Chapter One

Aria’s POV

“Stand straight, Aiden Ironclaw,” Kael Draven’s voice echoed across the stone arena. It was deep and sharp enough to stir the restless heirs crowded above us. “You look like a twig ready to snap.”

Laughter rippled through the stands.

“I’d worry about yourself,” I shot back, gripping the staff tighter. “You’re breathing heavy already. Or was this what passed for strength in the Draven pack?”

Some students gasped as others whistled.

“You dare?” His crimson eyes flared, glowing under the torchlight. “Do you even know who you’re speaking to?”

“The boy everyone swore was the Alpha-King’s shadow?” I tilted my head. “The one who won with reputation, not skill?”

The crowd stirred again, whispers rolling like waves.

Kael’s jaw tightened. “I’ll crush you.”

“You’ll try.”

He lunged, staff crashing against mine. The heirs roared in approval, their shouts echoing off the arena walls.

“Pathetic,” Kael growled, forcing me back step by step. “Blue Core trash shouldn’t even be here.”

“Then stop losing ground,” I said, shoving forward.

The circle of heirs chanted now, Kael’s name booming like thunder. Their voices shook the ground, drowning the air with Draven pride.

“You’re finished!” Kael snarled, swinging wide.

I ducked, twisted, slammed my staff against his side. His breath hitched. The crowd faltered.

“What was that?” I murmured, low enough for him alone. “The sound of the great Kael Draven breaking?”

He roared, surging again, red aura flaring, dominance pressing heavy on my skin. Wolves above howled, some clapping, others jeering.

I grit my teeth, met him head-on, and at the last second, slid under his guard. My staff hooked his legs.

The mighty Kael Draven crashed to the ground.

The arena fell silent.

Whispers hissed in the night air. “Ironclaw beat him.” “Impossible.”

I planted my staff beside his head and leaned down, voice sharp as a blade.

“Tell me, Draven,” I whispered, while every heir leaned forward to hear, “how did it feel to be beneath a shadow?”

Now… How had we gotten here?

The truth? I wasn’t supposed to be here at all.

My name wasn’t Aiden Ironclaw. It was Aria.

But Wolfsbane Academy didn’t accept daughters. Female wolves weren’t leaders. We weren’t heirs. We weren’t allowed to dream of thrones.

So my father gave me a different name, cut my hair, and shoved me into the skin of the son he never had. Aiden, the last hope of the Ironclaw pack. A boy that didn’t exist.

From the moment I stepped through the Academy gates, I knew this disguise could get me killed. And yet, I also knew it was my only chance.

That was when I first heard his name whispered: Kael Draven. The prodigy. The monster with a Purple Core. The heir everyone feared and worshipped.

And me? I wanted nothing to do with him.

Until I bumped into him on my very first day. Literally.

I was distracted, trying not to let my nerves show, when I walked straight into a wall of muscle. His muscles.

“Watch it,” he snapped, looking me up and down like I was dirt.

I muttered something back, something sharp enough to wipe the smugness off his face.

The next thing I knew, Kael Draven was glaring at me like he’d just found his favorite prey.

“Fight me,” he growled.

And just like that, I had no choice but to accept the duel that dragged us here, to this arena, under these torches, with half the continent heirs watching.

Kael’s laugh cut through the arena. It was low, rough, and didn’t match the fact that he was still on the ground.

“You really think you’ve beaten me, Ironclaw?”

I kept my staff up. “You’re the one sitting in the dirt, not me.”

The crowd reacted instantly. Some cheered, others jeered. A few just whispered, waiting to see what happened next.

Kael planted his hand on the floor and pushed himself upright. His eyes were locked on me the whole time. Like he was already planning something.

That look made my stomach tighten. I really didn’t want anything to do with him.

Before he could move closer, another heir jumped down from the stands. He was lean, calm, and completely different from Kael. Ash-brown hair, glasses with a sharp expression. He stepped right to Kael’s side and held out a hand.

“Get up. You’ve done enough for today.”

Kael took it, still watching me as he stood. He was grinning now, like the whole fight was just the beginning.

I blinked. Glasses-boy was helping him? The brute actually had a friend?

I slung the staff across my shoulder and turned away. The heirs parted as I walked past, some muttering my name while others mocking Kael. I didn’t care.

The corridors were quieter than the arena, but my head was still buzzing with the noise of it all. I just wanted to find my assigned room, shut the door, and breathe.

Footsteps fell in behind me. I turned slightly and saw it was the guy with glasses.

He adjusted them as he came closer. “Aiden Ironclaw, right?”

I nodded, gripping the strap of my bag tighter.

“I’m Kaiden. Kaiden Veyr.” He glanced back in the direction of the arena. “Sorry about Kael. He doesn’t know when to stop.”

“That much was obvious.”

Kaiden huffed a short laugh, then his tone shifted. “Still, don’t underestimate him. He gets… aggressive around anyone who challenges him. Or worse, matched him. Keep your guard up.”

I studied him for a moment, trying to figure out why he’d warn me at all. But before I could ask, he pushed his glasses back into place and nodded once. “That’s all. Goodnight, Ironclaw.”

He turned down another hall and was gone.

I was left standing there, confused. Then I shook it off. It didn't matter. What mattered was getting some sleep before anyone else decided to test me.

The dorm room was small, barely enough space for the bed and a desk. I locked the door, tossed my bag in the corner, and collapsed onto the mattress. For the first time all day, I let out a breath.

Sleep dragged me under fast.

Then Bang.

The door slammed open.

I jolted upright, scrambling to cover my chest under the loose shirt. Panic shot through me, one mistake and my secret was out.

My wolf clawed at me to shift and to fight, but I froze when I saw who was standing in the doorway.

“Kael?”