Hey, New Boy

I had been running for two days, straight, not out in the open like the way a wolf would run with the wind clawing at her fur. This was the kind of running that made my bones ache, my throat taste like blood, and my heartbeat pound in my ears like a war drum. I could not shift here, not with rogues moving through the forest like shadows.

Somewhere behind me, the scent of blood was fading. Rowan’s blood. My twin. My other half.

The image still burned in my mind—his pale face, his lifeless eyes, his throat cut by the same wolves who had been sent to take me by force after I refused the arranged marriage to the rogue king, King Malric.

Rowan had tried to save me, but he never made it past the border. I should have died with him, but instead, I was still alive.

And now, I was no longer Elena Rowan, Alpha heir to the Rowan royal pack. I was Rowan himself. Or at least, I had to pretend to be.

The gates of Ravenlake Academy rose ahead of me like black iron teeth. They were huge, locked, and enchanted to keep outsiders away. But I was not an outsider anymore, because I had forged my brother’s papers, his uniform, and even cut my hair to match his.

My chest was bound so tight I could hardly breathe. My voice was rough from practicing his deeper tone until my throat burned. I had rubbed dirt on my skin to dull the softness of it because if anyone here saw even the smallest hint that I was a girl, I would be finished.

The guard at the gate barely glanced at me before letting me in. That meant the forged papers worked. I stepped inside, and the air changed instantly.

Ravenlake did not smell like a school. It smelled like dominance, sweat, and the faint metallic scent of blood. Wolves brushed past me, tall and broad-shouldered, with sharp eyes and strong, tense movements. This place was not about learning, It was about survival.

I kept my head down but looked up just enough to scan the faces around me. That was when I saw him.

Cruz Maddox.

I had heard stories about him in the Rowan court. He's cold, calculating, and born to lead. His dark hair was slicked back, his jaw was sharp like it had been carved from stone, and his eyes were sharp enough to cut. He stood with his hands in his pockets, but nothing about him was casual. Every part of him gave off power.

His eyes met mine.

It was only for a second, and I told myself it meant nothing. But the way he looked at me felt like he was peeling away my skin to see what I was hiding.

I looked away too quickly.

That was when another voice spoke up.

“Well, well, well. Who’s the new pup?”

Ash Kieran. I did not need an introduction to know who he was. If Cruz was a blade in the dark, Ash was fire and smoke. Blond hair, a reckless smile, and eyes full of trouble. His pack, Bloodveil, had been enemies of Shadowspike, Cruz’s pack, for longer than anyone could remember.

And now both of them were watching me.

“Rowan, right?” Ash stepped close enough for me to smell his warm, strong scent. “Never seen you before. Were you hiding under a rock until now?”

I forced my voice into Rowan’s deeper pitch. “Transferred in.”

Ash smirked, glancing at Cruz. “Another Shadowspike stray?”

Cruz did not answer, but his gaze stayed on me.

I tried to walk past, but Ash’s hand shot out and caught my shoulder. It was a light touch, but here it was also a test. I felt the challenge in it, the unspoken demand for submission.

But I did not give it.

His smirk grew wilder. “Guess you’ve got some morales. Let’s see if you can back it up.”

I shook his hand off and kept walking, even though my pulse was racing. Drawing attention to myself on the first day was the last thing I needed. In this place, weakness meant death.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of instructions, dorm assignments, and stares that lasted too long. I unpacked in silence, shoving my few belongings into the small locker. My roommate was already asleep when I came in. But peace never lasted long at Ravenlake.

By nightfall, I was in the training yard with a dozen other new students. The instructor, a huge wolf named Brant, shouted the rules. “Pair up. You fight until one of you is down.”

This was not training. It was a blood sport.

I tried to blend in, but a voice I already hated called out.

“Hey, new boy. You’re mine.”

The wolf was bigger than me by at least forty pounds, with a grin that told me he enjoyed breaking bones. I could not refuse without looking weak.

We circled each other. He moved first, faster than I expected. I twisted away, my body reacting out of instinct, the same instinct from years of training with Rowan, my dead twin brother. His claws grazed my side, tearing my shirt that the binding around my chest loosened, and my uniform tore just enough to reveal the faint curve beneath.

His eyes widened.

Shit.

Before he could say anything, I struck. My fist hit his jaw hard enough to snap his head to the side. He stumbled backwards, and I followed with a kick to his ribs that sent him crashing to the ground in a heavy, brutal thud.

The yard went silent.

I stood over him, breathing hard, my pulse thundering in my ears. Brant called the match. “Winner.”

I walked away before anyone could look too closely on my torn uniform. 

Later, in the hallway, Ash stepped out from a corner and blocked my path. “Not bad, Rowan. Didn’t think you had it in you.” His eyes scanned me in a way that made my skin crawl. “There’s something about you that I can’t place… yet.”

Before I could speak, Cruz appeared at the other end of the hall. His voice was calm, but there was steel in it. “Go to bed, Kieran.”

Ash’s grin turned sharp. “What, afraid I’ll break your new toy?”

Cruz’s eyes stayed on mine. “Afraid you’ll get yourself killed.”

Ash laughed and brushed past me. “We’ll see.”

Cruz stepped closer. Not close enough to touch, but close enough for his presence to press against me like a weight. “Watch your back, new boy”, he said quietly.

Then he walked away, leaving me with my heart racing like I had just stepped into a trap.

I told myself I was not afraid. But the truth was, I did not know if I feared Cruz Maddox more… or the fact that a part of me wished he would just stay away.

I walked down the hall, forcing my legs to keep moving while my thoughts ran in circles. The tightness in my chest was not from the fight earlier. It was from the way Cruz had looked at me, like he already knew I was lying about who I was.

By the time I reached my dorm, my hands were shaking. I closed the door quietly.