LOGINThe next morning at Blood Moon College, the atmosphere had shifted. The raw, buzzing excitement of the previous day had distilled into a heavy, quiet anticipation. The students gathered near the main hall were no longer just spectators; they were witnesses to a cull. The first stage had already begun its work, thinning the herd and reminding everyone that in this competition, elimination was a cold, constant reality.Leah walked toward the gathering participants, her pace steady. She noticed the change in her peers—some were isolated, buried in their notes, while others huddled with their teammates in low, urgent whispers.Victor was the first to spot her. “There you are,” he said, his eyes scanning her for any sign of the morning’s tension. “We thought you might be late”.“I’m not late,” Leah replied, her voice a calm anchor.Daniel checked his phone, a habitual gesture of precision. “Five minutes early, actually”. Beside him, Maya clutched a notebook. “I’ve been trying to guess what
The territory felt quieter after the first stage of the competition ended. Pack members were still talking about the results, but the excitement had settled into something more watchful. Now that everyone knew who had finished first, the attention had shifted. I could feel the weight of it as I walked across the pack grounds. A few wolves glanced at me before quickly looking away, while others whispered as I passed. Finishing first had made our team noticeable. Victor seemed to enjoy the newfound status. "Did you hear that?" he said as we walked toward the training hall. "Someone just said we outran Derek’s team". Daniel gave him a sideways look. "Relax. It was only the first stage". Maya nodded in agreement. "And the next stage could be completely different". Victor sighed. "I know. I just think it’s nice that we actually did well". We entered the main hall together, the corridors filling with students heading to their afternoon sessions. Our team stopped near the weapon locker
The moment Derek and I reached the fork in the forest path, we both started running. Neither of us said a word. The wooden marker was tight in my grip as I followed the path Maya had guided me through earlier. Leaves crunched beneath my shoes, and branches brushed against my sleeves as I moved quickly between the trees.“Leah, what’s happening?” Maya’s voice called faintly from the forest edge.“I found the marker,” I replied between breaths.“That’s great,” Daniel said. “Head straight back toward us.”“I’m already on my way.”A few steps behind me, I could hear Derek moving just as fast. His pace was steady, confident. He clearly knew the direction he was heading. For a moment, I considered taking a different path, but Maya’s instructions were still clear in my mind. The safest choice was to follow the route we had already planned.Sunlight began to appear between the trees ahead—the forest edge.“Leah, we see you!” Victor shouted from somewhere outside the trees.I pushed forward th
Leah Pov The lunch hour at Blood Moon College was a blur of hushed whispers and sharp, calculating glances. I sat with Maya, Daniel, and Victor at a corner table, the air between us thick with the kind of tension that only comes when you're suddenly tied to the success of strangers."We need to be ready for anything," Victor muttered, his eyes darting toward Team Two. Derek was there, looking as unshakeable as a mountain while Claire hovered nearby like a storm cloud waiting to break. "Look at them," Maya whispered, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her tray. "Claire already has Marcus and Rowan acting like bodyguards. And Derek... Derek doesn't even need to speak. People just fall in line behind him."I watched Derek from across the cafeteria. He wasn't eating. He was leaning back, his large frame relaxed but his eyes—dark and predatory—were scanning the room. He was an Alpha in every sense of the word, and in a competition like this, that made him the biggest target. "Don
Leah’s POVBy the time I reached the administration building, the campus was already more crowded than usual.Students stood in small groups along the stone walkway leading to Crescent Hall. Some were holding application papers, others were arguing quietly about rumors of where the shareholder president might appear.Everyone looked tense.I walked up the wide steps calmly.Inside the building, the atmosphere was even more serious. Several tables had been set up near the entrance where school staff were checking application forms before allowing students to proceed further.A long line had already formed.I joined the back of it without drawing attention.In front of me, two boys from the combat training class were whispering.“I heard Claire’s father arranged something with the dean.”“Of course he did,” the other replied. “If anyone gets that signature, it’ll be Derek.”The first boy nodded.“He’s probably already submitted his application.”I said nothing.My bag rested comfortably
Leah’s POVThe walk home from Blood Moon College was quieter than usual.Most days, students traveled in groups along the forest path that connected the campus to the nearby pack territories. Today, conversations around me were all about the same thing: the Leadership Competition.Everyone had theories about how to get the shareholder president’s signature.Some said he only signed for students recommended by professors.Others believed you had to request a meeting through the administration office.A few students claimed he would appear somewhere on campus without warning.None of them sounded certain.I kept walking, listening without joining any of the conversations.They were all searching for someone they had never met.Someone I had lived with for years.The thought almost made me smile.By the time the pack grounds came into view, the sun was already lowering behind the tall trees. I followed the stone path toward the house I shared with my uncle.The pack members near the trai







