Chapter 9

NOVA’S POV I sat at the far end of the grand lecture room with my back straight and my hands poised over my notebook, already scribbling down everything the teacher was saying. The other noble girls around me barely paid attention. They whispered amongst themselves or fiddled with their hair. I could hear the soft rustling of silks and the clinking of jewelry every time one of them moved. I wasn’t born noble, and it showed. The teacher, Lady Selma, an older she-wolf with sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue, paced across the room. Her voice was loud as she lectured about the structure of allied packs under the northern accords. It was all complicated—hierarchies, treaties, rivalries—but I was determined to get it right. After all, I was going to be Luna one day. Grey believed in me enough to enroll me here, and I wasn’t about to let him down. I had never taken noble classes. I was years behind so I had to be more serious than them. Mira sat beside me, perfectly poised with a smug little smirk on her lips, not a single note in front of her. She hadn’t written a thing. She leaned over toward me. “You do know this isn’t the Alpha Academy, right? It’s not that serious.” I blinked, pausing mid-sentence. “I just want to impress Alpha Grey. I need to take this seriously.” Her smirk twisted into a sneer. “Of course you do.” I tried to ignore her and went back to writing. My handwriting was neat but hurried. I was still playing catch-up from the pre-lesson readings I hadn’t known I was supposed to do. “Lady Mira,” Lady Selma suddenly called from the front of the room. Mira snapped to attention. “Perhaps you can enlighten us on the difference between a High Council Mandate and a Royal Decree under Lycan law?” Mira’s expression faltered. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Silence. Lady Selma’s eyes narrowed in disappointment. “Miss Nova,” she said, turning toward me. “Do you know the answer?” I swallowed, nervous, but nodded. “Yes, ma’am. A High Council Mandate requires a majority vote from the Lycan Council and applies across regional packs. A Royal Decree is issued solely by the Lycan King and overrules any council mandates.” Lady Selma smiled for the first time since class began. “Correct. And impressive. You’ve only been in this class for a few daya and you’re already ahead.” A few of the noble girls murmured. Some looked surprised. Others looked annoyed. “Keep up the good work, Miss Nova.” she said "I admire your dedication. You'd make an excellent queen" I smiled. I couldn't help the pride I felt. "Thank you" I told her. She continued teaching. Mira scoffed beside me. “Teacher’s pet,” she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for me to hear. My smile faltered. I turned toward her. “What is your problem?” She rolled her eyes dramatically, flipping her long, golden braid over her shoulder. “Nothing. Not all of us are trying to be perfect little princesses.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked softly, genuinely confused. She let out a bitter laugh. “Forget it. You wouldn’t get it anyway.” I leaned closer, lowering my voicr. “Why are you acting like this? You’ve been weird with me for days now.” She stared at me for a long moment, and when she spoke again, there was an edge in her voice I hadn’t heard before. “Because I have real problems, Nova. Not everything is sunshine and destined mates and fairytales.” I felt like I had been slapped. My heart pounded in my chest. What did she mean by that?. “I… I’m sorry if I did something,” I whispered, unsure what else to say. She laughed again, but this time, it sounded hollow. “You didn’t do anything. That’s the problem.” I stared at her, speechless. I couldn’t make sense of it. Before I could respond, the door to the room slammed open with a gust of wind. Everyone turned. Alpha Grey stood in the doorway, flanked by two guards in dark armor. Beside him was Beta Liam who stood with an unreadable expression. The room fell deathly silent. Even Lady Selma’s jaw slackened. “Alpha,” the girls murmured, rising quickly to their feet, bowing their heads. "Beta" I stood too with the notebook still clutched in my hand, stunned. His eyes swept across the room, icy and unreadable—until they landed on me. I felt the air rush out of my lungs. He held my gaze for a second longer than necessary. “Class is dismissed,” he said in that deep and commanding tone of his. There was no hesitation. The noble girls scurried like frightened deer. Lady Selma dipped into a shaky curtsy and fled. "Guess that's my cue to leave" Mira muttered, grabbing her things. I turned to her "No. Stay".. She rolled her eyes "Whatever" The moment we were alone, I dropped everything and ran into Grey’s arms. I couldn't stop giggling as I rushed toward him. My heart pounded in my chest, and there was only one place I wanted to be—right in Alpha Grey's arms. The instant I was close enough, I