CHAPTER ONE
1998 Words
5 years later
“This is such a bad idea. I think we should go back before all hell breaks loose,” a shaky voice rang out from beside her.
Antonia rolled her eyes at the suggestion. Her gaze remained on the tall, majestic buildings in front of her.
Finally, she was here. She had made it.
The sound of shuffling feet broke the daze she was in. Turning her head to the side, she found her friend shifting on his feet, his leg bouncing as though he would go into a seizure soon.
There was no way he was panicking right now. Not here of all places.
“Oh come on, Charles,” she sighed as she eyed his leg,“It's a bit late for any nerves, isn't it?”
“Antonia!” Charles drawled, his voice low as he shifted closer to her, “ I can't do this,”
“It's Anton, now,” she corrected for the upteenth time, “and it's not a big deal. We're already halfway done with registration.”
“Tell me why we're doing this again?” Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as he shifted away from her, “No, don't tell me that. Remind me please, why did I ever agree to this?”
“Because you need the acknowledgment in order to be named alpha heir to your pack,”
“No!” He snapped, frustration laced in his voice, “You! I mean YOU. Why did I agree to attend the school with you?”
Ignoring his question, she continued, “We're already past the gates, so no take backs.”
“And if you don't move, you'll attract attention to us,” she bit out.
His eyes widened as he stared at her, “YOU attract attention!”
“No I don't,” Spreading her arms wide, she continued, “I look like every other guy here.”
She nodded to their environment, “See?”
At that moment, a boy her height walked past them without sparing any glance their way, ”See? No difference,”
“Well, Except that your real form isn't…”
“Hush now, Charles. Don't say anything about that,” she scratched her neck, the short strands of her hair tickled at it.
Her gaze returned to her friend as his body still trembled. If anyone should be afraid of being caught, it should be her, not him.
“Look,” she started, her voice calm as she tried to ease him, “You have to stop or you'll be fresh meat for bullying around here.”
“I'm not scared for my sake. I can handle myself.”
Of course, he could. Charles was no weak boy. Even though he let her play and push him around, he was still an alpha heir in his own right.
Though he hadn't yet reached the full maturity of his wolf, the alpha aura of his slipped out sometimes.
“If you're found out—”
“I won't be,” she stated, her voice firm and certain.
He turned to look as his gaze turned serious.
Yeah, this was the Charles she knew.
“Why do you have to put yourself at risk?” He asked with concern in his voice.
“Because if I don't, my father will marry me off to a pack that would end up killing me.”
“You're nuts,” he shook his head as he dropped out bags, “I can't believe you're basing your life on a dream you had when you were a child,”
“It may be a joke to you,” she continued as they made their way towards a queue, “But have I ever been wrong? About the things I told you would happen?”
Antonia had used her knowledge from her past life to save her pack and alter some events, including Charles’ pack.
Turning to him, Charles kept silent and moved along.
A smirk tugged at her lips.
That was enough for an answer. He couldn't deny it.
Now, everything was moving just as it had in her previous life. There was nothing to worry about.
“Then you should have studied to be a seer, not come to an all-male academy!” He whispered.
Shaking her head, she focused on their queue.
He would never understand her. No one could, not even her father.
For the past five years, she had chosen to live as a boy, dressing and acting like one. She thought her act could convince her father to consider her as his heir.
But her father thought it was just a phase, something she would grow out of. Only, it wasn't.
Her father wasn't harsh, but he was old school, traditional. He would never acknowledge her to become his heir. He felt it was too tasking, too troublesome for his doting daughter.
‘Being an alpha was challenging’ he would say, ‘Becoming a Luna suited her more.’
Now, she had no choice– she had to prove him wrong. And the first step for that was graduating from the prestigious alpha academy– Novix Academy.
She had studied her butt off for this. Luckily, it didn't come with a lot of physical challenges and heirs from various packs were welcomed to attend.
The plan was simple. Pass the trials, get the third-best score among the students. Do enough to achieve the best so her alpha title would never be challenged in the future. Even though that title would bear a false name.
Gone was Antonia Bryson. Here stood Anton Hargrove.
Glancing around, she sighted tall, bulky guys with full-on beards walking around and joining the queue.
‘Wasn't it only eighteen-and nineteen-year-olds’ alpha heirs that were supposed to be here?’ She wondered. These looked like fully-grown, matured men.
