Chapter 2

• LYRIQ’S POV
• "Get her out of here."
• My molars ground together as I met her forest-green eyes, bright and piercing even in the dim light.
• Mate. Mate. Mate.
• My wolf's jubilant chant echoed in my chest, clawing at my composure. I felt a flicker of irritation. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
• I didn’t want a mate.
• And particularly I didn't need one.
• I came from a line where mates were considered weaknesses and were not needed—breeders served their purpose, and nothing more.
• Every former Alpha of my pack had one besides my father who took in his breeder, my mother and I were a living witness to how badly that went. So I would follow in my ancestors footsteps.
• “Alpha Lyriq,” Lord Chance began, his tone cautious.
• A growl slipped past my lips, silencing him.
• The small bundle of red hair curled tighter on herself, making her appear even more fragile. It annoyed me.
• “Lyriq, you know she has elemental powers," Lady Astroy interjected, folding her arms with a sigh. "You’re the only one equipped to truly help her.”
• "I don’t want to help her," I snapped. My voice carried the irritation I didn’t bother to hide as I stalked across the room. I grabbed her fragile form by the arm and hauled her to her feet.
• She gasped—a soft sound that shot straight to my loins. I ignored it.
• "Look at her!” I barked, forcing myself to focus on the green flecks in her eyes instead of the warmth of her skin. “She has no control. She’s a liability."
• "Which is why she’s going to the academy,” Lady Brooke chimed, nonchalantly examining her long manicured nails. "We’ll need her eventually."
• Lady Astroy smirked knowingly. “Or perhaps there’s more you’re not telling us, Lyriq?”
• I glared at her, refusing to rise to her bait. Instead, I turned to the trembling woman in my grip.
• “Who are you?” I demanded.
• She blinked up at me, her voice soft as she whispered, “Indigo Larkspur.”
• My wolf stirred again. Indigo. The name tasted sweet and dangerous.
• "We know that," I snapped impatiently and she flinched. Good, she ought to fear me. I tugged her closer to me.
• “The question is, who are you? Your bloodline possesses necromancer abilities. Why aren’t you one of them?”
• "I-I don’t know,” she stammered, her voice trembling.
• The scent of her emotions—fear, confusion, and something unspoken—intensified. I hated how it made me feel.
• “Then figure it out, I don't have any time for this," I growled.
• “Take it easy on the girl, Lyriq,” Lady Brooke interjected lazily.
• "Why should I? You don’t even care."
• "No, but you do. At least you should—and you will." Lady Brooke smirked, exchanging a knowing glance with Lady Astroy.
• Her word was final.
• I ignored her and released Indigo with a shove, turning to the others.
• “She’s going to the academy,” I said curtly, ignoring the slight pang of satisfaction when Indigo instinctively glanced at me for reassurance. I wouldn't be giving her any.
• “Wait... wait,” just as we were about to leave, Indigo called out softly. I turned around to see what she wanted.
• “I want to know what happened to the members of my pack. Where are they? What happened in that battle? I can’t remember...” She widened her eyes, and I could feel her confusion.
• “Ashes,” I whispered, carefully chewing those two words. “Because of your powers, we almost didn’t need to exert much effort to wipe them out.”
• ---
• Hours later, we stood at the forest's edge.
• "You’ll have to ride me,” I said flatly.
• Her head snapped up. "W-what?"
• I sighed, I hated repeating myself. I stripped off my shirt without a preamble. "You can’t shift. You’re wolf-lless. And we need to get there before sunset."
• “Is…Is there no other way?” She asked, a bit startled looking around like a lost cat.
• “Do you see any other way?” It was obvious that where she was coming from, she didn't go out much.
• Her cheeks burned red as her eyes darted away. I couldn’t resist a smirk at her obvious discomfort.
• When I shifted, my golden-brown wolf towered over her. She hesitated before grabbing my fur. Her hands were tentative and soft, sending an unwelcome thrill through me.
• Once she climbed on, I took off, faster than I should have. Her scream of alarm was drowned out by the rushing wind and I had the strong urge to bluntly make fun of her.
• By the time Shadowbrook Academy loomed on the horizon, she was trembling as she slid off my back. I shifted swiftly and her blush returned full force when she accidentally glanced my way. I shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed her hand, leading her closer to the building but stopping just short of the door.
• “Welcome to Shadowbrook Academy,” I said, gesturing to the sprawling gothic structure before us. “School of the gifted wolves. Three rules: One, get expelled, and The Sanctum will dispose of you. Two, don’t pick fights you can’t win. And three, don’t get yourself killed.”
• Shadowbrook Academy was a place for those who had to learn to control their powers and right now even as much as I hated it, I would have to take this girl there because apparently, she had powers like me.
• Pathetic. There were strict rules to abide by at the academy, after years of watching people pass through the system, I knew that only the strongest would make it out and this girl was a far cry from the strongest. She would probably not make it past her first day.
• I gauged her reaction and I swallowed as her pink mouth formed a little 'O', all the blood in my body rushed south and I had to keep us moving to hide my obvious... discomfort
• "The Sanctum?"
• I sighed. “A council of high-ranked supernaturals who rule our world."
• “And you’re part of it?” Her boldness surprised me.
• “Yes. And if you don’t shape up, I’ll be the one tasked with eliminating you.”
• I had been a member of the sanctum for a long time and I knew what happened to people like her who managed to get kicked out of the schoolㅡ they disappeared.
• Her sharp intake of breath was satisfying in ways it shouldn’t have been. I stared straight ahead but I could feel those addictive green eyes burning holes into the side of my face.
• "Are-" She started again but I interrupted her, I pinned her against the wall suddenly before she could even react.
• "You need to stop asking me questions, Little Red." My nose brushed hers slightly and she quickly drew a harsh breath.
• “Will you really kill me?” She muttered, her eyes flickering around, purposely avoiding my gaze when it landed on my really excited cock.
• She squeaked and tried her best to push me off her, I released a condescending chuckle and curled a lock of her long hair around my finger, observing it for a split second before I stepped away from her.
• “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
• She fell silent, but her gaze stayed locked on me, probing for answers I wouldn’t give.
• The academy's blackened walls loomed like a living shadow, swallowing us as we entered.
• “This is your first class,” I said, gesturing to a darkened room. “The art of manipulation. And who better to teach it than the master himself?”
• I really hated these shadow people but even I had been tasked with her and I would need to show her the person who would teach her the first class here.
• There were two people here I hated more than the others and I happened to be smack in the space of one of them. The two men were Alphas from different packs and different powers.
• I was the Alpha of the Eastside pack and I had been gifted with elemental powers making me a force to reckon with.
• The second man was the Alpha of the Southside pack and was an illusionist and dream walker.
• And then the last one whose class I was in.
• The man always liked to make an appearance and every single time, he managed to make me mad.
• The air thickened with darkness as shadows swirled and coalesced around the figure at the room's center.
• Valtor.
• As usual with that cocky look on his face.
• He was the Alpha of the Westside pack and had the powers of shadow manipulation.
• We were all equally powerful and unique as our powers had it's limitations but while someone would expect the three strongest members of the academy to be in a close circle, we were in fact sworn enemies and always trying to prove each other wrong.
• I considered myself the strongest of the trio because my powers were more on attack than defense but I knew that they were also equally just as powerful.
• Valtor’s dark hair shimmered as he stepped off the platform to meet us, the blackness retreating behind him. His gaze landed on Indigo, and his lips curved into an excited smile.
• “Mate!”