Dahlia's POV

I couldn't say when I fell asleep, but somehow I think I did. I could remember that before I fell asleep, my body was still humming like a music box, and the glow was still on my skin as if I had swallowed a galaxy. I was sure I didn't make it to dinner, and my stomach was singing protest songs. I checked my bag and saw a half-eaten pack of cream chips in it.

Dinner of champions.

I ate a few, tossed the rest aside, and curled into a ball like one of those sad, abandoned dogs you see on shelter posters. But instead of sadness, I was glowing. Literally.

I woke up to a soft knock, which, honestly, was almost more suspicious. No one normal knocked on my door.

I dragged myself to the door, cracked it open, and blinked.

There she was.

A girl with wide, cute brown eyes, a big smile, and hair tied up in little space buns like she just stepped out of a cartoon. She was holding a suitcase and a drink pouch like she was moving in and going to a picnic all at once.

“Hi! Oh my gosh, you must be Dahlia! I’m Soraya. I just transferred in. They told me I’d be rooming with you. This place is huge, right? You’re so pretty, by the way. I love your hair. And your lips! And your skin. Like, wow. Are you wearing highlighter? No? That’s just your face? You’re literally glowing!”

I froze.

Literally glowing?

My mind went into emergency lockdown mode. Could she see it?

No. She was still talking. Like, full-on speed train talking. And I realized she wasn’t even reacting to the glow. She was just throwing compliments like glitter.

Did that mean only I could see it? Or was she just so extra that nothing fazed her?

“Thanks,” I muttered, eyes squinting as I stepped aside. “Room’s all yours. Don’t trip over any emotional baggage lying around.”

She rolled her suitcase in like she was moving into a five-star hotel, already chatting about how she had been homeschooled most of her life, how her dad ran a spell-cleaning business for werewolves, and how she once saw a witch levitate her mom’s entire fridge out of the kitchen because she was mad about expired milk.

Soraya. What a name. She didn’t even sound real.

And yet there she was—sitting on her bed, swinging her legs, asking me fifty questions in five minutes like I was a human trivia card.

“Do you have a favorite subject? Is biology as creepy as people say? What’s up with the teachers here? Why are the wolves so serious? Also, do you have snacks? I’m starving.”

I blinked.

No one had ever talked to me like this. Like I wasn’t invisible. Like I was… normal. Or even interesting.

She didn’t look at me like I was a science project or some school-wide joke. She didn’t flinch, sneer, or whisper. She just smiled.

“You’re gorgeous,” she said again.

My heart almost short-circuited.

No one had said that to me since Grandma died. Not my father, or even my damn mirror.

I mumbled a weird “thanks” and turned away before my eyes could get stupid.

The glow was still there. But she didn’t mention it. Maybe it really was just for me to see.

We got ready for class.

I stared at my clothes like they were landmines. Everything I had was now too thin, light, and revealing all of a sudden.

The glow had faded a little but not completely. I needed to cover it up. So I did what any paranoid half-magic girl would do—I layered.

Black tights under black pants. Long-sleeve top. Big coat. Hood up.

“Uh… are we going to school or trekking across the tundra?” Soraya joked as I walked out of the bathroom looking like an apocalypse prepper.

“I’m cold,” I said.

“In August?”

“Yep. Cold in the soul.”

She laughed and didn’t ask again. Bless her.

We walked to class together. A practical session was happening, and I couldn’t afford to skip it. Missing this would affect my grades even harder than my dignity already had.

Class was awkward. I sweated bullets under all the layers. The teacher gave me a weird look, like she was trying to figure out if I was hiding a weapon or just had a terrible sense of fashion. I avoided everyone.

After class, Soraya caught up with me and linked arms like we were old friends. The whole walk back to the dorm, she talked nonstop—about teachers she hated already, wolves that looked like failed models, and how the cafeteria chicken tasted like regret.

I listened and laughed.

For once, it felt… okay.

Back in our room, she sprawled across her bed with her shoes still on and started telling me about her ex, who tried to impress her with fire magic and nearly burned his eyebrows off. I told her about Ms. Hale’s “I know your secrets” stare, and she screamed like we were telling ghost stories.

By the time the moon was up, she was asleep. Sprawled diagonally across the bed, one sock off, mouth open.

