The Disguised Queen

CHAPTER 4: AFTER AWAKENING

Glosh woke to silence.

Not the restless, humming silence of Alpha Academy, filled with distant growls and constant movement—but a thick, unnatural quiet that pressed against her ears. For a moment, she thought she had gone deaf.

Then she became aware of the pain.

It was everywhere. Deep in her bones. In her muscles. Even her skin ached, as if she had been stretched and reshaped and barely stitched back together. She groaned softly and tried to move.

A mistake.

Her body protested instantly, sharp pain shooting up her spine. She sucked in a breath and froze, heart racing.

“She’s awake.”

The voice was low and familiar.

Glosh forced her eyes open.

She lay on a narrow bed in the academy infirmary, white sheets tucked tightly around her. Sunlight filtered through tall windows, dust motes drifting lazily in the air. For a second, she wondered if the night before had been a dream.

Then she saw him.

The silent alpha sat in a chair beside her bed, elbows resting on his knees, dark eyes fixed on her face with unwavering focus. He looked tired—shadows under his eyes, jaw tight with restraint.

Memory crashed over her in a violent wave.

The pain.

The heat.

The scream that tore out of her chest.

The way the moon had wrapped around her like a command she could no longer ignore.

She sucked in a shaky breath. “Don’t touch me.”

He stilled instantly, even though he hadn’t moved.

“I wasn’t going to,” he said quietly.

Glosh swallowed. Her throat felt dry, raw. “What happened to me?”

He hesitated.

“You shifted,” he said at last. “Not fully. But enough.”

Her fingers curled into the sheets. “That’s not possible.”

“It is,” he replied. “And it already happened.”

She turned her head away from him, staring at the wall. Her reflection stared back faintly in the polished stone—and her breath caught.

Her eyes.

They were no longer dull brown.

They glimmered faintly gold.

A strangled sound escaped her throat. “Fix it.”

His voice softened. “It doesn’t work like that.”

Footsteps approached, heavier this time. The infirmary door opened, and the other three alphas entered, filling the room with pressure so thick it made Glosh’s skin prickle.

The amused alpha leaned against the wall, arms crossed, expression unreadable for once. The silver-blond alpha stood stiffly near the door, gaze sharp and guarded. The golden-eyed alpha watched her with open intensity, curiosity burning bright.

“Well,” the amused one said lightly, breaking the tension. “You definitely surprised us.”

“Get out,” Glosh snapped.

None of them moved.

“She doesn’t understand what she is,” the golden-eyed alpha said.

“I understand enough,” Glosh shot back. “I was wolfless yesterday.”

The silver-blond alpha exhaled slowly. “You were sealed.”

The word hit her harder than the pain.

“Sealed?” she repeated. “By who?”

Silence fell.

Her chest tightened. “By my mother.”

It wasn’t a question.

The silent alpha nodded once.

Rage flared hot and sharp in her chest. “She abandoned me, lied to me, dragged me into this nightmare—and then took away my wolf?”

“To protect you,” he said.

Glosh laughed, bitter and broken. “Everyone keeps saying that.”

She pushed herself upright despite the pain, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The world tilted, but she stayed upright through sheer will.

“I’m not staying here,” she said.

Instructor Kaine chose that moment to enter.

Her pale eyes flicked from Glosh to the four alphas. “Out.”

They hesitated.

“Now.”

Reluctantly, the alphas left, though none of them looked happy about it. The door shut behind them, restoring some semblance of quiet.

Instructor Kaine studied Glosh carefully. “You should not have awakened yet.”

Glosh clenched her fists. “I didn’t plan it.”

“No,” Kaine said. “You didn’t.”

She stepped closer. “Your wolf was sealed at birth. A dangerous one. A royal one.”

Glosh’s breath caught. “How dangerous?”

Kaine’s gaze sharpened. “Enough to destabilize the kingdom if you lose control.”

Fear coiled low in Glosh’s stomach. “So what now?”

“Now,” Kaine said calmly, “you train harder than anyone else here. You learn control. And you keep your mouth shut.”

Glosh looked up at her. “Or else?”

Kaine leaned closer. “Or the Queen will make sure you never shift again.”

Word spread quickly.

By afternoon, the academy buzzed with whispers. Glosh felt them everywhere—eyes lingering too long, scents sharp with curiosity and suspicion. Wolves stepped aside as she passed, uncertain whether to challenge her or fear her.

She hated it.

During training, Instructor Kaine kept her under constant watch. Glosh was slower than the others, her body still sore, her instincts raw and unfamiliar. But something had changed.

She felt stronger.

Faster.

When another student lunged at her during sparring, Glosh reacted without thinking. She ducked, twisted, and sent them sprawling across the ring.

Silence fell.

Glosh stared at her hands, heart pounding.

I did that.

The silent alpha watched from the edge of the ring, something dark and satisfied flickering in his eyes.

That night, the pull returned.

Stronger than before.

Glosh slipped away from the dorms and into the forest beyond the academy walls, moonlight guiding her steps. Her breath fogged in the cool air, senses stretched wide. She could hear insects, distant paws, the whisper of leaves.

And beneath it all—

Her wolf.

Let me run, it urged softly.

Tears burned her eyes. “I don’t know how.”

A presence shifted behind her.

“You will,” the silent alpha said.

She turned slowly. “You followed me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

His gaze locked onto hers. “Because you’re not meant to face this alone.”

The moon climbed higher.

And for the first time in her life, Glosh didn’t feel empty.

She felt powerful.

Unstoppable.