Chapter 2 The Perfect Storm

Kai's POV

Kai Storm stepped out of the black SUV and stared up at Shadowmere Academy's imposing gothic towers.

Even in the pre-dawn darkness, the building looked like something from a fairy tale.

Or a nightmare.

"Remember," said the driver, a stern woman with silver hair, "you're here to observe and report. Nothing more."

Kai nodded, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder.

"I understand, Commander Voss."

"Dr. Voss here," the woman corrected.

"I'm the academy director, and you're just another transfer student.

A very gifted transfer student who happens to be destined for pack leadership."

Kai almost smiled at that.

If only she knew the truth about his "destiny."

The SUV pulled away, leaving him alone in the courtyard.

Kai took a deep breath, letting his enhanced senses take in his surroundings.

He could smell dozens of different werewolf scents lingering in the air, some strong and confident, others nervous and weak.

And underneath it all was something else.

Something that didn't smell quite... right.

A memory flashed through his mind.

Silver towers burning.

Creatures with too many teeth screaming as they died.

The taste of smoke and blood.

Kai shook his head, forcing the image away.

He'd been having those strange dreams more often lately.

Dreams that felt too real to be dreams.

"Focus," he muttered to himself.

"You have a job to do."

He walked toward the main entrance, his reflection catching in the glass doors.

For just a moment, something seemed wrong with the image.

His face looked... different.

Sharper.

More angular.

And his eyes seemed to glow with an inner light.

Kai blinked, and his reflection went back to normal.

Just his imagination.

The academy's lobby was impressive, all marble columns and crystal chandeliers.

A few early-rising students were scattered around, most of them looking like they came from money.

Designer clothes, perfect hair, the kind of confidence that came from knowing you were better than everyone else.

"You must be the transfer student."

Kai turned to see a tall guy with sandy hair approaching.

The stranger moved with the easy grace of someone who'd never doubted his place in the world.

"Marcus Chen," the guy said, extending his hand.

"Future beta of the Northern California pack.

You're Kai Storm, right? Heard you're supposed to be some kind of prodigy."

Kai shook his hand, careful not to grip too tight.

These werewolves were strong, but they were nothing compared to what he really was.

"Just looking to learn."

Marcus laughed.

"Right. Modest. I like that. Come on, I'll show you around before classes start."

As they walked through the corridors, Marcus kept up a steady stream of chatter about pack politics, class schedules, and which professors to avoid.

Kai listened with half an ear while his enhanced senses mapped the building.

He could hear heartbeats from dozens of rooms, detect the lingering scents of fear and excitement and teenage hormones.

And something else.

That strange smell again, stronger now.

It was coming from below.

"...so anyway, that's why we don't go to the basement level after midnight," Marcus was saying.

"That's where they keep the broken ones."

"Broken ones?" Kai asked, suddenly paying attention.

"Defective werewolves," Marcus explained with a casual shrug.

"Omegas who can't shift properly, runts who'll never be useful to their packs. The academy keeps them around to do maintenance work.

Charity cases, really."

Kai felt something twist in his chest.

Anger?

He wasn't sure why he cared about a bunch of weaklings, but something about Marcus's dismissive tone bothered him.

"One of them is particularly pathetic," Marcus continued.

"Zara something. Been here for years and still can't manage a basic transformation. I heard she tried to shift during orientation and just... stood there shaking. Embarrassing."

They walked past a large window overlooking the courtyard.

In the distance, Kai could see a small figure pushing a cart across the grass.

Even from this distance, he could tell it was a girl.

She moved differently than the other students, more careful, like she was trying not to be noticed.

"That's her," Marcus said, noticing his gaze.

"The broken omega. Sad, really. I heard her own pack dumped her here just to get rid of the embarrassment."

Kai watched the girl disappear around a corner, and for some reason, he felt the urge to follow her.

Which was ridiculous.

He was here on a mission, not to feel sorry for damaged werewolves.

But as they continued the tour, Kai couldn't shake the image of the girl with the careful movements and the heavy cart.

Something about her called to him, though he couldn't explain what.

When they passed a bathroom, Kai excused himself and stepped inside.

He needed a moment to collect his thoughts and push down these strange feelings.

He walked to the sink and splashed cold water on his face.

When he looked up at the mirror, he froze.

His reflection was wrong again.

This time, there was no mistaking it.

His face was sharper, more angular than it should be.

His skin had a faint metallic sheen.

And his eyes...

His eyes were glowing silver.

As he watched, horrified, his reflection seemed to flicker between his normal appearance and something else.

Something that wasn't quite human.

The thing in the mirror smiled, showing teeth that were too sharp.

Kai stumbled backward, his heart racing.

When he looked at the mirror again, his reflection was normal.

But on the sink, where he'd splashed water, there were a few drops that gleamed silver instead of clear.

His blood.

But blood wasn't supposed to be silver.

Kai quickly wiped away the evidence and rejoined Marcus, his mind spinning.

What was happening to him?

The dreams, the strange reflections, now this...

"You okay, man?" Marcus asked.

"You look pale."

"Just tired from the trip," Kai lied.

As they walked toward the dining hall for breakfast, Kai caught sight of the girl again.

She was mopping the floors in an empty classroom, her dark hair falling across her face.

For just a moment, their eyes met through the window.

And Kai felt like he'd been struck by lightning.

The girl, Zara stared back at him with wide, dark eyes.

In that instant, images flashed through Kai's mind.

Silver cities, burning skies and this same girl, but different, powerful, and dangerous and for some moment, he thought she was his mate.

The vision lasted only a second, but it left Kai breathless.

"Earth to Storm," Marcus said, waving a hand in front of his face.

"You're staring."

Kai forced himself to look away, but he could still feel Zara's eyes on him.

When he glanced back, she was gone.

"Come on," Marcus said with a grin.

"Breakfast.

You can gawk at the broken omega later."

But as they walked away, Kai couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen in that brief moment.

Not just the vision, though that was disturbing enough.

It was the look in Zara's eyes.

She'd recognized him too.

But that was impossible.

They'd never met before.

Had they?