SAMANTHA CARTER

My heart stopped the moment those words left Alpha Blackwood's mouth.

"Then you will be killed."

The sentence echoed inside my head again and again until every other sound around me disappeared. My throat tightened, and I couldn't even remember how to breathe. My fingers curled into trembling fists at my sides, yet I forced myself to remain standing.

The Council Hall, which had been silent only moments ago, suddenly erupted into loud voices.

"She's an abomination!"

"The Moon Goddess has never made four mates!"

"She should be executed before disaster follows!"

"No! If the Goddess chose her, then killing her would be defying the Moon herself!"

The arguments collided from every direction, making my head pound, while I stood in the middle of the chamber feeling less like a person and more like a criminal being judged for a crime I didn't even know I had committed.

I hadn't asked for any of this. I hadn't asked to come to Nightshade Academy. I hadn't asked to be connected to four powerful alphas…

And I definitely hadn't asked for a death sentence.

"Silence!" Principal Vex commanded, slamming the end of her staff against the marble floor, and immediately a loud crack echoed throughout the chamber.

The room fell quiet once again, although the hatred in many of the elders' eyes remained.

I swallowed hard and lowered my gaze.

Was this really how my first day here was going to end?

"My Lords," Adrian said calmly as he stepped forward, keeping his voice respectful although disappointment flashed across his face. "With all due respect, Samantha did nothing wrong. She didn't create this bond."

Several elders frowned.

"The Moon Goddess created it," Adrian continued, meeting their eyes without fear. "If anyone should be questioned, perhaps it should be our understanding of the ancient laws."

A few murmurs spread through the chamber again.

"What nonsense!" one elder barked angrily, his wrinkled face twisting into a scowl. "Our laws have protected this world for centuries."

"Our laws were written by wolves," Adrian replied quietly, sadness filling his eyes. "Not by the Moon Goddess herself."

For the first time, several Council members had no answer.

Before anyone else could speak, another voice exploded across the chamber.

"This whole thing is ridiculous!"

Darius stormed forward, fury burning in his golden eyes while his chest rose and fell rapidly.

"You threaten to kill an innocent girl because your precious history books don't know what to do?"

His voice echoed off every wall.

"If anyone lays a hand on her—"

"Darius."

Karl's deep voice interrupted him.

Darius ignored him.

"I said if anyone lays a hand on her, they'll answer to me first," he declared, his jaw tightening as golden light flickered beneath his skin.

A low growl rolled through the hall.nSeveral guards instantly rushed toward him.

"Darius, enough," Adrian warned, placing a firm hand on his shoulder while concern crossed his face.

Darius glared at the elders for several seconds before finally taking one slow step backward.

The tension eased only slightly.

Karl stepped forward next. Unlike Darius, his face remained calm, though I noticed how tightly his hands were clasped behind his back.

"If Samantha has until graduation to choose," he began evenly, determination settling across his features, "then until that day, no harm will come to her while she remains within Frost Fang territory."

His father narrowed his eyes.

"Careful, Karl."

"I am being careful, Father," Karl answered, lifting his chin. "I simply refuse to punish someone for existing."

For a brief moment, neither father nor son looked away. The silence between them spoke louder than another argument ever could.

Then my eyes drifted toward the last alpha.

Carla.

He hadn't spoken once, not a single word. His face remained unreadable, his gray eyes fixed somewhere beyond everyone else as though none of this concerned him.

For some reason, that hurt.

Maybe I shouldn't have cared. Maybe I shouldn't have expected anything from someone who clearly wanted nothing to do with me.

Yet something caught my attention.

His fists.

They were clenched so tightly that thin streams of blood slid between his fingers before quietly disappearing beneath the sleeves of his black coat.

He was hurting himself. Still, he never said a word.

Principal Vex finally stepped into the center once more.

"The Council's decision remains unchanged," she announced firmly, authority filling every syllable. "However, additional measures shall be enforced."

Everyone listened.

"From today onward, Samantha Carter shall not leave the Academy grounds without authorization."

My stomach sank.

"She will be under constant protection."

The whispers began again.

"Furthermore..."

Vex unrolled another scroll.

"Due to the unstable nature of the unprecedented bond, Samantha Carter shall immediately be transferred into the Crescent Residence."

Confused murmurs spread across the chamber.

