Chapter 1

TANSY'S POV

Leander steps up to the microphone. The hall is so quiet I can hear the candles flickering in their chandeliers.

"Good evening, graduates."

His voice is warm but commanding, the kind of voice that does not need to be loud to be heard. It fills the hall effortlessly, settling over the crowd like a blanket.

"Tonight, we celebrate you. Tonight, we celebrate the future of the Union."

He pauses, his gaze sweeping across the hall.

"Each of you standing here tonight has earned this moment. You have studied, you have grown, you have proven yourselves worthy of the next step in your journey. Whether you come from the Prime Pack, the Iron Claw Pack, the Golden Grain Pack, the Silver Leaf Pack, or the Ember-Born, you are all wolves of the Union. And tonight, you are all equals."

A murmur ripples through the crowd. Equals. I have never heard anyone say that before.

"Tonight is not about where you come from. It is about where you are going. Your university selection letters will tell you that. They will tell you what path you will walk, what future you will build."

He gestures toward the chest of letters beside him.

"But before we get to that, I want to speak about something that matters just as much. Something that makes the Union strong. Something that makes us better than the wolves who came before us."

He pauses again, letting the silence stretch.

"Kindness." He lets the word hang in the air.

"The Union was built on strength. But it was also built on mercy. On second chances. On the belief that no wolf is defined by the sins of their parents, or the mistakes of their past."

I glance toward the small cluster of maroon and grey. Cindy Emberborn is standing there, her face unreadable. But I see the tension in her shoulders.

"The Ember-Born among you are proof of that. You are proof that the Union believes in redemption. In hope. In the power of a new beginning."

A few heads turn toward the Ember-Born section. I see some of them straighten, their faces a mixture of pride and uncertainty.

"Tonight, I am proud to welcome you ...all of you into the next chapter of your lives. You are the future of the Union. And I have no doubt that you will make us proud."

He gestures toward the chest of letters.

"Now. Let us begin." Leander picks up the first letter.

"Marcus Cole. Stronghold Engineering Institute. Engineering." The hall erupts into applause. One by one, he calls the names. Each graduate steps forward, receives their letter, and steps aside. The announcements are quick and clear.

"Elena Vance. Granary Agricultural Institute. Agriculture."

"Samuel Grey. Stronghold Engineering Institute. Engineering."

"Lila Thorn. Granary Agricultural Institute. Agriculture."

"Marcus Webb. Stronghold Engineering Institute. Engineering."

"David Cross. Prime University. Law and Governance."

A ripple of applause follows. Prime University is rare, just like Silver Leaf University. Only the top students are accepted.

I watch them all, my heart hammering. Then I hear my name. "Tansy Meadow. Silver Leaf University. Medicine."

I step forward, my legs feeling like they are made of water. The walk to the stage is the longest walk of my life. I can feel every eye in the hall on me. Thousands of wolves watching me, judging me.

I reach the stage, and Leander hands me my letter. "Congratulations," he says. "You have made your pack proud."

"Thank you," I murmur.

I step aside, my heart soaring. I am going to SLU!

I am sure my mom and dad, watching from home, are proud of me. My mother might even be crying, and my dad, I guess he is clapping, his face wide with pride. I cannot wait to go back home and celebrate.

I am still floating when I hear another name.

"Elijah Zenith. Prime University. Leadership."

The hall erupts into applause. The Prime Pack section cheers loudly. It is exactly what everyone expected.

Elijah walks to the stage with measured steps, his face unreadable. He takes his letter from his father without meeting his eyes. Leander says something to him, too quiet for anyone else to hear. Elijah nods once, his jaw tight, and walks back to his place without a word.

The announcements continue. Then Leander sets down the next letter.

"Now," he says, his voice shifting, "we come to the Ember-Born."

A ripple of movement passes through the hall. I see the small cluster of maroon and grey straighten almost imperceptibly.

"These graduates have overcome challenges that few of you can imagine. They have carried the weight of their parents' mistakes and proven that the sins of the past do not define the future. They have earned their place in the Union, and they deserve to be recognized for their achievements."

He picks up the first letter.

"Cindy Emberborn. Silver Leaf University. Healing and Psychology."

I watch my best friend step forward. Her maroon dress is simple, the small amber-orange flame at her collar catching the candlelight. She walks with measured steps, her head high, her face composed.

But I know her. I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw is set. She is terrified.

She reaches the stage, and Leander hands her the letter. He says something to her, and I watch her nod. Her mouth twitches into a half-smile as she walks back to her section. One by one, the remaining Ember-Born graduates are called forward.

"Rebecca Emberborn. Granary Agricultural Institute. Agriculture."

"Marcus Emberborn. Stronghold Engineering Institute. Engineering."

"Sarah Emberborn. Granary Agricultural Institute. Agriculture."

Each one walks across the stage with their head held high. Each one receives the applause of the hall.

When the last Ember-Born graduate returns to their place, Leander steps forward again. The hall falls silent.

"Tonight," he says, his voice carrying easily across the room, "we have witnessed something remarkable. We have witnessed the beginning of a new chapter for the Union itself. We have seen the future, the leaders, the healers, the warriors, the scientists who will shape our world for generations to come."

He pauses.

"To the graduates, I say this: you carry the hopes of your packs, of your families, of the Union itself. Be ambitious. Be curious. Be kind, and never forget that you are part of something greater than yourselves."

He turns to the camera where the families watch from home.

"To the families, I say this: you have raised these young wolves well. Tonight, you should be proud." He raises his hand.

"This is your moment. Go forth and build your futures."

A wave of applause fills the hall.

The ceremony ends. Graduates turn to each other, hugging, laughing, crying.

I find Cindy in the crowd, she throws her arms around me. "SLU," she says, her voice cracking. "We did it."

"We did it," I repeat, pulling back to look at her.

She grins. "We're going to be at the same university. Together." I laugh and shove her.

The graduates begin to file out of the Grand Hall, shifting into their wolf forms as they reach the doors. I watch as wolves stream out into the night.

I shift into my wolf form, feeling the familiar rush of warmth as my body transforms. I stretch, shake my fur, and howl once.

Then I start running.

Behind me, Cindy catches up, her sleek grey wolf form matching my pace. We run side by side, the wind pulling through our fur, the moonlight guiding our way home.

I am going to SLU. I am going to study medicine. I have never been so excited for what comes next.