Chapter 3
1272 Words
3
SELENE
Wolf Ridge Academy was the premier educational institution for young werewolves in the region, serving students from multiple packs. The Blood Moon Pack, led by Alpha Damian's father, was the dominant force, but wolves from at least four other packs attended the school.
In my previous life, I'd kept my head down, avoided conflict, and tried desperately to be worthy of my future role as Luna. Today, as I walked through the front doors, I held my head high. I wasn't the same frightened girl anymore.
The hallways buzzed with typical Monday morning activity—students comparing weekend stories, last-minute homework completions, flirtations, and rivalries playing out against a backdrop of slamming lockers and shrill bell warnings.
I navigated through the crowd toward my locker, hyperaware of how my body moved differently now. Even though I was physically seventeen again, my mind remembered the confidence I'd developed later. The way I'd learned to carry myself after being forced to survive alone.
"Whoa, Selene?"
I turned to find my former best friend, Maya, staring at me with wide eyes. In my previous life, Maya had stood by me until my rejection, then slowly drifted away as associating with me became socially dangerous. I couldn't blame her—we'd been teenagers, and pack politics were brutal.
"Hey," I said, trying to temper my reaction. To her, we'd spoken just yesterday. To me, it had been years since I'd seen her alive and well.
"You look... different," she said, echoing Celeste's earlier assessment but with genuine warmth. "Good different! Just... not what I expected on a Monday."
I smiled, feeling some of my guardedness melt. Maya had been a true friend for most of our lives. Her eventual abandonment had come after months of pressure.
"Felt like a change," I said with a casualness I didn't feel. "Hey, can I ask you something? In private?"
Her eyebrows shot up, but she nodded. "Sure. Bathroom?"
I followed her into the nearest girls' restroom. After checking the stalls were empty, I turned to her with intensity that made her step back.
"I need a favor," I said. "A big one."
"O...kay?" She looked uncertain but curious.
"If I don't show up to school tomorrow, I need you to tell people I'm sick with a bad flu. Nothing more."
Understanding dawned on her face. "Oh my goddess, is it happening? Your shift?"
I nodded. "I think so. Tonight."
She squealed and grabbed my hands. "That's amazing! We should celebrate! We could go to the clearing by Miller's Creek after school and—"
"No," I cut her off firmly. "I need to do this alone."
Her excitement dimmed. "But... that's not safe, Selene. First shifts are intense. What if you get lost or hurt? My brother said—"
"I know what I'm doing," I insisted. In my previous life, I'd shifted alone because Celeste had convinced me it was embarrassing to need help. This time, I was choosing solitude for strategic reasons. "I've been preparing. I just need you to cover for me if necessary."
Maya still looked concerned, but she squeezed my hands. "Of course I will. But please be careful. And call me the second you're back, okay?"
I hugged her impulsively, reminded of why we'd been friends. "I will. Thank you."
The warning bell rang, and we hurried to our separate classes. Throughout the day, I moved through familiar lessons with a strange sense of déjà vu, answering questions with a confidence that clearly surprised my teachers.
At lunch, I avoided my usual table, where I knew Celeste would be holding court with her senior friends. Instead, I sat with Maya and some other juniors, half-listening to their chatter while scanning the cafeteria.
That's when I saw him for the first time.
Damian.
He sat at the center table with other pack heirs and high-ranking wolves. At twenty, he was in his second year of college but often visited the academy where his father served on the board. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and the commanding presence of a future Alpha, he was every bit as handsome as I remembered.
In my previous life, I'd stolen glances at him with a mixture of longing and trepidation, knowing we were destined but terrified I wouldn't measure up. Now, I studied him coolly, looking for signs of the cruelty I'd eventually witness.
"Earth to Selene," Maya waved a hand in front of my face. "You're staring."
I blinked, turning back to her. "Sorry."
"Don't be," she said with a grin. "Everyone stares at Damian. He's hot, powerful, and rumor has it he's coming into his full Alpha powers soon." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Plus, word around school is that he's been asking about you."
My stomach dropped. That was right. In my original timeline, Damian had started showing interest in me around the time of my first shift.
"Has he?" I kept my voice neutral, though my heart raced. "That's... interesting."
"Interesting? That's all you have to say?" Maya gaped. "Selene, he's going to be the Alpha. And he's gorgeous. And apparently interested in you. This is life-changing!"
If only she knew how right she was. In another life, his interest had indeed changed everything. And not for the better.
"I'm not really thinking about guys right now," I said, which was both true and a massive understatement. "I've got other priorities."
Maya looked at me like I'd grown a second head. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my friend?"
I laughed, but the question hit closer to home than she could possibly know. I was about to respond when a commotion near the cafeteria entrance caught everyone's attention.
The double doors slammed open with enough force to bang against the walls. A hush fell over the room as a group of four young men stalked in—none wearing the academy uniform.
Rogues. Or more accurately, wolves from the Shadow Valley Pack, known for their fierce independence and frequent border disputes with other packs.
Their leader scanned the cafeteria with cold, assessing eyes. He was perhaps a year or two older than me, with pitch-black hair and a lean, muscular build that spoke of speed rather than brute strength. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, though I couldn't place why.
"That's Ronan Blackwood," Maya whispered, voice tight with tension. "What's he doing here?"
*Ronan*. The name echoed in my mind, bringing with it the fragment of my death-vision: *Ronan: The ruthless rogue king who hides a soft spot for Selene.*
I stared at him, feeling a strange pull in my chest. This boy would become the rogue king? He looked dangerous even now, but hardly like royalty.
Across the cafeteria, Damian stood, flanked immediately by his friends. "Blackwood," he called, voice carrying easily in the silent room. "You're not welcome here."
Ronan's lips curled into something too sharp to be a smile. "We're just here for the meeting with Principal Winters. Your father arranged it, Westwood. Or didn't he tell you?"
Damian's jaw tightened at the taunt. I remembered now—there had been attempts at a peace treaty between the packs around this time. In my previous life, I'd paid little attention to pack politics beyond what directly affected my future role.
"Your business is with the administration, not in our cafeteria," Damian countered.
Ronan shrugged, his gaze sliding lazily around the room. "We got hungry. Last I checked, this was a school, not your personal territory."
The tension in the room crackled. Every wolf present could sense the challenge in his words.
Then his eyes found mine.
- Writer
