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Chapter 1 — The Alpha Academy
Emma's POV
"You have to break her. Get her to sign over her father's estate before she turns twenty-one. Instead of collar a wolf like her with promises.’’ On the night before my wedding, I overheard my fiance talking to his father.
I stood frozen outside the door. It felt as if my chest had been torn open.
My fiancé Donovan was the son of the most influential alpha king Aldrich in all the lands.
Tomorrow, Donovan and I are supposed to get married. In the one year Donovan and I dated, I thought we’d fallen in love. Only now, I hear that it had been a plan to trick me and make me trust him.
The birthday cake I'd baked for my fiancé remained stuck in my hands as I stood frozen outside Donovan's office.
My name is Emma Vittori, my father was the most feared and brutal alpha. Our pack did not fall under Alpha King Aldrich’s rule. We runs the biggest independent werewolf pack that started off as a mafia empire.
When I turn 21, I would take over as mafia donna, while my older brother Joshua would become alpha of our pack. I’ve trained with blood and sweat to deserve the mafia position, but I’ve been shot down countless times. Because everyone thought that ‘Girls cannot hold important positions.’
"She's dangerous," Alpha Aldrich continued. "Her father's independent pack is already unstoppable. They welcome every rogue, every dangerous mercenary seeking refuge. His pack is three times the size of a normal one. We cannot attack him directly, that’s why we must go through his daughter. Mr Vittori’s mafia controls everything: money, soldiers, the shadows. At twenty-one, Emma inherits it all. She becomes a threat. No one wants a woman ruling a seat that can break the world."
We are a threat and they know it. My wolf snarled. Ever since I was young, I’ve been punished for having a fierce wolf instead of a gentle submissive one.
"Get her pregnant tomorrow night after the wedding," Aldrich ordered. "Force her if necessary. Make her doubt herself until she believes without you, she's nothing."
I stood, frozen behind the door with a birthday shaking in my hands.
Donovan laughed. "Women love a hero. I just have to let her believe I'm saving her. That she's broken and I'm the only one who'll keep her from falling apart."
"But son," Aldric's voice gets lower, "You have to do it tomorrow night, after your wedding. You're set to join the alpha academy after your wedding, you only have one chance to get her pregnant. That’s why you need to force her.''
Donovan is 24 years old. At 25, he’s set to take his father’s crown and become the new Alpha King. To lead the war against humans and protect all werewolves. It’s an unbreakable rule that every upcoming alpha spends one year in the brutal and bloody all-male Alpha Academy. The Academy emphasizes the brutal reality that no girl is fit to lead.
My stomach turns.
"And if she tries to fight back?" Donovan asked.
"You put her in her place. Remind her what she is. A vessel. A legacy carrier. Nothing more."
"If you get her pregnant tomorrow night, their traditions dictate that the father of a future heir should rule the syndicate, not the mother. You'll get her syndicate either way."
How had he known about that rule?
I'm going to vomit, my wolf said, and for once we're in perfect agreement.
"Remember, son," Aldrich says, his voice moving closer to the door. "Tomorrow night is about more than just a wedding. We need all the resources to crush any human resistance. It's about securing our future."
"Understood, Father," Donovan responds.
I hear movement toward the door, and panic. I back away quickly, looking desperately for somewhere to hide. The only other door is to Donovan's bedroom.
In there! my wolf urges. NOW!
I slip inside just as I hear the office door open. My heart hammers as I press my back against Donovan's bedroom door, the cake still somehow in my shaking hands.
"Finally, baby, you're back," a feminine voice calls from the bathroom. "Back for round two?"
I freeze, cake nearly slipping from my fingers. My wolf goes eerily silent.
The bathroom door opens, steam billowing out, and there stands Sophia: my best friend, my brother's girlfriend, naked.
She sees me and stops dead. "Emma? What are you—"
The door behind me pushes open, hitting my back. "Babe, did you say something?" Donovan's voice calls out, and then he's there, freezing when he sees me standing between him and a naked Sophia.
The cake finally slips from my hands, hitting the floor with a dull thud that seems to echo in the silence. Red velvet splattered like blood across the marble.
