Prologue

It was Erika’s fifteenth birthday, and the air outside was crisp with the promise of late autumn. As she stood in the doorway of the small house she’d grown up in, Erika waved to her mother, who was seated at the kitchen table, sorting through papers.

“I’m heading to the park to meet Emily and the others,” Erika called over her shoulder. “I’ll be back before dinner.”

Her mother looked up, her face softening with that familiar maternal affection. “Sure, it’s your birthday. Enjoy it with your friends. But there’s something I need to talk to you about later, when you get back, okay?”

Erika nodded, distracted by the thought of meeting her friends. She'd planned to spend a fun evening with them, maybe swing by the ice cream shop afterward. As she stepped out into the cool afternoon, the world felt alive—unaware of the impending storm.

Erika was different, though. She knew it. Her family was different. But she didn’t let that show when she was with her friends. Living in a small town, surrounded by humans, Erika had learned to hide the truth. Her Lycan heritage wasn’t something she could share with anyone, not even Emily, her best friend. It was easier this way—having her secret and her normal life, even if it sometimes felt like a quiet lie.

She crossed the street toward the park, her sneakers crunching on the gravel. The town was still, as peaceful as ever, the same quiet streets and familiar faces. But then, as she walked past the bakery on the corner, something shifted. A chill ran up her spine. Something wasn’t right.

Her senses, more attuned than those of the humans around her, picked up the unusual sight of men in dark suits standing near the old firehouse. They weren’t familiar faces. As she squinted, she caught sight of the lapel pins they wore—a black-and-silver insignia, resembling an intricate crest she’d only ever seen before on the few occasions she’d visited The Board.

The Board governed Lycan society like any country’s government, but its scope went beyond geography, encompassing the entire globe.

But what brought agents of The Board to a predominantly human town like Black Lake?

Shaking the thought away, Erika quickened her pace toward the park, eager to put her unease aside and enjoy her day. But as she neared the entrance, she heard the faint sound of sirens in the distance, barely audible over the murmur of children’s laughter. Her heart skipped. Something was wrong.

Half an hour later, as Erika laughed with her friends on the swings, the sound of a police car’s siren grew closer, then another, then more. Her stomach dropped, a sense of foreboding sinking in as she glanced up the street.

There, just at the edge of the park, a line of ambulances and police cars had arrived, their flashing lights bright against the evening sky.

Emily, noticing Erika’s sudden change in demeanor, leaned closer. “What do you think is going on?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

Erika shook her head, trying to mask her concern. “I don’t know… maybe some sort of accident?”

Her words didn’t sound convincing, even to herself. Erika’s senses were on high alert now, a warning deep inside her gut.

Without another word, she started walking back in the direction of her street, though her heart beat faster with each step. She reached the edge of the park and froze. A sleek black car had pulled up, and two men stepped out, dressed in dark suits that swallowed the afternoon light. They wore black sunglasses, even though it was still early in the day. There was something unnerving about them—something cold, calculating.

She didn’t recognize them, but the strange insignia on their lapels caught her eye. Agents of The Board. Her pulse quickened.

The men didn’t seem to notice her, but Erika felt their presence like a weight pressing down on her chest.

Shaking her head, she tried to push the thought aside, focusing on getting home. Her mind raced, her senses heightened. When she arrived at her street, she was struck by the unnatural stillness in the air.

Erika’s heart began to race again as she crossed the yard and rushed toward the house. The police were everywhere—more than she had ever seen in her life. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized—this wasn’t a road accident. Whatever it was, it happened in their house.

“No. No, no, no!” she whispered, her voice trembling as she reached the edge of the yard. Uniformed officers stood like sentinels, blocking her way. “That’s my house! My family—”

“Erika Regis?” A voice cut through her panic. She turned to see the two men in dark suits stepping toward her. Their faces were grim, their movements deliberate.

“Yes,” she stammered, trying to push past them. “Let me through! My mom—”

“You must come with us,” one of them said, his hand closing around her arm.

“What? No!” Erika pulled against his grip, panic surging through her veins. “I need to see my mom!”

The man’s eyes softened, but his voice remained firm. “You can’t. We need to get you to safety.”

Erika’s heart dropped. “What’s going on? Where’s my mom? My dad? My brother— are they hurt?”

The man’s expression didn’t change. “They’re gone, child. Your family’s been… compromised, and you’re in grave danger.”

Erika opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything, they seized her. Her body went rigid in their grasp as they hustled her toward a waiting car, her heart racing in confusion.

“What happened to my family? Where are they? I need to see my mother!” She struggled, but the men’s grip was unyielding.

One of them glanced at her, his face unreadable. “We’re taking you to a place where you’ll be safe.”

Safe? Erika’s mind spun with unanswered questions. What had happened? What did these men want with her? And why were they so certain she was in danger?

As the car doors slammed shut, the world outside faded from her view, and the familiar town she once called home slipped away.