I sat by the window, looking out at the moon again.

***************

Kyren’s POV

Sleep has become a stranger to me for the past few weeks.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling like it owed me answers. It wasn’t just the usual noise in my head—pack business, school, the Royal Council’s latest drama. It was the mate thing. The one thing I had been trying to ignore since I turned eighteen. Every Alpha had to choose eventually, and I could feel the pressure building like a storm behind my eyes.

But nothing felt right. I've got no face, scent, or girl. Not even close.

So I got up. Threw on a hoodie and went out.

The night was cold and quiet. I walked past the training field, planning to shift and sprint into the woods, but then I saw movement near the cafeteria. Someone was sneaking around the side, ducking under the shadows.

I paused. It was a girl, and not just any girl. The fat one. Dahlia Reed.

She was meeting with a staff member I didn’t recognize. They exchanged something like a food pack. Dahlia shoved it into the pouch of her hoodie. Then she looked around—checking her surroundings—and walked off fast.

I don't blame her. The bullies won't let her eat in peace during the day, so she has to choose the night. I wonder why she gave in to bullies with such a huge body. She could just throw one person a punch, and that would be the end of it.

But I was caught off guard because I expected her to head back to the dorm, but she wasn’t. She was heading deeper. Past the last of the lights. Past where any student was supposed to go alone.

I followed quietly.

I didn’t know why. Maybe I thought she was up to something, or I just wanted to make sure she didn’t get eaten. And it could be the pull. That strange tug that had been humming in me all day.

She walked through the trees, not looking back once. She moved like she was used to hiding and stopped in a small clearing—bare dirt, with no benches or lights. The only source of light there was the moon.

She sat down. Opened the food. Ate in silence. Bit by bit, like this was her moment of peace. She drank water from a small bottle and leaned back against the tree.

Then I saw her skin glow black.

Black light pulsing from under her skin like fire in reverse. Like ink made of stars. My breath hitched.

What the hell was that?

Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward.

A branch cracked, making her turn.

She froze when our eyes met.

She went wide-eyed, shocked, scared, and glowing. I didn’t speak because I lost words. Instead I walked closer, slowly, and sat beside her. Her glow didn’t stop, and she didn’t move either.

Neither of us said anything. The silence between us was heavy, as if something ancient was sitting between us.

Then my wolf stirred, and her familiar scent hit me.

“What! Impossible!” My eyes went wide.

Dahlia's POV

Hunger will make you do dumb things. Like sneak out of your dorm at midnight while your new roommate sleeps with her mouth open, snoring like a happy baby hippo.

I checked her and discovered that Soraya was still drooling. Good. I slid on my hoodie, shoved my feet into sneakers, and crept out like a prison escapee who had watched too many bad movies.

The halls were dead quiet. I was expecting to see one or two students loitering but today seems like my lucky day. There was no one of them. Even the patrols were not out for their duty. Maybe they were given the day off. I was alone with the hum of my stomach writing its own sad soundtrack.

I knew exactly where I was going. The kitchen had this one guy-Gary. That's not his real name, but the name Gary seemed to fit him well, so that's what I called him in my head. Gary was a solid dude. He has seen me being bullied each time I try to eat in the cafeteria, so he decided to help by keeping food for me each time I missed a meal.

I slipped in through the back and knocked twice. Gary opened the door, eyebrows raised like, Really? Again? I shrugged. He handed me a food pack-bread, some meat, and a drink. It's nothing much, but at least it wasn't stale chips from my backpack.

"Thanks for always," I said the words, even when he wasn't expecting it. Our only connection was the food because I wasn't in the mood to pretend like we were in some wholesome after-school special.

I left quickly. The last thing I wanted was to be caught in the open with food. Wolves here could smell crumbs from fifty feet away.

I choose a deeper place to hide. I couldn't go back to my room because of Soraya. She'll ask questions meant for her fourth generation in one sitting and I wasn't ready for that. I went past the lights. Past the "safe" area to a bare clearing under the moon. No one comes here and that's why I liked it.

I unwrapped the bread and took slow bites. Chewing like each piece was gold. I drank water after eating, took a deep breath and leaned against the tree behind me.

