Chapter Three
1528 Words
Lily wanted to ask questions, a lot of questions.
Why was the Alpha Heir expecting her?
Who exactly was the man that came to their house?
Why did her grandmother look terrified the moment Blackthorn Academy was mentioned?
And most importantly,
What would happen if she refused to go?
But before she could ask anything, the man was already walking toward the black SUV parked outside their farmhouse. His polished shoes pressed quietly against the muddy ground while the evening wind swept through the trees surrounding the property.
Naomi remained seated in the living room long after he left.
Silent, still.
Her eyes remained fixed on the road outside like she had just watched something she feared finally arrive.
Lily stood near the staircase feeling completely overwhelmed.
Part of her wanted to go.
She wanted to leave Ashvale behind and finally experience something bigger than struggling farms and dusty roads.
Ashvale was filled with people who had either lost their wolves or been removed from the United Wolf Pack years ago. Most families there carried quiet shame and histories nobody openly discussed anymore.
Going to Blackthorn meant opportunity.
A new life, a different one.
But another part of her wanted to stay exactly where she was.
With her father.
With her grandmother.
With the tiny farmhouse that somehow always felt safe.
The old front door creaked open suddenly.
Daniel Carter stepped inside carrying the familiar scent of rainwater, soil, and hay from the farm. Usually Lily would have immediately hugged him, but her thoughts felt too heavy to move properly.
She quietly watched Naomi explain everything to him.
At first, Daniel looked shocked.
Then confused, then a smile flickered on his face. He looked proud.
“Lily, my baby girl,” he called warmly after noticing her standing nearby. “How was school today?”
“Fine,” she answered softly.
“Your grandmother told me the scholarship was real.” His tired face broke into a smile. “I’m proud of you.”
Lily blinked in surprise.
“You are?”
“Of course I am.” He looked genuinely happy. “Do you know how many people would dream of an opportunity like this?”
Lily immediately glanced toward Naomi.
Her grandmother looked anything but happy.
And somehow that scared Lily more.
The next two days passed quietly.
Too quietly.
No celebration filled the Carter home. No excitement.
Only tension.
Naomi barely spoke during meals anymore. Even when she did, it felt forced, like her mind was somewhere far away.
Lily noticed other strange things too.
The windows remained locked earlier than usual every evening.
Naomi burned unfamiliar herbs near the doors at night.
And twice, Lily caught her grandmother staring silently toward the dark forest behind their farm with fear hidden deep inside her eyes.
It made Lily uneasy.
The night before her departure arrived colder than usual.
Rain tapped softly against her bedroom windows while Naomi folded Lily’s clothes neatly into a large travel box resting beside the bed.
Neither of them spoke much.
The silence between them felt painfully heavy.
Finally, Lily gathered enough courage to ask the question that had been tormenting her for days.
“Grandma…”
Naomi paused slightly.
“What is it?”
Lily swallowed hard.
“What’s really going on?”
Naomi continued folding clothes quietly.
“You’re going to school.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Silence filled the room again.
Lily’s chest tightened.
“Ever since that letter came, everybody’s acting strange. Especially you.”
Naomi finally looked at her.
And suddenly Lily noticed how exhausted she looked.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like someone carrying memories too painful to revisit.
Naomi slowly sat beside her on the bed and took Lily’s hands gently into hers.
“When you get to Blackthorn Academy…” she began softly, “stay by yourself.”
Lily frowned slightly.
“Be careful of the people you trust. Follow the rules. Never wander around alone.”
“Grandma… ”
“And no matter what happens there…” Naomi’s voice lowered slightly. “Don’t let that place change who you are.”
Lily stared at her in confusion.
Why did that sound more like a warning than advice?
Then Naomi tightened her grip around Lily’s hands.
“And most importantly…”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“Do not ever go near the Alpha Heir.”
Lily sighed softly.
“The Alpha Heir again?” she muttered. “Why does everybody keep talking about him like he’s some untouchable king?”
Naomi’s expression darkened slightly.
“Because people like him destroy lives without even realizing it.”
BLACKTHORN ACADEMY
Far from Ashvale, hidden deep within the mountains of Black Hollow Ridge, Blackthorn Academy stood beneath the night sky like something ancient and untouchable.
