CHAPTER 3
1053 Words
SAGE POV.
The moment I stepped through the academy gates, I knew I had made a terrible mistake.
I had expected it to be an all-boys academy. That much was clear. But I hadn’t fully grasped the insanity of being the only girl in a place filled with strong powerful male wolves. Even with my hair cut short and my brother’s clothes hanging off me, I looked like a weaker, scrawnier version of them.
I stiffened, clutching the strap of my bag tighter. I had never been this close to so many boys before. Sure, I had seen them at mating ceremonies, but those were different. They were dressed in their finest clothes, combed and perfumed, trained to be on their best behavior.
But here… this was their natural state. Loud, rough, unfiltered and shirtless.
One boy sprinted past me, nearly knocking me over as he chased another, both of them laughing wildly. Another stood nearby, cracking his neck, his muscles flexing with every movement. Two more were casually arguing about who could take down a wild boar faster.
I felt like a lamb dropped into a den of wolves and for the first time, I wondered if this was a better choice than getting into a forced marriage. If I got caught I could be executed.
I had spent my life surrounded by mostly women so I had no idea how to act around boys.
And now… I had to be one.
“Staring won’t make you grow muscle, boy,” a voice said beside me.
I jumped, turning sharply to see an older woman watching me with an amused look. She was tall and had her hair in a tight bun.
I swallowed. “I—I wasn’t staring.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”
“Relax, lad. After a few weeks of training, you will be just like them.” She gave me a hard pat on the back and I had to suppress the urge to cry.
“I’m Matron Ada. I oversee the boys here, make sure they don’t burn down the academy or kill each other in their spare time. You will be under my watch while you are here.”
I nodded, trying to keep my voice from sounding too soft. “Understood.”
She gave me a long,look before nodding toward a stone path. “Come. I will show you to your dorm.”
The academy was larger than I had imagined. Wide courtyards, towering walls, rows of training fields. It was built like a fortress, designed to produce powerful Alphas.
Matron Ada led me into a building lined with doors on both sides of the hallway. She stopped at one of the doors, pushing it open.
“This is your dorm. Dinner is in an hour. Don’t be late.”
And with that, she left, shutting the door behind her.
There was no turning back now.
************
I hadn’t had a proper rest in weeks. The moment my back hit the mattress, I sighed in relief.
It was soft—softer than anything I’d ever slept on. No stiff wooden frame beneath me, no scratchy blankets. Just warmth and comfort. Within seconds, I was out cold.
I would have stayed there forever… if not for the sudden, rough tap against my shoulder.
I opened my eyes to see a face staring at me, he said something but my brain was too foggy to make out the words.
I grumbled, sitting upright. “Did you bring my food?”
The man pulled back slightly, looking down at me as if I had just grown two heads. “Do I look like a maid to you?”
I blinked at him.
Now that I was awake, my eyes focused properly on his face. And damn.
He was breathtaking. He had a high cheekbones and dark piercing eyes that looked like a raging storm. His dark hair was tousled as if he had ran his hands through it multiple times. And then, like an i***t, my eyes slowly went down to his shirtless body. Big mistake.
His bare chest was muscular and well defined with a tattoo that went down into his torso, the kind that made wicked thoughts slip into the mind uninvited.
God I was acting like a b***h in heat. I quickly turn my face away to hide my red cheeks.
“Who are you?” I asked, clearing my throat.
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to decide if I was serious. Then he said, “Alpha Roman.”
My stomach dropped.
I stood up from the bed so fast that I nearly lost my balance. My hands trembled as I bowed, my head practically touching the floor. “I—I am so sorry, Alpha Roman! I didn’t know—”
I bowed again. And again.
He watched me, unimpressed.
Of course, I knew who he was. Everyone knew who Alpha Roman was.
He came from a long line of powerful Alphas, said to be one of the strongest in centuries. The rumors about him were almost mythical—stories of him single-handedly taking down hundreds of rogues, his name spoken with fear and reverence.
What the hell was he doing in a training academy? He was already stronger than half the ruling Alphas.
Before I could ask, he gestured toward the door. “Leave.”
I hesitated. “What?”
“You are in my bed,” he said. “In my room. Get out.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could respond, the door swung open.
Matron Ada stepped inside, completely unfazed by the tension in the room. “Ah, good. You are both awake.”
Roman shot her a sharp look. “What’s this skinny little boy doing in my room?”
The older woman arched her brow. “You were supposed to be informed. The headmaster must have forgotten to tell you that due to overcrowding, you will be sharing this room with—” she gestured to me—“him.”
Roman stilled.
Then, he scoffed, turning to face her fully. “No.”
“No?” she repeated.
“I don’t share my space.” He announced . “Find him another room.”
- Writer
