Freya

~

My heart stopped when I glanced at the time on my watch.

Late.

Again.

Without a second thought, I grabbed my bag and sprinted down the street, my breath coming in short, desperate gasps. The cold air whipped against my skin, but I didn’t slow down—not even when my legs protested with sharp aches.

By the time I burst through the café doors, Mr. Grayson stood behind the counter, arms crossed, expression tight with irritation.

“You’re late,” he said flatly.

“I… I’m sorry,” I panted, pushing strands of hair from my damp forehead. “I—”

“I don’t want excuses. You’ll do a double shift today to make up for it. Get moving.”

I wanted to protest. To say something—anything—but I knew better. This job was the only thing keeping me from completely drowning. Without it, I had nothing.

So I simply nodded, grabbed an apron, and set to work.

The routine was mind-numbing—making coffee, wiping down tables, scrubbing dishes until my fingers wrinkled. Every movement was mechanical, as if I was programmed to do the same thing over and over.

I glanced at the door, watching people come and go, laughter in their voices, freedom in their steps.

I'm eighteen now. Shouldn’t something ‘exciting’ happen?

Shouldn’t life be different?

But as I cleaned another table, dragging a rag across the stained wooden surface, I sighed.

Nothing had changed.

Nothing at all.

The sharp chime of the bell above the café door startled me out of my daydream. My feet ached, my hands smelled of dish soap, and my apron was stained from hours of making coffee, wiping tables, and scrubbing countertops.

I was exhausted.

And yet, the moment I turned to face the new customers, my stomach twisted into knots.

It was them.

The rich kids from Hartley High. My tormentors. The ones who reminded me daily that I was beneath them.

I gripped the tray in my hands, willing myself to stay calm. My boss, Mr. Grayson, gave me a sharp look from behind the counter. “Quit standing there and get moving, Moore! You’re already behind schedule.”

The bullies laughed, their cruel laughter cutting through the café's warm atmosphere like a blade.

I swallowed my pride, forced my feet to move, and approached their table.

“What do you want?” I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the heat creeping up my neck.

“Look who it is—the scholarship loser,” Manson Reynolds drawled, his eyes flicking over my stained apron. “Bet the tips here barely cover your bus fare, huh?”

His friends laughed, and I clenched my fists inside my apron pocket.

"We'll take five caramel frappes," Mason said, tapping the menu lazily. “And make sure mine's perfect, or else I’ll make sure Grayson knows what an incompetent mess you are.”

I stood still, a frown on my face. Something moved within me. I don't know what it was, but I was tired of living a boring, controlled and miserable life.

“You want frappes? Go make it yourself!” I threw my apron on his face. “I quit.”

“Wh–what are you doing Moore? Make the damn frappes!” Mason roared.

I turned towards him, angered. “Are you deaf? I said I quit.”

He was too stunned to speak and I was too angry to stay. I left the cafe in a fit of rage.

The bell above the café door jingled as I stepped outside, stretching my sore fingers and rolling my stiff shoulders. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, but my mind buzzed restlessly.

I was eighteen. Shouldn’t something exciting happen?

I sighed, pulling my jacket tighter around myself as I walked down the street. Then, a flicker of movement caught my eye.

A cat.

Not just any cat, a black stray with dark stripes running along its sleek body. It sat at the edge of the sidewalk, its green eyes watching me, unblinking.

I crouched slightly, extending my hand. “It’s just you and me, abandoned by the world. I’ll take care of you.”

But before I could take a step closer, the cat bolted.

“Hey! Wait—”

Without thinking, I chased after it, weaving through narrow streets and quiet alleyways. My breath came in quick bursts, my footsteps echoing against damp brick walls.

Finally, the cat stopped—its tail flicking, its body motionless.

Between two tall buildings, hidden within the shadows, stood something impossible.

A door.

No hinges, no frame. Just… standing alone. Suspended in the air as if it had always been there.

I froze, my heart pounding in my ears.

The cat didn’t hesitate–it jumped forward, disappearing through the door’s shimmering surface.

I stared, my pulse quickening.

Something deep inside me stirred.

Something familiar.

I took a breath. Then another.

