"You're my seat, and you are in my school. Move now, or I will make you." Elara Vance did not look scared. She dropped her bag on the wooden desk and touched the silver locket around her neck-the one her mother told her never to take off. "Then stop breathing. Or better yet, go away." The whole classroom went totally quiet. Forty students looked at her with wide eyes, like she had just done something very dangerous. The boy sitting next to her leaned forward. His dark hair fell over his brown eyes, and he looked very angry. His jaw was tight. "Funny," he said in a low, rough voice. "I don't remember asking what you think." "And I don't remember asking for your permission to sit down," Elara said, looking right back at him with her chin up. "Kaelen Blackwood, right?" He looked surprised for a second, but then his face went cold again. "Say my name one more time, and you will get into big trouble." "Kaelen," she said slowly. "You sound like a boy who has never been told no." He stood up so fast his chair made a loud scraping sound against the floor. No one else moved. The teacher looked scared and kept his eyes on his book, acting like nothing was happening. Everyone treated Kaelen like he was the boss of the school. "Get up," Kaelen said, standing right over her. He was tall and looked very angry. "Now." "Or what?" Elara stayed in her seat. "Will you get me kicked out of school before the bell rings?" "Before the bell rings," he whispered so only she could hear, "you will be on the floor saying sorry. And I won't even have to touch you to make it happen." He snapped his fingers. Right away, three students at the front stood up-a boy and two girls with mean looks on their faces. They walked over and stood around her desk. "New girl," the tall boy said with a smirk. "You heard him. Move." "Him?" Elara frowned. "This is just a high school, not a wolf pack." People laughed, but Kaelen didn't. He just stood there with his arms crossed, watching like it was a show. "Be careful, Elara," a girl with red nail polish said, tapping her desk hard. "Around here, we don't talk back to him. And we don't sit where we shouldn't." "Then tell me where I belong," Elara said, standing up slowly with her bag. "Because I don't see his name written on this desk." Kaelen stepped closer. He smelled like pine trees and rain. "This isn't about a desk," he said, looking around the room at all the students watching them. "This is about the rules. And you? You are a big mistake." "Then show me the way out," she said, grabbing her bag. "I will leave. You can go back to pretending you own the school." She tried to walk past him, but he blocked her way without even touching her. "Nobody leaves until I say so." "Watch me." She tried to walk around him again, but one of the girls pushed her shoulder hard. Elara almost fell and grabbed the desk to steady herself. As she did, her silver locket swung forward into the light. Kaelen looked right at it. His eyes got narrow, but he didn't say anything. "Nice necklace," the girl with red nails said, reaching out fast to grab it. Elara slapped her hand away. "Don't touch me." The room felt colder. Kaelen looked mad. "You just hit Lila." Lila smiled a mean smile. "Oh, she has a bad temper. I like it. Too bad it's going to get her into trouble." "Say sorry," Kaelen said in a flat voice. "Right now." "For what? She tried to take my things." "Say sorry, or I will make this whole year very hard for you," Kaelen said, getting close to her space. "I run things here. I say who sits where and who passes their classes. You don't want to make an enemy of me." "I don't want friends," Elara said, lifting her chin. "And I definitely don't want a bully telling me what to do." The room was completely quiet. Then Lila laughed out loud. "Oh, she is in so much trouble." Kaelen didn't laugh. His face went totally blank. He leaned down close to her ear and whispered: "You have three seconds to bow down. Or I will make you regret it. Piece by piece." The threat was clear. Nobody tried to help her. The teacher kept reading his book. The other students watched with fear and excitement because this happened all the time. Elara held on tightly to her locket. It was the only thing she had to keep her safe. Stay hidden, she told herself. Don't let them know anything. Just survive. She took a slow breath. "I am not saying