"The Crescent Residence?" someone repeated.

"The old Alpha quarters?"

"That place hasn't been used in decades."

Vex nodded once.

"She will reside there alongside the four bonded heirs until further notice."

"What?"

The word escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

Karl looked just as surprised. Adrian blinked several times. Even Darius stopped glaring at the Council.

Only Carla remained expressionless.

"I object," Karl said immediately, disbelief flashing across his face.

"So do I," Adrian added, concern settling into his voice.

Darius scratched the back of his neck.

"I mean... I don't exactly hate the idea, but shouldn't she get a vote?"

A few students laughed nervously.

"No," Principal Vex answered simply. "This is not a discussion."

I finally found my voice.

"You can't seriously expect me to live with four strangers."

"You are already mystically connected to them," Vex replied calmly. "Distance only increases the instability of the bond."

"But—"

"The decision is final," she cut in, raising her hand to signal that my words won't be considered.

I bit down on my lip so hard it almost hurt. No one asked what I wanted. Not once… not my parents… not this Academy… not the Council.

Not even the Moon Goddess.

Everyone else seemed to know what my life should be except me.

The meeting was dismissed shortly afterward.

Students flooded into the hallways almost immediately.

Everywhere I looked, people were staring.

"That's her."

"The human."

"No..."

"The Four-Marked."

"I heard the Stone screamed."

"They say she broke ancient magic."

"What if she's cursed?"

I lowered my head and kept walking. The whispers followed me anyway.

Karl moved to my left without saying anything. Adrian quietly walked on my right. Darius remained a few steps behind, glaring at anyone who stared for too long.

Carla walked several feet ahead, hands tucked into his pockets as though none of us existed.

After several minutes, Darius sighed dramatically.

"This silence is killing me."

Nobody answered.

"So..." he continued, forcing a grin. "Since we're apparently roommates now, I think introductions are overdue."

He pointed at himself proudly.

"Darius Ash. Handsome. Charming. Future legend."

Adrian laughed softly. "Don't listen to half of what he says."

"Half?"

"Fine."

"Ninety percent."

I couldn't stop the tiny smile that escaped me.

Darius gasped dramatically. "See? She likes me already."

"I smiled because Adrian embarrassed you," I replied before I could think.

For a second, everyone stopped.

Then Adrian laughed. Karl actually smiled. Even Darius placed a hand over his chest.

"Ouch," he groaned theatrically. "She stabbed me and didn't even need a knife."

Despite everything, I laughed. It wasn't loud or long. But it was real.

For the first time since arriving at Nightshade Academy, I almost felt normal.

Almost

SAMANTHA CARTER

The walk from the Council Hall to the Crescent Residence felt longer than it probably was, and although none of us spoke for several minutes, I could feel every pair of curious eyes following us through the Academy grounds.

If this was only my second day, I couldn't imagine what tomorrow would be like.

The silence beside me finally broke when Darius threw his hands into the air with an exaggerated sigh.

"This is depressing," he complained, shaking his head dramatically before flashing me a grin. "We're supposed to be celebrating our first day as roommates, not walking around like we're headed to a funeral."

"No one is celebrating," Karl replied calmly, although amusement flickered briefly across his face.

"I am."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"It shouldn't."

Adrian chuckled softly and glanced at me.

"Ignore them. They've been arguing since they were children."

"I do not argue," Karl answered.

"You absolutely do," Darius shot back, laughing. "You just do it politely."

I couldn't stop the small smile tugging at my lips.

For a moment, I almost forgot everything that had happened inside the Council Hall… almost.

The Academy stretched before us like a city hidden inside the mountains.

Students hurried between towering stone buildings while others trained in open courtyards. Somewhere in the distance, swords clashed, wolves howled, and instructors barked orders loud enough to echo across the grounds.

Everything about this place reminded me that I didn't belong here.

We eventually stopped in front of a building unlike the others.

It stood alone near the edge of the Academy grounds, overlooking the forest below.

Unlike the gray towers surrounding it, this one had white stone walls streaked with silver veins that shimmered beneath the afternoon sun.

"This is Crescent Residence," Adrian explained with a gentle smile. "It used to house the first Alpha Circle centuries ago."

"It hasn't been occupied in years," Karl added as he unlocked the large wooden doors.

