Chapter 1

JACE.

‘Alpha, I bumped into Lady Amara. She was running toward the forest line and told me not to follow her. I think something happened to her. She looked bad.’

I kept repeating the warrior’s words in my head as my wolf, Zero, hiked up his speed, heading in the direction where we thought we could find her. My heart was pounding too hard, worried that something bad had happened to her. And, knowing Amara, she was the last female on the planet that would seek help.

My name is Jackson Galhart, or you can call me Jace.

Tomorrow, I will step up as the new Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack, something I have spent my whole life preparing for.

Just a moment ago, I was standing on the training ground, watching as my father, Alpha Jacob Galhart, spent the last night of being an Alpha in friendly combat with his most trusted men, his Beta and Gamma.

Pride rose in my chest as I watched my father display all the skills he learned and acquired through the years. He was a great Alpha and even a greater warrior.

He might be in his forties, but he was still capable of rendering anyone immobile with his combat skills. But with him fighting both Beta Gavin and Gamma Aaron, who were almost on par with him, I doubted if any of them would end up submitting. They were by far the best fighters in this pack, and my only hope was that I, together with my Beta and Gamma, Tyler, and Austin, would be able to achieve what they had, if not surpass them.

With the passing of the title happening tomorrow, I was supposed to be just taking it easy tonight. I blocked off my schedule this afternoon until the ceremony so I could have time for myself before I gave my all to this pack, but then one of the warriors reached out to me and told me about seeing Amara in the middle of the forest, near the Shadow Academy.

It had been my mother’s dream to build a fortress for teenagers who would be taught about shifter and human ways through a regular high school, and my father, with the support of his closest friends, the Alpha Circle, had made it a reality.

Thus, the Shadow Academy was born.

Twelve years later, we had many students who resided within the academy under the protection of our pack. Most of the students here were Alpha heirs, including Amara, the firstborn Alpha Female from the Blood Moon Pack, Alpha Aeon, and Luna Alexa’s only daughter.

Amara was only sixteen, the same age as Catherine. And although she started as one of my closest friends, puberty tore us apart as I navigated my adolescent years with the males of my age, while she became closer with my younger sister.

But it didn’t mean I wasn’t looking out for her. Amara and I had a special bond since we were pups. I had vowed to her that I would mentor her and would always protect her at all costs.

And an Alpha never backed down with his words, so despite the gap between us lately, my eyes had always seen her, even without her knowing it.

Zero howled to the moon as Amara’s sweet scent hit our nose. I could also feel a sense of fear in her aura as we neared the clearing where she was.

Amara was never one to show fear, even at difficult times. It was the reason why every female her age, and even those slightly older, looked up to her for advice.

But if she was terrified at the moment, I could only imagine what she was going through.

I found her two hundred meters away from her dormitory, lying on the forest ground, clutching her stomach and whimpering in pain.

I let out a low growl at all the horrible thoughts that crossed my mind.

Did someone assault her?

My eyes roamed her body as I walked slowly toward her, hoping that I would not find any traces of blood or bruises that would tell me that she had been assaulted.

Because heaven forbids, I will rip apart the person who touches her.

……………..

AMARA.

I whimpered loudly before breathing through my mouth as I curled my body into a fetal position. I was laying on the damp, cold forest ground, thinking of all the possible reasons I was having this burning pain in my stomach.

Shifters rarely have period pains, and I had never experienced one, so I was sure this was not it.

"Aaaah…" I screamed as tears trickled down my face while my teeth chattered. The pain erupted from my spine to every bone in my body, and I felt like I was being ripped apart.

I had no idea how to make the pain go away, but I just wanted it to stop.

I don’t even know what was happening to me.

I heard movement in the bushes a few feet away — twigs snapped, leaves rustled and a wolf's paws thudded against the ground.

Someone was approaching. Please let it be someone that could be trusted.

I had no idea why I ran inside the forest at the first sign of pain instead of telling the dormitory headmistress. Maybe because I was so used to being the tough one, I thought I could handle anything.

But all the bravery in me was already slipping away.

My eyes were blurry from the tears that just kept coming, but I could make out an image of something approaching.

A black wolf.

An Alpha wolf.

I swiped the tears with the back of my hand before I pushed myself off the ground so that I ended up on all fours before I titled my head in the direction of the wolf.

"Zero…" My voice croaked before my arms buckled and my body stumbled on the ground.

Zero, the black wolf, shifted before my eyes and was replaced by his human.

Jace.

Jace rushed forward and held my arms as he gently lifted my body off the ground, carrying me in bridal style. If this were any other time, my heart would definitely flutter at the sight of him being naked, but my mind couldn’t think of anything aside from the pain coursing through my whole body.

"What’s going on? Does it hurt somewhere?" He asked as he walked forward, his voice laced with concern.

"Everywhere hurts."

"Did someone... did someone assault you?" I saw his eyes dilate as his jaw clenched. His grip on my body tightened before he pulled me into his chest, that I could hear the heavy beating of his heart.

"No. I don’t even know what’s happening to me!"

And then I screamed again! It was so loud that it made Jace stop in his tracks and drop to one knee before he laid me on the ground.

"Amara, I think you’re shifting." He told me.

Shifting? No one should be shifting. It wasn’t even a full moon. But then, there were things in this world that couldn’t be explained.

"I just turned sixteen." I tried to say it in a straight voice.

"And a firstborn Alpha Female…" He added.

"Only male… shifts… early…" I spoke haltingly from the pain.

In the world of shifters, shifting into our wolves for the first time happens on the last full moon before we turn eighteen.

Except for male Alpha heirs such as Jace. They were expected to shift earlier, around the age of 14 or 15. But I had not heard of a female Alpha heir who shifted at this age, so I was not sure if he was right about this.

I was still lost in my thoughts when I felt his hand wipe the sweat from my forehead, and my panting turned into a soft moan. His touch gave relief to the burn I was feeling inside. "Touch me again, please. The burn lessens."

"Like this?" He placed his palm on my forehead, and I nodded before pushing my head forward to be closer to him.

Jace snaked his arms around my body and adjusted our position. He sat on the grounds, with me sitting on his lap — coiled and cradled like a baby in his arms.

"We need to take off your clothes, or at least your shorts and your bra, so nothing will restrict you if you’re shifting."

Being naked in the middle of a forest was the last thing I wanted, but I nodded my head. I trusted Jace. He would never put me in danger or abandon me.

As much as I wanted to move, I couldn’t. My face was resting against his neck, seeking comfort from his body and his scent.

"Don’t sleep. You need to shift…" His voice came out hoarsely.

"It feels good here."

"They stay there but don’t sleep. Do you want me to take off your shorts?"