"Miss Brightspear," the headmaster greeted, voice as composed as his posture. "Welcome to Castel Granatefel."
The man looked like someone who hadn't smiled since the last war. His robes were a deep storm-blue, lined with silver filigree and wolf sigils, and his pale eyes held the weight of ancient knowledge—or possibly exhaustion.
"I'm Headmaster Aldric Thornmere," he continued. "This is Headmistress Selene Veyra, of the House of the Pack. She will serve as your guide from this point on."
The woman beside him was taller, armored beneath her cloak, and had a face carved in stone. She didn't offer a handshake or even a nod—just studied Lumi like she was some kind of unsolved riddle. A risky one.
"Lumi Brightspear," Selene said at last. "So. The Omega."
Lumi cocked an eyebrow. "You say that like I'm a bad storm rolling in."
"You are," Selene said simply. "And we're not ready for the lightning."
Before Lumi could respond with something sharp and colorful, a sound split the air—
A howl.
Then another. And another.
A dozen howls, coming from every direction—low, guttural, hungry.
Lumi froze.
"What the hell—?"
Selene's head snapped toward the gates. Her nostrils flared. "They've scented you."
The howls crescendoed—frenzied, territorial, primal.
"They're not even subtle about it," Aldric murmured, looking vaguely annoyed as more howls joined the chorus. "Every Alpha on campus just caught wind of you. And it appears the more... unrestrained among them are already on the hunt."
"What?" Lumi snapped, suddenly aware of how exposed she was in the open courtyard. "I didn't even do anything!"
"You breathed," Selene said grimly. "That's enough."
Another howl, this one closer.
Aldric's expression sharpened. "Inside. Now."
They moved fast. Selene flanked Lumi like a bodyguard, hand on the hilt of a curved silver blade. The air inside the castle was thick with old magic and fresh tension.
"She's not safe walking around like this," Selene growled as they entered a warded hallway, glowing runes flickering across the walls. "We should have masked her scent before crossing the threshold."
"We didn't expect this level of reaction," Aldric replied, grim. "Either her scent is stronger than a typical Omega, or the Alphas here are more desperate than I realized."
"Or both," Lumi muttered, winded. "Can someone please explain why everyone's howling like it's a full moon rave out there?"
"You're an Omega, girl," Selene said as she turned down a quieter corridor. "That's the rarest class among wolves. Once a generation, maybe. You don't just walk into a den full of hungry Alphas and expect them to ignore the scent of fate."
"I'm not fate," Lumi snapped. "I'm a person. And I bite."
"Good," Selene said with a trace of approval. "You'll need that."
They reached a large ironwood door bound in silvery rune-wrought chains. Selene traced a glowing sigil over the lock, and it creaked open with a hiss of pressure.
"Welcome to House Ulvhenra," Selene said. "You're now officially part of the most isolated and dangerous pack on this campus."
Lumi peered inside.
The space was surprisingly vast for a dorm—stone walls covered in ancient glyphs, arched windows veiled with rune-glass, and a soft blue glow pulsing from protective enchantments etched into the ceiling.
"You'll have your own quarters, of course," Selene added. "Standard policy. Omegas don't share rooms. Too risky. We've reinforced it with the strongest magical wards available."
"Like a really pretty cage," Lumi muttered, stepping inside.
"Exactly," Aldric said from behind her, "but one that keeps you in as much as it keeps others out. Don't make the mistake of thinking everyone here respects boundaries."
Lumi paused at the threshold. The howling outside had faded into a distant thrum—but it was there. Waiting.
"So, I'm just supposed to hide here while the campus plays 'hunt the Omega'?"
"No," Selene said. "You're going to learn how to outpace them. Outthink them. Maybe even outrun your fate."
Lumi turned slowly. "And if I don't want any of it? The mates, the claiming?"
Selene's voice was low. "Then you'll need to be twice as sharp. Three times as vicious. Because they'll come for you anyway."
Lumi smiled, feral and bright. "Let them try."
The door sealed shut behind her, layers of magic locking into place like teeth snapping closed.
And the castle exhaled around her—as if amused.