Mated to Four Heirs

Chapter ten

SAMANTHA CARTER

The rest of Professor Rowan's lecture passed in a blur, though I couldn't remember half of what he had taught us because my mind kept wandering back to Rita.

She hadn't raised her voice, insulted me outright, or even looked angry. Yet every word she had spoken carried a weight that still rested heavily on my chest, and no matter how many times I replayed the conversation in my head, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just been warned about something much bigger than I understood.

When the bell finally rang, chairs scraped across the floor as students gathered their books and hurried toward the exit, while conversations slowly filled the classroom once more.

I remained seated for a few seconds, staring absentmindedly at my notebook until Karl's voice pulled me back to reality.

"You're thinking too much," he observed quietly as he stopped beside my desk, studying me with narrowed eyes.

I looked up at him before forcing a small smile.

"I didn't realize it was that obvious," I admitted, letting out a soft breath.

"It is," he replied, folding his arms across his chest before glancing toward the classroom door where Rita had disappeared moments earlier. "Did Rita say anything inappropriate to you?"

His question caught me off guard.

I blinked at him before shaking my head.

"Not really," I answered honestly, though uncertainty crept into my voice. "She was polite."

Karl remained silent for several moments, his expression unreadable.

"She didn't threaten you?"

"No."

"Did she insult you?"

I frowned thoughtfully. "I... don't think so."

His brows drew together slightly.

"Then why do you look troubled?" he asked, keeping his gaze fixed on me.

I sighed softly before slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"I honestly don't know," I admitted with a small shrug. "She smiled the whole time we talked, but somehow I still felt like she didn't like me."

Karl's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Trust your instincts," he said quietly before turning toward the hallway. "Not everyone who smiles is your friend."

His words lingered in my mind as we walked out of the classroom together.

The corridors buzzed with activity as first-year students hurried from one building to another, each of them carrying schedules and maps while trying not to look completely lost.

A loud bell echoed across the Academy grounds.

Almost immediately, another announcement followed.

"Attention, all first-year students," an amplified voice echoed through the halls. "Proceed immediately to the Grand Assembly Hall for orientation."

Students began changing direction all at once.

Karl glanced at me. "Come on."

We joined the growing crowd until the enormous wooden doors of the Grand Assembly Hall came into view.

The hall was unlike anything I had ever seen. Hundreds of seats curved around a raised platform carved from smooth black stone, while banners bearing the symbols of the four Great Packs hung proudly from the towering walls.

Students filled the room quickly, and the noise continued until Headmistress Morwenna Vex stepped onto the stage.

Silence fell almost instantly.

She slowly surveyed the hall before speaking.

"Welcome to Nightshade Academy."

Her calm voice carried effortlessly throughout the chamber.

"Many of you were born expecting to stand here one day. Others have dreamed about this moment since childhood."

Her gaze briefly settled on me.

"And a very small number arrived here through circumstances no one expected."

Several students turned toward me.

I lowered my eyes.

"This Academy exists for one purpose," Vex continued. "To prepare future leaders of the supernatural world. Strength alone will not keep you here. Intelligence, discipline, and loyalty are equally important."

She began walking slowly across the stage.

"There are rules every student must obey."

A glowing list appeared behind her.

"The northern forest beyond the Academy walls is forbidden after sunset."

"The underground catacombs remain restricted unless accompanied by a professor."

"Dueling outside designated arenas is prohibited."

"No student may challenge another to a blood duel without approval from the Council."

"The Academy observes a strict curfew beginning at ten each evening."

She paused.

"Any student caught breaking these laws will face disciplinary action ranging from suspension to permanent expulsion."

The room remained perfectly still.

"Finally," she continued, clasping her hands behind her back, "remember that this Academy represents all four Great Packs. Personal rivalries will never be allowed to threaten the peace within these walls."

For reasons I couldn't explain, I found myself thinking about Rita again.

The orientation lasted nearly an hour before students were dismissed toward their next lesson.

According to the schedule Karl handed me, our next class was Introduction to Moon Magic.

"I suppose this should be interesting," I murmured as we walked across the courtyard.

Karl glanced sideways at me. "It usually is."

The Moon Magic classroom looked nothing like the others. Instead of desks arranged in rows, circular stone platforms filled the room.

At the center stood dozens of crystal spheres resting upon carved pedestals. Soft silver light drifted lazily through the air, giving the room an almost dreamlike appearance.

An elderly professor with long white hair waited patiently for everyone to settle.

"I am Professor Selene," she introduced herself warmly, smiling at the class. "Today, we will perform a very simple exercise."

She gestured toward the crystals.

"Every supernatural creature possesses natural lunar energy."

Her fingers brushed lightly against one crystal.

"Our goal today is not to measure strength but resonance."

Several students nodded.

"The exercise is simple. Place your hand upon the crystal."

She smiled.

"The crystal will respond according to your natural affinity."

One by one, students stepped forward.

A Frost Fang student produced icy blue light.

An Ember Claw student filled the crystal with glowing orange flames.

A Dawn Pack student created warm golden light that spread gently across the pedestal.

Each result earned approving nods from Professor Selene.

Eventually, my name was called.

"Samantha Carter."

Every eye in the classroom followed me as I walked toward the final crystal. I swallowed nervously before placing my palm against its cool surface.

Nothing happened.

The crystal remained completely dark.

Silence settled across the room.

Then someone laughed quietly. "I knew it."

Another student smirked. "She's still human."

"I told you yesterday."

"The Crescent Stone must have malfunctioned."

Heat rushed into my face. Slowly, I removed my hand.

"I'm... sorry," I whispered, taking a small step backward.

Professor Selene tilted her head thoughtfully.

"There's no need to apologize," she said kindly, though curiosity flickered across her face. "Sometimes magical energy requires—"

She never finished.

Without warning, the crystal exploded with brilliant silver light. A powerful pulse erupted through the classroom.

The air vibrated.

The silver glow expanded rapidly before shooting toward the ceiling like a beam of moonlight. Several students stumbled backward in shock. Others shielded their eyes.

Even Professor Selene instinctively stepped back.

The light lasted only a few seconds. Then, everything disappeared. The crystal returned to normal as though nothing had happened.

Complete silence filled the room.

Professor Selene slowly approached the pedestal again before carefully placing her own hand against it.

The crystal remained perfectly stable.

She frowned thoughtfully before turning back toward the class.

"It appears," she said after a brief pause, forcing a calm smile despite the surprise still visible in her eyes, "that Miss Carter's magical resonance is... unstable."

A few students exchanged uncertain glances.

Professor Selene straightened her robes.

"Unstable energy occasionally produces unpredictable reactions in rare circumstances," she explained, though her voice carried just enough hesitation to suggest she wasn't entirely convinced by her own conclusion. "There is no cause for alarm."

The students slowly relaxed, and quiet conversations resumed as the lesson continued.

Officially, the strange burst of silver light was dismissed as nothing more than unstable energy.

But somewhere deep inside me, I couldn't shake the feeling that something far greater had awakened... and although no one in that classroom could explain what had happened, I knew this was only the beginning.