chapter 4: the beginning of a lie
707 Words
The blood on her hands had barely dried before they were herded back inside.
Rayana kept her head down, her mind racing. She had survived. But barely.
The wolves had been the first test. The easiest test.
What came next would be worse.
---
The Alpha’s Son – Khael
She felt his presence before she saw him.
The recruit who had stepped in and saved her.
Khael.
The name echoed through hushed whispers as they walked through the stone corridors toward the armory.
Khael.
Not just another alpha. The alpha.
He walked with the kind of confidence that wasn’t learned—it was in his blood. Every step was controlled, effortless, like he already knew he was stronger than everyone else.
And the others knew it too.
Rayana clenched her fists. She had to be careful.
A single mistake, a single wrong move—
And her secret would be out.
---
The Registry Office
The registry hall was nothing more than a small, dimly lit room with stacks of old papers and the scent of damp parchment.
A tired-looking official sat behind a wooden desk, his expression unreadable as he glanced up at each recruit.
One by one, they gave their names.
She stepped forward when it was her turn, her throat dry.
“Name?”
She took a breath. “Rai.”
“No surname?”
“No family.” She forced her voice to sound flat, distant. “I’m an orphan.”
The official stared at her for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, his gaze softened.
“The academy is brutal, kid.” He scribbled something on the parchment. “But it has a way of making people stronger. I hope you make it.”
She said nothing.
She couldn’t.
Because she wasn’t an orphan.
She was a princess in hiding. A runaway bride. A girl destined to be someone’s possession.
She didn’t need encouragement.
She needed a way to survive.
---
Uniforms and a New Identity
The armory was a large, open space filled with racks of weapons and stacks of freshly washed uniforms.
Recruits grabbed their assigned sets, some trying them on immediately, others adjusting the fit.
Rayana took hers and moved to a quieter corner, pressing her fingers against the fabric.
Her disguise had held up through the first test, but only barely.
The royal straps that flattened her chest had loosened during the fight, and she hadn’t noticed until now.
Panic flickered through her.
She turned slightly, checking for any signs that someone had noticed.
No one was looking.
But how long would that last?
She had to fix it. Fast.
Boys trained shirtless most of the time, and she would have to train alongside them. For over a year.
How was she supposed to survive that?
She adjusted the straps under her stolen uniform, pulling them tighter. They had to hold.
They had to.
---
A Sudden Nightmare
Thunder rumbled overhead.
Rayana barely noticed at first, too focused on the conversation around her. The recruits were murmuring about the next part of training, about their instructors, about who might break first.
Then—the skies opened.
A heavy sheet of rain crashed down.
A deep voice called out. “All recruits! Outside!”
She stiffened. What?
Someone shoved past her, grumbling. “It’s the next part of training. Endurance.”
Endurance?
No.
No, no, no.
Panic shot through her veins as the recruits filed outside into the downpour.
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then she forced her legs to move, stepping out into the storm.
The cold water soaked through her uniform instantly.
She barely felt it.
Because she was too busy feeling the straps around her chest soften.
Loosen.
Her breath caught.
Her hands clenched into fists as she stood rigid among the others.
She could feel it happening—her disguise falling apart.
And worse—
The scent she had masked with soil was washing away.
If anyone got too close—if anyone caught the faintest whiff of her real scent—
She was dead.
And just as that thought took hold, a shadow moved beside her.
A presence.
Too close.
Her stomach dropped.
Slowly, stiffly—
She turned her head.
And locked eyes with Khael.
- Writer
