Though he was a few inches shorter than Valen now, they shared the same lean, athletic build. The real difference lay beneath the surface. Cian was suffocatingly serious, harboring an old, bitter pack grievance that made him cold to outsiders. Valen was the perfect balance—kind, fiercely protective, but lethal when the lineage demanded it.

"He's my future Alpha, Evadne," Cian said softly, his eyes dead serious. "And I care about both of you. That’s all."

I sighed, sinking into my seat as the teacher walked in. As the lecture began, my mind drifted. Why the sudden fury? Did I have repressed aggression? Did I need to spend more hours in the training pits? I rested my forehead against the cool wooden desk, letting out a silent groan.

When the bell finally rang, I felt a surge of relief. Gym class was next. Maybe a brutal workout would burn off this toxic energy. The only downside was that our middle-grade pack shared the gymnasium facilities with the high schoolers. I dreaded walking into that locker room, enduring the cruel snickers of the older girls who had already experienced their first shift.

I rolled my eyes, heading toward my assigned gym locker, when a pale, manicured arm snapped out, blocking my path.

"Move," I growled, the alpha blood in my veins sparking to life.

The girl just smirked, leaning back against the bench. "Make me."

I glared up at her. Everything about her rubbed me the wrong way. Her vibrant, obviously dyed crimson hair, and those piercing, icy-blue eyes that flaunted her status as a coveted white wolf. She thought her rare fur coat gave her the right to look down on me.

Bored by her childish provocation, I coldly batted her arm away and kept walking. Her sycophants gasped in unison, completely flabbergasted. They clearly forgot that despite my lack of a shift, the blood of the Silver-Vane Alphas ran thick through my veins. I did not bow to lesser wolves.

After changing into my athletic gear, I walked out into the massive gymnasium and took a seat on the front bleachers. Across the polished floor, the redhead was glaring daggers at me. I offered her a sweet, mocking smile and a cheerful wave.

"Took you long enough, Gideon," I said as a shadow fell over me.

Gideon was my best friend, and recently, the boy I was secretly losing my mind over. He was two years older than me, boasting a thick mane of sandy-blonde hair and warm hazel eyes. When he shifted, his wolf was a breathtaking, regal auburn. He was currently in the thick of his Lycan puberty, which meant he had packed on a massive amount of dense, lethal muscle. He was easily the most imposing male in the academy—not surprising, considering he was the sole heir to our neighboring pack.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Gideon murmured, sliding onto the bench beside me with a lazy grin. "Hard to move down the halls when half the female population is trying to corner me."

A hot blush crept up my neck, and I quickly looked down at my sneakers. I should have been used to his casual endearments, but my heart still skipped a beat. A dark, ugly possessiveness flared in my chest at the mention of other girls touching him. Did they have no shame?

Before he could say more, the heavy doors slammed open. Mr. Avery stepped into the gym, and the entire room fell into a dead, terrified silence. Rumor had it that Mr. Avery had been exiled from the most vicious, blood-soaked pack in the Northern Hemisphere—the Midnight-Eclipse Pack. Whether the legends of their cruelty were true, I didn't know. My father never spoke of the northern territories to me.

"First hour will be advanced combat techniques," Mr. Avery announced, his voice like grinding stones. He paused, his dark eyes locking onto Gideon in a silent, predatory challenge. "For those of you who are of age... we will conclude with controlled shifting drills."

As the instructor walked away, I nudged Gideon’s elbow. "What was that look about?"

Gideon merely shrugged, refusing to look at me. His jaw was set tight. I bit the inside of my cheek, pulling my knees to my chest as a cold streak of hurt pierced my heart. Why was he shutting me out?

"Partners are posted on the tactical board," Mr. Avery barked. "Find your match and get to the mats."

Eager to escape the suffocating awkwardness radiating from Gideon, I stood up and jogged to the board. My eyes scanned the list until they stopped at a name that made my brow furrow. "Who the hell is Saskia?"

"Me."

A venomous voice spoke behind me. I turned around to find the exact same arrogant redhead from the locker room. You have got to be kidding me. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You've got this," a heavy hand settled on my shoulders. Gideon leaned down, his warm breath brushing against the shell of my ear as he whispered, "She only had her first shift a week ago. Her wolf is still unstable and weak. You can take her easily."

I turned my head, my lips nearly brushing his cheek as he offered me a reassuring smirk and pressed a sudden, shocking kiss to my cheekbone. Before I could process the explosion of butterflies in my stomach, he spun around and walked toward his own mat.

I turned back to find Saskia staring at me with pure, murderous jealousy. Great. She was obsessed with Gideon too. Then again, every girl with a pulse was.

"Alright, little pup," Saskia sneered, dropping into a predatory crouch. "Let’s see what you’re made of."

I growled low in my throat. I absolutely despised being called a pup.

And then, it happened again.

The agonizing blast of pain ripped through my skull, followed instantly by a tidal wave of scorching, uncontrollable fury. My vision bled into a terrifying, solid crimson. The world vanished. A guttural, demonic roar tore from my throat as I launched myself across the mat, tackling Saskia to the ground before she could even blink.

I pinned her down, my knees crushing her chest as I rained a savage, unbroken barrage of fists into her face. I didn't hear her screams. I didn't see the blood pooling on the mat. I was a passenger in my own body, consumed by a fire that wasn't mine.

When the red mist finally cleared, the world rushed back in a chaotic blur. Mr. Avery and Gideon were pinning my arms behind my back, dragging me away from Saskia’s broken form. Tears of horror and confusion flooded my eyes.

"G-Gideon?" I choked out, my voice cracking into a broken sob.

The moment his grip loosened, I collapsed into his chest, burying my face in his shirt. His large hands rubbed my back in frantic, soothing circles, his voice a desperate whisper telling me it was okay.

But it wasn't okay. Something was fundamentally broken inside me.

Gideon escorted me to the administrative wing, refusing to leave my side until the heavy oak doors opened and my father stormed in.

"Evadne."

My father stood before me, his face a terrifying mask of profound disappointment and tightly coiled anxiety. I hung my head in deep shame, unable to meet his eyes. I had no explanation for the monster I had become on that mat.

"Alpha Black, may I have a word in private?" Mr. Avery asked, stepping out of his office.

My father nodded curtly, walking down the hall with the instructor. Gideon stepped closer, speaking in tones too low for human ears, his hazel eyes scanning my father’s retreating back. Suddenly, a look of profound shock washed over my father’s face as he turned to glance at me. Gideon saw it too, his expression mirroring the utter confusion of whatever secret had just been unearthed.

"Evadne, we're leaving. Now," my father commanded, stepping back into the room.

I nodded silently, grabbing my bag and following him out of the academy, purposefully ignoring Gideon’s silent, pleading gaze for me to look back at him. The ride back to the Silver-Vane estate was suffocatingly tense. Neither of us spoke a word. I was no stranger to mischief—I had always been the wilder, more reckless twin compared to Valen—but I had never been a monster.

The moment the car parked, I bolted up the stairs to my bedroom, throwing myself face-down onto the mattress. I cried until my chest ached, eventually drifting into a dark, exhausted sleep.

A soft, rhythmic knocking woke me hours later. The room was cast in twilight shadows. I rubbed my swollen eyes and opened the door to find Valen standing there. Without a word, I threw myself into his arms, squeezing him with everything I had.

"What happened at the academy?" he asked tightly.

"I don't know," I wept into his shoulder. "I was fine, and then... this blinding rage hit me. My vision went completely red. I couldn't stop."