Chapter 1 None

Chapter 1

EVANGELINE POINT OF VIEW

My uncle used to say that some places are built to break you.

The bus wheels screech against wet pavement. Through the rain streaked window, Blackclaw Academy looks like something out of a nightmare. Gothic towers stab at the gray sky. Gargoyles stare down with hollow eyes. Even the stone walls feel like they're watching me.

I press my face against the cold glass. Students move across the courtyard in tight groups. Their uniforms are perfect. They walk like they own the world. Like they were born knowing they belonged here.

I wasn't.

My fingers trace the edge of my acceptance letter. The paper is soft and worn. I've folded and unfolded it so many times the creases are starting to tear. Uncle Marcus gave this to me three weeks ago. Right before he died.

"For your future, Evie," he whispered. His breath smelled like whiskey and cigarettes. "Promise me you'll take this chance."

So here I am. Keeping promises to dead men.

The bus door hisses open. Rain hits my face. Cold. Sharp. I step down onto cobblestone and my worn backpack digs into my shoulders. Everything I own for school fits inside. Library sale books. Bent notebooks. Pens that leak sometimes.

Other students push past me. Their bags are leather. Expensive. Mine is canvas and falling apart. They smell like money. Like fancy perfume and brand new things. I smell like cheap soap and fear.

I pull my hood up and walk toward the main building. Each footstep echoes too loud. Makes me feel smaller. Like I'm disappearing with every step.

This school is for werewolves. Pack royalty. Future leaders. Not for girls whose wolves are barely bigger than dogs. Not for girls like me.

A group blocks my path. Three of them. Blonde hair that shines even in the rain. Skin that's never known hunger. They smell like power.

"Look what crawled out of the woods." The tallest one wrinkles her nose like I stink.

My chest goes tight. I try to step around them but they move to block me.

"Isn't that the Omega from Crescent Moon?" another one whispers. The word hits like a punch.

"I heard she lived in the slums. With that drunk uncle."

Heat floods my face. My hands shake but I keep them at my sides. Fighting makes it worse. Always does.

"What's wrong?" The blonde steps closer. Her wolf presses against mine. Demanding submission. "Cat got your tongue, Omega?"

The word burns. It's supposed to be just a rank. The lowest one. But the way she says it makes it sound dirty. Shameful.

"Excuse me." My voice comes out too small. Too weak.

They laugh. The sound bounces off the stone and comes back to hurt me twice.

"Did you hear that? She thinks she can speak."

"Someone should tell her. This isn't a charity school."

My throat closes. I can't breathe right. Panic starts in my chest and spreads. My wolf whines inside me. Wants to run.

Not here. Not now. Don't let them see.

I push through harder this time. My shoulder bumps the blonde girl. She stumbles back and gasps.

"Don't touch me! You probably have diseases!"

More laughter follows me. My face burns. This is exactly what Uncle Marcus tried to warn me about. But it still cuts deeper than I thought it would.

The main hall steals my breath. Marble floors stretch forever. So shiny I can see myself in them. Chandeliers hang from ceilings that disappear into darkness. Portraits of dead Alphas line the walls. Their painted eyes judge me.

The air feels different here. Heavy with old power. It makes my skin prickle.

Students fill the space like they own it. Because they do. Their families built this place. Their bloodlines earned them spots. I'm the mistake that slipped through.

I find the administration office. Wait in line behind other new students. They talk about summer homes. Family vacations. Which packs their parents lead. Arranged matings. Political alliances.

I have nothing to say. My summers were spent working to help Uncle Marcus pay rent. My family is dead and buried in unmarked graves. My future is whatever I can scrape together myself.

"Next."

I step forward. The secretary looks me up and down. Her nose wrinkles.

"Name?"

"Evangeline Cross."

She types. Frowns. Types more.

"There must be a mistake. We don't have any Omegas enrolled."

My heart drops. "Please check again. Marcus Cross sponsored me."

Something flickers in her eyes. Recognition. Then pity. Or maybe disgust.

"Oh. You're that one."

That one. Like I'm not worth a name.

She hands me papers. Schedule. Locker assignment. "Building C. Third floor. Don't cause trouble."

I take them and leave without a word.

The hallways twist like a maze. Everything screams wealth. Power. Students laugh and talk between classes. Their voices echo off the walls.

I clutch my schedule and try to find my first class. The locker key bites into my palm. Nothing here makes sense.

"You look lost."

I turn. A girl with dark hair and kind eyes stands behind me. She's pretty but quiet about it. Her uniform fits right but she doesn't wear it like armor.

"I'm Luna. You must be the new student everyone's talking about."

Everyone's talking about me. Great.

"I'm Evangeline. But my uncle called me Evie."

"Come on, Evie. I'll show you to your first class." She smiles a little. "What do you have?"

I check. "Advanced Literature with Professor Kane."

Her eyes go wide. "That's ambitious. Professor Kane doesn't go easy on anyone."

Perfect. Just perfect.

She walks me through the maze. Students stare as we pass. Some whisper. Others don't bother hiding their stares.

