Chapter 1: Entering Hell

ASHER

Stone Claw Academy had a look that suggested it had been built to intimidate.

I stood at the iron gates, my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, and I stared up at the towering Gothic structure that would be my home for the next four years. Black stone walls rose into the grey sky like a prison. Even the air felt heavy here, thick with dominance, aggression and the unmistakable scent of Alpha pheromones.

This was the most dangerous werewolf academy in the world, and the place where ruthless Alphas were forged in blood and brutality.

The place where the weak didn’t survive past their first semester, and I was about to walk through those gates pretending to be something that I wasn’t.

My hand moved instinctively to my jacket pocket, my fingers brushing against the small case hidden there. Three vials left, and I would need to inject myself again soon.

These drugs masked my Omega scent and gave me just enough Alpha pheromones to pass. It burned like liquid fire through my veins and was probably shaving years of my life with every dose, but it was the only thing keeping me alive.

’Don’t think about it,’ I told myself firmly, ’you made your choice, now you have to survive it.’

I had spent weeks preparing for this. Perfecting my fake Pack identity, the mysterious ’Silverwood pack’ that supposedly preferred to stay reclusive. Practising my Alpha parade, learning how to suppress every soft, submissive instinct that screamed at me to yield, to bow and to submit to any alpha.

At six feet tall with platinum blonde hair, sharp, angular features, and pale skin that made me look like some kind of ice prince, I knew I looked the part; I just had to make sure no one ever discovered what I truly was.

An Omega in Alpha’s clothing, a lie wrapped in desperation.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the gates and entered hell. The school courtyard was massive, and students walked around in clusters, all Alphas, and they were all radiating the kind of predatory energy that made my instincts scream danger.

They were bigger than me, broader, more muscular, and some had scars, while others had tattoos crawling up their necks. They all looked like they could snap me in half without breaking a sweat.

I forced myself to walk with confidence, head high, shoulders back, never showing weakness and never letting them smell fear from me.

I was halfway across the courtyard when I suddenly heard it, a commotion near the fountain. Raised voices, cruel laughter and the sound of flesh hitting stone.

Every instinct told me to keep walking, to mind my damn business, and not to get involved on my first day, but something made me turn my head.

A small crowd had gathered in a loose circle, and in the centre, a slender Alpha with dark curly hair was on his knees, blood trickling from his split lip. He looked young with soft features and kind eyes that were currently wide with fear, and standing over him was a monster.

The alpha was massive, easily six foot five with a ripped, muscular frame that his black t-shirt did nothing to hide. Thick brown hair, charcoal grey eyes that looked like storm clouds and sharp, intimidating features that reminded me of a Viking warrior. Tattoos snaked up his sleeves, but nothing got my attention more than the aura that nearly brought me to my knees.

Pure, undiluted dominance rolled off the Alpha in waves so strong that I felt my Omega instincts trying to claw their way to the surface. My wolf whimpered inside me, wanting to bare my throat, to submit, to-

’No.’

I gritted my teeth and forced my wolf down with brutal force. The drug in my system helped, but barely, and whoever this Alpha was, he was powerful, dangerously and should be avoided by me.

“Please,” the boy on the ground begged, snapping me out of my thoughts and drawing my attention to what was in front of me, “Reed, I didn’t mean-”

“Shut up Scott,” the Alpha said, his voice deep and cold, devoid of any emotion except disdain, “You know the rules, you speak when I give you permission to speak. You fucking move when I allow you to move. You exist because I haven’t decided to break you yet.”

The crowd laughed, some of them looked uncomfortable, but none of them intervened.

Reed, that was apparently the monster’s name, grabbed Scott by the hair and yanked his head back, “Now apologize for wasting my time.”

“I’m sorry,” Scot whispered, tears streaming down his face, “I’m so sorry-”

“Pathetic,” Reed released him with a shive that debt Scott sprawling, “get out of my sight before I-”

“Hey!” The word left my mouth before my brain could catch up, and the entire courtyard went silent. Every head turned towards me, and the crowd parted slowly, revealing me standing there with my duffel bag still over my shoulder, and Reed, the king of this godforsaken place, turned to face me fully. Our eyes met, and I froze.

I felt like I had been struck by lightning, and my body shivered like I had been dipped in a water-filled with ice.

Those charcoal grey eyes were the most intense thing I had ever seen. They were cold, calculating, ruthless, and they swept over me from head to toe in a single, dismissive glance that somehow felt more invasive than beingstripped naked.

And beneath the drug-induced calm, fake Alpha pheromones, my traitorous body responded.

My wolf sat up and paid attention in a way it never had before, my skin prickled with awareness, my pulse kicked up, and heat pooled low between my thighs.

’No, no, no, not him, anyone but him.’

“Did you just interrupt me?” Reed’s voice snapped me out of my reverie, and my throat went dry instantkly but I forced myself to speak.

