The Mate She Chose

Chapter 5

Octavia's Point of View

The gravel crunches under my tires as I pull to a stop in front of my assigned dorm building at Moonspire Academy. The place is bigger than I expected, tall stone walls with wide windows, the academy crest carved into the arch above the entrance. My stomach flips, a knot of excitement and unease twisting tighter.

Kai is already there. He is sitting on a wooden bench in front of the building, leaning forward as he talks to someone I do not recognize. His easy smile shifts the moment he spots my car. He stands, says something quick to the other guy, and starts walking towards me, his long strides cutting through the morning air.

Before I can even close my car door, he is there next to me, wrapping me in a warm hug. His scent, pine and wind, pushes away some of the heaviness I have been carrying.

“How are you doing today?” he asks, his voice gentle.

I pull back, shrugging, my eyes skimming the ground. “I still cannot wrap my head around it,” I admit. “It feels like it might all just be a dream… and I am waiting to wake up.”

His expression softens in that way it always does when he is trying to be strong for me. “Come on, Ava. Let’s get you moved in.”

We work in comfortable silence as he helps me haul my bags from the trunk. My suitcase is heavier than I remember packing it, but Kai takes most of the weight without complaint. We head inside, the scent of polished wood and faint traces of wolf musk hanging in the air. The stairwell creaks slightly under our steps as we climb to the second floor.

When we reach my door, I unlock it and push it open. The space is clean and bright, sunlight spilling through a wide window over two neatly made beds. The second bed is perfectly untouched, no bags, no sign of a roommate yet.

“Looks like you have got the place to yourself for now,” Kai says, setting my duffel down at the foot of my bed.

I nod my head, taking in the room, the quiet, and the way it already feels like it is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Kai and I head back down the staircase, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. The morning air outside is cooler than I expect, carrying the faint scent of dew and distant pine. My car sits exactly where I left it, sunlight glinting off the hood.

“Just the last of it,” I say, popping the trunk. My voice feels lighter than it did earlier, though the weight in my chest has not fully lifted.

Kai grabs my box of toiletries, balanced on top of a stack of books, while I sling my backpack over my shoulder. “You sure you do not want me to carry that too?” he asks, glancing at the strap digging into my shoulder.

I shake my head. “I have got it. Thank you.”

We make our way back inside. And up the stairs again, the second floor hallway seems quieter than before, save for the soft hum of voices somewhere down the corridor.

When I push open my door this time, I freeze for a second.

She is already here.

A girl is bent over one of the beds, the other bed, tucking a corner of a blanket into place. She straightens when she hears us, revealing sharp green eyes, a mess of dark curls, and an easy smile.

“Hey! You must be my roommate,” she says, stepping forward and wiping her hands on her jeans. “I am Clary.”

Her energy is warm but quick, like she is the kind of person who is already halfway through a conversation before you meet her.

“Octavia,” I reply, shifting my backpack to the other shoulder.

Kai sets my box down on my bed and gives Clary a polite nod of his head. “I am Kai.”

“Nice to meet you both,” she says, glancing between us with a curious tilt of her head. “You just getting in?”

“Yeah,” I say, forcing a smile. “This is the last of my stuff.”

Clary’s gaze flicks to my things, then back to me, and there is something in her eyes, like she is already sizing me up, not in a bad way, just… reading me.

“Well, welcome to the dorm,” she says brightly. “It is not home, but it is not bad either.”

As she goes back to arranging her side of the room, I catch Kai’s eye. He gives me a small, knowing smile, like he can already tell I am going to need time to adjust.

The sun is higher now, spilling light across the training center’s wide lawns and stone pathways. The air smells faintly of grass and warm stone as Kai leads me through the main quad. Wolves of every age and build cross our path, some laughing in groups, others moving with the serious focus of soldiers.

“That is the dining hall,” Kai says, nodding his head towards a sprawling building with tall glass windows. “Over there is the lecture wing, you will have most of your strategy and leadership classes there. And,” he gestures towards a towering structure at the edge of campus, “that is the indoor training center. You are gonna love it.”

I fall into step beside him, my eyes tracing the banners that hang from the lampposts, each bearing the crest of one of the five allied packs. I try to picture myself here for months, training, learning, living. It feels strange, like I am wearing someone else’s skin.

Inside, the training center smells like metal, leather, and faint traces of sweat, comforting in its own way. The air hums with energy, people sparring in the ring, others practicing with weighted weapons, the rhythmic thud of fists against punching bags echoing through the space.

Kai is pointing out the armory doors when I notice him.

A tall, broad shouldered guy with pale blond hair is leaning against the edge of the sparring mat, arms folded, tattoos winding down both biceps and curling across his chest. His eyes are ice blue, sharp and they lock on me the moment I step inside.

I look away, pretending to study the rows of practice weapons, but I can feel it, his gaze following me like a spotlight.

Kai notices too. His mouth tightens, but before he can steer me in the opposite direction, the blond pushes off the mat and walks towards us with a lazy, unhurried swagger.

“Well, well,” he says, his voice dripping with smug amusement. “Hi there gorgeous.”

I arch a brow. “Excuse me?”

He grins, slow and deliberate, like he is enjoying some private joke. “You are a new face on campus. So I figured I would come say hi and wish you luck.”

I cross my arms. “You must have me confused with someone who is impressed by arrogance.”

His grin widens. “Arrogance? No. Confidence.” His eyes flick over me in a way that makes my skin prickle, not quite disrespectful, but not far off either. “You will see the difference soon enough.”

Before I can fire back, Kai steps forward, his tone low and sharp. “Come on, Ava. We have got more to see.”

The blond raises his hands in mock surrender, stepping aside with a smirk. “Do not let him keep you on a leash, sweetheart.”

I glare at him as Kai guides me away, my pulse thudding harder than I would like to admit. Whoever he is, I already know I do not like him.