jumped, and he caught me effortlessly, just like always, with a low chuckle vibrating in his chest. "Careful, you're spoiling my reputation as Alpha," he teased. I pulled back enough to look up at him, smiling wide. “Oh, Grey, you look so serious all the time. It’s good for you to laugh.” I placed a kiss on his cheek, then another, and another. He pretended to grumble. “You’re making it hard for me to maintain my authority.” But his lips quirked upward, betraying his attempt at playing the gruff leader. The small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth softened his usually intimidating expression. “I think you look better when you smile,” I said softly, then placed one more kiss on his cheek just for good measure. Grey shook his head “You spoil me, Nova.” I stepped back but still held his hand. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and cupped my face in his hand "How's my little wolf doing?" I loved when he called me that. I grinned widely “I’m good. Great, actually.” He raised an eyebrow. His expression was serious again, but his voice was gentle when he spoke. “And your lessons? Understand them?” I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Well, mostly. I mean, it’s a lot to absorb, but I’m getting there. I want to learn everything. I want to be good at this. For you, and for us.” Grey’s eyes softened as they locked onto mine. “I know you will be, Nova. You’re already doing great.” "Thank you for enrolling me" "It's no problem. You're going to be a great Luna" A warmth spread through me, and I bit my lip, trying to resist the urge to gush. Instead, I focused on the one thing that had been bugging me. “But what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be running the pack?” He smirked “I’m here because I wanted to see you. You’ve been working hard, and I wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” My heart did a little flip, and I leaned in, pressing my cheek against his chest for a brief moment. "Well, I’m glad you came." Grey pulled back slightly to meet my gaze. “Liam and I are heading out for a hunt soon. We were wondering if you’d like to join us.” I hesitated for just a moment. The idea of spending time with Grey alone, out in the woods, sounded perfect. But then my thoughts shifted, and I remembered Mira. She had been acting so strangely lately, distant and cold. It bothered me. Maybe this hunt would be the perfect opportunity to bond with her, too, to see if we could work through whatever it was that was bothering her. "Can Mira come?" I asked. Grey raised an eyebrow, looking over at Mira, who had been quietly standing by, clearly a little out of her element. I gestured toward her, smiling. “She’s my friend. You two should meet properly. Maybe we can all go together. It could be fun.” Mira stood up a little straighter, as she bowed her head. “Alpha Grey, it’s an honor,” she said. "You look familiar" Grey said, narrowing his eyes. "I'm Mira Delune" Grey’s gaze was sharp as he looked at her. “Mira DeLune, daughter of High Council members. I know your parents,” Mira nodded “Yes, my parents are indeed High Council members.” I glanced at Mira, trying to gauge her reaction, but her face remained unreadable. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I hoped this hunt might give us the space we needed to figure things out. Grey turned back to me. “Well, if Mira’s coming, we may need to reconsider the competition. I was going to let you and Liam have a little fun, but now—” he trailed off, shaking his head with a chuckle. “I’ll have to bring my A-game. But don’t get too cocky, Nova. You couldn’t beat me or Liam, even in your dreams.” Liam, who had been standing a little off to the side, snorted in amusement. “It’s true,” he added. “Even if you had a full year to prepare, you still wouldn’t stand a chance.” “Oh, really?” I asked, playfully crossing my arms. “You think so? You’re on. I’ll show you both I’ve got what it takes.” Grey’s grin widened. “Is that a challenge, Nova?” “Absolutely. Don’t underestimate me" Liam laughed "She's bold" “Let’s see who’s laughing when I beat you both,” Grey chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re going to regret this, Nova.” Mira, who had been quiet throughout most of the exchange, glanced at me with a smile “I’ll join, if you think I’ll make things more interesting,” I grinned, more excited now than ever. This hunt was going to be the perfect way for all of us to bond—and for me to prove that I was capable of more than just being a pretty face beside Alpha Grey. Plus, I could finally have some one-on-one time with Mira and hopefully figure out what had been bothering her lately. “I’m in,” Mira added "It would be an honour. Thank you, your highness" Grey nodded “Well, in that case, you’d better prepare yourselves. It’s not going to be easy.” “Oh, I’m ready,” I said, my voice full of excitement. “Prepare to get your asses kicked.”