"The dorms are amazing and the classes are challenging. Oh, plus I hear that the students there are a friendly bunch. You'll make a lot of friends in no time. Trust me Luna, you're going to love it there." My aunt, Marissa, continued to drone on about the new prep school she had managed to get me into. It wasn't Yale or Oxford and it wasn't like I didn't like the school but moving away from everything I'd known just for education seemed to put a damper on things.

I sighed and looked out the window, the woods coming into view as we sped by. What I wouldn't have given to be back at the house, nestled with a book and some hot chocolate. Instead, I was being shipped off to a high end prep school that only the elite could go to because I was on a premium scholarship. Hell, I didn't even know how I got it. Aunt Marissa told me that she heard about it and submitted my name and luckily I was accepted. I couldn't even disagree because she was my sole guardian.

I kept quiet the rest of the drive, my anxiety gnawing at me until we finally arrived at our destination. Moon Valley University. A quirky name all round but what could I say. It was free for me. The car came to a halt, allowing me to look up at the massive building, the initials MVU scrawled at the top as if someone had written it up there. A fountain with a large wolf stood tall in the middle of the courtyard, gleaming in the sunlight while some words were scribbled beneath it. Words, I couldn't quite make out yet.

"Stop gaping and come on. You have to settle in so that you can't be late." Aunt Marissa said to me as she tapped my leg, stopping me from daydreaming about the place before she got down from the car. I followed her lead and soon enough, we had gotten all my things out of the back of the car. I looked down at my stuff wondering how I was supposed to carry all of this, navigate through the school and find my assigned room.

"Come on, it can't be that hard." Aunt Marissa said to me, her brows furrowed, thinking the same thing. She was just as clueless.

Just then, a voice called out and footsteps got closer, calling both our attention. A tall Asian guy with an undercut and a dangerous smile stood before us, his brown eyes focused on me.

"Good afternoon. It seems you're new to MVU. Welcome on behalf of all the students. I can show you around if you want. Plus, it looks like you need help."

I opened my mouth to turn down his offer when my aunt beat me to it.

"Oh, she would love that. Aren't you a nice boy."

"Aunt Marissa." I drew out her name, trying to get her to stop but she tapped me on the shoulder and smiled.

"Oh, don't be rude. He's only trying to help."

I glared at her but like always, she ignored my hatred and jingled her keys in her hands.

"Now, I've got to go but call me once you've settled in. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about." She said with a wink before turning around to get into her car.

"But wait..." Was all I could get out before the door slammed shut, the car roared to life and tore out of the compound. I watched the car disappear with a frown on my face and a tick in my jaw. This woman wanted me to make any friend as soon as possible. Damn her.

"What should I start with first?" The Asian guy asked me, making me turn my attention back to him.

"I've got it, thanks," I told him, picking up some boxes to take with me on my search. A total of four in all but I could balance them. Trying to see and walk at the same time might be the issue.

"You sure about that?" He nodded at my precariously balanced stack of boxes. "Because that top one is about to..."

The box tipped and before I could react, he caught it with impossible reflexes, steadying both it and me with one hand.

"...fall," he finished, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "I'm Kai, by the way. Student advisor for Wellington Hall."

"Luna," I muttered, trying to reclaim my box, a bit glad that he was there to help. His grip didn't budge.

"Luna?" His eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. My mom had a thing for astronomy." And apparently a twisted sense of humor, given recent events. But I wasn't sharing that particular detail with Mr. Perfect Hair.

"Well, Luna," he said my name like he was tasting it, "If you won't allow me help then at least let me show you to your room. Wellington can be a maze."

I wanted to refuse again, but my arms were starting to shake from the weight.

"Fine. Room 314."

His smile widened as he carried the rest of my luggage and the lone box in both his hands. How did he do that?

"Perfect. Right this way." He said before leading me into the massive building.

Wellington Hall loomed ahead of us, all gothic spires and weathered stone. A contrast from how it was just outside.

"Yeah, what Wellington Hall lacks for in decoration, it makes up for in grades and other proclivities." Kai assured me with his signature smile as we walked through the hallways and through the sea of eyes that looked my way. Never had I wanted to disappear more in my entire life.

"Incoming!" A voice shouted from behind us. I turned to see a guy on a skateboard swerving through the small crowd, his blond hair catching the sunlight. He pulled off an impressive jump over someone's suitcase, but his landing brought him straight toward us.

I tightened my grip on my boxes and braced for impact, but suddenly there was another body between us. Tall, broad-shouldered, radiating authority like a physical force. The skateboarder stopped dead, his board somehow halting mid-roll.

"Felix," the newcomer's voice was low, dangerous. Terrifying even.

"What did I say about skateboarding during move-in?"