And before I could talk myself out of it, I stepped forward.

Freya

~

The moment I stepped through the door, the world shifted.

One second, I was standing in a dark alley, my breath heavy from chasing the striped stray cat. Next, I was somewhere...else.

The air was filled with an energy I had never felt before. It wasn’t cold, it wasn't warm—just different. My feet landed on solid ground, yet I wasn’t sure if it was stone or something more alive. The scent of damp earth and ancient wood filled my lungs.

I looked around, trying to grasp where I had ended up. The sky above me wasn’t the dull grey of the city but a deep shade of violet.

The cat sat a few feet ahead, tail flicking, watching me with knowing eyes.

“What is this place?” I whispered, more to myself than to the animal.

I stepped forward, my heartbeat loud in the silence, and as I did, a low hum filled the air. It was coming from something. From everywhere.

Then, the door behind me—this impossible, floating door—vanished.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

No way back.

No turning around.

I was here.

And whatever this place was, it felt like it had been waiting for me.

“This is a dream,” I whispered to myself. “I have to be dreaming. Freya, you need to wake up. Soon.”

Then I heard a strange noise. A clang—metallic and rhythmic—like the sound of a gate.

I followed it, my worn-out shoes sinking slightly into the damp earth with every step.

The fog cleared just enough to reveal large set of iron gates, with the image of a falcon carved into the center.

They were as tall as the trees around them—and twice as scary.

Something deep inside me screamed to turn back. But curiosity… Curiosity made me walk closer.

With a shaky hand, I touched the gate.To my surprise, it groaned and creaked—then slowly swung open on its own.

I hesitated.

Is this some kind of bad dream I’m stuck in? This can’t be real… right?

But the cold felt real. And so did the tight knot twisting in my stomach. Before I could decide whether to run or step through, two massive figures emerged from the fog.

They didn’t look human.

Too tall.

Too broad.

Glowing tattoo-like marks covered their bare arms.Their eyes held no warmth—just endless darkness.

One of them grunted something in a language I didn’t understand.

Then the other grabbed my arm. Not violently, but firm enough that I knew resistance was pointless.

“Hey!” I protested, struggling. “Where are you taking me?”

They didn’t answer. The one on my left muttered something again, and I thought I heard a name—something that sounded ghostly…

“Let’s go!” the other one barked.

My heart pounded. Everything was happening too fast. They dragged me forward, toward a structure just beyond the gates.

It looked like a building, but not any kind I had ever seen.It had spires like a castle, towers that clawed at the sky.The stones were dark. The windows are strange.Vines twisted up the walls, but they weren’t green. They were coal-black.

It reminded me of those ancient hunted castles from storybooks.

I swallowed hard.

"This has to be a dream," I whispered. “There’s no way this is real.”

The inside wasn’t any more comforting.

The doors slammed shut behind us with a thunderous boom. They led me down a hallway lit by flickering torches—yes, actual torches—and strange runes that shimmered faintly on the walls.

The hallway stretched endlessly. With every step, the air grew heavier, like the entire building was watching me.

Finally, we reached a door carved with the same falcon and runes I’d seen on the gate. One of the guards knocked three times.

“Enter,” said a voice. Soft, but commanding.

The door swung open on its own.

Inside sat a woman behind a desk. She looked no older than thirty.

But her eyes… Her eyes weren’t like anything I had ever seen. They were sharp and violet.

Her auburn hair was tied in a neat bun, and her deep green robe shimmered with moving symbols.

“I’ll take it from here,” she said calmly to the guards.

They released me and vanished without a word.

I rubbed my sore arm and looked around. The office wasn’t too bright—dimly lit, with three walls lined with floating books and scrolls that organized themselves in mid-air.

The ceiling was a swirling vortex of stars—an illusion, but mesmerizing nonetheless.

“Freya Moore,” the woman said, looking directly at me. “Welcome.”

I blinked. “You know my name?”

She smiled gently, like a teacher pleased with a child’s curiosity. “I’m Eva Morgen. Dean of Admissions and Orientation. You’ve arrived at Moon claw university.”

I stared at her. “Moonclaw—what? I… I didn’t apply to any—wait. No. That was a throwaway option. I only submitted an application because I needed four.”

