The Alphas didn't hesitate. They vaulted over the mezzanine railing, landing in the center of the ballroom with a thunderous impact.
Kieran was at Mary's side in a heartbeat, his hand gripping her waist with a heat that felt like it would burn through her corset.
Axel and Dante flanked them, their fangs elongated, their eyes glowing with a feral, protective rage.
"Kieran, what are you doing?" Samantha gasped, clutching her throat.
"Get out," Kieran hissed, his silver eyes fixed on the room. "All of you. Out."
The "Queen Bee" was effectively dethroned in a single breath.
The Office of Truths
The walk back wasn't to the dorms. Enforcers met Miles.
Inside Vale's office, the air was cold.
"We ran your biometrics, 'Miles,'" Vale said, tossing a folder onto the desk. "Fake identity. No human pulse. Who are you?"
Miles didn't flinch. He stood tall, his glasses gone, his face etched with a warrior's gravity. "My name is Maelen," he confessed, his voice ringing with authority. "I am a Shield-Bearer of the High Court.
I was sent to protect Mary from your realm and hers."
Vale leaned in. "Protect her from what?"
"From herself," Miles said. "Her parents—the King and Queen of the Aethelgard—sealed her powers to hide her from the prophecy.
She is the first of her kind: Half-Werewolf, half-Valkyrie. Her blood is the bridge.
On her nineteenth birthday in two weeks, the seal breaks. If she isn't ready, she'll burn this academy to the ground."
Vale Froze
The next morning
The hangover of the party was replaced by the cold sting of reality. A golden announcement burned across every screen in the academy:
MOON TRIALS BEGIN IN 48 HOURS. ALL STUDENTS MUST PARTICIPATE. POINTS WILL DOUBLE.
Unaware of Miles's confession, Mary stood on the mats for Defense Class. Her partner?
A murderous-looking Samantha.
"The Alphas won't be here to save you this time," Samantha hissed, lunging with a practice blade.
She was faster than before, fueled by rage.
She landed a stinging blow to Mary's arm, then another to her ribs.
As Mary fell to one knee, a sudden, jagged memory tore through her mind—not of a human life, but of a sky filled with fire and a woman in silver armor screaming, 'Fight, little bird! The wind is yours!'
Mary's eyes snapped open. They were no longer moss-green; they were a blinding, electric gold.
She didn't just stand; she ascended.
A surge of power erupted from her, a gust of wind so violent it threw Samantha across the room and pinned her against the far wall. Mary's skin glowed with faint, runic markings that flickered and faded.