The Last Moon Wolf

CHAPTER 3: THE TRAINING TEST

The training arena smelled like sweat, blood, and fear.

Two hundred students stood in a circle around the sand pit. Arms crossed. Whispering. Waiting for blood.

I stood in the middle and wished the ground would open up and swallow me.

“First assessment of the year,” Instructor Vance announced. His voice echoed off the stone walls. “We pair by estimated strength.”

He looked down at his tablet. Then he smiled. The cruel kind. The kind Selene used.

“Aria Vale. You’re with Darian Croft.”

Gasps.

Darian Croft was 20. Third year. His wolf had awakened at 11. His family owned half the northern territory and the other half of the southern one. He was built like a brick wall and he hated weak people.

My stomach dropped.

In the front row, Selene wasn’t even pretending to look surprised. She leaned over to her friend and whispered something. They both looked at me and smirked.

Of course she did it. She asked Vance to put me against him.

On the upper level, Kael Drake stood with his arms crossed. Watching. His silver-gray eyes were narrowed, focused on me like I was a problem he couldn’t solve.

Lucian Rivers was leaning against the wall. No smile today. Just... watching.

And Rowan Black. He wasn’t looking at me at all. He was staring at the sand like it had personally offended him. Like he was afraid to look up.

“Begin,” Vance said.

Darian cracked his knuckles. “The charity case? This’ll be over in five seconds.”

The crowd laughed. Soft. Ugly.

I shifted my weight. Rule one: Stay invisible. Rule two: Don’t fight back. Rule three: Survive.

Darian came at me immediately.

I dodged. Barely. My shoulder screamed in protest. Ten years of running from Selene had made me fast, but not strong.

He swung again. Caught me in the ribs.

Pain shot through me and I hit the sand hard. The air left my lungs.

“Get up, Vale,” Darian taunted, circling me. “Or are you going to cry to daddy Gideon?”

More laughter.

I pushed myself up. My ribs ached. My shoulder burned.

Don’t let them see your wolf, the note said.

But I didn’t have a wolf. Did I?

Darian charged again.

This time I wasn’t fast enough. His hand closed around my throat and lifted me off the ground.

The arena went quiet.

I kicked. Scratched. Nothing. Black spots danced in my vision.

I couldn’t breathe.

And then something inside me snapped.

Not anger. Not fear.

Something deeper.

Ten years of “you don’t belong.”

Ten years of Selene’s smiles.

Ten years of being called powerless.

Humiliation. Rage. Grief.

It all boiled over.

“Enough.”

The voice wasn’t mine.

It was in my head. Ancient. Furious. Female.

“Nyx?” I thought, panicked.

Darian’s eyes went wide. “What the f**k”

I threw my hands out.

A wave of power exploded from me.

Not a punch. Not a push.

A wave. Silver and silent and devastating.

Darian flew backward.

Fifteen feet.

He slammed into the arena wall with a c***k that echoed through the entire hall. He hit the ground and didn’t move.

Silence.

Complete. Absolute. Silence.

Two hundred people stared at me.

Even Vance looked shocked.

My hands were still glowing. The light faded slowly, like embers dying. The mark on my chest felt like it was branding me.

“What was that?” someone whispered.

“That’s not possible,” another said. “She’s dormant. She’s supposed to be dormant.”

Kael was already moving down the stairs. Fast. His face was unreadable but his eyes... His eyes were sharp.

Lucian had pushed off the wall. His blue eyes were wide.

Rowan finally looked up. And his face. God. He looked terrified. Like he’d seen a ghost.

“THAT power,” Instructor Vance said slowly, like he couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. “That hasn’t been seen in over a century.”

The last of the light faded from my hands. My knees gave out.

I hit the sand.

The last thing I heard before everything went black was Nyx’s voice, urgent and low:

“They know now. Run.”

I woke up to the smell of herbs and the sound of arguing.

“can’t just let her leave. The council needs to be notified immediately.” That was Vance.

“And I’m telling you,” a second voice said, low and cold, “you notify no one until we know what she is.” Kael.

I opened my eyes.

White ceiling. White walls. I was in the academy infirmary.

Kael was standing by the door, arms crossed. Staring at me.

Lucian was sitting in a chair by my bed. He looked relieved when my eyes opened.

Rowan was by the window. Not looking at me. Hands in his pockets. Jaw tight.

“Hey,” Lucian said softly. “You’re okay.”

I tried to sit up. My whole body hurts. “What happened?”

“You happened,” Kael said flatly. “You threw a third-year across the arena with a power that’s been extinct for a hundred years.”

“I didn’t” I stopped. I had. “I don’t know how.”

Kael stepped closer. “Then you better figure it out. Fast. Because in ten minutes, the council is going to know too.”

My blood went cold. “What?”

“Someone sent a report,” Lucian said, his voice careful. “Anonymous. About your... display.”

The door opened.

A nurse walked in, then stopped when she saw all three of us. “She should rest.”

“She needs to come with us,” Kael said.

“Where?” I asked.

Kael’s silver eyes met mine. “Somewhere the council can’t get to you first.”

Rowan finally turned from the window. His amber eyes met mine for one second.

Then he looked away.

But I heard it. Faint. In my head.

A growl.

Not mine.