Chapter#03

Selene’s POV

The journey to the Ironfang Academy in Central-North Lunareth was a grueling trek that tested every ounce of my resolve. We’d left Duskwood traveling north through the Moonriver Valley, where the river’s icy waters glittered under the pale sun, reflecting the jagged peaks of the Ironfang Mountains ahead.

The air grew colder as we ascended. We skirted the edges of the Emberclaw Pack’s volcanic territory in the Central-East. My legs burned from the climb, and my lungs ached from the thin mountain air, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain Leandro had given me.

It took us seven long days of hiding and venturing to reach the academy. By the time we reached, I felt like a stranger in my skin. The fortress loomed ahead, carved into the mountainside. It was a sprawling complex of gray stone and iron, its towers jagged like the teeth of a wolf.

The Ironfang Pack, known for their disciplined, militaristic culture, had built this place as a proving ground for future Alphas, a neutral territory where pack rivalries were set aside for the sake of training. But neutrality didn’t mean safety.

The air was thick with the heat of exertion and the metallic tang of blood, dust swirling in the wind, kicked up by the relentless stomping of boots and the crash of bodies in the sparring arenas below. The noise was unrelenting: growls, roars, and the sharp bark of commands echoing off the cliffs. It was chaos incarnate, a far cry from the quiet, disciplined training I’d known in Silverthorn, where our drills were accompanied by the melodic howls of our pack and the scent of moonflowers.

As we stood at the edge of the training grounds, my stomach churned. I glanced at Rowan and Caden, who stood beside me. Rowan’s gray eyes darted around. I was the only girl here, hidden beneath Kaelen’s name and a disguise that felt more like a prison with every passing moment. If anyone discovered the truth, they wouldn’t just mock me, they’d rip me apart and burn me.

The trainees around us were a terrifying sight. There must have been at least two hundred of them. Bare-chested and sweating, their muscles rippled as they sparred with feral intensity, their wolf forms flickering beneath their skin; claws extended, eyes glowing with predatory focus.

Some were already bleeding, crimson streaks staining the dusty ground, which was a testament to the Ironfang Pack’s brutal traditions. They valued strength above all; their trials were designed to weed out the weak through combat and survival tests in the nearby Wraithwood. This was no place for the faint of heart, and I felt the weight of my vulnerability like a blade at my throat.

As we walked further, my gaze darted to a pair of trainees grappling in the center of the main arena, a circle of packed earth surrounded by stone benches. The taller boy, a hulking figure, slammed his opponent into the ground with a bone-rattling thud. The smaller boy grunted in pain but didn’t yield. His hazel eyes flashed with defiance as he rolled to his feet. My chest tightened. I couldn’t look away, even as the brutal display made my wolf whimper, urging me to run.

A memory struck me like a claw to the heart, pulling me back to happier days in Silverthorn. Kaelen’s laughter echoed through the Alpha’s Hall as he sparred with Rowan in the training yard.

“Come on, Rowan, don’t go easy on me!” Kaelen had teased, ducking under Rowan’s swing.

“I’m not!” Rowan had grunted, his young wolf form lunging as he managed to grab Kaelen and pin him down.

“Sure you aren’t,” Kaelen had laughed. He’d glanced over at me, where I sat watching from the sidelines, weaving a moonflower crown for the next ritual. “You’ll join us someday, Selene. And I can’t wait for the day you defeat me.”

I’d smiled then, shaking my head, “Defeat you? I might never be able to do that, big brother.”

The memory struck me like a blow to the chest. I clenched my fists, forcing my mind back to the present. My nails dug into my palms as I anchored myself in the pain.

“Stick close to me and Caden,” Rowan murmured, “Don’t wander off alone. You can’t afford to be on your own here.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. He was right. This place was a den of predators, and I was prey in disguise.

