Chapter Seven

 

Aria’s POV

We all gathered at the Academy’s garden, a sea of uniforms shifting as heirs filled the open space. 

The air was heavy with anticipation, but my mind still circled the lecturer’s refusal, the way he had looked almost afraid to answer me.

Then a commotion broke out a few paces away. Curious murmurs rippled through the crowd, and when I turned, my breath caught.

A girl.

For a moment I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but no—standing in the middle of a ring of mocking Alphas was a female student. Her auburn hair caught the sunlight, her stance defiant even as laughter rang around her.

I froze. I hadn’t known there was another female here at all.

“Go back to the kitchens.”

 “Should’ve stayed home with the pups.”

 “Thought this was an academy for heirs, not housemaids.”

She tried to hold her head high, but I could see the tremble in her lip and the way her hands shook.

I stood frozen. A female… here? How? Why hadn’t I known?

I turned to Kael who was humming beside me like he didn’t notice what was going on. How could he be so ignorant and arrogant at the same time?

I nudged at him. “Hey… hey…”

He sighed, then gave me a flat what is it look.

“Are you seriously not seeing that?” I whispered harshly, nodding toward the circle of Alphas still mocking the girl. “They’re tearing her apart.”

Kael barely spared them a glance before shrugging. “That’s how the world works. Females don’t belong here. You of all people should understand that.”

The words hit like a slap. He didn’t even realize how cruel he sounded, how close he was to the truth. My jaw tightened. He had no idea.

“So you’re just going to let it happen?” I pressed.

He met my stare, his expression infuriatingly calm. “It’s not my problem. And it shouldn’t be yours either.”

I bit back the urge to snap at him. Maybe he was right, maybe stepping in would only draw suspicion to me. But watching the girl shrink under their laughter, seeing her pride chip away piece by piece… I couldn’t stand it.

I took a step forward.

I clenched my fists, fighting the voice in my head that told me to stay put. That Kael was right. That stepping in would only expose me.

But the girl’s shoulders shook as their laughter grew louder. Her pride was breaking piece by piece, and every second I stood still felt like betrayal.

My wolf clawed at me, begging to unleash my Core. The Red burned in my veins, desperate to tear through the arrogance of those Alphas. But if I let it show, if I revealed even a fraction of what I carried, my secret would shatter with it.

No. I couldn’t risk it.

I straightened, forcing my voice out steady. “Enough.”

The circle turned to me, some sneering, some smirking. One stepped closer, eyes glinting with challenge. “And what’s Ironclaw going to do about it? Defend the weak? Thought you were smarter than that.”

They laughed again, closing in now, on me this time. I could feel the edges of the trap snapping shut. My pulse quickened, my wolf snarling, ready to rip free if they pushed me too far.

But before I could make the choice, a calm voice cut through the tension.

“Stop.”

The Alphas froze instantly.

Darius Thornveil.

The heir of the Alpha-King. The one name every heir in this Academy knew, even if he rarely spoke. 

Polite, reserved, always carrying himself with a quiet dignity that made others lower their voices in his presence. 

I had barely exchanged a word with him since arriving, but his reputation carried more weight than most packs combined.

And now he stood between us and the chaos, crimson-gold eyes fixed on the Alphas who had mocked Melissa.

“What are you doing?” he asked, voice calm, but there was steel beneath it.

The Alphas fumbled for excuses, their arrogance crumbling in an instant. One stammered something about discipline, another muttered about tradition. None of them dared to hold his gaze.

Darius shook his head slowly. “You are all heirs—future leaders of your packs. And this is how you carry yourselves? By tearing down one of your own?”

The silence that followed was heavier than any shout. The Alphas lowered their eyes, shame written across their faces.

Something shifted inside me as I watched him. Unlike Kael’s raw dominance, Darius’s authority was steady, calm, and absolute. He didn’t need to bare his teeth or raise his voice. He reminded them of their place with nothing more than conviction.

Melissa straightened herself, still shaken but holding her chin high. Her voice was low, almost trembling, yet clear enough for both of us to hear.

“Thank you,” she said, first to Darius, then turning her gaze briefly to me.

I gave her a small nod, but Darius didn’t acknowledge the gratitude. He simply turned and walked away, as if the confrontation hadn’t been worth his time at all.

The Alphas parted quickly to give him space, their silence louder than any apology.

I watched his back as he left, that same strange pull tugging at me again.

I stepped closer to Melissa, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “Don’t let them get to you. Standing here at all already proves you’re stronger than they’ll ever admit.”

Her shoulders eased at my words, the tightness in her jaw softening. A faint smile tugged at her lips, and for the first time since the mockery started, she looked less like a cornered wolf.

When I returned to Kael’s side, he arched a brow. “How heroic. Want me to fetch you a medal?”

I let out a long sigh, shaking my head. “At least Darius acted like a true Alpha. Better than you.”

The words slipped out sharper than I intended.

Kael’s expression darkened, his smugness gone in an instant. His jaw tightened, eyes flashing with something colder than annoyance. Without a word, he turned and walked off, leaving me standing there with the sting of my own truth hanging heavy in the air.