Cassie — At the Gates
The van door groaned as I pushed it open, and the moment my sneakers hit the gravel, I felt like I'd stepped onto another planet. The air smelled different here — sharper, tinged with the musk of wolves, damp earth, and smoke from far-off fires. The gates of the academy loomed over me, all black iron and claw-shaped spikes, as if daring me to come closer.
Lucas was already striding toward us, all confidence and authority, like he owned the place. His dark hair was slicked back, and he wore that smug grin that made my skin crawl.
Without hesitation, he pulled my mum into his arms, squeezing her tightly like they were still some picture-perfect couple. And then — I blinked, stunned — he kissed her. Right there. Like the years of bitterness and betrayal between them had vanished.
I couldn't stop myself. My eyes rolled so hard I thought they might get stuck.
Then he turned to me. "Cassie." His voice was warm, too warm, like honey that hides the poison beneath. He hugged me before I could react, his arms strong and heavy, and patted the top of my head like I was some obedient pup.
And then — the final insult — he kissed my forehead.
"Welcome home, young pup."
I froze. My fists clenched at my sides, every instinct in me screaming to shove him away. But just as I was about to pull back, I caught my mum's expression — a silent plea, a warning.
So I forced it. The smile. The words.
"Thanks, Dad," I said, and it tasted like ash in my mouth.
Lucas beamed like he'd won some grand prize. He clapped his hands once, sharp and commanding. "Take their bags," he barked at the betas hovering nearby.
They moved fast, grabbing our worn suitcases like we were royalty or something. Lucas threw an arm around my mum's shoulders and turned to me.
"Cassie, go with them. They'll show you to your new dorm. Your mother and I have business with Alpha Garon."
My stomach twisted. I watched as he guided her away, his hand firm on her back, his voice low as he spoke to her, too quiet for me to hear.
The betas waited for me to move. I had no choice.
I followed them through the gates.
...…
Inside the Academy
The grounds spread out before me, bigger than I imagined. The academy wasn't just a school — it was a fortress. Thick stone walls rose high around us, dark ivy clinging to the cracks. The main building loomed ahead, its windows narrow and arched, like watchful eyes.
The training fields stretched out to the left, wide and open, the grass torn up in places where claws had raked the earth. To the right, I saw the dormitories — squat, square buildings that looked more like military barracks than homes for kids.
Everywhere I looked, wolves. Boys and girls my age, some older, some younger, all of them moving with that easy grace that came from knowing exactly where they belonged. I felt like I had a target painted on my back.
A group of boys near the training field stopped what they were doing to watch me pass. One of them smirked, elbowing his friend. The friend sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing.
My heart hammered. Do they smell it? Do they know?
I kept my head down, my eyes fixed on the back of the beta leading me. He didn't speak, just marched ahead, his boots crunching over the gravel path.
We reached the dorm, and he held the door open for me. Inside, the air was warm and smelled faintly of wet dog and old wood. A narrow hallway stretched before us, lined with doors.
"Room 17," he said gruffly. "Your roommate's already here."
I swallowed hard. Great.
I followed him down the hall, my sneakers squeaking on the worn floorboards. When we stopped at the door, I hesitated. My hand hovered over the handle, trembling.
"Good luck, Alpha's heir," the beta said, and I couldn't tell if he meant it or if he was mocking me.
He left without another word, his boots echoing down the hall.
I stood there for a second, just breathing, trying to steady myself. Blend in. Act normal. Just like Mum said.
But as I pushed open the door and stepped inside, I couldn't shake the feeling that this place was a cage — and I'd just walked straight into it.
Cassie's Mum.
....
The walk up to the Alpha's house felt endless. The gravel crunched under Lucas's boots, his pace fast, determined. I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. I struggled to keep up, my mind racing as fast as my heart.
"Lucas," I called softly, desperate for reassurance. "Does your father know? That you're bringing me back… as Luna?"
Lucas didn't even look at me. "It's settled. My path is mine to walk. You just stick to yours. Make the story believable. Zed will be there, and that old wizard sniffs out lies like a bloodhound."