"Emma," Donovan starts. "This isn't—"
"Don't," I whisper, and it's both me and my wolf speaking now. "Don't you dare."
Sophia grabs a towel, wrapping it around herself. "Emma, I can explain—"
"It's you, isn't it.'' I point at my best friend. "You're the one who gave Donovan information to use against me. How to steal my birthright, how to turn me into nothing.''
Sofia looks terrified.
I look between them—the man I loved and the woman I thought was my friend.
"The wedding is off," I say, stepping back toward the door. "And if either of you come near me or my family again, you'll learn why the Vittori syndicate is feared even among wolves."
Donovan's face changes, "You heard everything, didn't you? Doesn't matter. You won't leave. You can't. This alliance is bigger than your hurt feelings."
"Watch me," I whisper.
I turn and walk away.
"Run all you want, Emma," Donovan called after me, laughter in his voice. "There’s nowhere in this world I won’t find you."
As I leave, I finally ask my wolf: “Where do we go?”
Her answer was instant. A growl. A promise.
Where they’ll never expect.
A slow, feral smile curled my lips.
There was only one place a girl was forbidden to go.
Only one place Donovan would never think to look.
Chapter 2 — The Girl Who Came To Ruin Him
"You're telling me she's been screwing him this whole time?" Joshua, my big brother, paced across my bedroom, running his hands through his dark hair.
I sat on my bed, still in shock. The past hour had been a blur—running from the palace, calling Joshua, watching his face crumble when I told him about Sofia.
"Not just that." My voice sounded hollow. "She's been feeding him information. How to steal my birthright, how to break me."
Joshua stopped pacing, his eyes flashing gold—a sign his wolf was close to the surface. "I'll kill him."
"Get in line," I muttered, my own wolf growling in agreement.
Joshua knelt in front of me, taking my hands. "What are you going to do? The wedding's tomorrow."
"There won't be a wedding."
"Emma..." Joshua's voice softened. "You know what this means. The alliance—"
"I know exactly what it means." I pulled my hands away. "War with the humans. Donovan's father is planning to use our syndicate's connections to strike first. But I won't be the weapon they use."
Joshua's eyes narrowed. "Where will you go? Aldrich controls most territories now. You'd be a fugitive."
A smile stretched across my face. "The one place a girl would never go. The place Donovan would never think to look for me."
It took him a moment, but when realization hit, his eyes widened. "The Alpha Academy? Have you lost your mind?"
"I'm going to do what no woman has ever done. I'm going to survive the Academy."
"They'll kill you if they find out," Joshua said, voice tight with worry.
"If they find out." I stood up. "I need to get ready."
Joshua watched me for a long moment before sighing. "If anyone could pull this off, it's you." He pulled out his phone. "I'll call Marcus. He can get you papers, a new identity."
"I need to be invisible," I said. "Nobody."
"I'll make sure of it." He paused at the door. "Pack what you need. I'll be back with help."
...
Two hours later, my bedroom had transformed into command central. My cousin Marcus had arrived with papers and a new identity, along with his girlfriend Lily and her sister Ava, both carrying large duffel bags.
"Operation 'Make Emma a Boy' is now in session," Lily announced, unzipping her bag to reveal a treasure trove of supplies.
Marcus spread the forged documents across my desk. "Meet Ari Blackwood, son of Alpha Terrance Blackwood from the Lunar Vale Pack."
"Lunar Vale?" I asked, scanning the papers. "I've never heard of it."
"Exactly," Marcus grinned. "Small, remote pack in the northern territories. Barely registers on anyone's radar. You'll be invisible."
Joshua examined the papers. "Backstory?"
"First time leaving the pack. Father wanted you to get training at the Academy to strengthen ties with other packs," Marcus explained. "Simple, believable, boring."
"Perfect," I nodded.
"Now for the fun part," Ava said, opening scissors with a dramatic snip. "That hair has to go."
My hand instinctively went to my long dark hair. I'd never cut it before.
Do it, my wolf urged. Hair grows back. Freedom doesn't.
I nodded and sat down.
For the next several hours, they transformed me. Ava cut my hair into a short, tousled style that framed my face differently. Lily wrapped bandages tightly around my chest, flattening my curves.