That's when I felt the glow under my skin again, flickering like it's alive and a desperate being from me. I ignored it and pretended it was nothing. Then I heard the crack of something behind me. I snapped my head around and saw Kyren, Mr Alpha Prince. The most popular guy on campus in the dark? What the heck?

And he was looking right at me, not saying a word. I didn't, either. Then he walked closer, sat down beside me as if we had planned a picnic. And then all of a sudden his eyes changed. He looked as if he saw something strange or remembered something he wasn't supposed to.

That was enough drama for me to behold, so I ran. Still holding the half-eaten bread like it was my emotional support. I ran straight to my dorm, locked the door, pressed my back to it for a while to calm my nerves before sliding into my duvet.

Morning came very fast.

"Dahlia! Wake up!" Soraya's loud and cheerful voice. I cracked one eye open and saw her standing, bouncing like she just drank five energy drinks.

"Big news! The Howling Wolf event is coming up! You know, the biggest event in the school? Everyone's talking about it!"

"Congratulations." I groaned.

She ignored my lack of spirit. "It's like, the event. Music, challenges, the moon blessing... everyone dresses up. It's magical."

Magical, right? In my head, I thought, Yeah, except I'm not a wolf. I don't have glowing eyes, no howling abilities, no magical fireworks for me. But I didn't say it out loud. I didn't want to ruin her bubble.

Lazily, I stood up from the bed and we got dressed for school. Soraya was already planning her outfit for the event, her hair, and how her glow would look in the moonlight. She talked nonstop during the walk to class.

Meanwhile, my brain was in another dimension. Why had Kyren's eyes gone wide last night? What did he see in me?

Was it the black glow?

Or... was it the system?

The question dug into me like a thorn that wouldn't let go.

The class we were to take was "Moon Phase Combat Strategies." Yes, that's an actual subject. Basically, how to fight better depending on how big or moody the moon feels that night. Because apparently, werewolves are just walking lunar calendars with anger issues.

Soraya and I walked in and found seats in the back. The teacher is in class yet. He's probably out there charging his mystical moon battery or whatever.

Soraya leaned in, whispering, "Why do people here stare so much? It's creepy. Like, eye contact is one thing, but this is... stalker energy."

I smirked. "They're not staring at you because you're mysterious. They're staring because they can't figure out why you're friends with me-the school's favourite punchline."

Her face dropped. "That's stupid."

"Yeah, welcome to Northmont High" I said, leaning back. "Where gossip has teeth."

He walked in after my last sentence. Kyren, The Alpha Prince. Tall, quiet, dressed like he stepped out of an expensive brooding catalogue. He didn't even look around, he came straight to my row and sat down next to me. As if there weren't twenty other seats in the room.

Soraya's eyes did this little flick between us as if she wandered into the live set of a romance drama.

Meanwhile, I was busy trying not to burst into flames, because why the hell would he choose to sit with me of all other seats in class? Neither of us spoke throughout the class, but I caught him occasionally staring at me during the lecture.

Have you ever tried to focus on something while a six-foot problem is breathing next to you and occasionally glancing at you like he's trying to solve the world's hardest riddle? Yeah. Now you get the gist, and it's definitely not fun.

Of course, his actions didn't go unnoticed. On the third row up ours sat the star girl.

Lunara. The Academy's crowned queen of perfect hair and fake nice. Her smile could make Lycans buy her lunch, and her glare could curdle milk. She'd been aiming her perfect little smile at Kyren for a long time, and here he was... sitting next to me.

Lunara's eyes cut across the room, slicing me like butter. If looks could kill, I'd be dead already.

The lecture ended. People started filing out. That's when I saw Lunara lean against her desk, pull out her phone, and tap out a message.

Her crew-three guys who thought they were the gods' gift to intimidation-were lounging by the door. She handed one of them something thick enough to say I want her bones broken, but make it fashion.

I didn't need a mind link to know who "her" was.

By the time I made it out of the building, the guys were already behind me. Keeping just enough distance to pretend they were going their way.

[HOSTILES DETECTED. SYSTEM RECOMMEND DIVERSION TO A LOW-VISIBILITY TERRAIN]

I translated the system's advice to be: Lead these idiots into the woods.

Fine.

I adjusted my bag, turned down a side path, and headed toward the dark tree line like I was taking the scenic route home.

Their footsteps followed.