Massive gothic towers stretched toward the clouds while silver lights glowed behind towering windows. Dark forests surrounded the academy endlessly, swallowing the mountains beneath shadows and fog.
Inside the academy halls, chaos had erupted.
Students crowded the corridors discussing the same shocking news.
“A commoner?”
“At Blackthorn?”
“That’s humiliating.”
“My parents are furious.”
“They’re really letting some outsider from Ashvale into this school?”
Disgust spread openly across the academy.
For generations, Blackthorn Academy belonged only to elite bloodlines.
Future Alphas.
Pack heirs.
Powerful wolves raised to rule.
And now they were expected to share space with somebody beneath their status.
The students felt insulted.
But high above the lower halls, inside the private Alpha wing reserved for the most powerful bloodlines, silence ruled instead.
Warm firelight flickered softly against dark walls decorated with ancient silver crests. Massive windows overlooked the fog-covered mountains while expensive black furniture filled the enormous room.
Ethan Blackwood sat near the fireplace with one leg crossed lazily over the other, a book resting loosely in his hand.
Calm.
Composed.
Untouched by the chaos spreading through the academy below.
Everything about Ethan carried effortless authority.
Not loud authority.
Dangerous authority.
The kind that made people lower their voices around him without realizing it.
A black shirt rested perfectly against broad shoulders while the sleeves remained folded slightly above strong veined hands. Dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead despite the otherwise controlled appearance surrounding him.
Sharp gray eyes scanned the pages of the book lazily beneath thick dark lashes.
Cold jawline.
Straight nose.
Controlled expression.
Even sitting still, Ethan somehow looked dangerous.
Three boys stood nearby dressed in the black academy uniform reserved for Alpha bloodlines.
None of them looked pleased.
“This is ridiculous,” one snapped angrily. “An outsider at Blackthorn? What was the council even thinking?”
“They clearly weren’t,” another muttered.
The third crossed his arms tightly.
“You could’ve stopped this.”
Ethan finally looked up slowly.
That movement alone silenced the room.
“And why,” he asked calmly, “would I care enough to?”
His voice was smooth.
Controlled.
Almost emotionless.
“Because she doesn’t belong here,” the first boy argued immediately. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
Ethan closed his book quietly.
“I’m aware.”
The room fell silent briefly.
Then one of the boys narrowed his eyes slightly.
“You already knew.”
Not a question.
A statement.
Days earlier, Ethan’s family butler had informed him privately about the council’s decision to admit a scholarship student from Ashvale.
At first, Ethan had been mildly surprised.
Not because of the girl herself.
But because the council hated unnecessary risks.
And inviting an outsider into Blackthorn Academy felt exactly like one.
“She’s from Ashvale,” another boy scoffed. “Do you know how embarrassing that is?”
Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair, completely relaxed despite the growing irritation around him.
The firelight reflected softly in his gray eyes.
“I fail to see how her existence affects me.”
“That’s because nothing affects you,” one muttered bitterly.
A dangerous silence followed immediately after that sentence.
But Ethan didn’t react.
Didn’t argue.
Didn’t lose composure.
That somehow made him even more intimidating.
A sharp knock suddenly interrupted the room.
The large doors opened moments later and Ethan’s butler stepped inside quietly.
The older man rarely interrupted Ethan while company was present.
Which immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“Apologies, Young Master,” the butler said respectfully.
Ethan looked up slowly.
“Yes?”
The butler’s gaze shifted briefly toward the other boys inside the room.
A silent request.
One of them frowned.
“Seriously?”
“Out,” the butler said calmly.
Annoyed murmurs filled the room as the boys slowly began leaving.
One of them stopped beside Ethan before muttering
“You’re actually going to let her in here?”
Ethan remained relaxed against the chair.
“I don't have a say in the matter, it's the school's idea,” he said calmly.
The boy scoffed softly before finally leaving the room.
The doors closed quietly behind them.
Silence returned.
Then the butler finally spoke.
And for the first time that night
His voice sounded slightly uneasy.
“Young Master…”
A brief pause followed.
“She’s here.”
- Writer
