All Chapters of By Shadowlight Lake: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Monday morning brought a return to university routine, or as routine as things could be with the new security protocols in place. The hallways buzzed with discussion about Alpha Dixon's celebration, though most wolves tactfully avoided mentioning Marcus's dramatic exit when I passed."I still can't believe you gave him your number," Freya declared, dropping into her seat beside me in the campus café. Our morning coffee meetups had become a tradition, a small piece of normalcy in all the pack chaos."It's just coffee," I reminded her, though her skeptical look matched the one Odette had given me all weekend. "And territory management discussions.""Right," she drawled. "Because hot wolves always want to discuss migration patterns over coffee."Before I could protest, my phone buzzed:Oliver: Still up for that coffee today? I promise to keep the migration talk to a minimum 😊"See?" Freya leaned over to read the text, grinning.

"No." I didn't even look up from my textbook. "Whatever you're planning, Od, the answer is no.""You haven't even heard what I'm going to say," Odette protested, dropping onto my bed with the kind of grace only royal wolves possessed. "But since you mentioned it... you know Jake from Moon Valley Pack?""The one in your diplomatic relations class?""The very hot one in my diplomatic relations class," she corrected, violet eyes sparkling. "Who happens to think your territory conservation ideas are brilliant."Now I did look up. "What did you do?""Nothing!" Her innocent expression fooled no one. "I just happened to mention that you're free Friday night, and he just happened to mention this new restaurant that just opened, and—""Od...""Come on," she pleaded. "One dinner. He's nice, he's smart, and his family has amazing connections with the conservation council. Plus," her grin turned mischievous, "I heard a certain Alpha nearly

The week after the Crystal Bay date passed in a blur of classes, study sessions, and Jake's increasingly entertaining territory management debates. We'd fallen into an easy friendship, both relieved that the pressure of dating had transformed into something more comfortable. Even Odette had stopped her suggestive comments, though that might be because she was too busy planning my gallery date with Daniel."It's not weird that he's human," Freya insisted, adjusting my hair one last time. "It's weird that you're overthinking this."The art gallery was transformed for tonight's opening, soft lights highlighting black and white photographs that captured wolf culture through human eyes. Daniel's work, I had to admit, was stunning. He had a way of catching moments that most humans never got to see, the quiet dignity of pack ceremonies, the joy of pups learning to shift, the power of Alpha ceremonies."You must be Astraia," a warm voice said behind me. I turned to find

The week after the gallery opening passed surprisingly smoothly. Daniel had shifted easily into friendship mode, occasionally sending me photos of 'fascinating pack dynamics' he observed on campus. Even Carson's security protocols had been suspiciously absent lately. But as I got ready for my date with Oliver, I couldn't help feeling both nervous and excited, between wanting to go and not going."Wear this," Odette declared, bursting into my room with what looked like half her wardrobe. "No arguments. The natural history museum might be educational, but that doesn't mean you can't look amazing while Oliver teaches you about their new conservation exhibit.""I still can't believe he remembered I wanted to see that exhibit," I said, letting Odette rifle through outfit options."Of course he remembered. He's been planning this date since that coffee got interrupted." She held up a sundress that somehow managed to be both casual and perfect for a museum date. "Olive

The weeks following the security breach passed in a blur of classes, pack protocols, and careful distraction. Carson had left for Northern territory the day after the museum incident, his absence both a relief and a strange void on campus. Not that I was loooking.Oliver had easily slipped into our friend group, joining our regular lunch meetups and study sessions. His easygoing nature made him a quick favorite - even Odette had stopped making suggestive comments and seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. We'd settled into a comfortable rhythm that made pack politics feel distant."I still can't believe Kane gave us another territory mapping assignment," Freya groaned, picking at her salad during our usual lunch gathering. "Doesn't he know some of us have actual lives?""Says the girl who spent three hours perfecting a dress sketch last night," Lila teased."That's different," Freya defended. "That's art. Territory mapping is just... lines and boundaries.""Which is exactly why Kane's