"Sorry, Ash!" The blonde and blue eyed one – Felix – grinned sheepishly. "Got carried away. But hey, I found her first!"

"Found who?" I stepped around my human shield, irritation flaring. "What is wrong with everyone today?" I mumbled to myself.

Three pairs of eyes locked onto me with an intensity that made my skin buzz. The newcomer – Ash – stared longest, his dark gray eyes unreadable.

"Nothing's wrong," he said finally. "Felix, help Kai with her boxes. I need to speak with her."

"I don't need..." I started, but Kai was already handing off my boxes to an eager Felix.

"Trust me," Kai winked, "you want to hear what he has to say."

Before I could protest further, Ash gently but firmly steered me away from the crowd. Up close, he was even more imposing. All sharp angles, controlled power and a musk that screamed 'try me'. What I assumed to be a tribal tattoo, peeked out from under his shirt collar, curling up his neck like flames and I stared at it until he led me into one of the empty rooms in the hallway. He left the door half way open so as to not scare me. Good choice.

"Luna Foster," he said, not a question. "Welcome to Moon Valley University. We've been expecting you."

"How do you know my name?" I questioned him while I took a step back towards the door, alarm bells ringing. "Who the hell is 'we'?"

He reached for me, then stopped as I pulled my hand back. Something like pain flashed across his face.

"You really don't know, do you?" he murmured.

"I'll skip to the point. Do you remember what happened on your eighteenth birthday?"

The memory hit like a physical blow. Moonlight, searing pain, my mother's tears, all that blood. The strange changes I'd written off as stress or imagination. I clenched my fists and spoke through gritted teeth.

"That's none of your business," I snapped, turning to leave but his hand caught my wrist, gentle but immovable.

"It is my business," he said quietly. "Because you're like us. And you're in danger."

I turned to him, ready to curse him out or scream bloody murder until I could get away but just then a howl echoed from the distant woods, too wild and close to be a normal wolf. Ash's grip tightened as other students hurried past, none of them seeming to notice the sound. I glanced out the window and then back to him, my resolve not wavering when he spoke before me.

"What I'm about to tell you will change everything," he said. "But first, you need to know that nothing about your enrollment here was an accident. We brought you here to protect you."

I stared at him, at the absolute certainty in his eyes while my mind raced with the question, 'What the hell is going on?'. Behind us, I could feel Kai and Felix watching, standing guard. The sun dipped behind a cloud, and in that moment of shadow, I could have sworn Ash's eyes flashed gold.

"Protect me from who?" I whispered the question, my nerves getting the best of me.

His answer chilled me to the bone.

"From the ones who killed your mother."

"From the ones who killed your mother."

My mother's face flashed through my mind. Not the way she looked in life, vibrant and full of secrets, but how I found her that night. Pale. Still. Dead. A crescent moon pendant clutched in her lifeless hand.

I yanked my wrist from Ash's grip, my blood beginning to boil. I had no idea who these people were and I didn't care but for them to mess with the memory of my mother like that. I couldn't forgive that.

"My mother had a heart attack." I spat venom his way, glaring at him.

"Is that what they told you?" His voice was gentle, almost pitiful. It made me want to scream.

"They didn't tell me anything. I was there." The words tasted like ashes in my mouth. "I found her." I told him, not sure why I was still discussing this with people I just met. I don't even speak about my mother with my aunt.

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. Behind us, I heard Kai mutter a curse in what sounded like Mandarin.

"Luna," Ash stepped closer, his presence somehow both threatening and comforting. "Your mother was murdered by the Blood Moon pack. They've been hunting moon-blessed wolves for centuries, and she died protecting you. She was strong but they came in droves and..."

I laughed. A sound hollow to my ears but I laughed nonetheless, my chest aching.

"Seriously. This is the best you could come up with? Wolves? Blood Moon? Do you even hear yourself? So much for a university haze. I don't know where you got the information on my mother but you could have used something else."

Ash watched me for a moment as if grappling with the idea before he turned to the guys behind me.

"Show her," Felix piped up, bouncing on his heels. "It'll be faster than trying to explain."

"No." Ash's response was sharp enough to make Felix step back. "Not here. Too many witnesses."

"Then where?" I challenged, crossing my arms. "Because right now, you all sound completely insane and I am not going anywhere with any of you."

"The sanctuary," Kai suggested, appearing at my elbow like a shadow. "It's warded."

Ash nodded slowly, accepting Kai's suggestion.

"Tonight. After sunset. We'll meet at the sanctuary." He turned to me with that intense stare again. "Will you come?"

I should have said no. I should have run far away from these strange boys and their talk of wolves and murder but something deep inside me stirred at the word 'sanctuary' – something wild and familiar that had been sleeping ever since my mother's death. I shook my head and frowned.

