Chapter 1 1

Nyxara (Blackwood Academy)

"Is this her?" A voice dripping with disdain cut through the silence. I turned toward the blue-eyed girl, only to find her looking me up and down with open contempt before letting out a scornful laugh. "How could a pathetic little maid dare challenge Logan, the Crown Heir of the Blackmoon Pack? Who the hell does she think she is?"

I stood in Headmaster Brooks's office, directly across from the royal family. The brutal training I'd gone through showed all over me. My shirt and shoes were caked in mud, my pants were ripped in several places, and I looked like I'd been dragged through hell.

A faint smile tugged at my lips as I let out a quiet sigh. "If you think calling me a maid is supposed to offend me... you're wasting your breath."

My eyes drifted to the smug heir. He lounged in his chair, his cheek resting lazily against one hand as he watched the entire exchange like it was nothing more than entertainment. A cold smile crossed my face. "As for your precious heir... if he ever lays a hand on someone weaker than him again, I'll make him regret it just like I did last time."

The girl shot to her feet, fury blazing in her blue eyes as she charged toward me, but the Luna of the Blackmoon Pack stopped her with a single sharp command. "That's enough. Sit down, Lina."

I let out a slow breath, refusing to back down. I had every right to defend myself. "You came here to punish the person who was in the wrong, didn't you? Then maybe you should start by asking your heir why he was about to kill a thirteen-year-old boy... simply because the kid refused to bow to him."

My gaze swept across each of them before I continued, my voice just as sharp. "So tell me... how exactly am I the one at fault for stopping him?"

Shock flickered across the Luna's face, as well as Lina's and Logan's brother's. Only Logan remained unfazed. His brows slowly knitted together, and his jaw clenched so tightly I half expected him to lunge at me right there.

I didn't give him the chance to speak and continued, "I don't know what justice means in your world. Maybe to you, it means the strong can do whatever they want simply because they're royalty. But if that's really what you believe... then where's this mercy you're all so proud of?"

Every eye turned toward Logan. He stared back at me with an icy expression, but the murderous look in his eyes made one thing perfectly clear... He wanted to tear my head off.

His twin brother, Kaid, was the first to break the silence. His voice remained calm, steady, almost completely devoid of emotion. "You both acted recklessly. Logan never should've gone that far, especially with everything we're dealing with right now... and you never should've raised your hand against the Crown Heir of the Blackmoon Pack."

Logan's voice was laced with anger. "She was the one who attacked me in front of everyone."

A small smile crept onto my face. "You have no idea how satisfying that was."

The Luna fixed her gaze on me, anger and wounded pride written all over her face. "Whatever your reason was, you had no right to raise your voice at—or challenge—the heir of the Blackmoon Pack. You didn't just insult him. You humiliated the entire royal family in front of the academy. Your actions caused unnecessary chaos."

Headmaster Brooks let out a quiet scoff. "Really? Is defending a thirteen-year-old boy what we're calling chaos now? Or is it the Crown Heir threatening students, forcing them to kneel before him, that's actually worth talking about?"

Finally... someone was actually on my side. Relief washed over me, and I caught myself looking at Headmaster Brooks with silent gratitude.

You're amazing, Headmaster Brooks...

Kaid raised his eyes to Headmaster Brooks, his expression as calm as ever. "I don't understand why you're so determined to defend a girl whose identity is completely unknown, Headmaster Brooks. Since when have you started questioning the royal family's judgment? And who exac—"

He never got the chance to finish. The office door flew open with a loud bang, and a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes stormed inside, practically consumed by rage as if she couldn't see anything else. "Who dared to attack the Crown Heir?! Who had the audacity to insult the man who's going to be my future husband?!"

"Calm down, Roxana, and sit next to Logan," the Luna ordered.

Roxana immediately obeyed and took the seat beside him, but her eyes never left me. She looked me up and down with nothing but contempt before muttering with disgust, "So she's that cursed bitch... What's she still doing here? Throw her into prison until you decide to execute her."

Headmaster Brooks fixed her with a stern look. "No one is going to prison, Miss Roxana, and no one is being executed."

"Who said anything about prison?" Logan cut in calmly. "I don't want her locked up... and I never intended to kill her in the first place."

Everyone turned to him in surprise. Even Roxana's eyes widened for a split second before filling with anger. She stared at him in utter disbelief.

Logan ignored all of them and looked straight at me instead. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'm willing to forget everything that happened today... but I have one question."

He watched me silently for a moment before continuing. "I had someone look into your background to find out which pack you belong to... even your real name. But I found nothing. How does someone with no identity manage to enroll at Blackwood Academy? Not only that... but become one of its top students?"

His question caught me off guard, and for the briefest moment, I felt a flicker of tension. I buried it beneath a sly smile as I met his gaze. "Oh? So instead of paying attention to your fiancée, you've been investigating me, Alpha Logan?"

It was obvious his fiancée had a jealous streak. The moment those words left my mouth, she marched toward me in a fury, looking ready to explode. "What kind of ridiculous lie are you making up now, you shameless bitch?! How dare you say something like that? Do you actually think the Crown Heir would ever look at someone like you?!"

Logan shot me an angry glare, clearly about to answer, but I beat him to it. Turning to Roxana with a calm smile, I said, "I think that's a question you should ask him, not me. After all... he's the one who invited me to his house tonight."

"W-What?!" she gasped, the shock in her voice unmistakable as fury blazed in her eyes.

I glanced at Logan before looking back at her. "If you have any questions, he's right there. Go ahead and ask him yourself."

I walked out of the office without waiting for anyone to respond...

I took a deep breath, feeling some of the tension leave my body.

It's still too soon... They can't know who I really am yet.

I had barely made it a few steps away from the office when I sensed her behind me. The next second, she shoved me with all her strength, sending me stumbling forward until my body slammed hard against the wall.

I glared at her before charging at her without a second thought.

In the very next moment, I shoved her back just as hard, but the force of the impact sent both of us crashing over the railing and down into the academy courtyard.

We hit the ground with a heavy thud. I looked up at her and said coldly, "Listen carefully... I have no interest in your fiancé. So stay away from me—you and him—and don't force me to hurt you."

But the bitch refused to back down. Suddenly, I felt her wolf's aura explode around her, and before I could react, she drove a powerful punch straight into my stomach.

The blow knocked the air out of my lungs, sending my body flying backward. I was thrown several meters before slamming hard into the ground.

My vision blurred, and it felt as though my back had shattered from the impact. I tried to sit up, but my head was spinning violently, and everything around me faded into a hazy blur.

Then I saw her...

She had fully shifted into her wolf form and was charging straight at me at terrifying speed, her eyes burning with pure rage.

I didn't have time to dodge.

I didn't even have time to defend myself...

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the strike that would almost certainly kill me...

A deafening roar suddenly echoed across the academy, shaking the entire courtyard.

An instant later, something crashed down in front of me with such overwhelming force that the ground beneath me trembled.

Roxana's scream pierced the air… And that was what made me slowly open my eyes…