The dining hall stretched wider than the training arena, sunlight streaming through arched windows. Long tables brimmed with bread, fruit, steaming platters of meat. The smell alone nearly made me forget the claws that almost gutted me yesterday.
Almost.
Tessa dragged me toward an empty bench. "Food first, dread later."
Plates clattered, voices rose in a storm of chatter. Freshers swapped stories, packs huddled tight. My stomach twisted, but not from hunger—eyes tracked me everywhere I went.
Ivy's voice sliced through the noise. "Careful, wolfless. Don't choke. Wouldn't want Kael's new favorite to die over toast."
Laughter burst from her table. My hand froze around the cup of water.
Tessa shot to her feet. "At least she doesn't need an entourage to make herself feel important."
Gasps circled. Ivy's smirk faltered, then sharpened. "Cute. Keep yapping, maybe they'll notice you too."
I kicked Tessa under the table, mouthing, not worth it.
Her glare said otherwise, but she sat.
I forced myself to take a bite, ignoring the whispers.
Above us, the high table overlooked everything. The alphas sat like kings on thrones, untouched by the chaos below.
Darius cut into his food with precision. Kael lounged, smirk restored, as if yesterday's intervention meant nothing. Rylan spoke quietly with an instructor. And Lucian—Lucian didn't look away from me once.
Heat prickled at my skin. I shoved my plate aside.
The head instructor's voice boomed across the hall. "Freshers. Eat well. You'll need it."
A hush fell.
"Your first assessment begins at dawn tomorrow. The Trial of Endurance."
Chairs scraped as students leaned forward.
"You will enter the forest in pairs of your choosing. Your task—survive until sunrise. Shadow wolves roam freely. They will not hesitate."
Gasps rippled. A boy two tables over muttered, "That's a death sentence."
The instructor's glare silenced him. "Those who cannot endure do not belong here."
My pulse thudded in my ears.
Ivy's gaze locked with mine, hungry for blood.
Tessa whispered, "We'll stick together. Always."
I nodded, though dread coiled tight.
---
Dawn painted the sky in bruised colors. Students gathered at the forest's edge, breath fogging in the cold.
The trees loomed tall, shadows thick, mist curling around roots like fingers.
Pairs lined up, whispering frantic strategies. Ivy stood with her pack of sycophants, smirk carved into her face.
Tessa gripped my arm. "Don't let her separate us."
The instructor raised a horn. "Survive until the sun clears the horizon. Begin."
The horn's blast echoed.
Chaos erupted. Students darted into the trees, some sprinting, some creeping, some clinging to partners like lifelines.
Tessa tugged me forward. "This way!"
We plunged into the forest. Branches snapped underfoot, fog swallowing the clearing. Every instinct screamed danger.
Behind us, a howl split the air. Low. Hungry.
I glanced back once. Four silhouettes stood at the ridge above the forest, watching.
Rylan. Kael. Darius. Lucian.
Their gazes followed me into the dark.