**Chapter 2:
The Last Supper
The next three days passed in a blur of preparation and revelation. Nana barely let me out of her sight, cramming seventeen years' worth of hidden truths into seventy-two hours.
"Your mother was part of an ancient bloodline," she explained, grinding herbs at the kitchen table while I practiced what she called "suppression techniques"—basically, how to hide what I really was. "The Moonsingers. They were the first of our kind, able to shift between human and wolf form at will, not bound by the moon like modern werewolves."
"If they were so powerful, what happened to them?"
"Fear happened," she said simply. "The werewolves feared them because they couldn't be controlled. The humans feared them because they were too powerful. So both sides united, just once, to wipe them out. They thought they succeeded."
"But my mother survived?"
"Your mother's line hid for generations, diluting their blood with humans until the power seemed gone. But it was only sleeping, waiting." She looked up at me. "Waiting for you."
I focused on my breathing, trying to keep my heart rate steady like she'd taught me. Apparently, werewolves could hear heartbeats, smell fear, sense aggression. If I wanted to survive at Crimson Moon Academy, I needed to seem completely human.
"What about my father?"
Nana's expression darkened. "Your father was... complicated. Part human, part werewolf, but also something else. Something I still don't fully understand."
"How did they meet?"
"At Crimson Moon Academy, actually." She smiled sadly. "Your mother was selected, just like you. Your father was... well, he wasn't supposed to be there. But fate has a funny way of bringing together those meant to change the world."
A knock at the door interrupted us. We both froze.
"Aria Blackwood?" a deep voice called. "Transportation Committee. We're here to collect you for academy orientation."
Three days. That's all I'd had to prepare for this moment, and it wasn't nearly enough.
Nana squeezed my hand. "Remember everything I taught you. Trust no one completely. Watch everything. And whatever you do, don't let them see what you really are until you're ready."
"How will I know when I'm ready?"
She pressed something into my palm—a small silver pendant in the shape of a crescent moon. "You'll know."
The door opened before I could respond, and three figures entered without invitation. They wore the academy's official uniform—black suits with crimson trim—but it was their eyes that made my blood run cold. Amber, all of them. Werewolves.
"Miss Blackwood," the tallest one said, his voice professionally pleasant but his eyes assessing me like I was livestock. "Time to go."
I grabbed my single allowed suitcase, packed with the basic clothes and toiletries the academy letter had specified. No personal items except one memento. I'd chosen a photo of my parents—or rather, the people Nana now admitted were my parents. They looked young, happy, unaware of the doom headed their way.
"Such a proud day," one of the committee members said to Nana, though his tone suggested he found the whole thing amusing. "Your granddaughter, chosen for such an honor."
"Indeed," Nana replied dryly. "I'm overcome with joy."
The werewolf's eyes narrowed slightly, detecting the sarcasm, but he said nothing.
The ride to the collection point was silent. They'd put me in the back of a black SUV with tinted windows, two werewolves in front, one beside me. I kept my breathing steady, my heartbeat calm, even though every instinct screamed at me to run.
We drove for an hour before reaching Millbrook High School's parking lot, where a large black bus waited. Other kids my age were already boarding, their families clustered around them for tearful goodbyes. Some parents looked genuinely proud. Others seemed devastated. A few appeared relieved.
"Out," the werewolf beside me ordered.
I climbed out, pulling my suitcase behind me. The other selected teens turned to stare, and I heard the whispers start immediately.
"Is that Aria Blackwood?"
"The weird girl from Pine Hollow?"
"Look at her eyes..."
"Why would they choose her?"
I recognized a few faces from neighboring towns. Jenny Patterson was there, of course, because the universe hated me. She stood with her perfect blonde hair and designer clothes, surrounded by her usual gaggle of followers. When she saw me, her perfectly glossed lips curved into a cruel smile.
"Well, well," she said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "They really are taking anyone these days. I guess they need someone to clean the academy floors."
A few people laughed. Most just looked uncomfortable. We were all heading to the same place, after all, and no one really knew what waited for us there.
"Students!" A woman's voice cut through the chatter. She stood at the bus entrance, wearing the same black and crimson uniform but with additional insignia marking her as faculty. "Board quickly and quietly. We have a schedule to maintain."
