Chapter 2

I didn't look up. Kaïa might have never set foot in a combat ring, but she knew how to inflict pain in other ways—and many were so desperate for her favor they'd do anything just to be accepted.

"What have I done, Your Highness?" I muttered sarcastically, hoping to distract her long enough for her current victim to slip away.

She didn't bother with a verbal reply, responding only with a dismissive gesture.

The people around her were willing to do anything just to stay in her orbit. Her father sat on the school board; he protected her. Nothing had ever gone on her official record. The only proof was the marks on my body, and she knew exactly how to spin the story to make me look weak, like I was just pathetic and slow to heal.

Some students had even been punished and transferred away after she pushed things too far; one boy had left our pack entirely and transferred to a neighboring pack's school because he refused to bow to her. We were in the fourth grade at the time. Who even thought about breaking pack loyalty at that age? No one talked about it. The members of her clique simply claimed he needed better care elsewhere.

"I was just showing a pup its place for daring to ruin my new shoes in front of everyone," Kaïa said, carelessly kicking her platinum heels aside.

She tossed her hair, glaring at me as if I were too stupid to comprehend. It hadn't happened "in front of everyone". It had happened in front of my brother—the future Beta—and his friends, our future Alphas, Gammas, and Deltas: five inseparable boys.

Kaïa sought their attention just as desperately as any other high school girl chasing the elite crowd; her lieutenants—Marnie and Jessa—took care of the dirty work.

Marnie had bumped into someone, sending a drink splashing all over Kaïa. Kaïa would never admit her part in the setup, and neither would her friends.

The boys had simply walked away laughing, completely ignoring the dangerous red flaring in Kaïa's eyes—a clear sign she was about to explode. She rarely showed her true colors in public; her friends were far too attached to their status as her favorites to ever expose her.

Those boys ruled the school the exact same way some parents ruled the pack: by feeding off admiration. They had no idea who they really were yet, but they loved being idolized. So Kaïa did everything in her power to remain in their line of sight.

I couldn't really blame Kaïa and her clique for losing their minds over the future Alphas. After all, they weren't strangers: they were only a year older than us and had just returned from their summer training.

These guys were destined to take over their fathers' roles the second they graduated.

For two years now, they had been participating in a brutal training program organized by the Alpha King at a complex on his territory. Every summer, they returned there for a month to toughen up and learn the heavy responsibilities of their ranks.

Officially, it was to keep them from slacking off during the holidays, but everyone knew it was primarily to train them and forge ironclad connections among the future leaders of allied packs.

I could only imagine the initial chaos: around fifty high-ranking teenagers thrown together to learn combat, strategy, and pack leadership... There had to be some serious friction before things finally settled down.

Alphas were prepared to lead: they learned to manage finances, ensure pack cohesion, and defend their borders.

Betas were trained to support the Alpha, handling everything that didn't require his direct authority while serving as his right hand.

Gammas stood by the Luna's side, sworn to watch over her safety.

Finally, Deltas were the leaders of the warriors, responsible for frontline defense and protection.

Each of them bore a responsibility far heavier than anyone else could imagine.

I assumed the Alpha King organized these training camps to open their eyes to reality: to rip them out of their high school cocoon and show them what a leader's life truly meant.

Some handled it better than others.

And I also believed the King liked to observe who got along with whom, and who saw each other as rivals. Seeing them without their parents present allowed him to quickly map out alliances and simmering tensions.

Despite all his vigilance, there were always ambitious leaders willing to do anything to climb the hierarchy: arranged marriages, forced alliances, political manipulation... Some parents even went so far as to choose mates for their children just to strengthen their own political standing.

The Alpha Kings around the world were connected to the Moon Goddess through their Lunas—the queens. Together, they formed the highest council of werewolves. They intervened only when a conflict grew too large to be resolved locally.

When the boys came back this year, they looked as if they had evolved into a different species entirely. They had suddenly shot up, packing on thick muscle, and their very posture had shifted into something dominant. They had been handsome before—even my brother—but now they looked like men, real men. They were all about six feet tall or taller, with shoulders broad enough to block an entire doorway.

Their auras had intensified, too. You could feel the heavy weight of their presence the second they stepped into a room. That energy served to assert their dominance, command obedience, and sometimes... to attract.

A wolf instinctively sought a strong mate for reproduction. The higher the rank, the greater the power.

Naturally, every girl in the pack had noticed the change. Some literally threw themselves at the boys.

My brother, at least, hadn't held back. Since their return, he had been going out with a different girl every night. Sometimes I heard noises in the house late at night, and I preferred not to imagine what was happening.

It was a bit gross, but I knew he wasn't the only one.

At school, hooking up had become a sort of sport. The janitor's closet was used more often for secret trysts than for storing actual supplies.

Apparently, everyone was finding exactly what they wanted. Whenever I thought about it, it just made me sad.

We all had a fated mate, chosen specifically by the Moon Goddess. I didn't understand how people could play around with something so sacred.

Imagine falling in love with someone who wasn't yours, only to be tossed aside the second their true mate bond snapped into place. I'd seen it happen to several people here—it destroyed them.

Some still chose to mark and mate with a "suitable" partner just to strengthen their bloodlines, but I believed the Goddess knew what she was doing. We were stronger when she decided for us. I was still waiting for mine.

"Are you even listening to me, damn it?!"

Kaïa's sharp voice brutally yanked me from my thoughts. I blinked, staring at her for a moment before answering.

"Not really," I said, keeping my voice perfectly calm. "Leave the younger pups alone, they haven't done anything. And stop throwing a fit over a pair of shoes: they don't care what brand you're wearing, and your clumsy friend almost trampled them—not the other way around."

She didn't like that remark at all. Her hand shot out in a flash. A sharp crack echoed as her palm connected with my cheek, leaving the metallic tang of blood on my lip.

Perfect.

That meant a few more hours of having to hide at home until the mark faded.

Fortunately, my wounds healed faster now that I had awakened my wolf.

Last year, I'd had to invent a thousand different excuses to hide the bruises Kaïa and her friends left on me. My father hadn't noticed a thing when I went through my first shift, but he'd immediately spotted the bruises on my arms after one of their attacks.

The day he noticed them, there was a pack ceremony scheduled with the Alpha. I had been wearing a short-sleeved dress, and he hadn't liked the image it projected of him: the Beta whose daughter got into petty brawls.

He hadn't been worried about me, only about his reputation. He had grounded me, forcing me to stay locked in my room until the bruises completely faded.

I didn't think he hated me... at least, I hoped he didn't. But I knew he blamed me for my mother's death. She had died giving birth to me, and even though he'd never said it to my face, I'd overheard him mentioning it to others.

My nanny used to say I looked just like her, and I supposed it hurt him to look at me every day and see the woman he had lost.

My brother, on the other hand, had always been gentler with me. We used to be incredibly close, almost inseparable.

But ever since he started his training to become the future Beta, he had distanced himself. His priorities lay elsewhere now, entirely focused on the pack.