I felt my stomach twist into knots. "What story am I supposed to sell? What lie's going to save our necks this time, Lucas?"
He finally stopped, turning to face me, his lips curling into that smile that always made my skin crawl. "The same one. After the divorce, you left. You didn't know you were pregnant. Simple. Clean."
"And if they ask," I pressed, fear leaking into my voice, "why you didn't tell me about her? Why I wasn't allowed to see her?"
His smile deepened, cruel at the edges. "Then you tell them I threatened you. Say I warned you that if you tried to claim her, I'd take her away. That I'd make sure you never saw her again. Everyone knows my temper. It fits."
I swallowed hard. It did fit. Too well.
"And if Zed… if Zed decides to test her?" My voice dropped to a whisper. "If they use wolfsbane?"
Lucas's eyes darkened, the smirk fading. "If she's wolf, it won't burn. If she's vampire, it will. If she's human, she'll faint at the scent of it. That's how Zed tests. We just have to make sure she can suppress whatever part of her might give her away. We'll train her."
He gripped my shoulder, his fingers tight enough to hurt. "Trust me. I'll delay the meeting with my father and the council until we're ready. We can pull this off. No one will suspect a thing."
I nodded, but the dread in my chest didn't ease.
We reached the house. The beta at the door bowed and stepped aside, letting us in.
The room inside was dim, heavy with the smell of burning herbs and old wood. The flickering candlelight made the paintings of moons and past Alphas on the walls seem alive, their eyes watching, judging.
Alpha Garon sat at the far end of the room, hunched in his massive chair, his frame withered but his presence immense. His silver hair fell in thick strands over his face, but nothing could hide the sharpness in his gaze. Power clung to him like a second skin.
And there — in the shadows — stood Zed.
The wizard's cloak hung around him like night itself, the hood casting his face in darkness, though I could feel the weight of his stare. The glint of his eyes reminded me of an owl — ancient, knowing, patient. His fingers, thin and pale, clutched a gnarled staff carved with runes that seemed to shift in the candlelight.
"Who still wears cloaks?" I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. But Lucas heard. His fingers dug into my arm, a silent warning.
"Father," Lucas said, his voice formal now, full of practiced respect. "I bring back the one who will stand beside me as Luna. I ask for the ceremony to be prepared, so I may claim my right as heir."
Alpha Garon raised one hand, his knuckles knotted with age, and motioned me forward.
"I hear you've brought my granddaughter home at last." His voice was rough, but steady, like stone weathered by time.
I stepped closer, bowing low. "Yes, your grace. I—I'm sorry I kept her from her family."
A voice, soft and sharp, cut through the room like a blade.
"Your family?" Zed's question hung in the air, cold and dangerous.
I froze. My breath caught. I forced myself to meet his shadowed gaze, but it was like staring into a void.
Lucas growled, stepping protectively between us. "Mind your tongue, wizard. She's my family. My blood."
Zed didn't flinch. "Blood tells many tales," he said softly. "But whose blood sings louder — the father's… or the mother's?"
Alpha Garon slammed a hand down on the armrest. The room shook with his command. "Enough!"
Zed bowed his head, though his eyes never left me. "Forgive me, Alpha. I speak only in truths. The girl has been with her mother's family all these years. That is all I meant."
Garon grunted, turning his gaze back to me. His stare pinned me in place. "Until the girl is brought before me and proven by ritual, the mother stays as our guest. She is to be treated with respect. And remember this—" his voice dropped low, dangerous, "a Luna fears no one. Act like it."
I nodded, barely breathing.
Lucas leaned close as the Alpha dismissed us. His voice was low, but fierce. "See? I told you. It's working. We just need time to get Cassie ready for the ritual."
I tried to reply, but my eyes were locked on Zed. The wizard watched me still, his expression unreadable. His voice echoed in my mind — whose blood sings louder?
Lucas hissed at me as we turned to leave. "Keep it together. You're going to ruin this if you don't get a grip. Think about Cassie's life."
He strode ahead, leaving me to follow, my legs weak, my heart pounding.
Can I go through with this? Can Cassie?
The walls of the house seemed to close in around me as I wondered just how long we could keep this web of lies from snapping.