Alpha and Luna University

0002 -Instant Battlefield

If I thought mornings had been cruel before, I had severely underestimated the universe's sense of humor. The Alphas hadn't even arrived yet, and Pennington Lake already teetered on collapse.

By eight, the old corkboard outside the admin building was falling apart, barely holding the weight of the sudden announcements: Orientation schedules, last-minute class revisions, and a desperate-looking flyer for a "Welcome Ceremony" no one remembered approving.

Grime that had settled over decades vanished overnight. Furniture was replaced. Windows gleamed. The dean barked orders like he'd discovered adrenaline for the first time. He never lifted a finger when the heating failed or the plumbing backed up. But now? Now he made us polish floorboards and sanitize door handles. Not for us. For the Alphas and Lunas.

Turns out it had always been this easy to fix. He just never thought we were worth it.

The girls were worse.

It started quietly. Lipstick got darker. Skirts shortened. The air filled with synthetic perfume and desperate anticipation. I walked past clusters of giggling girls comparing gloss shades and hypothesizing Alpha names like they were reading star charts.

"What if one of them is my mate?" One whispered in the dorm bathroom, curling her lashes with trembling fingers.

"You think the Moon Goddess pairs Alphas with nobodies? Maybe you'll get a night out of it. If you're lucky." Her friend scoffed without even looking up.

I slipped out without saying anything. Let them chase fate. I knew exactly where it led.

By noon, the school had split down the middle.

Hailee's pack postured in the quad, practically vibrating with ambition. She stood front and center, hips c****d, voice sharp.

"Alphas don't want shy kittens," she snapped. "They want tigresses."

She was another demoted wolf. Daughter of a Beta who got caught in some shady power-grab and dragged her down with him.

She hadn't earned a place at Crimson Oak, but she'd wormed her way into a few of the society parties they threw there using her mothers name and reputation. Enough of the guys knew her name to make her dangerous. And she knew it.

Dalia and I lingered with the rest of the second camp – the students who understood visibility was no longer safe.

"They're acting like it's some prestigious summit, not a forced welcome party for wolves who don't want to be here." Dalia peeled the Pennington Lake shirt over her head and grimaced.

The school had handed the shirts out by the hundreds, pretending we were some unified body instead of a collapsing hierarchy about to be devoured from the top down.

Classes got canceled around two in favor of etiquette seminars. By four, students packed the main lawn, squeezed into matching shirts and pretending not to shiver in the wind.

I glanced toward the tree line. They'd been trimmed up, the once overhanging branches now a thing of the past. Not enough shadows left to hide in.

Dalia's hand slipped into mine. "Zia. You're freezing."

I stared ahead. "I'm fine."

I shut my eyes. My wolf stirred, restless and alert. No matter how hard I tried to forget, she never would. She remembered him. His scent, his presence, the pull he had on us. My wolf never understood the way he hurt me. That part of me, the human part, carried wounds she didn't recognize. She only knew the bond, not the betrayal. And I knew the second he stepped onto campus, she'd respond. She always did. That terrified me more than anything else.

The first car appeared at five. A sleek black SUV, windows tinted, engine purring. Behind it, a line of vehicles that dripped with wealth and arrogance followed.

The crowd hushed as doors opened.

And they stepped out.

Crimson Oak students moved like they had nothing to prove. Tall, perfectly postured, marked by strength they didn't bother hiding. Expensive clothes layered over tailored bodies. Their presence changed the atmosphere instantly.

I spotted him before I wanted them to. Black tailored jacket. Black hair. Eyes the same inescapable blue I remembered. He'd grown broader. Harder. His Royal crest cufflinks on full display. Everything about him screamed Alpha now.

Cylan was at his side instantly. Still soft around the eyes, still wearing that half-curious look like the world might surprise him any second. His brown hair curled slightly over his forehead. His shirt was tucked wrong. He was never as serious as the others were. I remembered liking that about him.

Deonte stood on Shade's left, tall and easy, grinning like he'd already won whatever game this was. His shirt clung to his chest like it had been custom-fitted. It probably had. His dark skin caught the light like polished stone. He laughed at something Cylan said and elbowed Shade in the ribs.

The scent hit next. Alphas brought it with them like smoke. Sharp, heavy, undeniable. It rolled across the crowd in waves. Girls tilted their heads. Several whimpered. Most looked down at the dirt in unwilling submission.

Dalia blinked hard, shaking herself. "They smell like trouble."

My stomach flipped. I ducked instinctively, hoodie pulled tight, half-hidden behind a pathetic excuse for a tree. It wasn't enough.

"Dalia, we need to leave now."

I didn't wait for her to respond. Voices behind me shouted. Someone called Shade's name. I didn't look back. I ran. The alley behind the library offered cover. I pressed a hand to the bricks to steady myself.

Dalia caught up seconds later. "Zia? What's wrong? Did someone from Crimson Oak..."

"Yes." I managed to talk. "My ex came."

Dalia froze. "He can't hurt you here, Zia. Rules protect you."

She meant it. Believed it. And she knew more than most about my past. But not everything. Not the pieces I'd never said out loud. Not the parts that would unravel the second Shade looked at me. Because Shade didn't care about rules. My all too carefully constructed fake identity wouldn't hold under his constant scrutiny.

Students chattered loudly nearby. The ceremony was shifting. The Alphas and Lunas would be assigned dorms soon.

I peered around the corner. Hailee had already cornered Deonte, her chest practically pressed to his arm. He looked amused. Over her shoulder, he caught sight of us. His eyes narrowed.

“He saw me. f**k Dal, He knows I'm here. Already.”