ASHER
Stone Claw Academy had a look that suggested it had been built to intimidate.
I stood at the iron gates, my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, and I stared up at the towering Gothic structure that would be my ho for the next four years. Black stone walls rose into the grey sky like a prison. Even the air felt heavy here, thick with dominance, aggression and the unmistakable scent of Alpha pheromones.
This was the most dangerous werewolf academy in the world, and the place where ruthless Alphas were forged in blood and brutality.
The place where the weak didn’t survive past their first sester, and I was about to walk through those gates pretending to be sothing that I wasn’t.
My hand moved instinctively to my jacket pocket, my fingers brushing against the small case hidden there. Three vials left, and I would need to inject myself again soon.
These drugs masked my Oga scent and gave just enough Alpha pheromones to pass. It burned like liquid fire through my veins and was probably shaving years of my life with every dose, but it was the only thing keeping alive.
’Don’t think about it,’ I told myself firmly, ’you made your choice, now you have to survive it.’
I had spent weeks preparing for this. Perfecting my fake Pack identity, the mysterious ’Silverwood pack’ that supposedly preferred to stay reclusive. Practising my Alpha parade, learning how to suppress every soft, submissive instinct that scread at to yield, to bow and to submit to any alpha.
At six feet tall with platinum blonde hair, sharp, angular features, and pale skin that made look like so kind of ice prince, I knew I looked the part; I just had to make sure no one ever discovered what I truly was.
An Oga in Alpha’s clothing, a lie wrapped in desperation.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the gates and entered hell. The school courtyard was massive, and students walked around in clusters, all Alphas, and they were all radiating the kind of predatory energy that made my instincts scream danger.
They were bigger than , broader, more muscular, and so had scars, while others had tattoos crawling up their necks. They all looked like they could snap in half without breaking a sweat.
I forced myself to walk with confidence, head high, shoulders back, never showing weakness and never letting them sll fear from .
I was halfway across the courtyard when I suddenly heard it, a commotion near the fountain. Raised voices, cruel laughter and the sound of flesh hitting stone.
Every instinct told to keep walking, to mind my damn business, and not to get involved on my first day, but sothing made turn my head.
A small crowd had gathered in a loose circle, and in the centre, a slender Alpha with dark curly hair was on his knees, blood trickling from his split lip. He looked young with soft features and kind eyes that were currently wide with fear, and standing over him was a monster.
The alpha was massive, easily six foot five with a ripped, muscular fra that his black t-shirt did nothing to hide. Thick brown hair, charcoal grey eyes that looked like storm clouds and sharp, intimidating features that reminded of a Viking warrior. Tattoos snaked up his sleeves, but nothing got my attention more than the aura that nearly brought to my knees.
Pure, undiluted dominance rolled off the Alpha in waves so strong that I felt my Oga instincts trying to claw their way to the surface. My wolf whimpered inside , wanting to bare my throat, to submit, to-
’No.’
I gritted my teeth and forced my wolf down with brutal force. The drug in my system helped, but barely, and whoever this Alpha was, he was powerful, dangerously and should be avoided by .
"Please," the boy on the ground begged, snapping out of my thoughts and drawing my attention to what was in front of , "Reed, I didn’t an-"
"Shut up Scott," the Alpha said, his voice deep and cold, devoid of any emotion except disdain, "You know the rules, you speak when I give you permission to speak. You fucking move when I allow you to move. You exist because I haven’t decided to break you yet."
The crowd laughed, so of them looked uncomfortable, but none of them intervened.
Reed, that was apparently the monster’s na, grabbed Scott by the hair and yanked his head back, "Now apologize for wasting my ti."
"I’m sorry," Scot whispered, tears streaming down his face, "I’m so sorry-"
"Pathetic," Reed released him with a shive that debt Scott sprawling, "get out of my sight before I-"
"Hey!" The word left my mouth before my brain could catch up, and the entire courtyard went silent. Every head turned towards , and the crowd parted slowly, revealing standing there with my duffel bag still over my shoulder, and Reed, the king of this godforsaken place, turned to face fully. Our eyes t, and I froze.
I felt like I had been struck by lightning, and my body shivered like I had been dipped in a water-filled with ice.
Those charcoal grey eyes were the most intense thing I had ever seen. They were cold, calculating, ruthless, and they swept over from head to toe in a single, dismissive glance that sohow felt more invasive than beingstripped naked.
And beneath the drug-induced calm, fake Alpha pheromones, my traitorous body responded.
My wolf sat up and paid attention in a way it never had before, my skin prickled with awareness, my pulse kicked up, and heat pooled low between my thighs.
’No, no, no, not him, anyone but him.’
"Did you just interrupt ?" Reed’s voice snapped out of my reverie, and my throat went dry instantkly but I forced myself to speak.