"No way." I said before turning to leave but Felix blocked my path.

"Move or I will scream rape." I threatened him, my shoulders squared to go through with it.

He cocked an eyebrow at me, seemingly amused before he turned to Ash for direction. I turned to Ash too.

"Only if you say that you'll come to the sanctuary later." Ash said.

"If not, we'll show up at your room in the middle of the night." Felix added a playful look on his face.

"Fine," I heard myself say. "Whatever." I mumbled, sure that I wasn't going anywhere near them and if they did show up to my room like stalkers, my bottle of pepper spray would be ready.

"Good," Ash promised. He glanced at the sky, then at Kai. "Get her settled in. Felix, run perimeter. I'll handle the wards."

They moved instantly at his commands, like soldiers following their general. Felix saluted with his usual grin before disappearing into the crowd. Kai retrieved my boxes from where they'd been set aside. I didn't want either of them to follow me but I had an inkling that they wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Come on, Luna-tic," Kai said, ignoring my grimace at the nickname. "Let's get you moved in before sunset."

The walk to my room was silent, my mind spinning with questions I was afraid to ask. Kai somehow managed to carry all my boxes while keeping one eye on our surroundings, like he was expecting an attack at any moment.

Room 314 was at the end of a long hallway, tucked into a corner. Kai set my boxes down and produced a key from nowhere. Were you telling me that I didn't even have a key to my own room?

"We had you placed here specifically," he explained as he unlocked the door. "Corner room, reinforced walls, clear sight lines to the forest. Plus..." He stepped inside and tapped the window frame. "Mountain ash wood. They can't cross it."

"They who?" I demanded half heartedly as I looked around the nice room, but he just shook his head.

"Tonight you'll find out," he promised. "Try to rest until then. And Luna?" His playful demeanor dropped for a moment, leaving something serious in its place. "Don't let anyone else in. No matter what."

He was gone before I could respond, leaving me alone in a room. I plopped down on the bed and sighed, knowing fully well that I didn't plan on letting anyone into my living space. Especially them.

I spent the next few hours unpacking, trying to focus on normal freshman concerns. Where to put my clothes. How to arrange my art supplies. Whether my roommate would mind the string lights I brought. If I even had a roommate to begin with.

But as the sun began to set, casting long shadows across my floor, I couldn't ignore the thrumming in my veins. A pull or in other words warmth towards something out there. I couldn't place my finger on it but I felt like going out. Like leaving the four corners of this room and walking barefoot on the grass. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, settling on the fact that I was homesick. After all, I always strolled in my backyard back home when it was nighttime. It calmed me. No more of that I guess.

A knock at my door made me jump and I took a step towards it.

"Luna?" A deep voice called. "It's Derek Stone. Remember me?"

Derek. The name sounded familiar. I remembered from my acceptance package. My RA.

"Everything okay in there?" He asked me, not giving me time to say a word.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I called back, pressing against the door but not opening it. Something felt wrong about his voice. We hadn't spoken over the phone before but I could somehow tell. Leaving this room was wrong.

"Just checking in. Mind opening up?"

My hand moved toward the handle, but Kai's warning echoed in my head. Don't let anyone else in. I froze and thought to myself. Should I really be following the advice of a nutjob I just met or actually try to make some new friends? I juggled the thought but I couldn't deny that Kai was damn serious when he told me that.

"Actually, I'm about to head out," I lied. "Meeting some friends."

A pause. Then a sound like nails scraping wood. I took a step back, not liking what I was hearing.

"No," the voice that was Derek's shifted, deepened. "You're not."

The door handle began to turn on its own.

"No," the voice that was Derek's shifted, deepened. "You're not."

The door handle began to turn on its own. I rushed back, not wanting to be near whatever the fuck was going on outside my door when the mountain ash door frame glowed as the door shuddered in place. I blinked at the glow, sure that my eyes were deceiving me. Outside my door, something growled. A sound no human throat could make. A sound, I convinced myself, was just sound effects coming from someone else's room.

I scrambled backward, knocking over a box of books. Art supplies scattered across the floor, pencils rolling under the bed. I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself before something occurred to me.

My phone. I needed my phone.

I saw it on the bed and made a move for it but before I could reach it, the window burst open. I screamed, but it was only Felix, launching himself through the opening with impossible grace.

"Sorry I'm late!" He landed in a crouch, grinning despite the situation. "Traffic was murder. Also, actual murder attempts."

I stared at him and then out the window, wondering how in the world he had just jumped in through my window when I was three storeys high. My thoughts were drawn back to the door when I heard it splinter and the growl got louder.

"What is happening?!" I screamed, my head in my hands and my mind probably on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Felix's grin vanished.

"Right. Time to go." He grabbed my hand. "Hope you're not afraid of heights."