As we walked further into the camp, I focused on keeping my steps steady and my head down, mimicking Kaelen’s confident stride as best I could. Caden leaned in, “Don’t let it get to you. Remember, we’re here to survive. Your brothers are here for you, okay?” His words were meant to comfort, but the grief in his eyes betrayed his own struggle.

I nodded again, though his words did little to calm the storm in my chest. My heart pounded as we joined the throng of trainees gathering at the main arena.

The camp’s instructor, a towering figure, stood at the center of the arena. His scarred chest was bare, and his steel-gray eyes were as sharp as daggers. He radiated authority. His presence silenced the trainees in an instant.

“This is Captain Torin,” Rowan whispered to me, “He’s one of the best warriors in Lunareth. He’s a part of our pack.”

“Gather up!” the captain barked, “Today begins your trials. The Ironfang Academy doesn’t coddle weaklings. Only the strongest will survive to lead their packs. If you’re not ready to bleed, then leave now. The rest of you? Prepare to prove you deserve to be here.”

His words made my stomach lurch. Caden nudged me gently, “You’re fine.”

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to breathe. I couldn’t flinch.

Torin towered over me, his scarred arms crossed as he studied me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. “Who are you, boy?” he asked.

I swallowed hard, “I’m Kaelen, son of Alpha Theron of the Silverthorn Pack,” I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze, though my gray eyes flickered nervously to Rowan and Caden behind me.

Torin took a moment to scan me. A sigh escaped his lips, and he shook his head slightly. “You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight, Kaelen,” he said in a gruff tone laced with a dry humor that caught me off guard.

The crowd erupted into laughter. My cheeks burned with humiliation. The weight of their mockery pressed down on me like the Frostfang Peaks themselves. I forced a weak smile, trying to laugh it off as Kaelen would have, but my eyes kept darting back to Rowan and Caden, seeking their reassurance.

Captain Torin wasted no time as he paired us off, ordering us into the sparring ring. My heart sank as I was matched against the tall boy I’d seen earlier.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, Kaelen,” Torin said, narrowing his eyes as if testing me already.

I hesitated for a fraction of a second, and that man lunged. His fist came toward me like a hammer. I barely ducked in time. My breath caught as I scrambled to dodge his next swing.

“Stop dancing and fight!” Torin roared.

I braced myself, remembering the drills Kaelen had taught me in Silverthorn. I faked left, swinging my elbow into that man’s ribs with all the strength I could muster. He grunted, but it barely fazed him. His retaliation was swift; his arm wrapped around my torso, slamming me to the ground with a force that knocked the air from my lungs.

The impact sent a jolt of pain through my body, but I didn’t let go, gritting my teeth as I twisted, using my smaller size to wriggle free. He stumbled, caught off guard by my agility, and I swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the dust.

Torin’s whistle blew, signaling the end of the match.

“Well, you didn’t die,” he muttered, “Not bad for a runt.”

I staggered to my feet. My heart pounded as I glanced at Rowan and Caden, who stood at the edge of the ring. Rowan gave me a small, proud nod. Caden’s lips showed no expression.

As we lined up to wait for the next test, a wiry boy sidled up to me.

“You’re awfully quiet, Kaelen,” he said, “You sure you’re cut out for this?”

I forced a laugh, deepening my voice to mimic Kaelen’s cocky drawl, “Quiet wins battles, doesn’t it mister?” I said, meeting his gaze with a confidence I didn’t feel.

He smirked, stepping closer, “They call me Liam.”

That night, I sat by the fire in the trainee barracks. Rowan and Caden sat beside me. My body ached from the day’s trials.

As I stared into the flames, I thought of Kaelen again. I had to find that courage in myself to channel his spirit through this disguise. I wasn’t just Selene anymore. I was Kaelen now. And I had to survive for the pack that had died to protect me.

Rowan placed a hand on my shoulder, “You did well today,” he said, “But stay sharp. This place…it’s not Silverthorn.”

Caden nodded, “We’ll get through this,” he said, “Together.” The word was a promise, a tether to the family we’d lost, and a reminder of why we were here.