Somewhere far from the academy lights, three shadows moved with purpose — quick, wild, and unbound.
Riven was the first to shift.
Bones cracked, fur rippled, and in seconds, the reddish-gold wolf stood where a boy once did — eyes sharp, restless, burning with the same arrogance that made him too sure of himself. His claws sank into the damp earth, tail flicking like firelight.
Kael followed, his change slower, deliberate. White fur spread across his skin, smooth and clean as snow under starlight. His wolf was elegance itself — quiet, composed, powerful in restraint.
Lucien was last. His shift came without sound. Darkness folded over him like ink spilling from the night sky until the jet-black wolf stood silent, regal, and cold. His gaze swept the clearing — reading, searching, always watching.
They ran.
Through the trees, across the ridges, they were blur and motion — the world slipping around them in silver streaks. The hunt wasn't just sport; it was freedom, the kind that only existed when teeth met wind and instinct drowned thought.
Riven's growl rumbled low, a challenge tossed into the dark. Keep up, gentlemen.
Kael's answering huff carried amusement. We're not racing.
Lucien didn't respond.
They stopped when the scent hit — faint, out of place, threaded with something ancient. Not wolf. Not human. Something else. Lucien lifted his muzzle first, his eyes narrowing. Do you smell that?
Kael nodded. It's... Fae.
The word itself seemed to chill the air. Fae didn't wander into wolf forests — not anymore.
Riven's fur bristled. Must be lost.
But when they followed the scent, it led them to a small clearing — moonlight pouring over a motionless figure on the grass. A girl. She looked fragile against the dark, her skin glowing faintly with a strange shimmer, like the moon was trying to claim her as its own.
Lucien shifted first, his form folding back into his human self, black hair sticking to his temples. He walked toward her, ignoring Riven's low growl.
"Leave her," Riven said, voice rough, still threaded with wolf. "We don't know who she is or what she wants."
Lucien knelt beside her anyway, pressing two fingers to her neck. "She's alive. Faint pulse. Unconscious."
Kael sighed, stepping closer, his white wolf fading into his human shape, snow-pale hair catching moonlight. "We could take her to Vale. Let the Headmaster deal with it."
Riven barked a laugh. "Or leave her for the dawn patrol. Not our problem."
Lucien didn't answer. He scooped the girl up easily — she was light, almost too light. "I'll take her to the dorm."
Kael frowned. "You're serious?"
Lucien's eyes glinted, calm but final. "She'll die out here."
Riven stepped closer, his temper sharp. "You're risking us for a stranger?"
Lucien's tone was quiet, but something in it cut through the tension. "We don't leave people behind. Not again."
That ended it.
The rest of the walk back was silent, heavy with things unsaid. Riven stalked ahead, muttering curses under his breath. Kael kept glancing at Lucien — not with anger, but with that silent understanding only the Alphas shared. Lucien carried the girl as if she weighed nothing, her golden hair spilling across his arm.
By the time they reached the dorm, Mooncrest had gone still. Even the night guards had retreated to their posts. Riven shoved the door open, his voice low but laced with irritation. "You better hope she's not cursed."
Lucien carried the girl carefully through the quiet halls of the academy, his footsteps soft but sure. Riven stalked behind him, jaw tight, Kael just a step away, silent but watching.
When they pushed the dorm door open, the familiar scent of home hit — faint pine, smoke, and a trace of Nerissa's lavender shampoo lingering in the air. The room was dim, lit only by moonlight streaming through the open curtains.
Nerissa lay asleep on her bed near the window, her face turned toward the glow. Her breathing was calm, soft — like the world couldn't touch her there.
Lucien's gaze lingered for half a second before he crossed the room and laid the strange Fae girl on the couch across from his bed.
Riven hissed under his breath, "You're seriously keeping her here?"
Kael sighed, dragging a hand through his snow-white hair. "At least till she wakes. Then we'll deal with her."
Riven muttered something sharp but didn't push further. He and Kael exchanged a glance — both knowing this would stir trouble by morning.
Lucien stayed still for a long while, his eyes on the girl's face — she looked peaceful now, as if she belonged to another time. Then he sat down near her, quiet, thoughtful, unreadable.
The room sank into stillness again. Only the steady sound of Nerissa's breathing filled the silence.
Then—
Her eyes fluttered open.
