That Alpha Is A Girl: Mated To Two

LINA'S POV

I adjusted the cap hiding my hair, my heart hammering as I stepped through the iron gates of Silverclaw Academy, the world's most elite-and ruthless-all-male Alpha boarding school. The air was thick with pine, sweat, and something primal, like the earth itself growled under my boots. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless, as if she knew we were walking into a den of predators. One slip, one wrong move, and they'd tear me apart. Not because I was weak, but because I was a girl.

If they found out, I'd be expelled-or worse. But I had no choice. My father's pack needed an Alpha, and I was done letting anyone tell me I couldn't be it just because I wasn't born a boy. The pendant around my neck pulsed faintly, its magic masking my scent and softening my curves into something boyish-shorter hair, sharper jaw, flatter chest. It wasn't perfect. Stress could crack it, and full moons were a nightmare. But it was enough. It had to be.

"Move it, newbie!" a voice barked, snapping me out of my thoughts. A beefy guy with a buzzcut shoved past, his shoulder clipping mine. I stumbled, catching myself against a stone pillar. His scent hit me-musk and aggression, pure Alpha. My wolf bristled, but I bit my tongue. Not yet. Not here.

"Watch where you're going," I muttered, pitching my voice low, rough. I'd practiced it for weeks, but it still felt like a lie in my throat.

He spun, eyes narrowing. "What'd you say, runt?" His buddies-two more slabs of muscle in Silverclaw's navy blazers-flanked him, smirking. The courtyard buzzed with other students, all male, all staring. Great. Ten minutes in, and I was already a target.

I straightened, meeting his gaze. "I said, watch it. Unless you're blind as well as clumsy." My pulse raced, but I forced a grin, the kind I'd seen my brother use to defuse fights. Or start them.

The guy's face reddened. "You look like you couldn't lift a pup. What pack even let you in here?"

"Good thing Alphas lead with their brains, not their biceps," I shot back. A few onlookers chuckled, and his smirk faltered. Point one for Lina.

"Big talk for a nobody," he growled, stepping closer. His breath was hot, sour. "Name's Bryce. Remember it when I'm wiping the floor with you."

Before I could retort, a new voice cut through, sharp and lazy. "Bryce, leave the kid alone. He's not worth the detention." The crowd parted, and my stomach flipped. A tall guy leaned against a tree, arms crossed, his navy blazer unbuttoned over a white shirt that hugged his frame. Dark hair fell into his eyes, and his smirk screamed trouble. My wolf whined, a strange tug pulling at my chest. For a second, I swore she whispered, Mate. I shook it off. Not now. Not ever.

Bryce hesitated, then backed off, muttering, "Whatever, Kade." His buddies followed, but not before Bryce threw me a look that promised trouble later.

Kade's eyes flicked to me, sharp and unreadable. "You're either brave or stupid, newbie. Which is it?" His voice was smooth, like he was used to being obeyed. The tug in my chest tightened, and I clenched my fists to ignore it.

"Guess we'll find out," I said, holding his gaze. My voice stayed steady, but my knees weren't as cooperative. He was too intense, too... everything. My pendant warmed against my skin, a warning. I couldn't afford distractions, especially not ones with perfect jawlines.

He snorted, pushing off the tree. "Don't die on your first day." With that, he sauntered off, the crowd swallowing him. I exhaled, my breath shaky. One crisis down, a million to go.

The courtyard was a sprawl of stone and chaos, students hauling duffels or sizing each other up like wolves circling prey. Silverclaw High was no ordinary school. It was a proving ground, where future Alphas honed their strength, strategy, and dominance. Combat tournaments, strategy trials, full-moon hunts-if you didn't cut it, you were out. And I had to outshine them all, disguised as one of them.

