In the kingdom of Luporia, only men can become warriors. Only Alphas can rule. And women? They are meant to obey. Seraphina refuses to accept that fate. Disguised as a boy, she enters the ruthless Alpha Academy, determined to forge her own destiny. But survival is not so simple-not when the kingdom's strongest warrior, Kieran Stormbane, takes an interest in her. Not when Talon, her most dangerous rival, begins to see her as something more. And certainly not when the past she ran from threatens to drag her back in chains. War is coming. The truth will be revealed. And when it is, Luporia will never be the same.
Chapter 1 The Choice at the Gate
The wind howled through the towering stone walls of the Alpha Academy, carrying the scent of damp earth and iron. Rain dripped from the towering iron gates, each drop striking the ground like the ticking of a war drum. Beyond the gate, torches flickered, casting jagged shadows over the fortress-like compound.
Seraphina stood at the entrance, her breath shallow, her fingers clenched around the strap of her bag. Beneath her oversized cloak, her heart pounded like a war drum. This was it. The beginning of the lie that would either save her or destroy her.
She swallowed hard.
If they found out-if even one person realized she was not the boy she claimed to be-she would be executed. No mercy. No second chances.
The wind tugged at her hood, and she instinctively pulled it lower, shielding her face.
Her father's words echoed in her mind, each syllable cold and final.
"You will wed Alpha Magnus Blackclaw. It is your duty as my daughter."
A tremor ran through her, a sickening wave of fear curling in her stomach. Magnus.
She could still see his eyes-black, bottomless pits of cruelty. She had seen what he did to those who displeased him. The omega who had dared to flinch under his touch had been dragged out in chains, her body broken, her cries echoing in the halls long after she was gone.
Seraphina exhaled shakily, her fingers tightening around her bag strap.
"Running was my only choice."
But was this truly safety?
She stared at the Academy's massive iron doors, reinforced with wolfsteel, designed to keep out both enemies and the weak. The strongest warriors in Luporia trained here-future Alphas, heirs of noble houses, and battle-hardened Betas.
They would crush her in an instant if she wasn't careful.
She steeled herself.
One step. That's all it would take.
Her foot lifted-
"You look like you're about to vomit."
Seraphina startled, her hand instinctively reaching for the dagger hidden beneath her cloak. Her gaze snapped to the speaker.
A young man stood beside her, relaxed and grinning, his sharp green eyes glinting with amusement. He was tall but lean, his auburn hair slightly damp from the misting rain.
She forced herself to unclench her fist.
"I don't get nervous," she muttered, lowering her voice to maintain the illusion of masculinity.
The recruit snorted. "Sure. And I don't enjoy pissing off nobles."
Despite herself, a flicker of curiosity sparked in her chest. He wasn't like the arrogant, stiff-backed noble heirs she had expected to find here. His presence was almost...easy.
"Elias," he introduced himself, offering his hand. "Beta-born. Same as you, I'm guessing?"
Seraphina hesitated before grasping it briefly. "Seth," she corrected quickly.
Elias didn't seem to notice the slight pause. He rocked back on his heels, eyeing the gates. "Well, Seth, ready to have your bones broken for the next few years?"
She huffed. "Excited for it, actually."
He grinned. "Liar."
A flash of memory struck her then-her as a child, clutching a wooden training sword behind her family's estate, her knuckles raw from gripping it too tightly.
"Girls don't fight," her father had said when he caught her. "You will marry an Alpha. That is your duty."
That duty had led her to Magnus Blackclaw.
The first time she had met him, she had felt the suffocating weight of his gaze settle on her like chains. He had towered over her, his presence a cold, unshakable force.
"A Beta-born girl?" he had scoffed to her father, though his lips had curled in something far worse than amusement. "She'll break easily. But she'll do."
Seraphina had stood frozen, nails digging into her palms so hard they nearly bled.
She had wanted to be a warrior. Always.
Not a wife. Not a breeding vessel for a man who saw her as nothing more than a tool.
So she had run. Disguised herself as Seth. And now, standing before the gates of the Alpha Academy, she was one step closer to proving them all wrong.
She shook off the memory and forced a smirk at Elias. "Maybe you should be the one worried about broken bones."
Elias let out a short laugh. "Bold words, Seth. You better back that up."
Before she could respond, a sound cut through the low murmurs of recruits gathering around the gate.
A growl.
Deep, guttural, and raw.
The air shifted. The energy around them thickened, pressing down like a storm about to break.
Seraphina stiffened, every instinct in her body screaming danger.
A figure emerged from the shadows just beyond the gate, stepping into the torchlight.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Drenched in an aura of raw, untamed power.
Silver eyes like shards of ice swept over the recruits, assessing, measuring, judging.
Even the cockiest nobles straightened under his gaze.
Kieran Stormbane.
Seraphina recognized him immediately. Everyone in Luporia did.
The strongest warrior in the Academy.
The one no one dared to challenge.
The air felt too thick, too hot, as his gaze skimmed over the crowd. The moment his eyes passed over her, something flickered in them-too fast to name.
She swallowed, lowering her head just slightly, forcing herself to appear smaller, less noticeable.
But something in her gut twisted.
She could feel it.
His wolf was watching her.
And it wasn't looking away.
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