As I moved toward the bus, someone grabbed my arm. I turned to find a boy I didn't recognize—tall, lean, with dark hair and green eyes that seemed too bright to be natural.
"Interesting," he murmured, studying my face. "You're not what I expected."
"Excuse me?"
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "They told us to watch for you. The girl with silver eyes. But you seem so... ordinary."
"Who told you to watch for me?"
His smile widened. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
He released my arm and disappeared into the bus before I could respond. I stood there, frozen, until the faculty woman barked at me to move.
The bus was bigger than it looked from the outside, with rows of plush seats and individual entertainment screens. I found an empty row near the back and claimed the window seat. Maybe if I kept to myself, everyone would forget I existed.
Fat chance.
Jenny dropped into the seat across the aisle from me, her followers filling the rows around us. "So, Blackwood," she said conversationally, "what's your plan? Seduce some desperate omega who can't do better? Or are you hoping to servant your way into a better life?"
I kept my eyes on the window. "I don't have a plan."
"Of course you don't. People like you never do. You just stumble through life, hoping someone takes pity on you." She leaned closer. "But here's some free advice: Crimson Moon Academy isn't about pity. It's about power. And you? You have none."
The green-eyed boy suddenly appeared in the seat beside me, making both Jenny and me jump. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked, though he was already settled in.
Jenny's eyes narrowed. "And you are?"
"Ethan Cross," he said pleasantly. "From Shadowville. And you must be Jenny Patterson. I've heard so much about you."
Something in his tone made Jenny's face flush. "Oh? All good things, I hope."
"Oh, definitely things," he said with that same not-quite-smile. "Lots and lots of things."
Jenny opened her mouth, closed it, then huffed and turned to face forward. Her followers followed suit, suddenly very interested in their phones.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
"Don't thank me yet," Ethan replied, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "I didn't do it for you. I just don't like her."
"Fair enough."
We sat in silence as the bus filled up. Twenty-three students in total, according to my count. All human, all selected, all heading toward a fate none of us really understood.
The faculty woman stood at the front once everyone was seated. "I am Professor Blackthorne," she announced. "I will be your escort to Crimson Moon Academy. The journey will take approximately six hours. You will not leave your seats except to use the restroom. You will not cause disturbances. You will not ask questions about our destination. Any violation of these rules will result in immediate consequences. Is that understood?"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the bus.
"Excellent." She smiled, showing just a hint of fang. "Then let's begin your new lives."
The bus lurched forward, and my stomach lurched with it. Through the window, I watched the familiar world disappear behind us. First the towns, then the suburbs, then civilization itself. We drove deeper into territory I'd never seen before, where the trees grew thicker and the shadows grew longer.
"Scared?" Ethan asked after an hour of silence.
"Should I be?"
He considered this. "Probably. But then again, you're not exactly what you seem, are you?"
My heart skipped, but I forced it back to rhythm before responding. "I don't know what you mean."
"Sure you don't." He pulled out a book and started reading, effectively ending the conversation.
Three hours in, we stopped at a rest station that looked military in its efficiency. Guards—all werewolves—stood at every entrance and exit. We were given fifteen minutes to use the facilities and grab pre-packaged meals from a designated area.
I was washing my hands when Jenny cornered me in the bathroom.
"I don't know what your game is," she hissed, "but stay away from Ethan. He's clearly out of your league."
"I'm not playing any game."
"Right. The mysterious loner act might work on some people, but I see right through you." She stepped closer, using her height advantage to loom over me. "You're nothing special, Blackwood. And when we get to the academy, everyone will see that."
Something inside me stirred—something dark and dangerous that Nana had warned me about. For just a second, I imagined what it would feel like to let it loose, to show Jenny exactly what I was capable of.
But I couldn't. Not yet.
"Okay," I said simply, ducking around her and heading for the door.
"That's it? Just 'okay'?"
I paused at the threshold. "What do you want me to say, Jenny? You've already decided who I am. Nothing I say will change your mind."
I left her standing there and returned to the bus. Ethan was already in his seat, still reading. He didn't look up when I sat down, but he did slide a chocolate bar onto my armrest.
"You looked like you needed it," he said.
I unwrapped it slowly, savoring the first bite. "How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"That I needed chocolate specifically. Not just food. Chocolate."
He finally looked up from his book, and for a moment, I could have sworn his green eyes flashed gold. "Lucky guess."
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