Moonlit Awakening

t, disorientation clouded her mind-the unfamiliar room, the lingering scents her enhanced sen

etly in the workout clothes Lucas had recommended: loose-fitting sweatpants and a tank top with a zi

hung low in the sky, casting silver-blue shadows across the manicured grounds. Despite the ea

field. His tall figure was silhouetted against the trees, unnaturally stil

approached, sounding marginally

ed. "I told you, academic decathlon ch

day," he said, nodding toward the forest. "After yesterday's... de

campus, thinking of Callum Rhys an

d with the Council," Lucas said

ut you're a student here. Isn't

follow. "The academy operates under Council guidelines, but Headmaster Blackwood h

th him. "And you're on the e

er side keeps newly Turned wolves from being exp

nce behind his words was unmistakable. She followed him in silence as th

ring nestled between rocky outcroppings. A stream trickled near

ate enough for training, but close enough to campus that

o break rules later

t you managed yesterday was impressive, but control is about more than physical tr

clearing. "Close your eyes.

te on the sounds around her. The stream was obvious, as

ce dropping to barely above a whisper. "Feel t

began forming a three-dimensional awareness of the space around her. The stream's babble revealed its winding path. A squirrel's heartbeat

rything," she w

. "The same principle. Don't

tinct scents separated themselves: damp earth, pine resin, the musty odor of fallen leaves

ward the scent-unfamiliar yet somehow marked with significance her

ery good." He raised his voice slightly. "You might as

and assessment. "Impressive sensory development for someone Turned so recently," sh

do you mean, 'given

Lucas. "Mr. Gray, would you give us a moment?

em with barely concealed suspicion.

" Moonclaw replied smoothl

erimeter," he said, addressing Maya more than the professor. "Stay in th

ull attention to Maya. Up close, in the growing dawn light, Maya could

ith pleasantries. Are you aware of

tside a werewolf academy seems pretty

so close to protected territories, especially not during student arrival period wh

e. "You're saying someone ta

is... interesting. Daughter of renowned neurobiologist Dr. Elizabeth Bennett. Science prodigy with published researc

g. "While I've been trying to adjust to being turned into a

. And they believe your scientific backgro

neration in lab rats, not anything related to..

ith the right perspective, could intersect with lycanthrope biology. Regenerative abilities,

hadn't considered before. "You think someone tur

factions within the werewolf world who believe our biology should remain mysterious, beyond scientif

urprise evident in her v

ere suggestion of a 'cure' is considered offensive to Bloodlines and threatening to Council a

dy warned me

n this case, his caution is warranted. Rhys isn't just here about a rogue wolf. He's here to

ing beneath her feet. "I was attack

be recruited for research that challenges Council policies, t

s a problem that needed solving. The realization must have shown on

tion. Be careful what you reveal in your interview with Rhys. Focus on the attack itself, not

d. "You don't want him using

l. Until we know why you were targeted, your safest path is to appear as ordinary as possible." She glanced toward the trees whe

n the opposite side of the clearing. His posture was casu

near the eastern boundary," he announced, loo

s. Bennett." She turned to leave, then paused. "Mr. Gray, a word of advice-focus o

ined Maya in the center of the

had been straightforward with her so far. "She thinks I was turned because of my s

ows rose. "Wh

aya explained. "Professor Moonclaw thinks it could be relevant to werewol

ol debate," he murmured. "That would explain Rhys's personal involve

would target a college freshman over theoretical research applications. But then

sition than I realized." He moved closer, his voice dropping. "The interview with Rhys is scheduled for this afternoon. Befor

s poss

"And if Rhys is planning what I think he is, it might be the only thing that k

ics. Factions. Centuries-old conflicts. She'd been thrust into the middl

mly. "Whatever I need to

tal compartmentalization-creating barriers between your conscious thoughts and the

on in her new reality. Science had always been her anchor, her way of making sense of the world. Now she would need to a

ng: knowledge was protection. And Maya intended to