"Yes, I did. Any issue with that?" I asked, and a ripple of shock went through the crowd. I could hear their whispers of questions asking ’if I was insane or if I wished for a death sentence? But I ignored them all because my main focus was on Reed as he took a step towards , and then another.
The crowd parted more way, giving him enough space as if he were so sort of a god. He moved witha grace of a predator, all steps controlled with power and an intent to kill. He didn’t stop until he was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his massive fra.
He was damn close that i gad to tilt my head back slightly to maintain my eye contact.
"You must be new," Reed said, his grey eyes boring holes into mine, "so I will give you one chance to apologise and walk away."
Deep down, I knew I should take, I should back down, apologise, and disappear before the momster decided to man an example of on my first day but the way Scott was trembling on the ground, the cruel satisfaction on Reed’s eyes, the smug certainty that no one would dare challenge him made sothing hoit and angry coil in my chest.
I had spent my whole life running, hiding and pretending to be weak; maybe it was ti to stop, and this was the perfect ti to stop running and stand up for myself.
"No," I said clearly and boldly.
Reed arched a brow, "No?"
"I am not apologising," I dropped my duffel bag and crossed my arms over my chest, mimicking the confident stance of every Alpha I had ever observed, "leave him alone," I stated.
For a long mont, Reed just stared at , th silence stretched, haunted because I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know if I should be scared of the unknown that was about to happen, and then he smiled.
It was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen, it was cold, sharp and absolutely devoid of emotions.
"What’s your na?" Reed asked softly.
"Asher Graham. Silverwood Pack." I answered.
"Silverwood?" Reed’s eyes narrowed. "I have never heard of it."
"That’s because we prefer to keep a low profile."
"Clearly." Reed’s gaze raked over again, this ti slower and assessing my weakness, "well, Asher Graham of the Silverwood Pack, let explain how things work at Stone Claw Academy. I am Reed Jackson, Shadow Born Pack, and I won this school."
"Good for you," I said, even though my heart was trying to hamr its way out of my chest, "it doesn’t give you the right to torture and bully soone half your size."
Reed’s smile widened, "Scott isn’t being tortured or bullied; he is learning his place. Sothing you are going to need to learn, too."
"I don’t think so." I answered sharpy, and the words hung in the air between us fo a few seconds before Reed took another step closer, close enough that I could sll him.
Pine and leather and sothing dark and intoxicating that made my head spin. The drug in my system was working overti to suppress my body’s reaction, but it was a losing battle against Reed’s pheromones.
Reed been close to was enough for to see his features clearly, the flecks of silver in Reed’s eyes, the small scar cutting through his left eyebrow and the way his jaw clenched slightly, like he was restraining himself from doing sothing violent to .
"You have beautiful eyes," Reed said suddenly, his voice dripping even lower, "it’s a sha they will be swollen shut by the end of the week."
It was a threat, a clear and direct one, and I should have been terrified, but instead, I felt sothing wild and reckless surge through . Maybe it was the drug making bolder than I should be, or maybe it was twenty years of suppressed age finally finding an outlet, or maybe it was the unexplainable pull I felt towards this dangerous, violent Alpha that I already knew I should stay away from.
Whatever it was, it made lean in slightly, "You are welco to try." I inford him.
I saw sothing flash in his eyes, sothing I couldn’t na. Maybe surprised, or interest or fury, sothing I could place a na on.
"Oh, I will," Reed promised, "before the sester is over, I am going to break you, Asher Graham. I am going to make you regret ever opening that pretty mouth of yours, you will learn to kneel when I walk by, and you will learn that challenging was the worst mistake of your pathetic life," he threatened, and I scoffed.
Our faces were inches apart, and I could feel Reed’s breath on my skin. I could see the way his pupils had dilated slightly, the way his massive chest rose and fell with controlled breathing.
The air between us crackles with tension, hatred and challenge. Sothing electric and dangerous that I didn’t want to examine too closely.
"I will look forward to it." I heard myself say before I could stop myself.
For another heartbeat, we stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills, then suddenly Reed stepped back, breaking the spell between us.
"Scott," he called without taking his eyes off , "Get up."
Scott scrambled to his feet, whipping blood from his lips.
"Thank youir new friend here," Reed continued, his voice dripping with mockery, "he just saved your pretty ass for now." his gaze finally left to sweep over the gathered crowd, "show is over. Get to class."
The crowd dispersed quickly, students shooting curious and pitying glances at as they went their various ways.
Reed turned back to one last ti, "Welco to Stone Claw Academy, Asher Graham. I am going to make your life a living hell," he assured , and I smiled.
"I can’t wait," I shot back, proud of myself that my voice didn’t shake or break.
Reed’s smile was all teeth, " neither." Then he was gone, striding away with his pack of followers trailing behind him like loyal dogs.
I stood there for a long mont, my heart pounding, adrenaline still flooding my system. My hands were shaking slightly, so I shoved them in my pockets.
’What the fucking hell did I just do?’
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