Micah's POV
"River Ashford."
My head snapped toward the Strategy line where Donovan's voice rang out, a small smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.
I'd been curious to see which department the new troublemaker would choose, and I wasn't disappointed. He was just too predictable.
Never in my two years at Stormridge have I encountered someone as clumsy — or as stupidly fearless — as him. The guy had dumped food on Raina, of all people, and lived to tell the tale.
The cafeteria incident had spread like wildfire through the academy. Before the bell even rang for the afternoon lessons, every student with a phone already knew his name. They were already whispering about how long he'd survive before I decided to "teach him a lesson."
I didn't bother correcting them. Raina expected me to handle it anyway. The humiliation alone would've been enough to make her want revenge, but the fact that I was at the scene didn't make her do it herself. Since she wanted me to see her in a favorable light after our forceful betrothal.
From where I stood, overseeing the Combat line, I had a clear view of him. He stood stiffly in Donovan's group, avoiding eye contact, pretending not to notice the stares students were giving him. His shoulders looked tense, though at least he wasn't fidgeting anymore.
Donovan's voice carried easily through the hall. "River Ashford."
River stepped forward, head slightly bowed, his movements cautious. He stretched his hands to collect his datapad but Donovan didn't release it.
Instead, he leaned closer to the boy, saying something to him quietly, his voice too low for me to catch. But the fear in River's expression told me enough.
My own jaw flexed. Irritation coiled low in my stomach, though I couldn't quite say why.
Typical Donovan. He always liked testing people, and from that grin on his face, he'd just found his next toy.
"Donovan's playing games again," Leah murmured as she appeared beside me. My eyes flicked toward the petite lady who loved creeping up on people. No fucking respect for privacy as usual.
Her arms were crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed as she watched the exchange.
"He always does," I grunted.
"You going to stop him?"
I didn't answer right away. My gaze followed River as he turned and walked out of the hall, his head tilted like he was talking to himself.
"Why would I?" I said finally when he was out of sight, boredom taking over my tone. "It isn't like I'm familiar with the boy."
With no spectacle left to watch, I turned to my front just to realize that I hadn't even attended to the students assigned to me. In fact, they were the only freshmen remaining in the hall as Leah and Donovan had already dismissed theirs.
"Damn it. Now isn't the time," I muttered, rubbing my jaw as I watched the kids who had scattered into groups, chatting. I'd told Nyx not to put me in charge of any group this year, but apparently the old lady's hearing had gotten worse.
Yielding to the restIess stirring of my wolf, Ivan who had been wanting to get far away from people and shift, I mindlinked Owen, my Beta, to come and take over the role.
He jogged into the hall under ten minutes, and I didn't wait for a greeting. "They're yours," I said, already turning to the side exit.
Outside, the courtyard was bathed in bruised purple light, the last edge of sunset bleeding into the horizon. The air smelled of damp earth and engine oil which was perfect for the day.
I continued down the gravel path, boots crunching against loose gravel, until the pavilion's noise faded behind me.
My motorbike sat under one of the tall lamps near the edge of the courtyard, black metal gleaming faintly in the low light. I pulled my gloves from my back pocket, rolling my shoulders once before slipping them on.
Hooking my helmet in place, I kicked the machine to life, the familiar hum of the engine filling the air immediately. The vibration under my palms was grounding, almost soothing.
Gods. How I missed this so much.
The rumble echoed as I drove off the academy grounds, the gate sliding open with a mechanical hiss. The wind tore past me, cold and sharp, drowning out the restless noise in my head.
I didn't take the main road. Instead, I veered left, down the narrow dirt trail that wound through the edge of the forest. Only a few people knew this path existed — and even fewer dared to take it.
The trees thickened as I rode deeper, swallowing the last traces of campus light. Cool air bit at my skin. The sun hung low, half-hidden behind drifting clouds. By the time I reached the ridge, the noise of the academy was long gone.
When I reached the clearing, I cut the engine. Silence followed, stretching wide and still, broken only by the chirp of crickets and the faint rustle of leaves.
I swung my leg over the bike and straightened, rolling my shoulders once. As soon as I removed my helmet, the scent of moss and iron filled my lungs, sparking a faint thrill that had been missing for too long.
Damn. It had been weeks since I last hunted. Weeks since I let myself breathe the way my body was built to.
The hunger inside me uncoiled lazily like a beast waking from sleep.
I took a slow breath and closed my eyes, letting the scent of the forest sink into me. Without wasting time, I took off my clothes and folded them neatly on the bike seat.
The cool air brushed against my skin, sharp enough to raise goosebumps. The shift came easily – too easily after so long. My bones cracked, stretching, reshaping. My skin rippled as fur replaced it, black as the night sky. The familiar burn spread through my veins, not painful, just raw and alive.
In a few seconds, I was no longer standing on two legs. The forest stretched wider around me, every noise louder, every smell richer. The wind carried life — small, trembling, breathing things moving beneath the cover of leaves.
I ran.
The earth blurred under my paws, the wind slicing past my ears. My heartbeat merged with the rhythm of the forest.
A deer grazed not too far from me, its ears twitching. Poor thing didn't even have a chance to run before I lunged at it.
I clawed at its stomach to hold it down as my fangs sank into its neck. Blood coated my muzzle as I tore into warm flesh, satisfying the ache that had been building for weeks in a way nothing else could.
I was still feeding when the hairs along my spine lifted.
I froze. The deer dropped from my jaws as I turned my head, my nostrils flaring. Someone was here.
Not just anyone. Someone from the school; the faint scent of the cafeteria was still clinging to them.
"Fucking hell," I cursed under my breath as I turned around fully, and there he was. A second year student was half-hidden behind a tree, wide-eyed, trembling.
He was probably one of Donovan's idiots. His phone was clutched tightly in his hand, camera light faintly blinking.
So, he thought he'd catch me breaking school rules? Big mistake.
His phone fell as he stumbled back, tripping over a root. "M-Micah—"
Before he could finish, I was already moving. My paws hit the earth once, twice, and then I shifted mid-stride into my human form again before he could blink. I caught him by the collar, forcing his gaze to meet mine.
His eyes darted between me and the dead deer behind me. "I–I didn't—"
I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into my eyes. "You didn't see anything," I said, my compulsion ability setting rolling off me. "You followed a false trail and went straight back to your dorm. You are tired and will sleep soundly. Got it?"
His body relaxed, eyes turning glassy. "I… saw nothing," he murmured slowly, almost dreamlike, and turned back toward the trail.
"Good boy."
I hated using the gift. But sometimes, it was the only way to keep order since most of the students knew how to bypass Alpha command. I released him, watching as he turned and stumbled back down the path, his steps uneven but obedient.
When he was finally gone, I moved to pick up the phone the boy dropped. It wasn't his. The model of the phone was too new for a beta with no ranking.
Scrolling through it, I discovered the pictures and videos he took of me were still sitting in the gallery. He had not sent them to anyone.
I exhaled and ran a hand through my hair. Gods. I needed to be more careful. The last thing I needed was Donovan or anyone thinking they'd found a crack in my armor.