Chapter two

Sienna's POV

My flight was booked for 10 a.m. The clock read half past nine—thirty minutes left before I had to leave for the airport.

I gave my luggage one last check, hands moving over zippers and straps, making sure nothing was left behind. Satisfied, I straightened, letting the silence of the room sink in.

This was it.

Pulling the door shut behind me, I stepped out of the dorm for the last time.

Passing through the hostel hall felt like forever. Transferring in the middle of freshman year was bound to raise questions. If I weren’t the Alpha’s daughter, some would’ve said I’d been exiled from Crescent Moon. And maybe they weren’t entirely wrong.

Would’ve been nice if my dad had asked before shipping me off, but honestly? I didn’t care anymore. A clean slate was all I wanted.

The whispers followed me, even from behind closed doors. I stopped mid-step, letting my voice cut through the air.

“You all do realize I can hear you, right?”

Silence. Heads turned away. I didn’t wait for an answer—I kept walking.

The flight took just under two hours, and by the time I arrived at Northgate that afternoon, the air felt different. New.

At the administrative office, the Vice Chancellor himself—Mr. David—greeted me like royalty. “It’s a privilege to have the Crescent Moon heir on our grounds. Your father and I go way back.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thank you.”

He handed me a stack of documents—transfer confirmation, class schedule—before passing me off to his assistant, who would guide me to my dorm.

And then I stepped outside.

Northgate was nothing like Mystic Falls. The campus sprawled across high ground, training fields stretching toward the northern ridge. Black-and-gold flags snapped in the breeze, each one a challenge, a declaration of dominance.

For decades, Northgate and Mystic Falls had been rivals—in athletics, academics, and pack prestige. Their rugby matches weren’t games; they were battlegrounds.

And now, I was standing on enemy soil.

I was able to locate my dorm room with ease. The door clicked open, and the faint scent of fresh paint and polish greeted me. Neutral. Untouched.

But the moment I crossed the threshold, my wolf stirred.

Her presence uncoiled inside me, sharp and restless, pacing just beneath my skin. She pressed against my ribs like she was testing the air, tasting the ground.

This place is different, she murmured in the back of my mind. It smells of challenge. And I like it.

I dropped my bags by the bed, scanning the small but tidy space. A single desk. A narrow closet. Sunlight streaming in from the window that overlooked the training fields. It was nothing like Mystic Falls—no lingering history, no shadows of betrayal. Just walls waiting to hold my next story.

Still, my wolf didn’t settle. The air carried too many unfamiliar scents—territorial markers, dominance layered thick in the walls. Somewhere nearby, another presence flared, faint but potent. A wolf with rank. A wolf who had already claimed this ground long before I set foot on it.

I straightened, jaw tightening.

I had barely dropped my bags when the door swung open.

“Oh my God—you must be Sienna!”

A girl breezed in, her energy filling the small dorm like sunlight. Tall, with a messy ponytail bouncing behind her, she was still in Northgate’s cheer jacket, pom-poms poking out of the oversized tote slung across her shoulder.

She grinned wide, like we’d known each other forever. “Harper Lane, your new roommate. Resident snack hoarder, occasional rule-bender, and—wait for it—the daughter of Silvermoon’s omega.” She gave a mock bow, then hopped onto her bed without missing a beat.

I blinked, a little thrown. “You… just announce that?”

“Why not?” She shrugged, plopping a pack of gum onto her desk. “People hear ‘omega’ and expect doormat vibes, but my mom raised me to be louder than my bloodline. Works every time.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Also, it helps me weed out boring people. So far, you don’t seem boring.”

A small smile pulled on my lips. “Well, thanks. I think.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I talk a lot, I steal fries, and I’m a menace during movie nights.” She leaned over, eyeing my suitcases. “But I’m also great at helping people settle in. Want me to show you the fastest route to the cafeteria? Or, better yet, the stash spot where the vending machine guy forgets to lock the chips drawer?”

The tension in my chest eased, just a little. She was different—no judgment in her eyes, no whispers, no shadows of Mystic Falls. Just Harper, bold and unapologetic.

“Sure,” I said, allowing a small smile. “I could use a guide.”

Her grin widened, victorious. “Knew we’d get along.”

Her smile was disarming, genuine in a way I wasn’t used to.

“Cheer squad, huh?” I asked, settling onto my bed.

“Guilty.” She plopped down on hers, kicking off her sneakers. “A loyal and passionate one at that. Well… expect on certain occasions where I betray my teammates when it comes to stealing the last slice of pizza.”

Despite myself, a laugh escaped.

Harper grinned wider, like she’d been aiming for that reaction all along. “There it is. Knew you weren’t all ice queen.”

She hopped up and started pointing around the room. “Okay, ground rules: closet space is sacred, but I’ll share my snack stash if you share yours. Oh, and I talk in my sleep, so don’t freak out if I start reciting cheer routines at 3 a.m.”

She was ridiculous. But refreshing.

And just like that, against all odds, I felt the faintest flicker of something I hadn’t in weeks—ease.