I hefted my bag and headed for the dorms, my boots crunching on gravel. The pendant's magic itched, a constant reminder of my lie. I'd spent nineteen years as Lina, daughter of the Ironfang Alpha, always in my father's shadow. He was a legend-strong, fair, unbeatable. But he was sick now, his strength fading. The pack needed a leader, and my older brother had walked away years ago. That left me. The elders laughed when I stepped up. "A female Alpha?" they'd sneered. "Impossible." I'd prove them wrong, even if it meant risking everything.

The dorm hall smelled of polish and testosterone, all dark wood and echoing shouts. I found my room-204, a cramped space with two beds, a desk, and a window overlooking the forest. My roommate wasn't here yet, thank the moon. I dropped my bag and checked the mirror. The pendant was holding: my reflection showed a lean, sharp-faced boy with cropped hair, tattoos and no trace of curves. But my eyes-hazel, too bright-gave me away. Too soft, too me. I tugged my cap lower.

A knock startled me. "Yo, you in there?" The door swung open, and a lanky guy with messy blond hair and glasses poked his head in. His blazer was too big, and his grin was all mischief. "You the new guy? I'm Jasper, your roommate. Hope you don't snore."

I relaxed a fraction. He didn't seem like a threat. "Linc," I said, using my fake name. Short for Lincoln, close enough to Lina to feel familiar. "And I don't. You?"

"Only when I dream of bacon," he said, flopping onto his bed. "Where you from? You don't smell like any pack I know."

My stomach twisted. The pendant masked my scent, but it couldn't fake a pack's signature. "Ironfang," I said, keeping it vague. "Small pack, out west."

Jasper raised an eyebrow but didn't push. "Cool. Word of advice? Stay clear of Bryce and his goons. And Kade-he's top dog around here, but he's trouble. His dad's some big-shot Alpha, so he thinks he owns the place."

"Noted," I said, unpacking my bag to hide my nerves. Kade's face flashed in my mind-those eyes, that tug. I shoved the thought down. I was here to win, not to swoon.

Jasper kept talking, a steady stream of chatter about classes and the combat arena. I liked him already-his energy was infectious, like a puppy who'd read too many books. But I couldn't get too closestationary bikes. Maybe he'd be useful. "You're gonna need to be quick," he said, tossing me a protein bar. "First combat class is tomorrow. Hope you're ready to get your ass kicked."

I caught the bar, grinning. "I can handle it."

"Doubt it," he said, but his eyes twinkled. "This place is brutal. Last year, a guy got his arm snapped in the first week."

My wolf perked up, eager. She loved a challenge, even if I wasn't so sure. "Bring it on," I said, more bravado than confidence.

Jasper laughed. "I like you, Linc. You've got guts."

We talked a bit more-safe stuff, like the food (decent) and the teachers (terrifying). But my mind kept drifting to Kade. That tug, that word-mate. It couldn't be real. Fated mates were rare, and I wasn't here for romance. I was here to claim my birthright.

A bell rang, sharp and commanding. Jasper jumped up. "Assembly time. Headmaster's gonna give the welcome speech. Don't be late, or you'll regret it."

I followed him out, blending into the stream of students. The assembly hall was massive, all stone and stained glass, like a cathedral built for wolves. We filed in, and I kept my head down, avoiding eyes. The air buzzed with energy, every guy here a born leader-or so they thought.

The headmaster took the stage, a grizzled man with scars crisscrossing his face. His presence silenced the room, his Alpha aura heavy, pressing against my chest. My wolf whined, submissive. I gritted my teeth, forcing her to stay quiet.

"Welcome to Silverclaw High," he boomed, his voice like gravel. "You're here to become Alphas-or break trying. Only the strongest survive."

His eyes swept the crowd, and I swore they lingered on me. My pendant burned, the magic straining. Did he know? Could he sense it?

"You'll face trials that test your body, mind, and spirit," he continued. "Starting now."

The doors slammed open, and a gust of wind carried the scent of blood. My wolf snarled, alert. The headmaster's lips curled into a grim smile.