The elder agent sitting next to her explained the situation. “We received an anonymous tip that there was an attack,” he began. “But we arrived too late. They were all dead.”

“Dead? How?” Her voice almost a whisper.

The agent nodded, lowering his eyes. “I’m sorry… they were killed in the only manner that Lycans can be killed… but it was swift.”

Erika couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was a nightmare impossible to wake up from. She didn’t know where they were taking her, and she didn’t care anymore. She hadn’t noticed how long she’d been sitting in the car, crying her heart out. It must have been hours.

The sleek black car rolled to a stop on a gravel driveway, its headlights slicing through the fog that clung to the imposing structure ahead.

She peered out the window, her breath catching in her throat. The castle loomed in the darkness like a sentinel, its weathered stone walls rising into the misty sky. An iron sign on the entrance indicated they’ve reached the Abbey of the Daughters of Athena. Shadows danced across its façade as if the building itself were alive, watching her. The thick iron gates had already closed behind them with a groan, sealing her fate.

One of the agents opened the car door for her. “This way, Miss Regis,” he said, his voice as unreadable as his expression.

Erika hesitated, gripping her seatbelt like it was her last lifeline. But there was no point resisting. She unclasped the belt and stepped out into the chill night air. Gravel crunched beneath her sneakers as she straightened, her breath puffing like smoke in the cold.

The Abbey stood on a hill surrounded by dense forest, its spire piercing the heavens. Lights flickered in only a few windows, faint and pale. The rest of the structure was shrouded in darkness, its gothic arches and towering buttresses casting eerie shadows against the moonlight.

Before she could take it all in, the great oak doors creaked open, revealing a tall, severe-looking woman framed by the faint glow of candlelight from within. She wore a long, dark gown with a high collar and a cloak draped over her shoulders. Her silver hair was pulled into a tight bun, accentuating her angular face.

“Miss Erika Regis,” the woman said, her voice clipped yet warm enough to echo in the quiet. “Welcome to the Abbey of the Daughters of Athena. I am Mathilda Schultz, the Abbey’s directress. Come, child. It is late, and the night is no time for wandering.”

The agents exchanged a brief nod with Mathilda, then turned back to Erika. “This is where we part ways,” the elder agent said. His partner gave a slight bow, and without another word, they got back into the car and drove away, leaving Erika standing in the driveway.

Erika’s hands clenched into fists. Part of her wanted to run, to scream for answers, but the towering figure of Mathilda drew her focus.

“This way,” Mathilda instructed, her tone brooking no argument. She turned and began walking toward the open doors. Erika had no choice but to follow.

The interior of the Abbey was even more austere than the exterior. High ceilings stretched overhead, the wooden beams dark with age. Stained glass windows lined the walls, their colors muted in the dim lighting. The air smelled of old wood, wax, and something faintly herbal.

Mathilda led her down a corridor where every step seemed to echo endlessly. As they walked, their shadows stretched long and thin on the stone floor, distorted by the flickering candle sconces.

“This will be your home until you come of age,” Mathilda said, glancing back at Erika. “Here, you will learn discipline, strength, and, most importantly, the wisdom of your ancestors. We are a sisterhood that values order and knowledge above all else. Do you understand?”

Erika nodded mutely, though her mind reeled.

They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron hinges. Mathilda opened it, revealing a small room with a narrow bed, a simple wooden desk, and a single window that looked out into the impenetrable darkness. A threadbare rug covered the stone floor, and a wardrobe stood against the far wall.

“This is your cell,” Mathilda said, stepping aside to let Erika enter. “You may find it spartan, but simplicity is a virtue we uphold here.”

Erika stepped inside, her arms wrapping around herself. The room felt cold and foreign, a stark contrast to her cozy bedroom back home. She turned to Mathilda, her voice trembling. “Why am I here? Why can’t I just go home?”

Mathilda’s face softened just enough to show a flicker of compassion. “Child, you have been sent here for your safety. The world is not just to those of our kind. Here, you will be protected.”

“Our kind?” Erika’s brows knit together.

Mathilda’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t answer directly. Instead, she placed a hand on Erika’s shoulder. “Rest now. Tomorrow, we will begin. The Daughters of Athena do not dwell on the past. We prepare for the future.”

Without another word, Mathilda withdrew, closing the door behind her with a quiet thud. Erika stood frozen for a moment, staring at the closed door before sinking onto the bed. Her mind buzzed with questions, but the weight of exhaustion settled over her.

Outside her window, the wind howled, rattling the glass. The Abbey felt like a fortress, and for the first time in her life, Erika realized she was truly alone.

Gone. They’re gone.

The grief was all-consuming, a tidal wave that swallowed her whole. But deep beneath the surface, a single question burned. Why?

She didn’t know it yet, but that question would come to define her life. One day, she would uncover the truth behind the tragedy—and the truth about who she was.