward the horizon. The evening sunlight painted the peaks gold and cold wind rattled the pine trees surrounding the campus.

Across from her, her roommate Ava was scrolling through social media.

A knock suddenly sounded against the dorm main entrance door.

“Night training begins in thirty minutes,” a student council member shouted from outside.

A collective groan echoed from several rooms down the hallway and the students laughed.

“Attendance is mandatory,” the student added and left.

Ava collapsed backward onto her bed. “I hate night training.”

Maya smiled faintly.

An hour later, hundreds of students gathered in Silverclaw’s massive outdoor training grounds.

Principal Rowan stood on a raised platform. “Tonight’s exercise is simple.”

His voice carried easily across the crowd. “You will work in teams.”

A groan spread through the students.

“Teams will be the given the same tasks. Any team that returns without all members automatically fails.”

That earned everyone’s attention.

“Good luck,” he ended and blew his whistle.

The students scattered immediately. Maya found herself grouped with Ava and three other students.

They headed into the forest. The branches of the tall pine trees, swayed overhead, blocking most of the moonlight.

After twenty minutes, Maya heard something. A chill crawled down her spine.

“Do you hear that?” she asked

Ava frowned but before she could respond, a scream exploded somewhere deeper in the forest.

Everyone froze. Then another scream followed. And another.

Panic spread instantly.

“What is it?” someone shouted.

The sound of running feet echoed through the trees as students burst from the darkness. Some of them look terrified and some were bleeding.

“Run!” one of them yelled. “Attackers!”

Chaos erupted and students scattered in every direction.

Maya’s heart slammed against her ribs. Attackers? At the academy?

A loud crash sounded nearby. Then another.

Ava grabbed Maya’s wrist. “We need to go!”

As they ran, branches whipped against Maya’s face. The forest blurred around her and students shoved past her.

Someone transformed into their wolf form and a terrified howl echoed through the trees. The situation was spiraling out of control.

Suddenly, a dark figure dropped from above. A masked attacker landed directly in front of them.

The students screamed. The attacker swung the blade in his hand; silver moonlight flashed across the metal.

Everyone scattered.

Maya lost grip on Ava’s hand. “Ava!”

The crowd separated them.

“Maya!” Ava’s voice disappeared into the chaos.

Maya ran. Fear flooded every part of her body, her lungs burned and her heart pounded. She could hear footsteps following her and getting closer.

She risked a glance backward. The masked attacker was chasing her.

Maya pushed herself harder but he was much faster.

The trees suddenly opened into a small clearing. Maya stumbled into the moonlight. The attacker stepped out a few seconds later, blocking her only escape route.

Fear tightened inside her chest when the attacker took a step forward. He took another step and Maya backed away.

Her heel caught a root. There was no escape.

When the attacker raised his weapon, Maya’s instinct took over.

Her wolf snarled inside her as she clenched her fists. Then something strange happened.

The air around Maya changed and the moonlight above brightened.

A sharp pain exploded through her chest and she gasped.

The attacker froze. “What …”

A pulse of energy erupted from inside Maya, silver blinding light burst outward and the floor exploded with power.

The attacker was thrown by an invisible force, crashing through several trees.

Maya stared at her hands. Silver light danced across her skin and her veins glowed.

“What is happening?” she asked in a voice that barely sounded like her own.

The light intensified and the entire clearing glowed with the trees, grass and stone around it. Students and teachers arriving from the surrounding forest stopped and stared.

The power lasted for few seconds and then it vanished.

Maya’s knees gave out. She fell to the ground, breathing hard. She was confused and terrified.

She looked towards the direction of the attacker and saw him slowly pushing himself upright.

For a second, Maya thought he might attack again. Instead, he looked at her with visible shock, turned and disappeared into the forest.

Everyone stared at Maya

“I have never seen anything like that,” one teacher whispered.

Another shook his head. “No ordinary wolf can do that”

Footsteps thundered toward the clearing and a powerful scent filled the air. Students immediately moved aside.

Damien Blackwood emerged from the forest. The Alpha King looked nothing like the calm professor she had met days earlier.

His face was hard and his shoulders were tense. His eyes searched the area and landed on Maya.

“Maya.” He crossed the clearing in seconds and the students stepped back.

Damien dropped to one knee beside her and gripped her shoulders gently. “Are you hurt?’

Maya shook her head. “I…I don’t think so.”

His gaze scanned her quickly, checking for injuries, blood or something else.

The moment his eyes got to her wrist, his expression changed. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Maya felt her stomach twist. “What is it?”

Damien didn’t answer but his jaw tightened.

The entire clearing watched and waited.

Maya’s pulse hammered. “Your majesty…”

Damien’s eyes remained on her wrist. Maya followed his gaze and saw a faint silver symbol, almost like a crescent moon surrounded by tiny lines beneath her skin.

Maya gasped. “What is that?”

The crowd moved closer to see but Damien quickly held her by the wrist.

“Everyone, move back,” he ordered. His Alpha voice rolled across the clearing like thunder and when the Alpha King spoke in that tone, people listened.

The students and teachers immediately stepped backward without arguments or questions.

Principal Rowan arrived moments later with several instructors. His face paled when he saw Maya sitting on the ground.

“What happened?” he demanded

“There was an explosion of light,” a teacher said.

“It came from her,” another teacher added with a nod toward Maya.

Maya’s stomach twisted. She didn’t even understand what had happened herself.

Principal Rowan looked at Damien. The two men exchanged a silent look.

“Damien stood. “The academy is under immediate lockdown.”

The students exchanged worried glances.

“All students are to return to their dormitories,” Damien continued. “Nobody leaves the campus until further instructions.”

Maya rose slowly to her feet. Her legs felt weak. The strange power had drained her completely.

The moment she stood, the world tilted slightly and she stumbled. Before she could fall, Damien’s hand caught her elbow.

Heat rushed through her body at the contact. When their eyes met, Maya suddenly became aware of how close he was and a strange flutter appeared inside her chest.

“You should see the academy healer,” he said, releasing her.

Maya nodded.

Damien turned toward the instructor. “Escort the students back.”

The teachers immediately began organizing everyone.

Maya joined the crowd. As she walked away, she glanced over her shoulder. Damien was still standing in the clearing, watching her.

Something about that bothered her and she didn’t know why.