The test

Ellie's face turned crimson, her flirty grin faltering for half a second before she recovered with a dramatic toss of her honey-blonde curls. "You're just jealous because no one's ever looked at you like that," she fired back, but the damage was done.

The laughter this time came from everywhereand it wasn't kind.

"Isn't her dad a puppet Alpha? She acts like she's royalty," someone muttered.

"Right?" another snorted. "Good luck finding a mate when you talk like a walking perfume ad."

Even Alpha Kieran's lips twitched, though he quickly masked it with a clearing of his throat.

"That's enough," he said, tone laced with thin amusement. "Ellie, take your script and sit."

She obeyed, her cheeks still glowing, lips pressed into a pout like she'd swallowed vinegar instead of pride.

Ellie stormed to the front, snatched her paper, and practically stomped back to her seat.

Alpha Kieran's sharp gaze scanned the room. "Next. Let's keep going. Auron Storme. Up."

A boy with ink-black hair and a hawk-like gaze stood. Raine had noticed him before—how could she not? There was a natural stillness to him, a predator's stillness. His eyes were golden, rare even among werewolves.

"I didn't choose the academy," Auron said in a deep, unbothered tone. "The academy chose me. My uncle is Alpha Regent of the Eastern Territory, so… politics." He shrugged. "But I wouldn't mind earning a blood mark and tearing my brother's face off. So. That's the Bonus."

"Golden boy's got bite but before you do that, I'd let you bite in between my legs first. You are damn cute and I love your eyes," someone murmured.

Auron just simply raised his middle finger at the girl. Like fuck you! Ain't here for whores.

Raine glanced at him as he returned to his seat without emotion. She didn't miss the way his eyes briefly flicked to hers, unreadable. She looked away first. She hated that.

"Next. Sienna Greaves."

A tall girl with deep brown skin and braids that shimmered like obsidian rose smoothly from her seat. She wore the academy uniform like it was designer armor and had the aura of someone used to command.

"I'm here to prove a point, I'm black by the way. My family emigrated from Africa and it's funny how this is the elite school my family found for me " Sienna said, lifting her chin. "My father says I'm only good for alliances, treaties and marriage. I say I'm better at war."

A few of the boys straightened in their chairs.

"Remind me not to get on her bad side," one muttered.

"She's already on mine," Ellie hissed under her breath.

"Thank you, Sienna," Kieran said. "Now… River Lucent."

I don't know if it's only me but sienna was smoking hot and unique. If I was a guy and will ever be forced to date someone here, then she'd be the one. She's totally my type.

A lithe boy with silver-blue eyes and an eerie calmness stood next. He wore no shoes. His shirt was wrinkled, and there were vines growing from his notebook. No one commented on it.

Atleast I wasn't the only mad looking student today.

"I'm here because the forest told me to come," he said, . "And also because I had a vision that the academy would be burnt by a weak woman. I want to see if it was true. Yeah I also want to confirm myself if the horror stories I've heard are true. I always wish to be a writer and I think apex academy is research worthy. I also dream of being the one to end everyone here like mass murder-ish. Sort of"

Raine blinked. The fuck?

Even Alpha Kieran paused. "...Right. That's different."

River took his exam paper and sat down as if he hadn't just dropped a cryptic warning of mass destruction like it was a grocery list.

Several more students gave their answers some with bravado, others with desperation. A girl with lavender hair said she was here to reclaim her birthright and wanted to get revenge on her father's assassins.. A stocky boy from the northern tundra said he was born into a cursed bloodline and had to earn redemption.

Kieran, Raine's roommate was only here to make history again. He's from a rich family and apparently the most eligible one to lead their family name. So he's out here to prove that there isn't any bigger assassins family than his. He's not even slightestly interested on being an Alpha.

And to like twelve of them were omega's trying to level-up their societal class.

Now it was time to answer the mathematical questions on the paper..

Raine stared at the paper like it was written in an ancient, forbidden language.

Which, to her, it might as well have been.

The numbers didn't look like numbers. They looked like Symbols and strange letters jumbled together on clean white sheets, staring back at her like little monsters daring her to make sense of them.

Find x.

She blinked.

"Find it where?" she whispered under her breath, deadpan. "Did it get lost?"

A quiet snort came from her left. She didn't look up, but she could feel someone watching her.

Raine gripped the pencil tightly, as if holding it harder would make her smarter. Her mother had taught her how to read. Sort of. Enough to recognize words, instructions, warnings on old pill bottles. But numbers? This was a battlefield she had never stepped foot on.

She knew how to count. How to split a piece of meat three ways without anyone feeling cheated. She could measure distance by footfalls, knew how long it took to boil water over a fire. She could track time by the stars, and smell danger a mile away.

But fractions?

Angles?

Algebra?

Nope.

Her pencil hovered over a question asking her to "simplify." She wanted to scribble 'the whole damn thing is already simple. Leave it alone,' but that probably wouldn't get her any points.

Behind her, Ellie let out a satisfied sigh like she'd just solved the final question. Of course she did. Raine bet she was one of those girls who had private tutors and marble spiral staircases.

Raine's vision swam slightly as she moved to the next question. Her hands were clammy, and her jaw clenched tight with frustration. She hated this. Hated feeling small. Useless and Stupid.

And most of all, she hated that she cared.

She took a deep breath, forcing her fingers to unclench. "Okay," she whispered. "Think. If you can figure out how to trap a warg in the woods with nothing but a rusted blade and a strip of rope you can figure this out."

Probably.

She stared harder.

Still nothing.

The bell rang.

"Drop your papers on my desk," Alpha Kieran barked. "If you didn't finish, that's on you.

Raine rose with her half -blank sheet clutched tightly in her hand. She marched down the aisle like it was a walk of shame, dropped the paper without looking Kieran in the eye, and turned back toward her seat.

"Vale," he called after her.

She froze.

Before then She had muttered under her breath, "Please let someone be stupid enough to leave their paper exposed."

And on cue, the black girl, sienna tilted her page just enough.

The Moon Goddess just might have her favorites after all.