With Lucien gone, Axel and Cassian continued teasing Aleya, though it came more in the form of jokes and sarcastic comments. Meanwhile, Aleya tried to settle into the top bunk of the bed furthest from the door. As she attempted to climb up, her backpack snagged on the ladder, making her wobble.
“Oh, look, the pup’s already tripping over himself!” Cassian laughed loudly.
Luna, from within her mind, couldn’t stop laughing. “This is gold! You’re literally one step away from exposing yourself because you don’t know how to climb a ladder! Amazing!”
“It’s not funny!” Aleya shot back mentally as she struggled to stabilize herself and climb without falling.
She finally managed to settle in, though not without difficulty. At least she was thankful Claire, the maid, had done a good job securing the binder around her chest. Without it, her disguise would have already fallen apart.
From below, Axel smirked up at her. “You’re lucky you look masculine enough, pup. But if you start squealing like a girl again, I’m going to think they assigned us as part of some bad joke.”
Aleya forced a tense smile, trying not to let her nerves show. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep that in mind.”
As the evening approached, Aleya realized just how uncomfortable it was going to be to share a bathroom with three alphas. Her first attempt to use it turned into a debacle, with Cassian and Axel arguing at the door over who got priority while she quietly stood behind them.
When she finally got her turn, she slammed the door shut and leaned against it, letting out a long sigh of relief.
“This is going to be a disaster.”
Luna responded with enthusiasm. “A disaster? This is a romantic comedy waiting to happen. Honestly, I can’t wait to see how you handle sharing a bathroom. Just a reminder: be careful in the showers!”
Aleya looked at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head. “I have no idea how I’m going to survive this.”
When she exited the bathroom, she found Lucien sitting on his bed, arms crossed. He fixed her with his usual intimidating gaze.
“I hope you understand the rules here, Silverfang. Don’t get in my way, and don’t touch my stuff. If you do, I don’t care if you’re new—I’ll make you regret it.”
Aleya quickly nodded, muttering, “Got it.”
As she climbed back into her bunk, she heard Axel call out from the other side of the room. “Welcome to hell, pup. Enjoy your stay.”
Aleya could only sigh, knowing this was going to be much harder than she had imagined.
The next morning.
Aleya woke with the feeling that something was terribly wrong. She opened one eye, then the other, and the first thing she saw was Lucien standing in front of her bunk, changing his shirt.
The sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his toned torso, every muscle defined as if sculpted by an overly devoted artist. His tanned skin seemed to glow under the light. Aleya felt her breath catch in her throat.
“Mother Moon!” she thought, completely stunned. Luna didn’t miss the opportunity to chime in. “What a view to start the day! Tell me this makes all the mess of your plan worth it. What a man, Aleya. What a man.”
Before she could mentally retort to her wolf, Lucien turned his head, catching her frozen gaze. His dark eyes locked onto hers with a mix of annoyance and amusement.
“Hey, rookie,” he said in his usual authoritative tone. “Wipe the drool off your face before you start swimming in it.”
Aleya blinked, startled. It was then she noticed that, indeed, she had drooled a little in her sleep. She quickly wiped her mouth with her shirt sleeve, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. To make matters worse, her usually neat hair now resembled a chaotic bird’s nest.
Lucien shook his head, muttering something about “disastrous recruits,” and walked off. Aleya sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
“Great. A wonderful morning.”
Aleya hurried to the bathroom, hoping to clear her mind and fix her unruly hair. Once inside, she slammed the door shut and let out a long breath.
“Finally, a break.”
Luna wasn’t about to let it slide. “Oh sure, a break. Although with that binder, I doubt you’re breathing properly. How long do you think you can keep this disguise up before you pass out?”
Aleya ignored her wolf as she took off her shirt, sighing in relief as her chest, compressed all day yesterday, returned to its natural shape. “This isn’t going to last long.”
After a quick shower, she felt a little more human. Upon exiting, she noticed the dorm was empty.
“Thank the Moon,” she thought, relieved. “At least I don’t have to deal with more sarcastic comments for now.”
She dressed in her school uniform and headed to her first class, following the schedule. However, when she arrived at the training area, her relief turned into a mix of surprise and terror.
The arena was impressive: an open space filled with obstacles, elevated platforms, climbing ropes, and a sand-covered floor. It was designed to train the strongest and most competitive alphas. But what really had her on the verge of a meltdown wasn’t the arena itself—it was the male locker room she had walked through to enter.
“Lockers? Open changing areas? Changing in front of everyone?” Her mind screamed in panic. Luna, of course, was enjoying every moment.
“This is going to be fun. How are you going to get out of this, genius? Oh, and don’t even think about showering after training. That’ll be a show.”
Aleya rolled her eyes as she walked toward the lockers, trying to keep a low profile. However, as she opened her locker to change into her training uniform—a sweatshirt and athletic pants—a large, intimidating guy stopped beside her.
“Hey, rookie,” he said in a deep voice, sniffing the air. “Do you smell that… sweet scent? Something… kinda attractive.”
Aleya’s heart stopped. Her hands froze on the locker, and Luna started screaming in her head.
“Aleya! You forgot the male pheromone lotion! The disguise! The whole plan! It’s falling apart!”
Panic surged through Aleya. “Oh no, no, no!” she thought, realizing she had left the lotion in her backpack that morning.
The guy stared at her, narrowing his eyes. “That smell… it’s strange. Doesn’t seem… normal.”
Before she could respond, Axel appeared behind the large guy, wearing his usual grin. “Relax, Grant. Maybe the pup uses some weird cologne to feel special.”
Cassian, who was also nearby, approached, laughing. “Or maybe he just doesn’t know how to pick his soap.”
The laughter from the other guys in the locker room diverted attention, and Aleya seized the opportunity to change quickly. As she pulled on her sweatshirt and adjusted her pants, Luna wouldn’t stop talking.
“See? This is what happens when you don’t listen to your wolf. If you survive today, promise me you’ll use the damn lotion.”
Aleya gritted her teeth and left the locker room, her face flushed. She had survived… for now. But she knew she couldn’t afford any more mistakes if she wanted to keep her identity hidden.
“This is going to be more complicated than I thought,” she murmured as she walked toward the arena, trying to calm her nerves.
Luna, of course, responded. “Complicated? This is just the beginning, darling. I hope you’re ready for the real fun!”