"Try these." Marcus handed me clothes—loose shirts, baggy pants, boots.
"Walk like you own the place," Joshua instructed as I practiced a masculine stride around my room. "Not that swagger—more... yeah, like that. Shoulders back."
"Voice deeper," Lily reminded me. "From here." She tapped my chest.
"Like this?" I dropped my voice an octave.
"Better, but relax it. You sound like you're in a bad action movie."
We worked through the night, drilling me on all aspects of my new identity, testing me with questions about my fake pack, creating muscle memory for my new mannerisms.
At 2 AM, I wrote a letter to my father, explaining nothing, just apologizing for my absence. I sealed it and handed it to Joshua.
"Give this to him tomorrow, after I'm gone," I said. "He can't know where I'm going."
"He'll be disappointed," Joshua warned.
"He's always disappointed in me," I replied, masking the hurt with a shrug. "This time, I'm making my own path."
At 3 AM, we said our goodbyes. Joshua hugged me tightly.
"I'll arrive at the Academy on schedule," he whispered. "Two days after your wedding date. We need to stick to the plan so no one suspects anything."
I nodded against his shoulder. "Be careful around Donovan."
"You too, little sister." He pulled back, looking at me in my disguise. "You look like a completely different person."
"That's the idea." I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I turned around and picked up my bag. I pause to look back at my room.
Everything familiar: my room, my brother, the house I’d grown up in… suddenly felt like a place I didn’t belong to anymore. I wasn’t Emma Vittori, the girl getting married tomorrow. I wasn’t anyone’s bride. I was a name on fake documents, wearing someone else’s story like armor. When I turned away and slung the bag over my shoulder, it hit me that I wasn’t just running. I was walking into something worse. A place that didn’t want me. A place built to chew up alphas and spit out kings. And I was going in as a nobody, a girl dressed like a boy, with no backup, and a secret that could get me killed before breakfast.
Tomorrow, Donovan would stand at the altar, waiting to marry the girl he thought he’d broken. I’d be halfway across the nation by then, stepping into the Alpha Academy—the same place he’s supposed to train for his crown. I’ll be right under his nose. We’ll meet again. Not as lovers. But on the battlefield he was dumb enough to think I’d never reach. And when we do, I’ll look him in the eye, and I’ll show him exactly what happens when you try to destroy a Vittori. I won’t be the girl who loved him. I’ll be the girl who came to ruin him.
Chapter 3 — My Father's Letter
The journey to the Academy took an entire day—train first, then horseback through terrain too rugged for vehicles. By nightfall, I could see the Academy's stone towers looming against the darkening sky.
This has to work, I told my wolf.
It will, she responded. We'll make it work.
The registration hall was nearly empty when I arrived. A stern-faced man with a scar across his jaw looked up from a stack of papers.
"Name," he barked.
"Ari Blackwood," I said, keeping my voice steady and low.
"Pack."
"Lunar Vale."
He scanned a list, found my name, and grunted. "Blackwood... small pack, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir."
He looked me over with narrowed eyes. My heart hammered in my chest, but I held his gaze.
Finally, he stamped my papers and handed me a key. "Hall Three, Bunk 17. Orientation's tomorrow night. Don't be late."
I followed the directions through stone corridors that smelled of sweat and testosterone. Hall Three was a long room with rows of bunk beds on either side. About twenty other young men were already there, unpacking or talking in groups.
I made my way to Bunk 17, keeping my head down. The bottom bunk was already claimed, so I tossed my bag onto the top and began unpacking the essentials.
"Hey, new guy!" a voice called from below. A lanky boy with messy brown hair popped his head up to my level. "I'm Riley. Looks like we're bunkmates."
"Ari," I replied, offering a brief nod.
Riley seemed unbothered by my curtness. "First time at the Academy? Me too. I'm nervous as hell, but trying not to show it." He lowered his voice. "Do you know who's here this year? This is like, the royal year."
Despite myself, I was curious. "Royal year?"
"Dude, yes!" Riley's eyes lit up. "The Lycan Prince, Kieran Moonveil, is here. A freaking Lycan! One of them is worth like fifty of us in battle."
