CHAPTER 7.

The sun had already begun to set, Julian stood in the middle of the room, his whole attention focused on me, his presence commanding as ever.

He was intimidating, but not enough to keep me from protesting.

“What do you mean ready for school tomorrow?” I yelled, unable to control myself.

“Did you think you were going to stop having an education just because you’re a werewolf?” He asked, standing tall with his arms crossed over his chest.

I blinked up at him. "I knew I was going to be learning. But, education?"

"Yes. Starting tomorrow, you'll be attending Moondew Academy."

My stomach dropped. "Wait, what? You're really sending me to school? Like…an actual school? With werewolves?"

His lips twitched in mild amusement. "Of course. What do you think the pups around here do? Run around naked in the wild?”

I bit my lower lip. “Well….”

I paused and we stared at each other, both of them clearly aware of my unspoken words.

“We’re not animals, Astra,” Jerry joined the conversation, slightly offended. Julian and I gave him a weird look. He turned away and added, “You know what I mean.”

Julian sighed, his attention on me once again. “You've lived among humans your entire life. You need to learn our ways, and the academy is the best place for that."

“But Julian—”

“That’s enough, honey. You’re going to school tomorrow and that’s final.”

I exhaled, trying to process the sudden change. I should have known when my father showed up to take me away, it wouldn’t be a smooth transition. But at the time, I’d wanted so badly to believe it was a temporal change, and I’d be in and out before anyone could notice I was gone.

The idea of stepping into an entirely new world, full of wolves who already saw me as different, sent unease crawling up my spine.

"You’ll be fine," he reassured.

But it wasn’t enough. There was no way I was going to Moondew academy knowing I was part of a legacy. Astra Masters, the girl whose father is the Alpha’s beta. The girl whose brother would one day take over the same position.

I had enough on my plate, I didn’t need the extra pressure.

“Julian,” I called out before he could walk away. “I just have one condition.”

He furrowed his brows. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Jerry move closer, intrigued by my bravery.

“What is it?” My father asked.

I took a deep breath. “No one can know you’re my father, no one can know I’m a Masters. I just want to be Astra Finnegan, the half wolf.”

 Surprisingly, he didn’t argue with my decision. He nodded, turned around and continued to walk away from me. However, when he got to the door, he stopped.

“I know I wasn’t around when you were growing up, but I hope one day you’ll feel comfortable enough to call me dad.” He said without giving me so much as a glance.

I swallowed the lump I didn’t know had formed in my throat, told myself not to feel bad, and headed up to my room.

It wasn’t unusual for a child who barely knew their parent to refer to them with a first name. I was just doing what worked for me, I really wasn’t trying to hurt him or anything. I understood he had done it to keep me safe, but a part of me still resented him. I couldn’t help it.

 I sat on the edge of my bed, still getting used to the grandness of my new surroundings. My room back at Hartville was average in size, but here in Moondew, I had all the space I could ever ask for. And maybe even a little too much.

I put on the uniform Julian had handed me, cursing when it turned out to be a perfect fit. There goes my last excuse not to resume tomorrow. But somehow, I doubted if it would have even worked. Julian had made it clear that he was dead set on me attending Moondew Academy the next day.

Jerry brought up my dinner an hour later, then left without uttering a word, leaving me to gather my thoughts about what tomorrow would bring.

“Our life truly begins tomorrow,” Lola said, her voice lower than usual. I laid on the bed and closed my eyes, trying to picture my first day at the academy. “We’ll finally get to be real wolves.”

When I opened my eyes again, it was bright. The sun poured through the massive windows of my room, casting golden streaks across the polished wood floors. I blinked to adjust the light dancing all over me.

“Astra, we leave in 30 minutes!” Jerry’s voice carried into the room, followed by a sharp knock on my door.

“Shit,” I cursed quietly, jumping out of bed. It was just my luck. First day of school and I was already late.

I don’t know how I did it, but a few minutes later, I was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the academy uniform—a fitted black blazer with four wolves holding hands to indicate unity, an image I assumed had to be the Moondew crest, was stitched on the pocket, a white blouse, and a plain navy skirt. It wasn’t bad, but it felt…wrong.

I was used to short skirts, but certainly not a jacket. This felt like a costume.

A knock interrupted my thoughts. "Astra! Let's go!" Jerry's voice rang through the door.

I sighed, grabbed my bag, and stepped out to find him leaning against the hallway wall, looking effortlessly cool in his leather jacket. His dark hair was tousled, and his blue eyes held a bit of sympathy, no doubt directed toward me.

"Ready to face the wolves, little pup?"

"Not even remotely."

He grinned. "Perfect. Let’s go."

“Are you going to drive me to school every day?” I asked, ready to remind him how no one can know we’re related.

He shook his head. “Only today, so make sure you pay attention to the road because you’ll be making the journey alone tomorrow.”

I smirked. “I have an excellent memory.”

Moondew Academy was massive. The stone walls, towering archways, and sprawling courtyards made it look like something out of a medieval fantasy. Students milled about, their chatter blending into a symphony of growls, laughter, and whispered conversations.

As soon as I stepped onto campus, heads turned. Some people just glanced at me, others openly gawked. A few sniffed the air, as if confirming I wasn’t fully one of them.

Great. First five minutes and I was already a spectacle.

"Ignore them," Jerry muttered. "They’re just curious. And some are probably waiting for you to mess up."

"Comforting," I deadpanned.

“See you after school,” he announced, giving me a soft stroke on the head before getting back into his car.

“Don’t be late,” I called after him, more like a plea, watching as he drove out of sight.

It was just me now, alone in this unfamiliar yet fascinating territory. It was time to forge my path, and I was anything but ready. I barely made it past the entrance before trouble found me.

"Well, well. If it isn’t the little half-blood," a sickly sweet voice drawled.

I turned toward the sound, and there she was. The girl I’d met in the garden maze, the one they called Ruby. Her blonde hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, her expensive perfume practically clogging the air. Behind her stood two girls, Claire and Laura, their eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Didn’t think they actually let mutts into our school," Ruby continued, her smile sharp. "Must be a pity admission."

My jaw clenched. "And I didn’t think people still cared about outdated bloodline nonsense. Guess you’re living proof."

One of the girls behind her coughed, poorly masking a laugh. Ruby’s smile faltered for half a second before she recovered.

"Cute," she said. "We’ll see how long you last."

With that, she flicked her hair and sauntered off, her minions following close behind.

"I really hate her," I muttered under my breath.

“What a bitch.” Lola added.

But she was the least of my worries, I was still trying to navigate through the chaotic mess of students, laughter, and the occasional shove. I kept my head down, gripping my books a little tighter as I maneuvered through the crowd. I was still adjusting to life here, still trying to blend in, but some people were obviously going to make that impossible.

I turned a corner too quickly, and just my luck, I slammed right into a wall. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. But walls didn’t have warmth or a steady pulse.

Strong hands steadied me before I could stumble back. I looked up—way up—into stormy grey eyes that sent an unwanted jolt through my system. Levi.

His jaw clenched, his grip firm but not painful. He smelled like pine and something dangerously intoxicating, and it pissed me off.

How is it possible that he gets better looking every time I see him?

My insides twisted, I should have known Ruby wasn’t going to be the only one I bump into today. But why me? Why couldn’t I just have today drama free?