Chapter 3 Pretends

Aria’s POV

Even though I left proudly, I was fuming with anger inside.

Those stubborn, old-fashioned, narrow-minded idiots! They laughed at me, laughed like I was some kind of joke.

I’m still muttering insults under my breath when I hear soft footsteps behind me.

It was my Mother.

She falls into step beside me, walking at a much calmer pace, completely unfazed by my dramatic exit.

 Her expression is unreadable, but the moment we turn a corner and step into an empty hallway, she grabs my wrist and yanks me to a stop.

“What the hell was that?” she hisses.

I blink at her. “What?”

She glares. “You just challenged the entire Council to their faces.”

I cross my arms. “Yeah, and? You saw how they reacted. If I don’t make them take me seriously, they never will.”

She sighs heavily, rubbing her temples like she’s suddenly developed the world’s worst migraine. “Aria, listen to me carefully. There are rules…”

“Screw the rules,” I snapped. “They’re outdated, sexist, and complete bullshit.”

She eyes me carefully. Then, instead of scolding me, she does something I don’t expect.

She smiles.

It’s small, fleeting, and slightly exasperated, but it’s there.

“You remind me of myself when I was your age,” she murmurs.

I blink. “Wait. You wanted to be Alpha?”

She shakes her head. “No. But I fought for something that was never meant to be mine, and I won.”

I perk up. “So you’re saying I have a chance?”

She sighs again. “Aria…”

I narrow my eyes. “Why do I feel like you’re about to ruin my day?”

She hesitates, then finally says it.

“If an Alpha does not have a male heir,” she begins slowly, “then the Council chooses a leader from the Lycan Academy.”

My stomach drops.

“Wait. What?” She nods. “It’s been the law for centuries.”

I stare at her. “So you’re telling me that if Dad doesn’t choose me, the Council is just going to hand my pack over to some random, power-hungry lycan from a school full of wannabe Alphas?”

She nods again. I open my mouth, then close it.

What the actual hell.

I start pacing. “This is insane. This is beyond insane. This is, what’s a word stronger than insane?”

“Aria.”

“This is bullshit!” I whirl around to face her. “You can’t seriously be okay with this! Dad’s just going to sit back and let some outsider rule our pack? Do you know what that means? We’ll be stuck with some entitled lycan prick who doesn’t even understand how we operate! And what if he’s cruel? Or weak? Or worse.. what if he’s just stupid?”

Mother doesn’t answer.

She doesn’t need to. The tightness in her expression says it all. She doesn’t like it either.

I grab her hands. “You have to help me.”

She meets my gaze, her eyes filled with sorrow.

“Aria… I can’t change the laws.”

I shake my head. “No. But you can help me find a way around them.” She studies me for a long moment, then exhales.

“There is… one way.” I perk up. “I’m listening.”

She steps closer, lowering her voice like she’s about to reveal some forbidden secret.

“If you want to be the first female Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack,” she says, “then you need to go to the Lycan Academy.”

I freeze. Wait. What?

I blink. “Mother, I just spent the last sixty seconds talking about how much I hate the Lycan Academy.”

She nods. “Yes. But if you truly want to rule this pack, you need to prove that you’re better than any Alpha they could ever send.”

You’re kidding, right?” I shake my head. “In case you forgot, they don’t allow females. Like, ever.”

She smirks. “Which is why you’re going to go… in disguise.”

I stare at her. “You’re serious?”

She nods. I laugh.

Not because it’s funny, but because it’s insane.

“You want me to go to the Lycan Academy,” I repeat. “The same Academy that only accepts the strongest, most ruthless future Alphas, which are male?”

“Yes.”

“You want me to train, fight, and compete against the deadliest lycans in existence?”

“Mother smirks. “Well, you did say you wanted to be Alpha.”

I groan loudly. “You are evil.” She shrugs. “No, I’m just realistic.”

I let out a dramatic sigh and leaned against the wall.

The idea of going to the Lycan Academy is… terrifying.

I’ve spent my entire life training under my father’s rules, but nothing.. nothing could compare to what happens in that place.

They don’t just teach you how to fight. They teach you how to kill.

And if you’re weak? You don’t survive.

I exhale slowly.

“So let me get this straight,” I mutter. “If I want a real shot at becoming Alpha, I have to go to the Lycan Academy…”

Mother nods.

“…And I have to do it in disguise?”

Another nod.

I stare at her. Then I sigh again. Louder.

“You are actually insane.” She smirks. “Well, you are my daughter.”

She lifts her chin. “You want to be Alpha? Then you need to prove that you’re stronger, faster, and smarter than any male they could ever train.”

I blink. “You.. you actually want me to disguise myself as a guy?”

“Yes.” “You want me to live in a school full of murderous, bloodthirsty future Alphas, all while pretending to have a..” I wave a hand vaguely in the air, “... you know?”

She arches her brow. “A dick?”

I choke. “Mother!” She shrugs. “You’re the one being weird about it.”

I groan loudly. “This is insane.”

She tilts her head. “Is it? Because to me, it sounds like the perfect solution.”

I narrow my eyes. “There is nothing perfect about this plan. What if someone finds out? What if I get caught? What if…”

“Then don’t get caught.”

I glare. “Oh wow, brilliant advice. Why didn’t I think of that?”

She chuckles. “Aria, listen to me.” Her expression turns serious. “This is your only shot. If you want to be Alpha, you have to earn it. And that means going to the Academy, competing against the strongest, deadliest wolves, and winning.”

I exhale sharply. She’s right. I hate that she’s right, but she is.

“Fine,” I grumble. “But if I get caught and executed for fraud, I’m haunting you.”

She grins. “Deal.”

ONE WEEK LATER 

I stare at my reflection in the mirror.

I barely recognize myself.

My long, wavy hair is gone. Chopped into an average cut, just long enough to still look natural but short enough to pass as male.

My Mom gave me a standard Lycan Academy uniform.. a black, military-style training suit.

My figure is still too feminine, but my Mom have wrapped my chest tightly, flattening any curves that might give me away.

I look like…

A boy.

I turn to Mother, who’s watching me with thinly veiled amusement.

I roll my eyes. “Remind me why I have to disguise myself?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Because if they find out that you’re a girl , they’ll make sure you never survive long enough to tell the story.”

Ah. Right.

I turn back to the mirror and let out one final, deep breath.

“Well?” I scowl. “Do I look like an Alpha-in-training?”

She tilts her head. “You look like an underfed, angry teenage boy who just got his first sword.”

I glare. “Thanks for the support.”

She chuckles. “You’ll do fine. Just remember, act confident, walk like you own the room, and for the love of the Moon Goddess, lower your voice.”

I clear my throat and attempt to speak in a deeper tone. “Like this?”

She snorts. “Try again, before you sound like a dying cat.”

I roll my eyes. This is going to be a disaster.