“Yes, I did. Any issue with that?” I asked, and a ripple of shock went through the crowd. I could hear their whispers of questions asking ’if I was insane or if I wished for a death sentence? But I ignored them all because my main focus was on Reed as he took a step towards me, and then another.

The crowd parted more way, giving him enough space as if he were some sort of a god. He moved witha grace of a predator, all steps controlled with power and an intent to kill. He didn’t stop until he was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his massive frame.

He was damn close that i gad to tilt my head back slightly to maintain my eye contact.

“You must be new,” Reed said, his grey eyes boring holes into mine, “so I will give you one chance to apologise and walk away.”

Deep down, I knew I should take, I should back down, apologise, and disappear before the momster decided to man an example of me on my first day but the way Scott was trembling on the ground, the cruel satisfaction on Reed’s eyes, the smug certainty that no one would dare challenge him made something hoit and angry coil in my chest.

I had spent my whole life running, hiding and pretending to be weak; maybe it was time to stop, and this was the perfect time to stop running and stand up for myself.

“No,” I said clearly and boldly.

Reed arched a brow, “No?”

“I am not apologising,” I dropped my duffel bag and crossed my arms over my chest, mimicking the confident stance of every Alpha I had ever observed, “leave him alone,” I stated.

For a long moment, Reed just stared at me, th silence stretched, haunted me because I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know if I should be scared of the unknown that was about to happen, and then he smiled.

It was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen, it was cold, sharp and absolutely devoid of emotions.

“What’s your name?” Reed asked softly.

“Asher Graham. Silverwood Pack.” I answered.

“Silverwood?” Reed’s eyes narrowed. “I have never heard of it.”

“That’s because we prefer to keep a low profile.”

“Clearly.” Reed’s gaze raked over me again, this time slower and assessing my weakness, “well, Asher Graham of the Silverwood Pack, let me explain how things work at Stone Claw Academy. I am Reed Jackson, Shadow Born Pack, and I won this school.”

“Good for you,” I said, even though my heart was trying to hammer its way out of my chest, “it doesn’t give you the right to torture and bully someone half your size.”

Reed’s smile widened, “Scott isn’t being tortured or bullied; he is learning his place. Something you are going to need to learn, too.”

“I don’t think so.” I answered sharpy, and the words hung in the air between us fo a few seconds before Reed took another step closer, close enough that I could smell him.

Pine and leather and something dark and intoxicating that made my head spin. The drug in my system was working overtime to suppress my body’s reaction, but it was a losing battle against Reed’s pheromones.

Reed been close to me was enough for me to see his features clearly, the flecks of silver in Reed’s eyes, the small scar cutting through his left eyebrow and the way his jaw clenched slightly, like he was restraining himself from doing something violent to me.

“You have beautiful eyes,” Reed said suddenly, his voice dripping even lower, “it’s a shame they will be swollen shut by the end of the week.”

It was a threat, a clear and direct one, and I should have been terrified, but instead, I felt something wild and reckless surge through me. Maybe it was the drug making me bolder than I should be, or maybe it was twenty years of suppressed age finally finding an outlet, or maybe it was the unexplainable pull I felt towards this dangerous, violent Alpha that I already knew I should stay away from.

Whatever it was, it made me lean in slightly, “You are welcome to try.” I informed him.

I saw something flash in his eyes, something I couldn’t name. Maybe surprised, or interest or fury, something I could place a name on.

“Oh, I will,” Reed promised, “before the semester is over, I am going to break you, Asher Graham. I am going to make you regret ever opening that pretty mouth of yours, you will learn to kneel when I walk by, and you will learn that challenging me was the worst mistake of your pathetic life,” he threatened, and I scoffed.

Our faces were inches apart, and I could feel Reed’s breath on my skin. I could see the way his pupils had dilated slightly, the way his massive chest rose and fell with controlled breathing.

The air between us crackles with tension, hatred and challenge. Something electric and dangerous that I didn’t want to examine too closely.

“I will look forward to it.” I heard myself say before I could stop myself.

For another heartbeat, we stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills, then suddenly Reed stepped back, breaking the spell between us.

“Scott,” he called without taking his eyes off me, “Get up.”

Scott scrambled to his feet, whipping blood from his lips.

“Thank youir new friend here,” Reed continued, his voice dripping with mockery, “he just saved your pretty ass for now.” his gaze finally left me to sweep over the gathered crowd, “show is over. Get to class.”

The crowd dispersed quickly, students shooting curious and pitying glances at me as they went their various ways.

Reed turned back to me one last time, “Welcome to Stone Claw Academy, Asher Graham. I am going to make your life a living hell,” he assured me, and I smiled.

“I can’t wait,” I shot back, proud of myself that my voice didn’t shake or break.

Reed’s smile was all teeth, “me neither.” Then he was gone, striding away with his pack of followers trailing behind him like loyal dogs.

I stood there for a long moment, my heart pounding, adrenaline still flooding my system. My hands were shaking slightly, so I shoved them in my pockets.

’What the fucking hell did I just do?’

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