sorry." Kaelen's eyes flashed with a bright, strange color for just a second. He closed his hand into a tight fist. "Fine." He stepped back, nodded to Lila, and turned away like Elara didn't matter anymore. "Go ahead. The first period isn't over yet." Lila smiled a happy, mean smile. "Gladly." The bell rang. No one moved. Lila and the other two students stepped closer, blocking the door and trapping Elara. Kaelen sat down at the front of the room and opened his book like everything was normal. Elara backed up until her back hit the wall. Her heart beat fast. She was new, she was alone, and she didn't know how powerful these people were. But she knew one thing for sure-she would not bow down to him. Lila stepped forward and pulled a pair of small silver scissors out of her bag. "You know," she said softly, "Kaelen usually doesn't care about new kids. But you? You made him mad. And when you make him mad, you make all of us mad." Elara held onto her locket. "Stay away from me." "Or what?" Lila laughed and held up the scissors. "Will you cry? There is nowhere to run, Elara." She lunged forward-not at Elara's face, but straight at her neck. At the locket. Elara tried to move, but she was too slow. The sharp blade caught the thin silver chain. It pulled hard, and with a sharp snap, the clasp broke. The locket fell. Elara reached for it, but it was already dropping through the air. Kaelen's head shot up. His eyes went wide with shock. The locket hit the floor. And it popped open. Everything stopped. Lila froze with the scissors still in her hand. Kaelen stood up so fast his desk shook. The room became so quiet that Elara could hear her own heartbeat, and something else-a low, deep growl from somewhere far away that didn't sound human at all. She looked down at the floor. Inside the open locket, sitting behind the glass, was a small carved black stone with a silver crescent moon shape on it. It was the exact same symbol carved into the wooden sign above the classroom door. It was the exact same symbol Kaelen wore on a ring around his finger. He stared at it, looking pale and scared, like he was seeing a ghost. "You..." His voice shook. "That's impossible." Elara dropped to her knees, grabbed the locket, and held it tight to her chest. But it was too late. He had seen it. Lila had seen it. Everyone saw it. Kaelen looked at her eyes, and all his anger was gone. He looked terrified. "Who are you?" he whispered, like he was afraid of the answer. "What are you?" Before she could answer, before she could lie or run away, the classroom door slammed open so hard the walls shook. A tall, broad man stood in the doorway. He had gray eyes and a sharp face and wore a heavy chain around his neck with the same silver moon symbol on it. He looked right at Elara, saw the locket in her hands, and his face turned to stone. "Kaelen Blackwood," the man said in a loud voice that shook the shelves. "My office. Now. And bring the girl."

Elara's POV The heavy oak door slammed behind me, and the entire room plunged into a dead silence. I remained frozen, my hand pressed against my medallion, closing the clasp before anyone could see inside. The man behind the desk-Alpha Roderick Blackwood-watched my every move. His eyes were the same amber as Kaelen's, but colder, sharper, as if he could read me like an open book. "Sit down." His voice was low, like grinding stones. I sat. Kaelen sat stiffly beside me, staring straight ahead, his fists clenched on his knees. Roderick leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "Kaelen. Leave us. Wait outside. Don't listen. Don't speak to anyone until I call you." Kaelen stood up immediately. "Father-" "Now." The word was not a request. Kaelen walked out without looking at me. The door slammed. Now, there were only the two of us. Roderick fixed his gaze directly on my throat. "Open it." My fingers tightened. "It's just a medallion. My mother's." "It is not nothing. That symbol belongs to this family. No one else wears it. No one else possesses it." He stood up and walked around the desk, stopping right in front of me. "Tell me your mother's name." "I don't know it." It wasn't a complete lie; Mara had never told me. "My grandmother gave it to me. Her name is Mara." Roderick froze. "Mara." He pronounced the name slowly, as if remembering it. "And why did you come here? We don't accept outsiders. Not