"All new students report to the arena for the Alpha Trials," he said. My blood ran cold. The Trials were brutal, public, and worst of all, they'd strip away any chance I had of hiding who-what-I really was.

LINA'S POV

The arena loomed like a beast carved from stone, its high walls swallowing the morning light. My boots echoed on the path as I followed the stream of new students, my stomach twisting tighter with every step. The Alpha Trials. I'd heard the stories-grueling tests of strength, cunning, and control, designed to weed out the weak. My pendant pulsed against my chest, its magic humming, but I wasn't sure it could hide me through this. One wrong move, one crack in my disguise, and every wolf in Silverclaw would know I was a girl. A fraud. An intruder.

"First time's always the worst," Jasper said beside me, his voice light but his eyes darting nervously. His glasses slipped down his nose, and he shoved them back up. "Last year, a guy passed out before it even started. Blood everywhere."

"Comforting," I muttered, adjusting my cap. My fake name, Linc, still felt foreign on my tongue, but I was stuck with it. "What are we walking into?"

Jasper grinned, all teeth. "Pain, probably. The Trials change every year. Could be combat, could be a hunt. Whatever it is, it's public, and it's brutal."

Public. My wolf whined, pacing inside me. I clenched my fists, forcing her to settle. I'd trained for this-not as much as these guys, born and bred for dominance, but enough. My father had taught me to fight smart, not just hard. I just hoped smart was enough.

The arena's entrance was a gaping maw, flanked by older students who jeered as we passed. "Fresh meat!" one shouted, and laughter rippled through the crowd. I kept my head down, blending into the pack, but my skin prickled. Bryce's scent-musk and malice-hit me a second before his voice did.

"Ready to eat dirt, runt?" He loomed behind me, his buzzcut gleaming in the sun. His buddies snickered, circling like vultures. "Or you gonna cry for mommy first?"

I turned, meeting his glare. My wolf growled, eager, but I kept my voice steady, low. "If I cry, it'll be from your stench, Bryce. Ever heard of soap?"

Jasper snorted, and a few nearby students chuckled. Bryce's face twisted, but before he could swing, a sharp whistle cut through the noise. A professor-tall, lean, with silver streaks in his dark hair-strode toward us. His eyes were piercing, like he could see straight through my pendant's magic. My breath caught, and that strange tug I'd felt with Kade flickered again, softer but undeniable. My wolf perked up, whispering, Mate. I shoved her down. Not again.

"Enough," the professor snapped, his voice calm but laced with authority. "Save your energy for the Trials, not schoolyard nonsense." His gaze lingered on me, and I swore his nostrils flared, testing the air. "You. Name?"

"Linc, sir," I said, my heart pounding. "Ironfang pack."

He raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Ironfang. Small pack. Ambitious, sending someone here." He didn't sound convinced, but he moved on, barking orders to line up. I exhaled, my knees shaky. Jasper shot me a look-half pity, half awe.

"That's Professor Elias," he whispered as we shuffled into the arena. "Teaches pack lore. Tough but fair. Don't get on his bad side."

"Not planning to," I said, but my eyes trailed Elias. He moved with a predator's grace, his blazer doing little to hide the strength beneath. That tug in my chest wouldn't quit, and it scared me more than Bryce's fists. Two mates? Impossible. I was here to become an Alpha, not to chase fairy tales.

The arena was a coliseum of dirt and stone, tiered seats packed with students and faculty. Their cheers and taunts roared like a storm, and my wolf bristled, itching to prove herself. We newbies-about thirty of us-gathered in the center, surrounded by a dirt ring marked with claw marks and old blood. My stomach churned. This was real.

The headmaster took a platform above, his scarred face grim. "Welcome to the Alpha Trials," he boomed, silencing the crowd. "Silverclaw High forges leaders through fire. Today, you prove you belong. Fail, and you're gone."

Gone. The word hit like a punch. I couldn't fail. Not for me, not for my father, not for the pack counting on me to defy the elders' sneers.

