Chapter 2: Into the Wolf's Den
Maeve's POV
I couldn't go straight to the office with my eyes red and swollen from crying. I needed time to calm down.
The student commons was the nearest sanctuary, and I rushed in, hoping to find my friend Gisella.
The commons was bustling, with several students chatting by the table while others buried themselves in textbooks. I scanned the room and finally spotted Gisella on a sofa in the corner.
"Oh my goddess, Maeve!" When she saw my state, Gisella immediately stood up, quickly pulling me to a relatively quiet corner. "What happened? You look like..."
"I just caught Louie and Juniper having sex in the dance studio," I said bluntly, my voice shaking from crying. "Then I kissed a complete stranger."
Gisella's eyes widened, her mouth forming a perfect O. "You did what?!" she whisper-screamed, "Wait, first tell me about that jerk Louie—you're sure it was them?"
"I saw and heard them with my own eyes and ears." Tears started flowing again. "I thought he was serious, Gisella. I thought maybe... maybe he was my destined mate."
"Oh, honey," Gisella hugged me, "Trust me, if he was your mate, you'd definitely feel the tearing pain. You even don't need your wolf to feel that. And mates can't physically betray each other—it's physiologically impossible."
"What you need to do now is get Louie completely off your schedule," she said decisively, taking my hand and standing up. "Then find yourself a hot new boyfriend to make Louie insane with jealousy."
I gave a bitter smile and shook my head, remembering my impulsive action. "About that, I might have already done something worse... I force-kissed a stranger, right in front of Louie."
Gisella's eyes widened, and then she burst out laughing. "Moon Goddess! That's why I love you, Maeve! You're a woman of action! Who was he? Was he handsome?"
"I don't know who he was," I admitted honestly. "But yes, he was handsome, and his lips were... soft..."
Gisella suddenly squealed. "Ah, Maeve, you absolutely need to find out who he is!"
"Whoever he is, it doesn't matter," I shook my head, wiping away my tears. "I need to go to the office now to change my courses. I never want to be in the same class as Louie again."
"Good idea," Gisella nodded. "I'll come with you."
Mrs. Green at the registration office didn't seem surprised that someone wanted to change courses in the first week of the semester. She just put on her reading glasses and started typing on her computer.
"Let me see..." she frowned as she browsed the screen. "Illustration class, yes. Hmm, this is troublesome, Maeve. Almost all other electives are full."
I bit my lip. This wasn't good.
"However," Mrs. Green looked up, "there is one option that might work. Professor Cyrus's Combat Training Class still has one spot open. This is usually for upperclassmen, but considering your father's... position," she gave my eyes a meaningful look, "I'm sure the academy can make an exception."
Combat Training? I hadn't even gained my wolf yet. This was a recipe for disaster. But at this point, any option that kept me away from Louie was a good one.
"Combat Training?" Gisella whispered behind me in surprise. "Professor Cyrus's class?! Moon Goddess, Maeve, you're walking into the wolf's den!"
"What do you mean?" I turned my head slightly, confused.
Gisella's voice dropped even lower. "They say he's super strict and never smiles at students. But..." she paused, a smile playing at her lips, "he's definitely the hottest professor at the academy."
"Alright, I'll take it," I told Mrs. Green, ignoring Gisella's little squeal behind me. "Please sign me up for Professor Cyrus's class."
Mrs. Green nodded, quickly finishing the computer operation and printing out a new schedule for me. "The arenas, on the east side of the academy. Class has already started, so you'd better go now."
As we left the registration office, Gisella grabbed my arm, her expression suddenly serious. "Maeve, are you sure you're ready for this?"
"As long as I can get away from Louie, I'm willing to face any challenge," I answered firmly.
After saying goodbye to Gisella who had to go to her own class, I headed to the arenas alone.
As I crossed the empty academy plaza, my pace quickened. Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement about the combat class.
My uncle Walter had trained me in fighting techniques since I was young, but this would be different—real combat training with other werewolves. Even without my wolf, I could at least prove I wasn't completely helpless.
Like my mom, Elizabeth, I was a Callisto wolf with two colorful eyes, changing with the light, making me different since childhood. She said it was the Moon Goddess's blessing, but sometimes it felt more like a curse.
Callisto wolves are more powerful than ordinary wolves, possessing unique abilities... but these abilities only manifest after gaining wolf at eighteen. My birthday was only days away, yet it felt like centuries.
And my father, the Alliance leader, always loved me fiercely, protecting me with the same devotion he showed my mother. Though he never forced me, I knew he hoped I'd find a strong Alpha as my mate.
Louie, as another Alpha's son, had once seemed a good choice. Now, all of that had turned to ashes.
As I approached the arenas, the deep growls and dull thuds of bodies colliding became clearer. Even through the thick stone walls, I could feel the energy and power being released inside. A strange tension and excitement intertwined within me, as if something in my blood was awakening.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the doors to the arenas.
The arenas were far more magnificent than I'd imagined. Under the soaring dome, the circular arena was divided into different training zones. In the center was a huge sand fighting pit, surrounded by spectator seats and auxiliary training areas.
As I stepped into this space, the air was filled with the scent of sweat, hormones, and wildness. At least a dozen pairs of students were engaged in combat training, everyone in wolf.
No one noticed my arrival as I quietly moved to a corner of the spectator seats, hoping to observe the class first.
Just then, a deep growl caught everyone's attention. From the shadows at the far end of the arena, a massive dark wolf surveyed the entire area from above. It was at least half again as large as the other wolves, and in the light, its fur showed an almost deep blue hue.
All students immediately stopped fighting and quickly lined up in orderly rows. The discipline was shocking.
An instinctive fear ran down my spine, but at the same time, there was a strange attraction.
The giant wolf's eyes scanned the arena, finally landing on me. In that moment, a strong sense of familiarity hit me.
The wolf gracefully leaped down from the height, already beginning to shift as it landed. Muscles reorganized, fur receded, and within seconds, a tall man stood there, wearing only training pants, his upper body bare, displaying perfect muscle definition.
When he raised his head, I finally saw his face clearly. My heart nearly stopped.
Because I would recognize that scent that called to something deep inside me.
The stranger I had just given my first kiss to.