without a reason." "I needed a school. She said this was the ideal place." He studied me for a long moment, searching for something he couldn't see. "Listen to me carefully, Elara. You are here now. You follow our rules. Rule number one: You do not speak of anything you see here. Rule number two: You never go into the West Woods after nightfall. Rule number three-" He leaned closer, his voice dropping low and harsh. "You stay away from my son. Kaelen is betrothed to another. His path is set. You are not part of it." "I'm not interested in your son." I raised my chin. "He started it. Not me." "It doesn't matter who started it. It ends now." He returned to his chair. "If I see you near him again-if I see that medallion open-you will be gone before morning. Do not test me. I do not ask twice." I stood up. "Understood." "Good. Get out." I walked out quickly, breathed hard, and pulled the door shut behind me to find Kaelen leaning against the wall right next to it. He detached himself from the wall the moment he saw me. "What did he say?" He stepped in front of me, blocking my path. His voice was dry, angry-not worried. "Tell me." "He told me to stay away from you." I tried to walk around him. "And that's what I intend to do. So move." Kaelen didn't move. He grabbed my arm-hard, his fingers sinking in. "You think that's it? You think you can just show up here, wear something that belongs to my family, and leave like nothing happened?" As we argued, Lila and the other students from the hallway paused, casting venomous glances our way. Lila stepped closer, crossing her arms with a bitter sneer. "Look at her, Kaelen," Lila scoffed, her voice dripping with pure disdain. "A pathetic stray wandering into places she doesn't belong, wearing trinkets she stole. She's a nobody, a useless little pest who doesn't even know her place." "Shut up, Lila," Kaelen snapped at her, though his amber eyes flickered back down to me with equal fury. He turned his harsh gaze back to my face. "You heard her. You're nothing here. Less than nothing." "I didn't ask for any of this!" I pulled away, but his grip didn't loosen. "And let go of me." "Why should I?" His eyes flashed-bright, burning, something wild underneath. "You walked into my school. You sat in my seat. You're wearing something that isn't yours. And now my father is watching my every move because of you." He leaned in, his voice cold and cruel. "And if you think for even a second that I'll look at you or care about you, you're wrong. You're just a pathetic little nuisance, a total waste of space that I'm going to have to get rid of." "Fine." My voice shook, but I didn't look away. "I hate you too. Now let me go." He let go of me, so abruptly that I stumbled backward. "Don't speak to me. Don't look at me. Don't even breathe the same air as me. If my father sees us again-ever-it won't just be you in trouble. It's my problem. And I don't share my problems with outsiders." "Believe me, I won't come near you." I turned to leave. "Ever." "Elara." I stopped but didn't turn around. For a heartbeat, I thought he might apologize. Maybe part of all this wasn't just hatred. But when I turned back, his face was hard, blank. "Good. Because I'd hate to see you suffer. And next time, I won't stop." He shoved past me and strode directly into the office, slamming the door behind him. I stood there alone, my arm aching where he had gripped it. I held back my tears, angry with myself for letting him get to me. He is cruel. He is hateful. Stay away. That's easy enough. I turned and walked down the corridor, leaving the building behind. The sun was setting rapidly, painting the sky in deep purple and gray. The air grew cold, sharp, laden with the scent of rain and pine. I pushed open the heavy front doors and stepped outside, pulling my jacket tightly around my shoulders. I hadn't realized it was so late. The sky above was already ink-black, swallowing the last bruised streaks of twilight. The moon was rising-huge, silver, and full-suspended low over the jagged treeline. I took a step off the stone porch, intending to head straight home when the wind shifted. From deep within the shadows of the West Woods, a long, low growl tore through the heavy silence. An icy shudder ran down my spine, freezing me in my tracks. And in the darkness between the trees, something heavy began to move toward me.