"The first Trial is simple," the headmaster said. "Survival. You'll face a gauntlet-obstacles, traps, and your peers. Reach the other side, you pass. Fall, you're out. No killing, but everything else is fair."

A gauntlet. My mind raced. Traps I could handle-my father had drilled me in evasion. But my peers? Bryce's glare burned into me, and I spotted Kade in the stands, his smirk sharp as a blade. He wasn't competing-probably a privilege of being top dog-but his eyes locked on mine, and that tug flared again, hot and confusing. I tore my gaze away.

"Line up!" Elias barked, and we scrambled to the starting line, a wooden gate at the ring's edge. I ended up between Jasper and a wiry guy who smelled like fear. The gate led to a tunnel, its mouth dark and reeking of damp earth and metal. Traps. Great.

Jasper leaned close. "Stick with me, Linc. We'll make it."

I nodded, grateful for his optimism. "Deal. Don't trip."

He grinned, but his hands shook. I didn't blame him. My own were clammy, the pendant's warmth a constant reminder of my lie.

The headmaster raised a hand. "Begin!"

The gate slammed open, and we surged forward, a tangle of elbows and snarls. The tunnel was narrow, forcing us single-file, and I ducked a swinging blade that dropped from the ceiling, its edge glinting. Someone behind me screamed, and I didn't look back. My wolf urged me on, her instincts sharp. I leaped over a pit spiked with wooden stakes, my boots skidding on loose dirt. Jasper cursed beside me, barely clearing it.

"Keep moving!" I hissed, grabbing his arm as he stumbled. The tunnel opened into a maze of stone walls, vines, and shadows. Fire pits flared at random, singeing my sleeve. I swerved, heart pounding, and caught Bryce's scent a second before he barreled into me.

"Got you, runt!" he roared, shoving me into a wall. My cap flew off, and panic spiked as my hair-tucked but too long-brushed my neck. I dove for the cap, jamming it back on as Bryce lunged again.

I rolled, using his momentum to trip him. He hit the ground hard, cursing, and I sprinted, my wolf howling with glee. Smart, not strong. That was my edge.

The maze twisted, and I lost Jasper in the chaos. Voices echoed-grunts, screams, cheers from the crowd above. A net dropped, and I slashed it with my pocketknife, barely dodging a spiked log that swung from nowhere. My pendant burned, the magic straining under my sweat and stress. Hold, I begged it. Just hold.

I rounded a corner and froze. Kade stood at the maze's edge, not in the stands anymore, his arms crossed. "Not bad, newbie," he called, his voice carrying over the noise. "But you're slowing down."

"Mind your own business," I snapped, my voice rougher than I meant. His smirk widened, and that tug in my chest turned molten. My wolf whined, torn between running and-stupidly-staying.

"Make it out, and maybe I will," he said, eyes glinting. He was toying with me, but why? Before I could snap back, Bryce's roar echoed behind me.

I bolted, the maze spitting me into a final stretch-a rope bridge over a pit of mud and jagged rocks. The crowd roared, their scents overwhelming. I grabbed the ropes, my arms burning as I hauled myself across. Jasper was ahead, his glasses fogged but his grin fierce. "Almost there, Linc!"

I nodded, focused, but a shadow moved on the other side. Not Bryce. Someone else-taller, leaner, his scent unfamiliar but sharp with intent. He watched me, his eyes cold, calculating. My wolf growled, sensing a threat deeper than Bryce's bluster. Who was he?

The bridge swayed, and I pushed forward, reaching solid ground just as a horn blared. The Trial was over. I'd made it. Jasper whooped, slapping my back, but my eyes found the stranger. He was gone, melted into the crowd.

Elias appeared, clipboard in hand, his gaze sweeping the survivors. "Fifteen of you passed," he said, his voice cutting through the cheers. "The rest, pack your bags." His eyes met mine, and my pendant flared, hot enough to sting. Did he know? Could he tell?