My stomach tightened. Lycans were like werewolves but stronger, faster, more lethal. They existed outside Alpha King Aldrich's control, just like my pack.
"Not just that," Riley continued. "Alpha King's son himself, Donovan Silverclaw, is attending. Talk about pressure—imagine training alongside the future king."
I tried not to flinch at Donovan's name. Right now, he should be realizing I hadn't shown up at the altar. Right now, I should be in a wedding dress, not binding my chest in a boys' dormitory.
"There's also the heir to the Eastern Territories, Elias Stormheart, and the twins from the Southern Coast, Theo and Leo Ravenwing." Riley rattled on. "It's like a who's who of future alphas. And here I am, nobody from nowhere."
"Me too," I mumbled, thinking how true that actually was.
"Anyway," Riley yawned, "big day tomorrow. They say the first day weeds out half the contenders."
"Great," I muttered, lying back on my bunk.
As the lights dimmed and the hall quieted, I stared at the ceiling. Tonight, I should be Mrs. Donovan Silverclaw. Instead, I was Ari Blackwood, nobody from nowhere, about to face the most brutal training program for male alphas.
And somewhere, Donovan was realizing I was gone.
Sleep didn't come easily, but exhaustion eventually won.
...
"Blackwood!" a voice barked, jolting me awake. A stern-faced man in Academy uniform stood by my bunk. "Message."
He thrust a sealed envelope at me and moved on. I blinked, recognizing the seal—the fake seal of Lunar Vale that Marcus had created. My heart raced. Had something gone wrong already?
I slipped away to a quiet corner and broke the seal. As I unfolded the paper, my blood froze. This wasn't from Marcus or my cousins.
The handwriting was unmistakable—my father's. At the top was the Vittori insignia, our family's mafia and pack symbol.
My hands trembled as I read:
Emma,
Yesterday, I sat in a church waiting for my daughter who never appeared. The shame and dishonor you brought upon our family is immeasurable. I was prepared to disown you, to cut you from the Vittori line forever.
Tears blurred my vision. I blinked them back furiously, afraid someone might see.
But then I learned the truth. Your brother confronted Donovan about his treatment of you. Their argument became violent. This morning, Joshua was found dead in his room.
My hands shook as I read the letter.
Joshua is dead.
The paper crumpled in my grip, my vision blurring. My brother—my protector, my best friend—gone. Because of me. Because I ran.
Donovan did this.
I forced myself to breathe, to think. If I lost control now, if I shifted or screamed or let even a single tear fall, I was dead. The Academy would sniff out weakness like blood in the water.
I had to be stronger than this.
I had to be ruthless.
***I have no doubt Donovan killed him. Hours after your brother's body was discovered, Donovan departed for the Alpha Academy, but not before serving me with an official declaration of war against our pack, to commence in one year when he returns as Alpha King.
I don't know how you knew to run, or how you secured a place at the Academy, but I now understand your choice. With Joshua gone, the alpha position falls to you, Emma. It is your birthright now.
You are already where you need to be. Fight. Learn. Earn that seat. In one year, return to us, avenge your brother, and protect our pack from the man you were meant to marry.
Your father***
I straightened, shoving the grief down into the darkest part of me, where it festered into something sharper. Something lethal.
Donovan is here.
Somewhere in this fortress of stone and brutality, the man who murdered my brother walked freely, untouchable.
But not for long.
I folded the letter carefully, tucking it into the hidden pocket of my jacket. Then I turned back toward the dormitory, my face blank.
Riley was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm inside me. The rest of the hall was quiet, the other recruits lost in dreams of dominance and power.
None of them knew what was coming.
None of them knew who was coming.
Because I wasn’t just Emma Vittori anymore.
I wasn’t just a runaway bride.
I was the heir to the Vittori Syndicate.
I was the last hope of my pack.
And in one year, when Donovan returned to claim his throne, he would find me waiting.
But first, I had to survive the Academy.
First, I had to become something worse than they ever imagined.
I climbed back into my bunk, staring at the ceiling, my father’s final words ringing in my skull like a vow:
“Fight. Learn. Earn that seat.”
I closed my eyes.
And for the first time in my life, I let myself truly hate.
Tomorrow, the real game begins. Tomorrow, I become a monster.
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