Eva nodded, hands folded neatly on the desk. “Yes. The last option. The one you didn’t want to accept.”

“How do you know about that?”

“Oh, Freya,” she said softly. “I’ve always been watching you. Monitoring your activities in the human world. And I must say—you weren’t treated well there.”

“Is this some joke? Or a dream?” My voice trembled. “This isn’t real. I’m stuck in some kind of trance, right?”

“Oh, it’s very real,” Eva replied, her eyes glinting strangely. “You were always meant to arrive here. As per the terms of the binding—once you turned eighteen, the portal would find you. And here you are.”

I blinked rapidly. “Portal? Binding? I didn’t bind anything with anyone! I’m… I’m just human!”

Silence stretched between us like cracking ice.

Eva tilted her head, studying me. “You think you’re just human.”

My chest rose and fell quickly. “I am human. I go to high school. I work at a café. I take care of my foster family. I’ve never even been on a plane—and now I’m in some gothic wizard Hogwarts knockoff being told I was meant to be here?”

“You may feel human now—or think you are—but you’re not,” Eva said quietly. “You are more than that, Freya. What you are has simply been… dormant.”

Without realizing it, I dropped into a chair across from her. My hands trembled in my lap.

“This is insane,” I muttered.

Eva didn’t respond right away. She reached for a quill and scribbled something into a floating book.

“It will take time for you to adjust,” she said finally. “Your powers will begin to awaken. It starts with small—unusual dreams, accidental manipulation of emotions. Soon, the human shell will fall away. Your true essence will emerge.”

I stared at her like she’d grown horns.

“Why now?” I whispered. “Why when I just turned eighteen?”

“Because a binding spell to the human world was placed on you,” Eva answered. “It was only broken when you turned eighteen. Like I said, I’ve been watching you. You weren’t cursed, Freya. But the suffering you experienced in the human world—that was part of the calling. You were placed in the wrong world… temporarily.”

“Everything was for a purpose,” she continued. “This is your purpose.”

I stood up abruptly. “This is too much. I need to wake up from this dream.”

“Freya, this isn’t a dream,” she said firmly.

“What about the cat?”

“Well,” she said, with a faint smile, “I sent him to bring you here.”

“What!” I shouted. “Okay, that’s enough. All of this is too much. You’ve got the wrong girl. I need to go back to the human world. I’m sure my father—”

“Must be worried sick?” Eva finished for me, cutting me off. “He doesn’t care anymore, Freya. There’s nothing left for you in that world. This is your home now—whether you like it or not.”

“If you won’t take me back, then I’ll find a way myself,” I said, voice shaking.

Eva’s lips curled in a knowing smile. “No one has ever escaped before, Freya. Those who tried… well, some never made it out of the forest. Graduation is your only hope.”

My heart hammered. Was I truly trapped here, forever cut off from my family?”

“I’m dreaming,” I whispered, pressing my fingers to my temples. “Please let me wake up.”

A knock interrupted us.

“Come in,” Eva said.

I turned, blinking twice as a tall, beautiful figure stepped inside. No—not just beautiful. He was breathtaking.

“Hello Dean?” You asked for me.”

“Freya Moore,” Eva said, standing from her seat, “meet your new mentor—Kristen Blackwood. He’s a wolf shifter and just transferred to this school... because of you.”

“Me?” I echoed, startled.

“Yes, Freya. You.”I looked up at him. His golden eyes glowed and locked with mine, and I felt a jolt—like lightning racing through my veins, and something shimmered beneath the surface. There was a pull—something I couldn’t explain, something that tightened in my chest.

Freya

~

I looked at him again, this time more closely. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark curly hair and grey eyes that looked like they were about to unleash a storm. His eyes had been golden earlier, but now they had returned to their normal color. Why were they golden? I wondered. He wore a dark academy coat, unbuttoned to reveal a white long-sleeved shirt underneath.

He held himself like royalty.

“Freya,” Dean Eva said, “Kristen is the best fit for you right now. He was a top student at his university back in his pack before he transferred here.”

