LUNARIS ACADEMY: BOUND TO THE ROYALS

SELAH "Welcome, Ms. Ravenspire." The guard’s voice was stiff, formal, like he was welcoming me into a palace instead of a school. My stomach twisted. "I think you’ve got the wrong file. It’s Selah. Just Selah. Not Ms. Ravenspire." He didn’t even blink. "Papers don’t lie." "People do," I shot back before I could stop myself. "Maybe the printer does too. I mean, you sure you’re not mixing me up with some—" "Ms. Ravenspire," he interrupted, sharper now. "Your father filled out these papers himself. You’ve been assigned to the Royal Dorm. Follow me." The Royal Dorm. I nearly choked. "No, no, no. That can’t be right. I requested the lowest rank dorm. C. D. Hell, I would’ve slept in Z if you had it." His brows twitched. "There is no Z dorm." "You’re missing the point," I said, shoving the strap of my bag higher on my shoulder. "I’m not a Royal. I don’t need a mansion, or a golden toilet, or whatever you people keep in there." His lips thinned, patience wearing dangerously thin. "Your assignment is final. The warden will escort you." A tall man in a black coat appeared, expression blank, and gestured for me to follow. Fantastic. My own personal grim reaper. I trailed after him through Lunaris Academy’s gates, and my jaw nearly unhinged. The place didn’t look like a school. It looked like a damn kingdom. Towers kissed the sky, silver and black banners rippling in the wind. Students in sleek uniforms walked in groups, laughing, whispering, already ranking each other in invisible hierarchies I wasn’t ready to touch. I muttered under my breath, "Dad, I hope you’re happy. Throwing me in with the wolves." Literally. The warden stopped before an iron gate. Beyond it stood a mansion. No, scratch that. A castle. The kind with arched windows, carved gargoyles, and a fountain out front that looked like it cost more than my entire life. My heart sank. "This…this isn’t for me. It’s not even funny anymore." The warden unlocked the gate without a word. I waved a hand frantically. "Wait. You’re telling me I’m supposed to live here? With who? Royalty? Actual werewolf princes who eat people like me for breakfast?" His expression didn’t shift an inch. "This is your dorm. Room three is yours. You’ll find the key inside. Welcome to Lunaris Academy." And then he just—left. No goodbye, no “don’t die,” nothing. Just walked away like he hadn’t dropped me into the lion’s den. Or wolf’s den. Same difference. I stood frozen in front of the mansion for a full minute, hugging my bag like it could shield me. My pulse was so loud I could barely hear myself think. "This has to be a mistake," I whispered. "A glitch. Some poor intern probably spilled coffee on my papers and now I’m living in Dracula’s Airbnb." Still, my feet betrayed me and carried me inside. The door creaked open and my breath caught. The lobby was vast, lined with marble floors so polished I could see my pale reflection. Chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, light scattering off crystal like starlight. Velvet sofas were arranged around a fire. Paintings of wolves—white, black, silver—stared down at me. I dropped my bag onto the sofa and immediately flinched. "Sorry. Sorry," I muttered, as if the sofa could sue me for disrespect. My boots echoed as I wandered deeper. There was a grand staircase curling upward, doors branching into endless rooms. It was intimidating, luxurious, suffocating. "Okay, Selah," I whispered. "You’re not Cinderella. You’re not the lost princess. You’re just…an i***t stuck in the wrong dorm. Stay out of trouble, keep your head down, and maybe no one will notice." Right. Except my last name was literally plastered on the roster. I shook my head and kept exploring, too afraid to sit, too afraid to touch. My chest was tight with nerves when a faint noise slipped through the windows. A shout. Then another. I frowned. "What the hell…?" Peeking out, I saw groups of students rushing past the gate, phones clutched in their hands. Some were whispering excitedly, others outright squealing. The energy in the air was electric, feverish, like they were running to see a celebrity fight. My gut twisted. Curiosity was my toxic trait. Against all better judgment, I grabbed my bag, shoved the strap over my shoulder, and slipped outside. Two girls sprinted by me, laughing breathlessly. "What’s happening?" I asked, half running to keep up. They didn’t even glance at me, too busy recording with their phones. More students pressed forward, crowding through the courtyard toward a single spot. The closer I got, the more the air shifted—charged, heavy, vibrating with dominance. My skin prickled, every nerve screaming that I should turn around. Instead, I pushed through the crowd until I could see. My breath hitched. Two men stood in the center, surrounded by a circle of eager students. The first had hair white as snow, falling into sharp, aristocratic features. His presence was cold, pure, beautiful in a way that almost hurt to look at. His movements were precise, like every strike had been calculated hours ago. The other was darker. Rugged, brutal, raw. His dark hair fell messily into his eyes, his jaw sharp enough to cut. He fought like fire—untamed, unrestrained, every strike designed to burn. The ground trembled as they collided. Students gasped, screamed, phones flashing. My heart stuttered. "Oh. Oh, I’ve definitely walked into the wrong story." A boy beside me whispered to his friend, "Lucian and Kael. At it again." "Place your bets," another muttered, grinning. I blinked, dumbfounded. "They’re betting? On actual death matches?" No one answered. They were too focused on the fight. The white-haired one—Lucian, apparently—moved with a flash of light, his strike grazing Kael’s jaw. Kael snarled, lunging back with a hit that cracked the stone beneath their feet. Lucian’s icy gaze flicked up. And landed on me. For one second, the world froze. Then Kael’s eyes followed. Both of them staring. At me. Both pairs of eyes locked on me for one terrifying second. Then, as if I wasn’t even worth the trouble, they looked away—like I was nothing but a fly buzzing too close to the fire. And just like that, the fight continued. Stone cracked beneath their feet. Sparks hissed through the night air. Kael and Lucian moved like gods warring over the world—two predators circling, striking, every clash louder than thunder. Students screamed, cheered, whispered. Phones were raised, recording every second. I should’ve left. My legs should’ve carried me back into that ridiculously fancy dorm. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t look away. Kael was all sharp angles and violent force, every strike a storm. His power felt…dark. Dangerous. It brushed against my skin like claws, daring me to bleed. Lucian was the opposite. Cold precision, every hit exact, controlled, devastating in its elegance. Looking at him felt like staring into a blizzard—beautiful, merciless, endless. The ground trembled. The air reeked of dominance. My wolf whimpered inside me, too weak, too unformed to match theirs. “Crazy, isn’t it?” I jumped at the voice and spun around. Two girls stood a few feet away, smiling at me like they already knew me. The first had a mane of golden-brown curls and bright green eyes that sparkled with way too much mischief. Her lips curved like she lived off secrets. The other was quieter, her sleek black hair pulled into a low braid, her dark gaze sharp but not unkind. I blinked. “Crazy is one word for it. Insane works too. Do they…do this a lot?” “All the time,” the curly-haired one said, grinning. “Kael and Lucian can’t be in the same room without trying to kill each other.” “They’re like oil and fire,” the other added softly. “Explosive. Dangerous. Impossible to ignore.” “Translation,” the first girl cut in, “welcome to Lunaris Academy, where watching alphas fight is basically the national sport.” I almost laughed. “You’re kidding.” She raised a brow. “Do I look like I’m kidding?” Fair point. “Liora,” she said, sticking out her hand like we weren’t surrounded by half the student body screaming. “And this is Orin. We’ve been here since last year. You’re new.” “Is it that obvious?” I asked dryly, shaking her hand. “Only completely,” she teased. Orin tilted her head. “Don’t take it personally. Everyone knows everyone else by the second week. New faces stand out.” Before I could answer, another vicious crack echoed across the courtyard. Kael lunged, fist cutting through the air like a blade. Lucian met him with equal force, his expression carved from ice. Liora let out a dramatic sigh. “Hot, right?” My eyes widened. “That’s your takeaway? They’re trying to kill each other!” “Exactly.” She grinned wickedly. “Nothing sexier than power. Unless you’re scared?” I rolled my eyes. “Terrified. Obviously. Do I look like I’ve got a death wish?” “Good answer,” Orin murmured, lips twitching like she was hiding a smile. Another shout split the air. Security stormed in—men in black uniforms, their presence slicing through the frenzy. “That’s enough!” one barked, voice laced with authority. “Dinner. Now.” Students groaned but scattered, still buzzing with excitement. Kael and Lucian broke apart, breathing hard, glares locked on each other like knives. Tension still hummed in the air, dangerous and sharp. “Dinner?” I echoed, dazed. “That’s what stops them? Not, you know, the fact that they could collapse the entire courtyard?” Liora laughed. “Trust me, you’ll get used to it.” We started walking with the crowd toward the massive cafeteria. “So,” she said brightly, like she was about to give me the gossip of my life. “Hierarchy lesson 101. This school runs on ranks. Seven of them. From A all the way up to R.” “R?” I repeated. “R for Royals,” she explained, eyes gleaming. “The untouchables. The ones who don’t play by rules because they make them. Guess who qualifies?” I didn’t even need to guess. “Those two.” “Exactly,” Orin confirmed, her voice low but certain. “Kael Dravenhart and Lucian Veyreth. They’re the only R-Rank wolves in the academy. Everything about them is…above. They eat first, choose first, fight first. Everyone else just falls in line.” “They get extras in everything,” Liora chimed in. “Better dorms, better training, better weapons, better…you get the idea. They’re the sun and the moon here. Everyone else? Just stars scrambling not to burn out.” “Wow,” I muttered. “Sounds…fun.” “It’s survival,” Orin corrected. Liora shot me a sideways glance. “What rank are you, new girl?” Heat crawled up my neck. “Um. None yet. Probably F.” “F?” Liora nearly choked. “Why F?” “Because I have little to no powers,” I admitted flatly. “Half-baked wolf. Half-baked everything, really. I’m basically a bread that never rose.” Liora blinked. Then she burst out laughing. “Oh, I like you.” Orin’s lips curved the faintest bit. “Honesty isn’t common here. Hold on to it.” I shrugged, cheeks burning. “Don’t get too attached. I’ll probably be eaten alive by midterm.” “Not if we get to you first,” Liora said, tossing her curls. “We’re B-Rank. We’ve got some pull.” “Some pull,” Orin echoed, though she didn’t sound convinced. My brows shot up. “B-Rank? That sounds…pretty high.” “Not as high as R,” Liora pointed out, gesturing at the courtyard we left behind. “But still respectable. We’re strong, fast, trained. Which means you’re in good hands.” “Good hands that apparently enjoy watching people bleed,” I muttered. She smirked. “Better than being in bad hands, isn’t it?” Touché. We finally entered the cafeteria, and my jaw dropped all over again. The place was enormous, tables stretching out like a feast in some royal hall. Chandeliers glimmered overhead, silver trays piled high with food that smelled so good my stomach growled on cue. Students filled the space, uniforms crisp, voices loud, everything chaotic but weirdly ordered at the same time. “This place is insane,” I whispered. Liora grinned. “You haven’t seen insane yet. Wait until ranking trials. Blood everywhere.” “Encouraging,” I muttered. “Welcome to Lunaris Academy,” Orin said softly. And as I looked around—the endless tables, the whispers about Kael and Lucian, the sheer ridiculousness of it all—I couldn’t help but think one thing. What an interesting school.