Chapter 4
Aurora
I sat there, numb; their words echoed around my head.
We're not telling anyone. That depends. Werewolves are real. Lycans. Mate. Bonds. Shifting.
I had entered an entirely different reality—and now I was stuck in it.
"I think I need to lie down," I said softly, staring at the floorboards.
"Nope," Mira said, popping up like a jack-in-the-box. "You need food."
"Dinner ends at nine-thirty." Lira added. "And curfew's are sharp for freshmen."
"Wolves get hangry." Mira grinned. "You don't want to see Selene hangry."
"I'm right here," Selene said dryly, but she was already slipping on a leather jacket and adjusting the silver cuff at her wrist.
I blinked. "Wait, we can't just... after everything you just said? You want to go eat like nothing happened?"
"Yes," Riven said, calm as ever.
"Because the rest of the school doesn't know, I hope, and you'll draw more attention by skipping dinner than showing up."
"She's right." Lira said gently. "You'll feel better after eating something warm. It helps."
I hesitated. My legs didn't want to move. My head definitely didn't, but Mira was already dragging me up by the arm like a girl on a mission.
"Come on, human girl. You've got a lot to process and zero time to do it. Plus, the mashed potato bar is actually chef's kiss."
I let her pull me toward the door, still in a daze. Everything inside me was screaming that this was all wrong, that I should run, pack a bag, fake appendicitis—anything but go eat
dinner surrounded by creatures who could smell my blood from across the room.
But they weren't giving me a choice.
The hallways were quieter now, lit by flickering wall sconces that cast long shadows on the ancient stone. My sneakers echoed against the floor while the others walked in smooth, practiced silence. They moved like wolves even when they were human—smoothly, almost instinctively, noticing every creak in the floor and shift in the air.
I stumbled once, and Mira steadied me.
"You good?" she asked under her breath.
"No," I whispered. "Not even a little"
“Fair,” she said, then smiled a little. "But you're doing great. Honestly. Most humans would've passed out by now."
"I still might."
We rounded a corner and passed a pair of older students—tall, confident, with glowing golden eyes that definitely weren't human. One of them sniffed as we passed. Just a subtle tilt of the head, like a dog catching an unfamiliar scent.
My spine stiffened.
Selene casually stepped between me and them, like she was blocking the view on purpose.
They kept walking.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
By the time we reached the canteen, I was sweating and freezing at the same time.
The dining hall looked like it belonged in a fantasy movie. Vaulted ceilings stretched so high they disappeared into shadows. Long, dark-wood tables ran the length of the room, lit by floating lanterns that flickered with a soft blue glow. The smell of roasted meat, garlic, and something vaguely herbal filled the air. It should've been comforting. It wasn't.
There were so many students.
And they all looked up when we walked in.
Not all at once. But gradually. Heads turning, conversations fading. No one said a word, but I felt it.
Selene muttered under her breath. "Just keep your head up. Don't flinch. Don't sniff too much."
"Sniff?"
"Lots of scents in here. Bloodlines. Bonds. Magic. It's a whole thing."
"I hate everything about that sentence." I whispered.
Mira led us to a long table on the far side, closer to the fireplace where a fire crackles with blue-white flames. As we passed a group of older students, I heard someone whisper something—too low to catch—but Selene glanced over her shoulder, and whoever it was shut up fast.
We sat.
Or they sat.
I hovered awkwardly, looking at the cafeteria line.
It wasn't a try system like I expected. Instead, there were food stations—actual, mystical-looking food stations. One area glowed with moonlight; another was lined with simmering pots that smelled like herbs and bone broth. One had only raw meat. I pretended I didn't see that one.
"Go," Mira said, nudging me with her foot. "They won't bite. At least not without asking first."
"Not funny"
She winked.
I walked toward the safer-looking station—where mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and some kind of stew were served by an older woman in a black uniform. Her eyes glowed faintly gold, too. But she smiled as I approached.
"First week?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, surprised I could even speak.
She ladled food onto a wooden plate and handed it over. "You'll be fine."
I wanted to ask how she knew—if she knew what I was—but I didn't. I just nodded and walked back, head down.
By the time I sat, the others were already halfway through their food.
"See?" Mira said around a bite of roasted veggies. "You didn't spontaneously combust."
"Yet"
"You're doing fine." Lira offered with an encouraging smile. "No one's tried to challenge you."
"Challenge me?"
"For dominance," Riven said without looking up. "Happens sometimes. Especially when someone's scent is…unfamiliar."
I stared at my plate.
"Relax," Mira said. "You're under dorm protection now. We all stick together."
I didn't say anything.
I couldn't.
Because every part of this felt wrong. Too strange, too big, too far from anything I'd ever known. And yet…
And yet, no one had called me out. Not publicly. Not yet.
Maybe I could survive this.
Maybe.
By the time we walked back to our dorm, the halls had quieted again, save for the occasional whisper or laughter behind the closed door or the soft creak of old wood settling. The air outside was cooler now, crisp and sharp as if the whole forest had exhaled for the night.
We didn't talk much on the way back. Even Mira, who had enough energy for three people, had quieted. I could tell she was watching me, though—like I was a candle flickering in an unexpected breeze.
I didn't blame her. I felt like one.
Inside the dorm, everything was dimly lit and warm again—comfortable in a strange, haunted sort of way. Someone had lit a bundle of sage in a shallow bowl by the window.
and it filled the space with a soothing, earthy scent. The fire crackled low in the fireplace.
I stood in the doorway for a second, not sure what to do with myself. Then I went toward my suitcases, opening one, and taking out a small toiletry bag. I cleared my throat.
"Hey… Where's the bathroom?"
Mira looked up from where she was sprawled on her bed. "End of the hall, left side. Showers are behind
the second door. Don't use the center one—it floods."
"Good to know."
"Oh—and take your key," Lira said. "Doors lock at ten. Magical wards. You'll get trapped out for the
night."