But Kristen’s mouth twisted in disdain. “Really, Dean? This is the one I was transferred to this school for?”

“Yes. You’ve known this all your life, so why complain now?”

“Why complain now?” he scoffed. “Miss Eva, look at her. She looks like she’s been hit by a bus.”

They were discussing me like I wasn’t even in the room. If this was how it was going to be, maybe I really should go back to my world.

“She’s not just any human,” Dean Eva said calmly. “She’s a human hybrid. A rare one—from your clan.”

Kristen frowned. “I refuse to believe this is Ryker’s daughter.”

“You know my father?My real father?” I asked.

Kristen scoffed. “You’re barely what he is. Human,” he said to me. “And I don’t need anyone leeching on me right now.”

My eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to be rude, you know.”

Kristen rolled his eyes but stepped closer, a slow smirk forming on his face.“If not for my father’s final verdict, I wouldn’t have considered mentoring you at all.”

“Then don’t,” I snapped. “I don’t need you anyway.”

He exhaled heavily, clearly annoyed. “If my father hadn’t made it his dying wish, I wouldn’t waste my time. I have better things to do than babysit someone who hasn’t even unlocked her powers.”

I felt heat rise to my face. The audacity of this guy.“You’ll be nothing but a distraction,” he added coldly.

“Excuse me?” My voice was aligned and sharp. “Let me make something clear. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t beg for this. And I most certainly didn’t beg for some spoiled prince to be assigned to me like I’m some lost child. If this is how mentorship works here, then no thank you. Dean Eva, maybe this isn’t going to work.”

Kristen’s jaw tightened.

The Dean, however, simply smiled. “Freya, sit. Kristen, that attitude won’t get you anywhere. Your father chose you for a reason, so don’t fail him.”

Kristen gritted his teeth. “Not like I have a choice now,” he murmured.

I looked between them and scoffed before sitting down and crossing my arms.

“You’re dismissed,” Eva said.

As Kristen stormed out, he threw me a final look—one that promised war. I shivered, realizing I’d just made my first enemy in this strange new world.

***

Kristen

~

I stormed through the corridors of Moon claw, ignoring the nods and bows of lower-ranked students.

I reached my room and slammed the door, throwing myself into the dark leather armchair by the window.

My head was filled with a storm of confusion.

Freya.

That name shouldn’t mean anything to me. She was half-blood. A hybrid with dormant powers. Raised as a human. Weak, Inexperience and mortal.

And yet…when she looked at me, I felt something twist deep inside. Was it lust? My wolf had growled the moment she stood up to me. But it didn’t make sense.

The mate bond!

I had already felt it years ago with Chloe. Or so I thought. My mother had arranged the marriage. Chloe was strong, beautiful, and capable. We matched in lineage, power, and pack politics.

But I never really felt the bond.

Not until now.

That girl,Freya. Something about her scent, the way she challenged me… it woke something inside me that had been sleeping for years. But why didn’t she feel it too? I rubbed my temples.

Unless… unless she can’t feel it.

Not yet.

Not until her powers awaken. Her hybrid blood might still be dormant and sealed.That would explain it.

But what would happen when she unlocked them? Should I just reject her and get all this over with? Would she come running into my arms? Would she accept the truth or reject me?

God, I was so confused. I gritted my teeth. I didn’t love Chloe. I respected her. Liked her, maybe. But love? It was far from it. There was never any spark between us. We were allies, meant to be partners in a carefully curated future. But no matter how I tried, I couldn’t seem to be attracted to Chloe.

Not sexually, not with lust, not even as friends.

Freya… She was a burning match in a dark room.

And I hated her for making me feel like this. Still, I couldn’t shake her voice from my mind.

“Maybe this isn’t going to work out.”

That look in her eyes, brave and broken all at once, it undid me. I stood up, pacing. I needed to know. Needed to see if the bond was real.

Because if it was… everything was about to change. Chloe and her pack wouldn’t take betrayal lightly.

I crossed to the window, staring out at the towers of moonclaw.

Beyond the courtyard, I could see the training grounds where the elites mastered their powers.That was where she would be soon enough… if she survived the awakening process.

My fingers tightened against the window frame. What do I do?