The Silverblood Luna

Kaela’s POV The forest smelled like rain and blood. I didn’t stop running. Mist curled around me, dampening my hair, clinging to my cloak like the forest itself wanted to hold me back. My lungs burned with every breath, my boots skidding over roots slick with moss, but I pushed harder. If I didn’t make it to Shadowfang Academy before the moon reached its peak, everything I’d risked—everything I’d lost—would mean nothing. Another howl ripped through the night behind me. Deep. Dominant. Alpha. The sound wasn’t just heard; it was felt. It slithered through my bones, vibrating in my chest, and my wolf slammed against my ribs, claws raking under my skin, desperate to answer. Not now. My jaw ached from how hard I bit down, copper filling my mouth as I forced her back. If I shifted, if anyone caught a glimpse of my fur, there would be no going back. They’d know. And then I wouldn’t just be dragged back to my father. I’d be hunted. Through the thinning trees, the gates rose from the earth like the jaws of some ancient beast, black iron gleaming wetly under the moonlight. Runes etched deep into the metal glowed a cold, silvery light, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air around them tasted of iron and magic, a warning and a challenge all at once. I slowed my pace, dragging in ragged breaths, tugging my hood lower to shadow my face. Not Kaela Thorne, last daughter of the Thornfire pack. Not the girl my father tried to trade away like some bargaining chip. Not the Silverblood Lycan whispered about in the old songs, the one meant to crown a king—or destroy him. Just Kade. Just another nameless boy hoping to survive Alpha training long enough to disappear. The gatekeeper stepped out of the darkness, broad as the iron doors behind him, eyes glowing molten gold. His presence rolled over me like heat, pressing me to my bones. “Name,” he growled. “Kade Thorne.” My voice was rough, lower than my usual pitch, steady even though my heart was battering my ribs. He sniffed, long and slow, head tilting slightly, and for a terrifying second I thought he smelled the truth—the silver blood burning through my veins, the secret I carried. But then he grunted and stepped aside. “Move.” Relief made my knees weak. I was in. Shadowfang Academy loomed ahead, carved straight into the mountainside like some dark cathedral. Its towers pierced the storm clouds overhead, windows burning with warm light that felt more like watchful eyes than welcome. The courtyard stretched before me, cobblestones slick with rain, lanterns throwing flickering shadows that crawled and stretched like restless spirits. The boys—future alphas, heirs to powerful packs—moved in knots of three and four. Some sparred beneath the arches, sharp growls cutting the night air. Others stood in lazy clusters, laughing in low, dangerous tones that made the fine hairs on my neck rise. I kept my head down and followed the map I’d memorized, my boots echoing against the stones as I slipped inside the main hall. The scent of wolf musk, sweat, and steel filled my nose, thick and cloying. The academy smelled like dominance, like blood had been spilled on these stones more than once and never truly washed away. Dormitory West. Room 23. I found it at last, my palms damp as I pushed the door open. The hinges creaked, and my breath caught. Someone was already inside. He stood by the window, moonlight spilling over him like liquid silver, turning his white hair into a shining crown. When he turned, storm-gray eyes met mine—cold, unreadable, and far too sharp. “You’re late.” His voice was quiet, smooth, but edged with command. “Long trip,” I said, forcing my voice to stay even, to sound like I belonged here. He didn’t move, didn’t speak for a long moment, just watched me with unnerving stillness, like he could peel back my skin and see the truth underneath. My wolf pressed against my control, restless, angry. She recognized the dominance in him, the challenge. Finally, he stepped forward, his movements slow, deliberate, like a predator closing distance. “Riven,” he said, his name clipped and final. “Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.” He brushed past me, his shoulder grazing mine, and heat shot through me so sharp it was almost painful. And then he was gone. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the room silent but for the thunder of my heart. Perfect. My very first night here and I’d already made an enemy. I dropped my satchel onto the lower bunk and sat down heavily. The air still smelled like him—pine, cold steel, something faintly electric that made my wolf pace restlessly beneath my skin. I emptied my bag onto the bed: one spare shirt, my forged enrollment papers, and the dagger I’d stolen from my father’s armory. The blade gleamed in the lamplight, its hilt worn smooth, the nicked edge a reminder that it had been used before—just not by me. My chest tightened. Three nights ago, I’d stood in the Thornfire hall, my father’s voice booming as he named my mate. A man twice my age. An alliance meant to buy the pack another year of survival. I could still feel my father’s grip on my arm, his nails biting into my skin. Still hear the fury in his voice when I said no. I’d never said no to him before. I hadn’t stayed to hear what came next. I’d shifted before he could strike me, silver fur blazing under the moonlight, and I’d run. Run until my paws bled. Run until the forest swallowed the Thornfire lands and left only the sound of my breath in my ears. And now I was here, surrounded by wolves who would tear me apart—or worse—if they learned what I was. I reached under my shirt and touched the pendant at my throat—the one thing I hadn’t abandoned. The stone throbbed faintly, warm against my skin, like a second heartbeat. Like my Silverblood wolf was pressing against it from the inside. Waiting. Watching. Hoping I’d set her free. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Tomorrow, the initiation trials would begin. The strongest would rise. The weakest would be broken. And the hardest part wouldn’t be surviving them. It would be surviving them without letting anyone discover that the thing they’d been waiting for—the thing their legends promised—was standing right in their midst. Because if they knew? The hunt would begin.