The Alphas Academy

Prologue.

It started with pain.

Not the kind that stings or burns but the kind that rips through your bones and turns your scream into something not human.

I was outside, deep in the woods behind our house. My parents thought I was sleeping. I wasn't. I had snuck out because my chest had been hurting for hours, like something inside me was fighting to get out.

And then it did.

My knees hit the cold earth first. My spine arched. My skin burned like it was on fire. I gasped for air, but it felt like my lungs were collapsing. My nails grew longer and sharper. My jaw cracked. I tried to cry out but only a broken growl came out.

My bones twisted.

My eyes blurred.

And then everything exploded.

When it stopped, I wasn't on two feet anymore.

I was crouched low, breathing hard, heart beating like a drum. I could smell everything, the trees, the wet dirt, the deer far off in the woods. I could hear the heartbeat of a rabbit nearby. My body was covered in fur. My fingers were claws. My reflection in the window showed glowing golden eyes and fangs.

I was different.

I had turned into a monster.

I didn't remember choosing to run, but my body moved like it knew how. Fast. Powerful. Wild.

But then... the atmosphere changed.

Someone was watching me.

I heard footsteps, too quiet to be normal but I wasn't normal anymore. I could hear them as clear as day. I stopped and turned toward the sound, my instincts suddenly screaming.

A man stepped out of the trees.

He wore black clothes and in his hand was a silver blade. There was no fear in his eyes. Only purpose.