Kaelen's POV The heavy oak door clicked shut, cutting Elara off from the rest of the world and locking the corridor behind her. I turned back toward my father's desk, my jaw clenched. I expected anger; I got something far worse. Roderick leaned forward, his voice low and glacial, every word an order. Sit down. And listen to me carefully. This is not a suggestion. I sat. My father's eyes were piercing, evaluative-and hard as stone. That girl is suspicious. More than suspicious. Roderick tapped his finger on his desk, right where he had seen the medallion. That medallion she wears is no coincidence. It is ancient. It is forbidden. And it belongs to a past we buried long ago. She is a threat, Kaelen. I don't yet know what she is hiding-but I know she does not belong here. He leaned in closer, dropping his voice until it seemed to fill the entire room. You are going to stay away from her. You will not speak to her. You will not look for her. If you approach her again-if you take even a single step close enough to catch her scent-you will lose far more than your place as heir. You will lose your life. Do you understand? Stay away... or die. My blood ran cold. This wasn't an empty threat. I had seen my father make good on far worse promises before. Your future is already mapped out, Roderick continued, firm, and unyielding. You will be the next Alpha. This pack needs you. But an Alpha does not let outsiders-especially suspicious outsiders-weaken him. If you can not control yourself, if you let this girl distract you, you are not fit to lead. And you won't live long enough to try. I nodded slowly, my fists clenched. I understand. I'll stay away from her. Good. Sit down. Roderick settled back into his armchair. Now, get out of my sight. And remember-keep your eyes open. She is dangerous. Don't let her fool you. I stood up and headed for the door. But before I could step out, a strange, sharp sensation tugged at my chest-a throbbing, a pull, something I couldn't quite explain. I told myself it was just relief. Just fear. Nothing more. I took a step into the corridor-but I didn't leave. I stopped. I shouldn't have looked. I shouldn't have cared. My father had been clear-death was the price. I was supposed to walk away. Forget her. Be the Alpha. So why were my feet carrying me toward the front window instead? I told myself it was just to make sure she was gone. Just to be certain she had vanished and that I could finally breathe. Nothing more. It wasn't because I needed to see her. It wasn't because a part of me wanted to know she was safe. I reached the window and looked outside. The sun had vanished. The full moon, low and immense, bathed the courtyard in a pale, silvery light. Elara stood at the bottom of the steps, pausing to pull her coat tighter against the cold. She looked small. Alone. Completely unaware. And then I saw it. From the edge of the West Woods, a shadow moved. Not a person. Not a deer. Something too big, too dark, too silent. It emerged from behind the trees-a massive wolf, its coat black as night, its eyes gleaming faintly in the moonlight. It wasn't moving like a wild animal. It was stalking. Slow, cautious, its gaze fixed straight on her. A lone wolf. A rogue. My breath caught. The beast was closing in fast. Any second now, it would pounce. I spun around-my mind screaming a single command: Go save her. But my father's voice struck me like a physical blow: Stay away... or die. If I went out there, I was breaking every rule. I was forfeiting my right to be Alpha. I was throwing away my life. I knew it. My father meant every word. But I couldn't just stand there and watch her die. I turned back toward the study door, my heart hammering so hard it hurt. I had to go. I had to try. I stepped back into the office, my face calm, my voice steady-lying through my teeth. Father-I left my phone in the classroom. I need to go get it before they lock up for the night. Roderick looked up, sharp and suspicious. Now? It's late. It will only take a minute. I kept my voice even, fighting every instinct that screamed at me to run. I'll be right back. My father watched me for a long, dangerous moment. Then he gave a single nod. Go. And make it quick. And remember what I told you. One false step... and it all ends. I turned and walked out fast, but not running. Not yet. But the second the door slammed shut behind me, I broke into a sprint. I didn't know why I was doing this. I knew the price. I knew I was risking my entire title, my future, my life for a girl I was supposed to despise. But the pull was too strong. Stronger than fear. It's stronger than my father. It's stronger than anything I had ever felt. I burst through the front doors into the cold night air-and froze. The wolf was halfway across the courtyard. It had stopped. Head low, shoulders bunched-ready to spring. Elara stood just a few yards away, completely oblivious, still turning to leave. My blood turned to fire. I didn't think. I didn't weigh the cost. I just moved faster than I should have been able to-straight toward her and the beast, howling her name into the night. But before I could reach them, the wolf raised its head. Its eyes didn't fix on Elara-they locked onto mine. And it smiled.