Chapter 4 A Wolf That Doesn't Bow
Lena’s POV
The moment I stepped into my first class at Blackwood Academy, I could already feel the tension in the air. It wasn’t just the whispers. It wasn’t just the curious glances. It was him.
Adrian.
Even though he sat several rows away from me, leaning lazily back in his chair like he owned the entire academy, I could still feel his presence like a constant pressure against my skin.
My wolf was restless again, pacing inside my chest. I hated it. After what he did in the arena, I should have felt nothing but anger.
And yet my stupid wolf still reacted to him.
I folded my arms and forced myself to look forward instead.
“Relax,” Zara whispered beside me with an amused grin. “You look like you're about to start a war.”
“I might,” I muttered.
Zara chuckled softly. “You standing up to Adrian was the highlight of my day,” she said. “Do you know how many girls here would faint just from him looking at them?”
“I’m not one of those girls,” I replied.
At the front of the classroom, Professor Hawthorne began writing strange symbols on the board.
“Welcome to Supernatural Dynamics,” he announced. “A class designed to help witches, wolves, and vampires understand the fragile balance that allows this academy to exist.”
Some students listened. Others didn’t bother. Adrian definitely didn’t. He was spinning a hockey stick lazily between his fingers, whispering something to the guys around him.
Professor Hawthorne cleared his throat.
“Mr. Adrian Wolfe.”
Adrian didn’t even look up.
“Yes, Professor?”
“You seem distracted.”
Adrian shrugged casually.
“Just thinking about something more interesting than your lecture.”
A few students snickered. Professor Hawthorne sighed.
“This class exists to teach discipline and respect…”
Adrian suddenly leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
“With all due respect, Professor,” he said smoothly, “we both know strength decides everything here. Not rules.”
More laughter. My jaw tightened. Professor Hawthorne tried to continue, but Adrian had already shifted the entire mood of the class. And the worst part? No one challenged him. Not one person.
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Strength without respect is just arrogance.”
The entire classroom went silent.
Slowly… Adrian turned his head toward me. Our eyes met. His gaze was sharp and dangerous.
“Careful, new girl,” he said coldly. “You might be forgetting where you are.”
I lifted my chin.
“No,” I replied calmly. “I think you’re the one forgetting.”
The whispers started immediately.
No one spoke to Adrian like this.
“This is Blackwood Academy,” Adrian said, his voice dropping. “Nobody here cares about respecting professors.”
“Then maybe this academy needs better students,” I shot back.
The tension in the room snapped like a stretched wire. For a moment, Adrian looked like he might actually get up from his seat.
And then something strange happened.
My wolf stirred again. But this time it wasn’t just restlessness. It was power.
Heat rushed through my veins, sharp and electric. My vision blurred slightly and suddenly, everything felt… clearer.
I saw Adrian’s expression change instantly. His eyes narrowed.
“What are you…?” he whispered.
Before I could react, Professor Hawthorne slammed a book onto his desk.
“Enough!”
Everyone jumped. “Both of you sit down,” he ordered. “This is a classroom, not a battlefield.”
I exhaled slowly and sat back down beside Zara. She leaned closer immediately.
“Okay,” she whispered excitedly. “That was amazing.”
I frowned at her. “What was amazing?”
“You standing up to Adrian Wolfe like that!” she said. “Do you have any idea how insane that was?”
“He was disrespecting the professor.”
Zara grinned. “That’s literally what everyone here does.”
I sighed. “Well, they shouldn’t.”
Zara studied me like I was some kind of fascinating new species.
“You’re definitely not normal,” she said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Class eventually continued, though the atmosphere never fully settled again.
And Adrian?
I could feel his eyes on me the entire time.
Later that afternoon, Zara and I walked through the dormitory halls.
“You seriously shook the whole academy today,” she said.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Too late,” she laughed. “Adrian Wolfe has never been challenged like that.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not afraid of him.”
“Good,” Zara said. “Because most people are.”
We turned a corner and suddenly saw Elara standing near the stairwell. The senior in charge of the dorms. The one who had dropped the ridiculous rule earlier.
Zara stopped walking.
“Perfect,” she muttered.
Before I could ask what she meant, she grabbed my wrist and marched toward Elara.
“Wait… Zara…”
“We’re fixing this now.”
Elara looked up calmly as we approached.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
“Yes,” Zara said immediately. “Your rule.”
Elara raised an eyebrow.
“My rule?”
“The one about witches and werewolves not sharing rooms,” Zara said. “It makes no sense.”
Elara sighed softly. “It exists for a reason.”
I stepped forward.
“A bad one, apparently.”
Both of them looked at me.
“I don’t understand the problem,” I continued. “Witches and wolves attend the same classes. Eat in the same cafeteria. Walk the same halls.”
Elara crossed her arms. “That’s different.”
“How?” I challenged.
“Dorms involve prolonged exposure,” she explained.
“To what?” I pressed.
“Elara said something earlier about energy clashes,” Zara added.
I frowned. “Energy clashes?” I repeated. “That sounds like an excuse.”
Elara’s expression hardened slightly.
“You’re new here.”
“And?”
“You don’t understand how power works in this academy.”
I stepped closer. “Then explain it.”
Zara looked between us nervously now.
Elara studied me carefully.
“Witches carry raw magical energy,” she said slowly. “Werewolves carry lunar energy. When those forces stay too close for too long, they can react badly.”
“Badly how?”
“For ordinary students? Headaches. Sleeplessness.”
“And for non-ordinary students?” I asked quietly.
Elara didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes lingered on me longer than they should have. Finally she spoke again.
“For stronger individuals… the reaction can become dangerous.”
I scoffed. “So what? You think Zara and I are going to explode if we share a room?”
Zara snorted. “I’ve had worse reactions to cafeteria food.”
But Elara wasn’t smiling. Her gaze stayed locked on me. “You’re very confident,” she said.
“I just don’t like absurd rules.”
“And I don’t like unexplained power.”
The words hit harder than they should have. My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Elara leaned forward slightly.
“It means,” she said quietly, “that something about you doesn’t feel like an ordinary werewolf.”
The hallway suddenly felt colder. Zara forced a laugh. “She is a werewolf.”
But Elara didn’t look convinced. Not even a little. After a moment, she straightened.
“For now, temporary arrangements will be made,” she said calmly.
“Temporary?” Zara repeated.
“Yes.”
Elara turned toward the stairs.
“But Lena Nightshade will need to undergo a power assessment soon.”
My heart skipped. “A what?”
Elara glanced back at me.
“Just a small test.”
Then her eyes darkened slightly as she added, “Because something feels off about you.”