Glancing down at her small stature, she thought, ‘Okay, maybe she could try and make it to the top ten,’
“Let's go, Charles.”
Charles, her friend she never made in her past life. At first, she had thought it was too risky when she saved his pack, but she needed someone on her side in this school.
“First up is the dormitory selection,” she started.
“Yeah, I know, “ he mumbled, “You want me to pick a card from the same bowl as you,”
“No! Pick from the next bowl as me!” She corrected, her eyes widening at his mistake.
Novix had a weird way of doing things, but who cared?
“How do you know all this?” He asked.
‘From her husband in her past life,’ she thought internally.
“I did a thorough research about the academy, remember?” She lied, “I know all the tricks.”
“Fresh meat! Move on! I don't want to see any laggers,” a tall scary man with a scar from his neck up, shouted as he pointed to three long queues.
“Okay, this is very important. We have to get the same hall and the same room,”
“But, I heard it's like four or six in a room.” Charles whined.
“True, but if we can have the same corner we can handle my situation well,” she explained.
This was the crucial part of it.
“Alright,” he sighed as he moved forward, “I just have to pick from a bowl,”
“Yes, wait no!”
Before she could correct him, a huge person shoved her off to the side, "Move dwarf!"
“Shut–” the words died in her throat as she saw the shirt. It was an academy instructor.
Gulping, she took a step back and was pushed to another line.
“Wait!” She called out to Charles, who was already advancing forward on a different line.
“You're messing up the line.” A voice growled from behind her.
Without any choice, she moved forward.
“f**k no!” She cursed under her breath.
There was a particular order for picking a card if you wanted to manipulate the selection. She had explained this him, so why did he get it mixed up?!
“Please, please, please!” She prayed silently.
Turning her head, she looked at his queue.
Instructors were lined up in the middle of each separate queue. There was no way she could switch between queue.
Even if she could join his queue, no one would let her slip in quietly.
“Damn it!”
“Oom!” She exclaimed as she was pushed from the back. Her chest rubbed against the person in front of her as they were all muddled up.
“Damn it!” She cursed as her chest constricted, the bandage and rope around her chest made it hard to breathe.
Soon, it was her turn.
“Are you going to keep standing there?” A voice pulled her away from her thoughts.
“What?” she blinked as she stared at the huge man in front of her.
“Pick a card, dump it in the water bowl!” He thundered.
Antonia's heart pounded as she did as directed. She watched her white card, remain the same. There was no change in colour, unlike the other ones around her.
“Next!” The man roared.
Walking to the side, her heart pounded as she waited for Charles to show up.
“Well?” She asked when she saw Charles approaching.
“It's different!” He sighed, “Mine turned green. I got the Lewis hall.”
“f**k!”
“What did you get?”
“I don't know,” she showed him her card, “It's white and blank,”
“A dud?” He furrowed his brows.
Her heart jumped for joy, “Maybe. I should definitely pick again.”
“I don't know..” Charles looked at the line that seemed to be increasing, “We have to settle in and all. First choice and stuff. You said so,”
“Yeah, but that was when we were going to be in the same dorm.” She muttered.
Approaching an instructor that seemed the least scary, she showed him her card, “I think my card isn't working well,”
“White cards go to White Hall on the left side on the top floor.” He eyed Charles’ card, “Green cards go to Lewis hall on the right, third floor. It's the same building. Now, get a move on!”
“Well, we're kinda neighbors, right?” Antonia murmured as they dragged their suitcase up to their floor.
“This is my hall but you're all the way up there?!” Charles stared up at the staircase she still had to go through, “This isn't looking good, Tonia!”
“Anton! Damn it!” She snapped, “And stop panicking, maybe I'll talk to whoever is there, we could switch.”
Her palms grew sweaty as she said that. She had to think fast. There was no time. The chance to switch rooms was closing.
“I'll wait for you here. I can't pass since I don't have a card for that,” Charles said.
“Right,” Antonia huffed as she grabbed her suitcase. There was an instructor at each turn of the stairs to check the colour of their cards before going up.
Sighing, she rolled her suitcase down the empty hall whose walls were painted white.
Then she stopped in front of a door that had the same number on her card.
This was it. Time to find out who her roommates were.
Raising her chin up, she opened the door and stepped in.
Blinking, she paused in her steps as a half-naked boy, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, stared at back at her
“Who the hell are you?!” He growled.
- Writer
