The iron gates of Bloodstone Academy loomed before me like the jaws of a beast waiting to devour me whole.
I adjusted the leather strap across my chest, pulling it tighter. The binding hurt—a constant reminder of what I was hiding beneath the oversized academy uniform. My breasts were small enough that the compression made me almost flat, almost convincing. Almost.
But "almost" could get me killed.
"Name?" The guard at the gate barely looked up from his clipboard, bored and dismissive. Perfect.
"Ash Winters," I said, keeping my voice low and rough. I'd practiced for months, learning to speak from my chest instead of my throat, to drop my natural tone into something harder, masculine. "First year. Omega Hall."
His head snapped up at that, eyes narrowing. "Omega Hall? You sure you're not in the wrong place, kid? This is Bloodstone Academy. Alpha training."
I met his gaze without flinching, letting a hint of gold bleed into my eyes—just enough to show my wolf, to prove I belonged. "I'm aware. My acceptance letter specifically states Omega Hall, third floor, room 317."
It was a lie, of course. Everything about me was a lie.
My real name was Ashlyn Winters. I was an omega—the lowest rank in werewolf hierarchy, meant to be submissive and protected, certainly never meant to attend an elite all-male alpha academy. But I was also something else, something that made me worth killing for.
I was a white wolf. The last of my bloodline.
And there were people who would slaughter entire packs to get their hands on me.
The guard grunted, checking his list. "Fine. Head straight up the main drive. Omega Hall is the building on the left. Stay out of trouble, pup."
Pup. If he only knew.
I shouldered my bag and walked through those iron gates, every step taking me deeper into the most dangerous place I could possibly be. But it was also the safest. No one would think to look for a rare white wolf princess hiding in an academy that didn't even admit women.
The campus was massive—ancient stone buildings covered in ivy, sprawling training grounds where wolves sparred in both human and shifted forms, and everywhere, the scent of power. Alpha power. It rolled off the students in waves, each one trying to prove they were the strongest, the most dominant.
I kept my head down, my scent blockers working overtime to mask everything that would give me away. The suppressants I'd taken this morning would hold for another eight hours, keeping my omega nature buried deep enough that no one would scent the submission that lived in my bones.
I'd spent the last six months preparing for this. Training in secret with the only person who knew the truth—my aunt, a former warrior who'd taught me how to fight like an alpha, how to move like a predator instead of prey. She'd also connected me with a witch who'd provided the scent blockers, the heat suppressants, and the dye that kept my wolf's true color hidden.
But all the preparation in the world couldn't stop my heart from hammering as I climbed the steps to Omega Hall.
The building was older than the others, with narrow hallways and small rooms. I found 317 on the third floor, my hand trembling slightly as I turned the key.
The door swung open to reveal a small dorm room—two beds, two desks, one tiny bathroom. And sitting on the bed by the window, unpacking his bags, was the most devastatingly beautiful man I'd ever seen.
He looked up as I entered, and my wolf slammed against my ribs so hard I almost staggered.
Mate.
No. No, no, no.
This couldn't be happening.
He was tall—at least six-three—with dark hair that fell across his forehead and eyes the color of amber shot through with gold. His face was all sharp angles and strong lines, and when he stood, I could see the raw power in every movement. An alpha. A strong one.
And my fated mate.
"You must be my roommate," he said, his voice deep and smooth. He crossed the small room in two strides, extending his hand. "Kade Thorne."
I stared at his hand like it might burn me. Because it would. The moment we touched, the mate bond would flare to life, and he'd know. He'd sense it, even if he didn't understand what it meant.
But refusing to shake would be suspicious.
I gripped his hand quickly, firmly, trying to ignore the electricity that shot up my arm at the contact. His eyes widened slightly, and I knew he felt it too—something, even if he didn't recognize it for what it was.
"Ash Winters," I said, pulling my hand back and turning away before he could see my face. "I'll take this bed."
I threw my bag on the bed farthest from the window and started unpacking, hyper-aware of every movement, every breath. My wolf was going insane inside me, howling and clawing, desperate to claim her mate.
But I couldn't. I could never claim him.
"First year?" Kade asked, leaning against his desk with casual confidence.
"Yeah."
"Me too. What pack are you from?"
Shit. I'd prepared for this question, but my brain was too scrambled from the mate bond to think straight. "Nomad," I finally said. "My pack was… destroyed. Rogue attack when I was young."
It wasn't entirely a lie. My pack had been destroyed. Just not by rogues.
"Sorry to hear that." He sounded genuine. "Must have been rough."
"I survived." I shoved clothes into the small dresser, keeping my back to him. "That's what matters."
"True enough." He was quiet for a moment, and I could feel his eyes on me, assessing. "You're pretty small for an alpha student. No offense."
Every muscle in my body tensed. This was it. This was where he'd start questioning, start suspecting.
I turned to face him, letting some of my aunt's training show through—the predatory stillness, the cold confidence. "Size isn't everything, Thorne. Or are you compensating for something?"
His eyebrows shot up, and then he laughed—a rich, warm sound that made my traitorous heart skip. "Fair point. I look forward to seeing what you can do in training."
"You won't be disappointed." I hoped that was true. I'd trained hard, but I was still omega beneath the facade. My instincts were all wrong for what I was trying to be.
"Good." He grabbed a towel from his bag. "I'm going to hit the showers before orientation. You coming?"
My blood ran cold. Communal showers. Of course. This was an all-male academy.
"I'll shower later," I said quickly. "Want to finish unpacking."
He shrugged. "Suit yourself. Orientation starts at six in the main hall. Don't be late—they expel people for less around here."
When he left, I sank onto my bed, my hands shaking.
This was going to be so much harder than I'd thought.