The Unwanted Girl and her Unexpected Mate

The only reason I came to the Academy was to survive. Love was never in the plan.

The bus lurched to a stop, and I grabbed my duffel bag before the driver could give me that look. The one that said he knew exactly what I was: unwanted, tainted, the girl who shouldn't exist. I'd seen it enough times to recognize it in strangers.

Moonrise Academy rose in front of me like a fortress. Stone walls covered in ivy, iron gates that looked more like a prison than a school. Figures moved behind windows, shadows with glowing eyes. Wolves. Alphas, Betas, Omegas. Everyone here had a place, a rank, a purpose.

Everyone except me.

I adjusted the strap on my shoulder and walked through the gates. Every step felt heavy, like the ground itself wanted to reject me. Students stopped mid-conversation to stare. Some whispered. Others didn't bother hiding their disgust.

"Is that her?"

"The Bennett girl?"

"Heard her bloodline is cursed."

"No wolf. Can you imagine?"

I kept my eyes forward. Chin up. Back straight. My aunt Mara's voice echoed in my head: "Don't you dare show them weakness, Elara. They'll eat you alive."

The main courtyard opened up ahead, and that's when I saw them.

Alphas.

A group of them sparred in the center, shirtless and brutal. Muscles rippled under sweat-slicked skin. Claws extended, teeth bared. They moved like predators, every strike calculated, every dodge instinctual. The crowd around them cheered and shouted, placing bets on who would win.

I should have kept walking. Should have found the registrar's office and kept my head down. But something stopped me.

One of them stood taller than the rest. Broader shoulders. Dark hair that fell across his forehead in messy waves. He moved with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, blocking strikes like they were nothing, countering with precision that made the others stumble back.

Darius Fenrir.

I'd heard the name before I even arrived. The Alpha heir. Next in line to lead one of the most powerful packs in the territory. Engaged to my perfect, beautiful sister Janessa. The golden couple everyone worshiped.

And the boy who'd made my childhood hell.

He hadn't seen me yet. Good. I turned to leave before he could.

"Well, well. Look who finally showed up."

My stomach dropped.

I turned slowly. Darius stood at the edge of the training ring, arms crossed, sweat dripping down his chest. His eyes locked onto mine, and the world seemed to tilt for a second. Gold eyes. Piercing. Dangerous.

"Elara Bennett," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Didn't think you'd actually show your face here."

The crowd went silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward me.

I forced a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Disappointed?"

"Surprised," he said, stepping closer. "Thought you'd be smart enough to stay away."

"Guess I'm full of surprises."

He stopped a few feet in front of me, towering over me by at least a head. His presence was suffocating,