"They say it's haunted," Darius whispered loudly, earning himself an annoyed look from Karl.

"It isn't haunted."

"You sound disappointed."

Karl sighed.

"I am disappointed that you're still talking."

Darius laughed proudly. "I knew it."

I followed them inside.

The entrance opened into an enormous living room with high ceilings supported by carved wooden beams. A fireplace stretched from floor to ceiling, while comfortable sofas surrounded a low table covered with old books and faded maps.

A grand staircase curved toward the upper floor. Five doors lined the hallway downstairs. Another five were upstairs.

My eyes widened. "This..."

I slowly turned in a circle.

"...is a dorm?"

"It was built for the founding Alpha heirs," Adrian explained.

"There are five bedrooms," Karl continued. "One kitchen. One library. One training room. One meeting room."

"And one kitchen that I absolutely cannot cook in," Darius admitted shamelessly.

"You burned water once," Adrian reminded him.

"I still don't know how that happened."

"I don't think anyone does."

I couldn't help laughing again.

Maybe these three weren't nearly as frightening as I'd imagined.

My smile faded when I noticed Carla. He hadn't laughed. He hadn't even looked at us. Instead, he quietly picked up one of the room keys hanging beside the staircase.

"The last room upstairs," he said flatly.

Without another word, he walked away. I watched him disappear down the hallway before turning back to the others.

"Does he always act like that?"

The three exchanged quick glances.

"Mostly," Karl answered first.

"He isn't trying to insult you," Adrian added carefully. "It just... takes him time."

Darius folded his arms. "Or maybe he's just allergic to happiness."

A faint smile crossed Adrian's face. "I don't think that's medically possible."

"It should be."

Karl reached for another key and handed it to me. "The room opposite the balcony is yours."

I accepted it quietly. "Thank you."

He nodded once. "If anyone bothers you, tell one of us."

"I can take care of myself."

"I believe you," Karl replied. "But now there are four of us."

His words lingered in my mind as I climbed the stairs.

My room was larger than the bedroom I'd shared with my parents' apartment back home. A neatly made bed stood beside a tall window overlooking the forest. A wooden wardrobe occupied one corner. Bookshelves lined another.

Someone had even placed fresh flowers on the bedside table.

I slowly set my backpack down.

This room was beautiful. Yet somehow, it didn't feel like home.

A framed photograph slipped from one of the backpack pockets as I unpacked.

I picked it up carefully.

Mom. Dad. All three of us smiling outside our tiny apartment.

A lump formed in my throat. "I miss you already," I whispered.

A sudden knock interrupted my thoughts. I wiped the corner of my eye before opening the door.

Adrian stood outside holding a tray.

"I figured you probably skipped lunch." He smiled warmly.

"So... I stole extra food from the dining hall."

"You stole it?"

"I prefer the word borrowed."

I laughed softly. "You can come in."

He stepped inside, placing the tray on the small table.

"There are a few Academy rules we forgot to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"Only if you enjoy breaking rules."

"I haven't decided yet."

His smile widened. "You'll fit in just fine."

Before he could continue, another voice echoed from downstairs. "Food fight!"

A loud crash followed.

Adrian closed his eyes. "Darius."

Then Karl's irritated voice rang out. "I told you not to touch that!"

"I thought it was decorative!"

"It was a three-hundred-year-old vase!"

Another crash echoed through the house.

Adrian sighed deeply before looking back at me.

"I should probably stop them before they destroy the Residence."

"You think?"

"I know."

As soon as he hurried out of the room, curiosity got the better of me. Without thinking about it, I stepped into the hallway and looked over the railing.

Downstairs, Darius stood frozen beside the shattered remains of an ancient vase while Karl pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I can explain," Darius said, raising both hands defensively.

"I'm listening," Karl replied.

"I sneezed."

"You threw it."

"It slipped after I sneezed."

Karl stared at him. "You sneezed... and the vase flew across the room?"

"It was a very powerful sneeze."

Adrian burst into laughter. Even I couldn't stop myself.

For the first time since arriving at Nightshade Academy, the Crescent Residence echoed with something other than tension.

It echoed with laughter.

From somewhere upstairs, however, a single gray eye watched us through a barely opened door.

Carla quietly closed it again.

No one noticed him…

No one except me.

He's some weirdo.