The room smelled of resin and old power. Shadows curled around the edges of the long mix of obsidian and jade table as the Mooncrest management convened in silence. Four chairs— four figures. Each one a leader of their respective faction within the academy.
At the head sat Headmaster Aldric Vale, broad-shouldered and cold-eyed, the mark of his wolf heritage faintly glowing beneath his collar. Beside him sat Professor Dorian Raze, the Vampire representative, his pale fingers drumming soundlessly against the polished surface. The faintest scent of blood lingered around him like perfume.
Across from them, Madam Aerith Lorne, a fae with silver hair and an ever-calm smile, poured herself tea though no one else dared speak yet. Her aura made the air hum faintly—grace and danger wrapped in silk.
Vale's voice broke the silence, deep and controlled.
"The Silver Blue Moon is approaching. We are less than two months away."
Raze looked up lazily, crimson eyes gleaming.
"Then we need to decide soon. The Unclaiming can't be postponed once the cycle begins."
A younger wolf, Professor Jalen Thorn, leaned forward. His tone was sharp.
"You mean we hand her over to fate? A girl who doesn't even know what she is?"
Aerith sipped her tea. "Fate doesn't ask permission, Jalen."
Raze chuckled softly. "And Mooncrest doesn't make mistakes in its invitations. The Academy accepted her for a reason."
Vale's expression darkened. "Which is precisely the problem. Nerissa Flair's existence… defies what we know. Her records show a witch's lineage on her mother's side, and yet, her energy isn't purely witchcraft. There's something else."
"A hybrid," Aerith murmured. "But of what combination?"
Jalen growled. "That's the danger. If the Unclaiming isn't completed before the Silver Blue Moon, the balance will break. The pack lines, the coven echoes, even the vampire sigils could be disrupted."
The vampire's smirk widened. "You mean your wolves might lose their dominance."
"Enough," Vale snapped. The air grew heavier. "This is not about politics. This is about survival. The Silver Blue Moon hasn't risen in centuries. The last time it did, the Witch Queen—"
"—died," Aerith finished softly. "And the night burned."
A heavy silence followed.
Vale's gaze swept across them. "Then we agree. Before the Silver Blue Moon, the Unclaiming must be completed."
Raze's eyes gleamed red. "And who will ensure that? You?"
The Headmaster leaned back, his gaze cold. "No. The Alpha heirs have already been drawn to her. That is proof enough that the bond is beginning."
Jalen frowned. "Then what of her consent?"
Aerith smiled faintly. "It won't matter. The Unclaiming is not an act of will—it is an awakening."
The air thickened as Vale's claws brushed the table.
"Then pray," he murmured, "that she survives it."
Morning light spilled across the dorm room.
Nerissa groaned and buried her face in the pillow. She was still half-asleep when a voice said,
"You're late."
Her eyes shot open. Kael was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. The dark green of his eyes caught the sunlight—sharp and unsettling.
"Why," she mumbled, "are you still here?"
He smirked. "Maybe I like watching you panic."
"Creep." She threw a pillow at him. He dodged easily.
"You've got class in five minutes."
"Five—what?!" Nerissa shot upright, hair a tangled mess. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"I did." His tone was maddeningly casual. "Twice. You told me to let you die."
She gaped. "You should've tried harder!"
"Next time," Kael said dryly, "I'll bring a bucket of water."
Ten minutes later, Nerissa burst into the biology lab—half-dressed, half-late, and entirely out of breath. Heads turned immediately. Humans and supernaturals alike filled the seats, whispering.
Professor Lynn Aster, a composed woman with steel-gray hair, didn't even glance up from her notes. "Miss Flair. So good of you to join us."
Nerissa grinned awkwardly. "You know me—love making an entrance."
A ripple of laughter followed, but the teacher's eyes narrowed. "Take your seat."
As she slid into a chair, she realized every girl in class was whispering and blushing. Nerissa frowned—then froze.
Kael was standing beside the teacher, tall, golden-haired, and smirking like the devil himself.
"Class," Professor Aster said, "this is Kael Blackburn, our Alpha guest for the week. He'll be observing this session."
"Observing?" Nerissa hissed under her breath
He met her gaze, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Guess we're lab partners, witch."
"Oh, hell no—"
"Language, Miss Flair," the professor warned.
Nerissa bit her tongue as Kael slid into the seat beside her. The whispers increased.
The board read "Botanical Anatomy and Hybrid Flora: Comparative Study."
Thank God, at least it wasn't Magic for Dummies.
The class went smoothly—until Kael started teasing.
"Are you seriously dissecting that leaf like it's a corpse?"
"It's called precision," she hissed.
"It's called overkill."
She stabbed the scalpel dangerously close to his hand. "Keep talking."
He chuckled. "Temper, temper. You sure you're not half-dragon?"
Their back-and-forth grew louder until the girl beside them whispered, "Oh my God, they're flirting."
"Flirting?!" Nerissa sputtered, accidentally flicking the specimen water right into Kael's face.
The class gasped. Kael blinked slowly, dripping. Then—he laughed.
"Oh, you're dead, Flair."
"Try me," she shot back.
Professor Aster slammed her book shut. "Enough! Miss Flair, detention. After class."
The room went silent. Nerissa's face burned.
Kael leaned close and whispered, "Totally worth it."
"Shut up before I add attempted murder to my record."
He grinned wider. "You'd still look good doing it."
By the time class ended, Nerissa was fuming. She stalked out of the lab, muttering under her breath,
"One more word from him and I swear I'll enchant his shampoo."
Kael followed casually, hands in pockets. "You forgot to thank me."
"For what?" she snapped.
"For making your morning less boring.
She turned to glare at him—but the sight that met her eyes made the words die on her lips.
Riven and Lucien stood at the end of the hallway, waiting. Their gazes locked with hers, unreadable but charged.
Something in the air shifted again—an unseen current threading between the four of them.
Kael's tone dropped. "Guess detention isn't your biggest problem today."
Nerissa crossed her arms. "Then what is?"
Lucien's voice was soft but firm. "The headmaster's calling for us."
Her pulse stuttered. "Why?"
Riven met her gaze, eyes glinting. "Because it's time you learned what you really are."