Chapter 2 Skyla's POV

My father paced the living room, the crumpled detention letter clenched tightly in his fist. His face was flushed with anger, and his jaw was tight as he read the words again.

"They can't do this to you," he growled, his voice thick with frustration. "This is insane."

I sat curled up on the couch, my knees tucked under me, my arms hugging a pillow. The weight of the situation pressed on my chest. It was just detention, but it felt so much worse than that.

My first day at Starlight Shifters Academy, and I nearly killed someone, Adler Fenwick, the heir to the academy itself. And the worst part? I didn't even understand how I had done it.

Dad's hand shook as he tossed the letter to the floor. "You're not going back, Sky. I'll find you another school. A better one."

"No," I said firmly, my voice soft but resolute. "I'm going back."

His eyes snapped to mine, blazing with disbelief. "Skyla, you don't have to..."

"I do have to," I cut in. "This is my dream, Dad. I can't just walk away because of one mistake. And... I know Mom would want me to stay."

His face faltered at the mention of her. The anger in his eyes softened into something else, pain, grief. "Your mother wouldn't want you anywhere near danger."

"She'd want me to be strong," I argued. "She loved this place, and so will I. I don't care about the detention. I'll clean floors, scrub toilets-whatever they throw at me. I'm not giving up."

For a moment, he said nothing. His hands dropped to his sides, and he let out a long, defeated sigh. "You're just like her," he muttered under his breath. "Stubborn."

I smiled faintly, taking it as a compliment. "So... I'm going back?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded. "Yeah. But if anything else happens, anything, you call me. No secrets."

"I promise."

The next morning, I returned to the academy.

The stares started the moment I stepped onto campus. Eyes followed me from every direction, and hushed whispers trailed behind me. I kept my chin up, but the heat of their judgment burned on my skin.

"That's her," someone whispered.

"The girl who threw Adler Fenwick across the cafeteria."

"I heard she's some kind of freak."

I felt a lump rising in my throat. I wanted to shrink into the ground, disappear into the cracks of the pavement. But no-I had promised myself I'd face this. I belonged here.

The morning assembly gathered everyone in the grand hall. The towering stained-glass windows bathed the room in a kaleidoscope of colors as we all stood shoulder to shoulder. My stomach twisted when I heard a commanding voice boom through the speakers.

"Skyla Smithing."

My blood ran cold. I froze as every head turned toward me. Slowly, I stepped forward through the crowd until I was standing alone at the front.

And then, a second name.

"Adler Fenwick."

My heart skipped. Adler appeared from the crowd, his icy blue eyes dark with annoyance. He looked just as displeased to be called up as I felt.

Jones Fenwick, the academy's owner and Adler's father, stood before us. His towering figure radiated power, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

"I assume you both know why you're here," he said, his voice deep and unwavering. "Your behavior yesterday disrupted this academy's peace. Therefore, you will both serve detention-together."

A murmur of shock rippled through the students.

Adler stiffened beside me. "What? Father, you can't be serious-"

Jones didn't even flinch at his son's protest. "You're as responsible for the incident as she is. Perhaps some shared time in punishment will teach you both restraint."

I clenched my fists. Detention? With him? Just perfect.

But Jones wasn't finished. "Additionally, you are both barred from attending the New Students' Welcome Party this weekend."

My stomach dropped. "What?" I blurted before I could stop myself. The Welcome Party was the first big event of the year-a chance to meet everyone, to belong. And it was the night of my birthday.

Jones's voice was firm. "Instead, you will assist in setting up for the party. Decorations. Cleaning. Every detail."

The crowd buzzed louder.

"They're missing the party?"

"He's punishing Adler too?"

"I can't believe it. Adler never gets in trouble!"

My chest burned with frustration. I hadn't even started my life here, and already, it was ruined, because of him. I shot Adler a glare, only to find him scowling back at me.

Great. Just great.

The week crawled by, every corner of the school filled with whispers and pointed stars. Adler and I barely spoke during our punishment shifts, though I caught his sharp glances and scowls whenever we crossed paths. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

The day of the Welcome Party arrived. My eighteenth birthday. Instead of celebrating, I spent the day hanging banners and stringing lights with Adler, who offered no help beyond what was absolutely necessary.

"You missed a spot," he said flatly, pouring water on the ground deliberately.

I gritted my teeth, his smirk angered me the more.

We finished setting up just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The music started, and laughter spilled from the ballroom as students poured in for the party.

I stood outside the doors, hearing the fun I couldn't have. My heart ached, this was supposed to be my first taste of life here, my first birthday on campus.

Suddenly, a sharp, searing heat shot through my body. I gasped, clutching my chest as an unfamiliar sensation spread, like fire in my veins. My pulse quickened, and every nerve tingled with something foreign and powerful.

What was...The scent hit me.

Woodsy. Warm. Spiced with something that made my knees weak.

And then, a voice. A growl laced with disbelief.

"No. No way."

I turned, my eyes locking with a familiar pair of icy blues. Adler stood stiff, his body tense, his pupils blown wide. His expression twisted in confusion and something else, something primal.

It slammed into me with the force of a tidal wave.

The scent. The pull. The heat.

It couldn't be.

But it was.

Adler Fenwick.

The boy who had humiliated me. The boy who I couldn't stand.

He was my mate.