A Bad Influence

My roommate was still sprawled across his bed, snoring softly, so I moved in silence and lowered myself onto my mattress. I stared at the ceiling for a long time before pulling the blanket over my head.

Sleep did not come quickly.

When it finally did, it was light and restless. My dreams were a blur of Rowan’s face, Malric’s voice, and the metallic scent of blood.

The morning bell pulled me out of it.

I sat up, blinking against the light streaming through the high windows. My body ached from yesterday’s fight, but it was a pain I could handle. What I could not handle was making a mistake today. Yesterday, I was just a new boy, and everyone had seen me beat someone twice my size. 

I dressed up quickly, binding my chest tighter than I had yesterday, and put on the crisp Ravenlake uniform. The mirror by the door showed a face that was not quite mine. My jaw looked sharper from the weight I had lost these past days. My dark hair was cut short and neat. But my eyes… they were still mine. Still Elena’s.

I avoided looking at them for too long.

Breakfast was in the Great Hall, a huge stone room that smelled of roasted meat and fresh bread. Long tables filled the space, crowded with wolves from different packs. Conversations were loud, with sharp laughter that almost deafened my ears.

I slid onto a bench at the far end, hoping to disappear into the noise, but the chatter around me faded when Ash dropped down across from me.

“Well, if it isn’t the surprise of the week,” he said with a grin. “You have everyone talking, Rowan. Not bad for your second day.”

I kept my tone flat. “I did not come here to talk.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You are right. Talking does not help you survive here. You fight, or you lose. And you do not look like the losing type as I can see.”

I stayed silent and tore into the bread on my plate. Ash did not care that I was ignoring him.

“You know,” he went on, “there’s a fight ring after hours. Not the official trials. Something less… legal.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I think you would do well in it. And because it would annoy Cruz if I got you there first.”

There it was. The real reason why he wanted me to join.

I pushed my plate away and stood up. “Not interested.”

Ash smirked like I had just challenged him. “We will see about that.”

I left the hall before Cruz could show up. I did not want both of them circling me before the day had even begun.

Classes at Ravenlake were nothing like normal schools. There were no lessons about history or math. Everything was designed to sharpen instincts and strengthen the wolf. Physical drills, tactical sparring, endurance runs through the thick forest surrounding the academy.

By midday, my muscles burned and sweat clung to my skin.

The last drill was paired combat. Brant, the same instructor from yesterday, scanned the group and pointed straight at me. “Rowan, you are up with Maddox.”

My stomach tightened.

Cruz stepped forward, his face unreadable. He did not smirk like Ash would. He did not look amused. He simply stood there, waiting.

We circled each other on the mat. His movements were calm and almost lazy, but I could feel the power in them. I kept my guard up, trying to read him.

“Your stance is wrong,” he said quietly.

I did not reply.

He moved first, quick as a strike, his hand closing around my wrist. I twisted free and aimed a hit, but he blocked it easily.

“You are quick,” he said, stepping closer. “But you hold back so much.”

I gritted my teeth and lunged again, aiming low this time. He moved out of reach, caught me from behind, and locked an arm around my chest. For one terrible second, the binding pressed hard into my ribs and panic surged through me. I shoved back harder than I meant to and broke his hold.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but not in a suspicious gaze. 

The bell rang and Brant called the match a draw. As there was no winner. As we stepped off the mat, Cruz spoke low enough that only I could hear.

“You fought well. Not bad. At least double your stances next time”.

The rest of the day passed by in a haze of drills and quiet whispers from wolves who thought I could not hear them. By the time night came, I wanted nothing more than to lock myself in the dorm and breathe without feeling anybody's eyes on me.

But Ash was leaning against the wall when I arrived.

“You skipped out earlier,” he said. “About the fight ring.”

I sighed. “I told you I am not interested.”

“Not even if it is the fastest way to earn respect here?” he asked. “If people see you fight there, they stop asking questions. They stop testing you. At least for a while.”

I hated that he was right. This place was a tank full of sharks, and I could not afford to keep bleeding in the water.

“Where?” I asked.

His grin was instant. “Follow me.”

He led me through narrow, twisting back halls, down into the lower levels where the air was damp and old. We stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. The moment it opened, the noise hit me.

A circle of wolves surrounded a pit in the center of the room, shouting and placing bets. Two fighters were locked in combat below, their sweat and blood flying everywhere.

Ash leaned closer so I could hear him over the noise. “The rules are simple. Win and you get paid. Lose and you get humiliated. No one steps in unless you are half-dead.”

I scanned the crowd for Cruz, but he wasn't here. That's a good start for me.

Ash waved someone over, whispered something, and minutes later I was being pushed toward the pit. My opponent was big, but slower than yesterday’s. I could use that.

The fight started fast, with him charging at me hard enough to knock out the breath from my lungs if I had not stepped aside. My fists and feet moved on instinct, guided by years of training experience with Rowan. I ducked under his arm, drove my knee into his ribs, and slammed my fist into his jaw.

The crowd roared.

It was not easy. He caught me with a punch that split my lip, and pain shot through my mouth. But adrenaline kept me going. I dodged another swing and slammed my elbow into his temple. He staggered backwards, and I finished with a kick to the back of his knee that dropped him to the ground.

The room exploded with noise.

I stood over him, my chest heaving heavily, as warm blood spill out from my mouth which I spat away. Someone grabbed my arm and raised it high.

When I climbed out of the pit, Ash was waiting with a smug look. “Told you. Now you are on the map.”

I did not reply. I did not want to admit it, but there was a rush in my veins I had not felt in days. For the first time since Rowan’s death, I felt alive.

We made our way back through the halls without speaking. When I reached my dorm, Cruz was leaning against the doorframe.

His eyes moved over me, taking in the bruises and my split lip. “Busy night Uh?”

I forced a shrug. “Training.”

He stepped aside to let me in, but his voice followed.

“Try to stay away from Ash. He's a bad influence.”

I closed the door without answering. My heart was still pounding, and it was not from the fight.

It was from the way his voice had sounded like he already knew exactly where I had been to.

And worse… from the way a part of me did not care if he did.