Before I could dwell, Kade's voice rang out from the stands. "Nice moves, Linc. Let's see if you survive what's next."

The crowd laughed, but his words weren't a taunt. They were a warning. I turned, searching for the stranger, but he was nowhere. My wolf snarled, restless, and I knew one thing for sure: the Trials were just the beginning, and someone-maybe everyone-was already watching me too closely.

LINA'S POV

The dorm's dim light flickered as I yanked off my cap, my reflection in the cracked mirror showing a boy who wasn't me. My heart hadn't stopped racing since the Alpha Trials, and the pendant around my neck still burned from the strain of hiding my scent through that gauntlet of traps and fists. I'd survived-barely-but the memory of that stranger's cold eyes at the bridge's end clung to me like damp fur. He wasn't Bryce, wasn't Kade. He was something else, and my wolf hadn't stopped growling since.

"Linc, you look like you saw a ghost," Jasper said, sprawled on his bed, his glasses fogged from the arena's dust. He was nursing a bruised cheek but grinning like he'd won a medal. "You made it through the Trials, man. Fifteen out of thirty. That's something."

"Yeah," I said, forcing a smile as I tucked my hair tighter under the cap. "Something." But my mind wasn't on the victory. It was on Professor Elias's stare, Kade's cryptic warning, and that stranger who'd watched me like he knew my secret. I'd come to Silverclaw High to prove I could lead my father's pack, not to play prey, but this place was a maze of threats, and I was already lost.

I sat on my bed, the springs creaking, and rubbed the pendant. Its magic was my lifeline, but it felt fragile, like a promise ready to break. "Jasper, you ever see a guy at the Trials, tall, lean, kinda... intense? Not a student, maybe?"

He frowned, pushing up his glasses. "Intense how? Half the guys here look like they wanna eat you for breakfast."

"Not like Bryce," I said, struggling to describe it. "He was older, maybe a senior. Watched me at the end, then vanished."

Jasper shrugged, tossing a protein bar my way. "Probably some upperclassman scoping the competition. You stood out, Linc. Tripping Bryce like that? Ballsy."

I caught the bar, my grin half-hearted. Ballsy or stupid, it had painted a target on my back. I needed to be invisible, not a spectacle, but my wolf loved the fight too much. She was restless, clawing at my chest, and I didn't know how long I could keep her caged.

A sharp knock rattled the door. I stiffened, shoving the cap back on. "Who's there?" I called, my voice low, practiced.

"Professor Elias," came the reply, crisp and commanding. My pulse spiked, that tug in my chest flaring like a spark. My wolf whined, Mate, and I cursed her timing. Two mates in one school? Either I was cursed, or the moon goddess had a sick sense of humor.

Jasper scrambled to his feet, suddenly serious. "Uh, come in, sir!"

The door swung open, and Elias filled the frame, his dark blazer sharp against the dorm's drab walls. His eyes-storm-gray, piercing-swept the room before landing on me. My pendant warmed, and I fought the urge to shrink back. He was just a professor, I told myself. Just doing his job.

"Linc, is it?" he said, his voice smooth but edged, like a blade wrapped in silk. "You performed... adequately in the Trials. I need a word. Alone."

Jasper's eyes widened, but he grabbed his bag. "I, uh, need to hit the library anyway. Catch you later, Linc." He bolted, leaving me with Elias and a room that suddenly felt too small.

I stood, my boots scuffing the floor. "What's this about, sir?" My voice held, but my hands were clammy. Had he seen something in the Trials? Did he suspect?

Elias closed the door, the click loud in the silence. He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn't solve. "Ironfang pack," he said, almost to himself. "I've read their histories. Small, isolated. No record of a Linc."

My throat tightened. "We're not big on paperwork," I said, forcing a shrug. "My father keeps things old-school."

He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Your father. The Alpha, I presume? Yet he sent you here, barely trained, to compete with wolves twice your size." His gaze flicked to my cap, then back to my eyes. "Why?"