"What..." I started, tears making my eyes water, but he was already pulling me toward the window. Again, I was three stories up.

"Are you insane?" I shot the question his way, my logical sense coming back for a moment.

"Trust me," he winked. "I'm excellent at catching."

The door exploded inward and I turned around expecting to see a man but where my RA should have been stood something else. Something definitely not human. Something with red eyes and too many teeth.

Felix shoved me behind him, standing between me and the monster treading at my doorway.

"Last chance to use the door peacefully, Derek."

The creature snarled as if retorting.

"Give us the moon-blessed." It hissed, its gold red eyes flickering to me. I gulped in fear.

"Yeah, that's not happening." Felix's voice changed, gaining a growl of its own. When he turned his head, his eyes were glowing amber and I had half a mind to push him away from me too.

"Luna, jump. Now." He ordered me.

I looked out the window, my nerves getting the best of me. I hated heights. I shook my head.

"No way. I can't."

"Luna, trust me." Felix assured me, inching me closer to the window sill as his eyes still stayed on that monster.

"But..."

"Jump!"

Derek – or what used to be Derek – lunged through the doorway. Felix met him halfway, his body rippling and changing mid-leap to what my eyes refused to believe. A freaking wolf! Where the cheerful skateboarder had been, a massive wolf with golden fur now snapped and snarled.

I felt the bile rise up my throat and my vision swirled from the adrenaline but I knew that I did not want to be in the same room as those things so I did the only sensible thing. I jumped.

The ground rushed up to meet me, but strong arms caught me before impact. I blinked and looked up, only to see gray eyes looking down at me. Ash set me on my feet like I weighed nothing, his eyes blazing gold in the twilight. I took a step back, my mental alarms warning me that if Felix was whatever he was then Ash was most likely the same.

"Run," he ordered, already turning toward the building. Above us, crashes and howls echoed from my room but my feet wouldn't move. My skin felt too tight, my bones aching with a familiar pain I'd been ignoring for months.

"I can't," I gasped as another wave of pain hit. This time, not from the growing fear in my stomach.

"Something's wrong." I said breathlessly.

Kai appeared from the shadows, his usual smirk replaced by concern.

"Ash, she's shifting. First time."

"Not here," Ash growled, impatiently. "Not now."

"Little late for preferences." Kai caught me as my knees buckled. "The moon's rising. She can't hold out much longer."

He was right. The full moon peered over the horizon, calling to something inside me that was clawing to get out. My vision blurred, shifted, sharpened. Sounds and smells overwhelmed me – forest pine, Ash's cologne, blood from the fight above. I screamed, wanting this pain, this feeling to stop.

"Luna, look at me." Ash cupped my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Don't fight it. Let it happen."

"What's happening to me?" My voice broke on a sob as tears ran down my face. As my body broke apart.

"You're becoming what you were always meant to be." His thumb stroked my cheek. "We've got you. You're safe."

The pain crested like a wave, and I felt myself falling into gold-flecked darkness. My head thrummed and I felt my body contort in odd angles. The last thing I heard before I passed out was Ash's voice, soft but firm.

"Welcome to the pack, Luna."

When I opened my eyes, the world had changed. Everything was sharper, clearer, alive with scents and sounds I never knew existed. I tried to rub my eye but I couldn't raise my arms. I looked down and my eyes widened at what I was seeing. Was that fur? I moved around in a circle, panicking when I saw what was supposed to be a tail wagging behind me. The hell? Was I a wolf?

Around me stood three wolves. One black as night with familiar gold eyes, one sleek and grey, and one with golden fur nursing a few wounds but looking pleased with himself.

"Can you hear us?" A voice echoed in my mind.

I went low to the ground and looked around frantically, not over the fact that I was now a wild animal but I was also hearing voices. Had I gone mad?

"Relax Luna. It's me." The voice said just as the black wolf got closer to me. I straightened and looked at it, realization dawning on me. The dark wolf was Ash.

"How..." I asked with my mind, unable to finish my sentence, not sure it would work.

"Pack bond," Kai's mental voice was smug. "Told you she was one of us."

"Guys?" Felix interrupted. "Hate to break up the moment, but we've got company."

Red eyes gleamed from the shadows of my room and more appeared in the tree line. Derek and more like him, coming to claim their prize. Me.

"Run," Ash commanded. "To the sanctuary. Don't stop for anything."

I obviously had no idea what was going on but I knew one thing for sure. Ash, Kai and Felix had saved me. If anything, I needed to be with them if I wanted to survive the night. As soon as they began to run, I joined them not waiting to find out what would be done to me if those other wolves caught me. And although my life was in danger, as I ran with them, for the first time since my mother passed away, I didn't feel utterly alone.