Chapter One

Ayla’s POV

“Do not cause a scene, Ayla. Keep your temper down – it’s an important day,” Coach says.

My jaw tightens, and I can almost feel my claws emerging. Why am I always the one to keep my temper when others keep asking for trouble?

I roll my eyes and respond before she leaves “Yes—Coach.”

My wolf purred when I saw Sebastian walking towards me. He had that smile he always does when he notices my arousal scent. I would have finished only if Coach didn’t walk in and almost catch me in the middle of pleasing myself.

“Do you need some help, baby?” he whispers after tapping my ass.

The Red Crescent Moon Pack are currently looking for warriors to join their pack—and I, Ayla, the best warrior student in Nightwhisper Academy, am about to have a quickie.

“Sebastian… hmm,” I moaned as he slips his large palm into my spandex tights, gently massaging my clit.

“After the picking…” I mutter in between moans.

“Let me just make you come, Ayla. Then we can go for the picking ceremony after, alright?”

Sebastian ends his statement by thrusting his fingers deep inside me.

“Fuck… yes, I’m almost there. Oh goddess, help me.”

My hips jerk up to straddle his hand more as I feel my climax climbing. My wolf stirred in me roughly—it was strange. Since it wasn’t the first time with Sebastian, then why is she acting this way?

“Fuck, Ayla—” Sebastian muttered as he stops.

One millisecond more and I would have climaxed, but he just had to spoil the fun. I exhaled hard before speaking.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him.

“Your eyes, Ayla… they’re s-silver,” he stammered.

I’ve never seen Sebastian look this way before—it was new.

“What do you mean they’re silver?” I get up from him and check the dressing mirror.

“They’re perfectly fine and… black,” I shrug.

“I—I need to go,” he whispers and storms out.

Why did he seem so scared, like he had seen a ghost? What a funny guy.

I adjust my tights and step out of the dressing room. That was when it hit me—the heavy scent of a male that made my wolf stir madly. My wolf prowled; she was uneasy and filled with desire at the same time. It was a new scent, something I couldn’t recognize. Whoever it was is either a new student or a guest.

Calm down, girl. You’re not in heat, so keep it down, please, I communicate with my wolf.

The dome was filled with many students, teachers, and guests. I try using my sharp senses to locate Seb, but I can’t find him. He’s not inside the hall. The hall hummed with wolf energy as I made my way down.

I glance at the names on the large television screen in the middle of the hall. It ranked 1–20, the best fighters in the academy. My eyes gleam and my chest rises when I see my name at the top of the list.

I took my seat with the other fighters. They all moved away from me, and some even whispered. It wasn’t a new thing… I think they should even be tired of it by now.

Whispers start coming from my right, and some students’ mouths were agape.

“I don’t mind being a baby mama for him,” one girl says.

“He’s so hot and sexy,” another says.

Their eyes focused on some set of people walking to the front of the hall. I tried to look, but I couldn’t get a proper view from my seat.

The school head walked to the podium and gathered our attention.

“Ahem…” Mr. Keith clears his throat.

That’s when I see them. Six of them—and among them is a woman. She’s the one from my dreams, always talking about some sort of power I don’t understand.

What the fuck is going on? Who are they?

“We’re all gathered here to pick five good fighters who will become warriors for the Red Crescent Moon Pack,” Leader Keith says.

“The first round of the match starts now. Good luck to the contenders,” he says and steps down from the podium.

The spotlight moves to the fighting ring. My chest tightens. This same ring…

The first contenders fought, then the second… Now I’m up next, and I’m going against Finn. Everyone knows Finn isn’t a fair fighter, and I sense that he was put to fight against me intentionally.

“Get up here, Ayla. Let me pet that wolf in you,” he says, grinning at me as I climb into the ring.

Remember who you are, I could hear my father’s voice tell me as I took my stance.

I turn my body slightly, so my right side is facing him. With one leg a bit forward, I put my arms up to eye level and bend my knees a bit.

“Come on, big boy,” I tilt my head, my lips tugging upwards.

His huge body drifts towards me and he throws out his arm, but I easily dodge his attack, making him lose balance and fall to the floor. The crowd cheers.

Before he rises to his feet, I jump on his back and wrap my hand around his neck tight—stopping him from breathing. He wriggled and writhed, but I held on tight. I wasn’t going to let go.

The moment he taps out, I get down from him and I’m announced the winner.

Only a few people cheered. I force out a smile and bow my head—but my chest rises up and down, and a smile beams on my lips. I know my father would be proud of me at this moment.

An object suddenly slams into me, sending me flying across the ring. I scream out in pain and turn around—Finn is glaring at me, a vein twitching in his temple as he raises the iron rod and moves with speed towards me.

I only manage to clutch my body as the iron strikes my ribs. Each strike blurs the world around me. I try to get up to my feet, but the iron collides with me, this time with so much force that my body hits the ground flat.

I couldn’t move; the ringing in my ears was loud and the metallic taste in my mouth was evident.

Finn is above me, grinning from ear to ear like a maniac, his eyes locked on mine. I look around, but my vision is blurred, and the only thing I can make out is the audience screaming and cheering loudly.

He’s about to hit me one more time when a huge body slams into him and sends him flying.

I try to look into the man’s face, but my vision is fading… I only remember his scent—it’s the same one from outside the dome.

“I—don’t—want—to—die,” I mutter under my breath.