I swallowed, my wolf bristling at the challenge in his tone. "Because I'm good enough," I said, meeting his stare. "Size isn't everything."

A faint smile tugged at his lips, gone as fast as it came. "Bold words. Reckless, but bold." He stepped closer, and my breath caught. His scent-cedar and something sharp, like a winter storm-hit me hard, and that tug turned molten. My wolf was practically howling, and I clenched my fists to stay grounded.

"Reckless gets you killed here," he said, his voice low. "Silverclaw High isn't a game. If you're hiding something, it'll come out. And when it does, no one will save you."

My pendant burned, and I prayed he couldn't hear my heart hammering. "I'm not hiding anything," I lied, my voice steady despite the panic clawing my insides. "Just here to prove myself, like everyone else."

He held my gaze, searching, then stepped back. "We'll see." He turned to leave but paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Your strategy in the maze was clever. Keep that up, and you might survive the week."

The door closed behind him, and I collapsed onto the bed, my breath ragged. He knew something-or suspected it. I had to be more careful, but how? This place was a pressure cooker, and every move I made seemed to draw more eyes.

I barely had time to process before another knock came, this one sharper. "Linc, open up!"

Kade's voice, all arrogance and heat, sent my wolf into a tailspin. I groaned, dragging myself to the door. Couldn't I get five minutes without a crisis?

I opened it, and there he was, leaning against the frame, his dark hair mussed and his blazer slung over one shoulder. His smirk was infuriating, but that tug in my chest was worse, pulling me toward him like a magnet. "What do you want?" I snapped, keeping my voice rough.

"Nice to see you too, newbie," he said, stepping inside uninvited. He scanned the room, then me, his eyes lingering a beat too long. "Heard Elias paid you a visit. You in trouble already?"

"None of your business," I said, crossing my arms. My pendant was still warm, and Kade's presence wasn't helping. His scent-leather and wildfire-made my wolf restless, and I hated how it scrambled my thoughts.

He chuckled, low and dangerous. "Everything's my business around here. You're the talk of the Trials, tripping Bryce like some street fighter. Not bad for a scrawny kid."

"Scrawny?" I bristled, forgetting my caution. "I made it through, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." His smirk faded, replaced by something sharper, like he was seeing me for the first time. "But you've got a target on you now. Bryce won't let that slide, and he's not the only one watching."

My mind flashed to the stranger at the bridge. "Who else?" I asked, too quickly. Kade's eyes narrowed, and I cursed myself for sounding desperate.

"Curious, huh?" He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Stick around, Linc. You'll find out soon enough." His gaze flicked to my cap, and for a heart-stopping second, I thought he'd yank it off. Instead, he turned, heading for the door. "Watch your back. Wouldn't want you gone before I figure you out."

He left, and I locked the door, my hands shaking. Kade was trouble, Elias was a threat, and that stranger whoever he was felt like a storm on the horizon. I needed allies, answers, something to keep me afloat. Jasper was a start, but I couldn't trust him with the truth. Not yet.

I pulled out my father's old journal, hidden in my bag, and flipped to his last entry. Strength isn't muscle, Lina. It's will. Lead with that, and no one can break you. I traced the words, my throat tight. He believed in me, even when the elders didn't. I wouldn't let him down.

A bell rang, signaling dinner, but my appetite was gone. I headed out, blending into the hall's chaos, when a shadow moved at the corridor's end. That scent-sharp, unfamiliar-hit me again. The stranger. He stood under a flickering light, his lean frame tense, his eyes locked on me. My wolf snarled, urging me to run, but I froze as he stepped forward, his voice low and cold.

"You don't belong here, Ironfang," he said, his words slicing through the noise. "And I'm going to prove it."

He vanished into the crowd before I could respond, leaving my heart in my throat. My pendant flared, hotter than ever, and I knew one thing for sure: my secret was a ticking bomb, and someone had just lit the fuse.