The next morning, the quiet of Room 3C was shattered by a whirlwind of luggage and high-pitched energy.
"AHHH! WE'RE HERE!" Avery shrieked, practically flying into the room and nearly tackling Mary.
Jada barreled in behind her, braids swinging, her eyes wide as she took in the vaulted ceilings.
"Look at this place! This isn't a dorm; it's a castle."
Miles stepped in last, hauling a suitcase that looked far too heavy for him. He paused when he saw Mary, his glasses sliding down his nose.
His cheeks turned pink, and he cleared his throat, moving to drop his bags near her bed. "You okay, Mary? You look... pale."
"I'm fine," Mary lied, her voice a bit too high. She still felt the phantom pressure of Kieran's fingers against her skin, a secret heat that made her feel like a traitor to her own senses.
Avery grabbed Mary's hands, bouncing. "Mary, look! My parents—they got me a Davenport tablet. A real one! And look at these clothes. They're all designer. Like, who do I think I am? A princess? Yes."
Jada laughed, flopping onto a plush chair. "My mom cried when the box arrived. She said, 'They're giving out rich people gifts now, Jada. Don't embarrass me.'"
Miles looked at Mary, his expression softening into something intensely protective. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "If anyone gives you trouble here, Mary—if the Alphas... I'm not letting anything happen to you."
Mary smiled, though a knot tightened in her stomach. "Thanks, Miles."
"You need to be careful," Jada said, her face turning serious as she pulled out a printed sheet. "I asked a girl on the stairs about the ranking system. It's brutal. You earn points for grades, combat, even 'sanctioned parties.'
The higher your rank, the more privileges you get. And the Alphas? They're the ceiling. They control everything."
"And Samantha Caldwell is already here," Avery whispered, her excitement dipping into dread. "I saw her in the lobby. She's calling herself the 'Future Luna' and acting like she owns the hallway.
She's got her eyes on the Alphas, and she hates anyone who breathes their air."
Mary's jaw tightened. She didn't want the Alphas' air. She just wanted to survive.
The morning air was crisp as they headed to Combat Readiness. Mary's stomach did a slow roll when she saw the roster posted on the digital glass outside the arena.
Student Pairing: Mary Davenport-Marvin & Kieran Frost.
"You've got to be kidding me," Mary whispered.
The arena was a massive sunken circle of sand and stone. The Alphas were already there, standing like three pillars of dark intent.
The moment Mary walked in, the atmosphere shifted.
Kieran's silver eyes locked onto hers instantly.
The jealousy in the room was a living thing; Axel was leaning against a wall, his golden eyes tracking Mary's every move with a hunger that made her skin prickle, while Dante stood perfectly still, his gaze like a blade.
"Alphas to the center," the instructor barked.
"Humans, take your positions."
Samantha Caldwell stood near the Alphas, tossing her blonde hair and glaring at Mary with pure venom. "She shouldn't even be in this class," Samantha sneered loudly. "She'll break."
Kieran didn't look at Samantha. He didn't look at anyone but Mary.
"Sparring starts now," the instructor commanded.
"First to a pin or a knockdown."
Kieran stepped onto the mat, his presence overwhelming. "Don't hold back, Davenport," he growled, his voice low enough only for her to hear. "Show me that spark again."
Mary's temper flared. The fear she'd been carrying turned into a sharp, jagged needle of defiance. As Kieran lunged—a move that should have been too fast for a human to track—Mary's vision suddenly sharpened. The world slowed down.
She felt the hum in her blood again.
As Kieran reached for her shoulder, Mary spun. She didn't just dodge; she moved with a fluid, unnatural grace. She grabbed his arm, using his own momentum against him, and channeled a sudden, focused burst of that golden heat through her palms.
With a muffled crack of energy, Kieran—the strongest Alpha in the academy—was sent flying backward. He hit the sand hard, landing flat on his back.
The silence in the gym was absolute.
Axel's jaw dropped. Dante's eyes widened. Samantha let out a strangled gasp of outrage.
Kieran lay there for a second, staring up at the ceiling, the shock on his face quickly replaced by an intense, burning curiosity. He sat up, his gaze devouring her.
He wasn't angry. He was obsessed.
Suddenly, Mary's access band on her wrist began to glow a steady, rhythmic crimson.
[MANDATORY HEALTH CHECK-UP: REPORT TO INFIRMARY IMMEDIATELY.]
The infirmary felt more like a laboratory than a doctor's office. Administrator Vale stood by as a droid prepped a needle.
"Just a routine check of your vitals, Mary," Vale said, her voice smooth but her eyes cold. "New students from human districts often have... imbalances."
Mary sat on the edge of the table, her heart racing. As the needle pierced her skin, she felt her powers stir again—a low, warning growl in her marrow. She watched as her blood filled the vial.
It wasn't just red. For a fleeting second, it shimmered with a gold, iridescent swirl before settling into a deep crimson.
Vale's fingers twitched.
"You're dismissed," Vale said quickly, her eyes fixed on the vial.
As Mary walked out, she saw Axel and Dante standing in the hallway, their faces dark with a territorial brooding. They could smell Kieran on her—the lingering scent of their encounter in the gym—and the tension between them was a ticking bomb.
Inside the lab, the older administrator stepped out of the shadows as the blood was placed into a centrifuge.
"Run the DNA sequence again," the man commanded. "If that's what I think it is, she isn't a human, and she isn't a wolf."
Vale looked at the screen as the data began to climb. "Then what is she?"
The administrator stared at the door Mary had just walked through. "She's something that was supposed to be extinct. And the Alphas are going to tear this school apart trying to claim her."