Chapter 70

Evaline:
The air was feeling charged from the moment I stepped out of my dorm.
A gentle breeze swept through the gardens, but it was carrying an undercurrent of tension. It was almost like the moon, though still hidden beyond the horizon, had already whispered its promises into the hearts of every werewolf walking this campus.
Except… for me.
As someone without a wolf, my world continued like it was any other Monday.
Classes weren’t canceled officially, but it didn’t take long to realize that today wasn’t normal. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ.net
As I crossed the halls toward my first lecture of the day, I noticed the absences immediately. The usual clusters of students that filled the Academy every morning were thinned out. Those who walked did so more quietly.
I reached the classroom and stepped inside, only to find it barely half-filled.
Mallory waved at me from her seat by the window. Noah was sitting in front of her, half-dozing but present, and Ria joined shortly after, her braid swinging like a tail with her every step. The rest of our group? They were nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Kyros?” I asked as I slid into the seat beside Mallory.
She shrugged, “Took the day off. His wolf gets too antsy on full moons.”
“And Selene?”
Ria answered this time, “Same. Alpha-blood wolves usually struggle more. The pull is stronger.”
That made sense. I didn’t have a wolf, but I had eyes. Even without the moon rising, Kyros and Selene were walking vessels of power. On a night like this, it probably surged in them like a tidal wave.
“I didn’t know we could take the day off,” I murmured as I flipped open my notebook.
Noah yawned. “It’s not announced formally. But yeah, most people don’t show up – students or professors. Especially those with stronger wolves.”
His words rang true throughout the day.
Professor Kieran’s lecture was replaced by a printed handout left behind by a substitute who didn’t even show his face.
During lunch, I overheard a conversation about how Oscar had taken the day off as well.
And for the first time in the recent days, I didn’t catch a single glance of Draven around the academy.
What really left me feeling devastated was how the absence of these four brothers, even for just a day, had me thinking about them as if I had lost a part of myself.
I tried to push it on the absence of my friends and how the academy was feeling so empty, but a part of me knew better than to believe in those lies.
As evening settled in, my remaining friends started buzzing with energy. They were preparing for their night runs.
“I can’t wait to stretch out these legs,” Ria said, practically bouncing.
“You sure you’ll be okay alone?” Mallory asked for the fifth time in the last hour.
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “I’ll hang out in the library for a bit. Then head to dinner. Maybe an early night.”
“Text us if anything’s weird,” Noah added.
I nodded, not bothering to remind him that his wolf would have no time to check his phone.
By the time I reached the library, the sky outside had turned golden with dusk. The last traces of sunlight were filtering in through the massive windows as the library’s soft yellow lighting took over. I slipped into my usual corner table with a book I barely read and a mind that wouldn’t quiet.
Outside, the academy was emptying as all the students were heading out for runs.
Even the staff were quicker to leave tonight.
The librarian gave me a small nod as she collected her things. “Don’t stay too long, dear. Head out before it gets too late, alright?”
“Of course,” I said.
She gave me a look like she wanted to say more but didn’t, then left through the side doors.
The silence of the library wrapped around me. It wasn’t the peaceful kind I usually enjoyed. It was too quiet. No creaking floorboards. No flipping pages. No footsteps.
Nothing.
I tried to focus on the textbook in front of me, but the words blurred together. My ears strained for sounds I couldn’t place. Every rustle of wind outside, every groan of the old wood, made my body stiffen.
I wasn’t scared.
I told myself that.
This was the Academy, the safest place in the realm for werewolves. No outsider could step foot here. There were wards, guards, patrols.
And yet…
Something didn’t feel right.
After failing to concentrate for another half an hour, I closed the book and stood, stretching my arms and shaking off the paranoia. I was probably just tired. And maybe a little more sensitive to the energy in the air.
Grabbing my bag, I turned to leave the library when I felt it.
Pressure.
Not like the kind River usually filled a room with, his was cold, sharp, and calculating.
This… was heavier.
Wilder.
It pressed down on me like a wave of heat and tension.
I froze halfway down the hall as I felt something moving between the rows of books in front of me.
It didn’t feel like someone, but… something.
I stepped forward slowly as my heartbeat crawled up my throat. The light flickered slightly overhead as I moved toward the center of the room, eyes narrowing between the shelves.
And that’s when I saw it.
A wolf.
A full, massive, black wolf was standing silently between the stacks of ancient books. Its deep green eyes were glowing with gold. Its shoulders were tense, muscles twitching under a sleek coat. Its presence filled the entire library like it had always belonged here.
And it was staring directly at me.
I stood frozen in my place with my breath caught in my throat.
The wolf didn’t move.
Didn’t snarl.
Didn’t blink.
But its presence was undeniable.
It wasn’t just a wolf.
It was power.
It was danger.
It was wrong.
Every instinct in my body was screaming that this wasn’t supposed to happen. The Academy was protected. Full-moon or not, no one was allowed to shift outside the designated areas.
And yet, here it was.
Standing still.
Watching me.
Waiting.
I took a single step back, and its ears twitched. Its gaze sharpened.
And I suddenly had the feeling that running wouldn’t help me.
That nothing would.