"Don't mind them," Luna says. "They'll find something else to talk about."

I doubt that. Being the only Omega here makes me a freak show.

We reach the classroom as the bell rings. Professor Kane is already up front. Older. Silver hair. Sharp eyes.

"Ah. Miss Cross, I presume. How good of you to join us."

Every head turns. I want to sink into the floor.

"Take a seat anywhere."

I scan for empty chairs. Most students sit in groups. I pick one in the back. Try to disappear.

The lesson starts. Professor Kane talks about symbolism. Hidden meanings in old stories. His voice is smooth but I can barely focus. Too many people keep looking at me.

A paper airplane lands on my desk. I unfold it.

"Omega trash doesn't belong here."

My hands shake. I crumple it. Shove it in my bag. Keep my eyes forward. Pretend my heart isn't racing.

Another paper. Then another.

"Go back to the gutter."

"No one wants you here."

"Pack reject."

Each one cuts deeper. I bite my lip. Don't cry. Show no weakness. That's survival for wolves like me.

The bell rings. Students leave fast. Chattering. I stay in my seat until everyone's gone. Give myself a second to breathe.

"Miss Cross. A word?"

I walk to his desk on shaking legs. He studies me with those sharp eyes.

"I've heard about your circumstances. In my classroom, everyone is judged by their mind. Not their bloodline. Work hard and you'll do fine."

His kindness almost breaks me. "Thank you, sir."

"However." He pauses. "Not all professors will be understanding. Some believe in traditional hierarchy."

Translation: some will make my life hell.

"I understand."

"Good. Now get to your next class."

The rest of the morning blurs. History: a boy knocks my books off my desk "by accident." Science: my lab partner refuses to work with me. Math: the teacher makes me work alone while everyone else gets partners.

By lunch I'm exhausted. Drained. I want to go home and hide.

But home is a tiny apartment I share with three other girls. Uncle Marcus left me just enough for rent and food. Barely. I can't quit. Can't give up on his dreams for me.

The cafeteria is chaos. Hundreds of students at long tables arranged by pack rank. Alphas sit by the windows where the light is best. Betas take the middle. And there in the back corner near the kitchen, a few Omegas pick at their food in silence.

I grab a tray. Get in line. The food looks amazing. Real meat. Fresh vegetables. Warm bread that smells like heaven.

I pile my plate. More food than I've seen in weeks. The mashed potatoes taste incredible. The chicken falls apart under my fork. For a second I forget everything except eating.

Luna waves me over. She's sitting with some other students. They look normal. Friendly. Not like they want to destroy me.

"How's your first day?" Luna asks as I sit.

"Challenging."

She nods. "It gets easier. Eventually."

I hope so.

They talk about teachers. Assignments. Weekend plans. Normal things that feel foreign to me.

I'm halfway through my sandwich when the cafeteria goes quiet.

The silence spreads like water. Conversation dies table by table. Even the silverware stops clattering. Students turn toward the entrance.

Five students walk in like they own everything. They move with confidence that comes from never hearing the word no. Never feeling small.

Power rolls off them in waves. The air thickens. Even teachers straighten up.

"The future Alpha and his inner circle," Luna whispers. "Ronan Nightbane and his friends."

I follow her gaze.

And everything stops.

He's beautiful in a dangerous way. Tall. Lean muscle that speaks of hours running wild in wolf form. Dark hair falls across his forehead.

But his eyes.

Storm gray with silver flecks that almost glow. They sweep the cafeteria with casual authority. Taking everything in. Missing nothing.

This is what an Alpha looks like. Power and strength and danger wrapped in human skin.

He moves like a predator at the top of the food chain. His uniform fits perfectly. Shows off broad shoulders built for leadership.

The scent hits me. Pine and rain and something wild. My wolf perks up. Something twists in my chest.

Everything about him screams dominance. Authority. The kind of pull that makes people follow without question.

I can't look away.

My heart pounds. My mouth goes dry. There's something about him that calls to every instinct I have. Something that makes my wolf restless.

The group heads to a table at the front. An elevated platform that sets them apart. Like royalty.

Ronan settles into his chair with easy confidence. His friends arrange themselves around him. Even sitting still he commands the whole room.

This is the future. The next generation of leaders.

And I'm just an Omega from the wrong side of town. Staring at something I can never have.

But I can't stop.

He cuts his meat with precise movements. Everything he does looks graceful. Controlled. Even eating looks elegant.

What would it be like to be noticed by someone like that? To be worthy?

Dangerous thought. Impossible.

But I can't help it.

Then, like he feels my stare, Ronan looks up.

His storm gray eyes scan the room lazily.

And find mine.

Time stops.

The world narrows. Just him and me and this electric moment.

His eyes widen slightly. Something flickers across his face. Surprise. Maybe recognition.

I can't breathe. Can't think. Can't do anything but stare at the most devastating boy I've ever seen.

And he's staring right back.

Something shifts inside me. My wolf reacts in a way she shouldn't. A way that's impossible for an Omega. She doesn't cower. Doesn't submit.

She rises to meet him.

And from the shock on his perfect face, he feels it too.