She blinked once, twice, confusion soft in her gaze as her vision cleared. Moonlight painted Lucien's back, the curve of his shoulders, the girl lying motionless on the couch.
Her heartbeat skipped.
"What… what is that?" she whispered, sitting up slowly.
Lucien looked over his shoulder, his voice quiet but firm.
"She's hurt. Found her in the forest."
Riven scoffed from his bed. "You mean you brought her here against our wishes."
Nerissa's brows furrowed. "Lucien… you can't just bring strangers into our room."
"She's Fae," Kael said flatly. "And she's unconscious. For now."
Nerissa's gaze lingered on the girl — something in her chest tightened, a flicker she couldn't name. She looked back at Lucien, who avoided her eyes, his jaw set.
The room felt smaller. The air, heavier.
And though none of them knew it yet — the night they let that girl in was the night everything started to unravel.
Morning light had barely touched the windows when the knock came.
Three sharp raps — the kind that made everyone freeze.
Riven groaned from his bed, throwing an arm over his face. "What now?"
Kael's voice was lower, but alert. "That's Vale's knock."
Lucien's shoulders tensed before the door opened.
The headmaster's presence filled the room before he even spoke — calm, precise, and heavy with quiet authority.
Vale's eyes swept over the scene — four beds, three Alphas, one half-awake girl who blinked up at him like she'd just been caught stealing sunlight.
His tone was measured. "Lucien.
Vale's eyes locked on Lucien. "You brought her here, didn't you?"
Lucien didn't flinch. He stood at the edge of his bed, his dark hair tousled, expression unreadable. "She was unconscious in the woods. I couldn't leave her there."
Riven sat up, raking a hand through his reddish-gold hair, irritation flashing in his eyes. "You could've not brought her to our room, genius."
Kael gave a lazy stretch but his gaze was sharp. "He's got a point, Lucien. You know how Vale feels about unregistered outsiders in Mooncrest territory."
Vale stepped further in, his presence making the air thicker. "You should have informed me immediately. This is a violation of protocol. She will be moved to the infirmary until her origins are confirmed."
Lucien's jaw tightened, but he nodded once. "Understood."
From her bed, Nerissa sat up slowly, blanket pooling at her waist. Her silver-streaked hair tumbled over her shoulder as she looked from Lucien to the stranger lying unconscious—or pretending to be—on the spare cot.
Her heartbeat stuttered. That face. That smile, faint even in false sleep.
It couldn't be.
"Vale," she started, voice hushed but edged, "do you know who she is?"
The headmaster turned to her briefly. "A lost traveler, by what Lucien said. Why?"
Nerissa swallowed, forcing calm into her tone. "Because that's Nia."
Riven frowned. "You know her?"
Nerissa's lips pressed into a thin line. "Used to."
Kael's brows lifted, interest sparking in his ice-blue eyes. "Ex-friend or ex-something worse?"
"Ex-best friend," she said quietly. "The kind who buries knives in your back and smiles while doing it."
Vale studied her for a long moment, unreadable. "Then it's good we're moving her. I'll have a few of the guards escort her to the east wing until she can be questioned."
As he turned to leave, Kael rose. "I'll tell the guards to prepare a room."
Nerissa's gaze followed Lucien, who stood rooted by Nia's side, the muscles in his jaw working. "You're not really buying that innocent look of hers, are you?"
Lucien glanced at her, eyes shadowed but steady. "Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt."
Riven scoffed. "Spoken like someone who's never met a real liar."
Before Nerissa could add another word, Vale's voice cut through. "Enough. Nerissa, you'll accompany Kael to ensure the transfer goes smoothly. Riven, Lucien — my office, after breakfast."
When they left, the room fell into silence again.
Nerissa lingered near the doorway, her gaze drawn back to the cot.
Nia's lashes fluttered — just for a second — then stilled again.
A chill ghosted down Nerissa's spine.
Lucien had already turned away, murmuring something about preparing a report. But Nerissa stayed just a heartbeat longer, watching the girl she once called sister-in-all-but-blood pretend to sleep, and after a final glance she step out.
And in that quiet moment, Nia's lips curled faintly — a whisper of triumph, unseen by anyone else, she opened her eyes and sat on the bed, her golden hair sparkling under the sunlight.
Her voice was barely audible, a murmur meant for the shadows.
"I'm back, Nerissa. And this time, you'll lose everything, including your mates."