Chapter 1 Let's watch you try

CHAPTER 001

RAVENNA

I was sprawled on my bed, scrolling through my phone, when the door flew open like someone had kicked it in. Asteria stood there, her face all blotchy and red, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't even knock—typical for her when she's upset. She's only sixteen, but she acts like the world's ending every time something goes wrong.

"Raven! Please, you have to listen to me!" she sobbed, slamming the door behind her and throwing herself at the foot of my bed. Her hands clutched my blanket like it was a lifeline.

I sat up, tossing my phone aside. "Whoa, slow down, Ast. What's got you in a state this time? Did that idiot boyfriend of yours ghost you again?"

She shook her head, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "It's not that. It's... it's Midnight Academy. I need you to enroll there. Like, right now. Please, Raven. You're the only one who can help."

I laughed because this was the funniest thing I've ever heard from her. No way. Midnight Academy? Was she seriously fucking with me? That fancy-ass private school up in the hills, full of rich kids and their werewolf drama? I'd heard the stories from my crew—wolf heirs strutting around like they owned the world, turning into beasts under the full moon, and treating everyone else like dirt.

I had my life here: community college classes in the mornings, my biker crew tearing up the backroads in the afternoons, and nights fixing up my Harley in the garage. Why the hell would I trade that for some elite snob fest?

"Ast, come on. You know that's not my scene. I've got the Road Reapers, my bike, and I'm not about to play dress-up with a bunch of spoiled brats who think they're better because their daddies have trust funds. Find someone else to beg."

She grabbed my arm, her nails digging in a little. "No, Raven, you don't get it. It's important. Really important. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't."

I pulled away, crossing my arms. She was persistent, I'll give her that. Asteria and I had the same mom, different dads, mine bailed early, hers stuck around long enough to make things messy. But she was family, the only one I had left after Mom's accident last year.

Still, this? "Why? Spill it, or I'm kicking you out. I've got a shift at the shop later."

She hesitated, biting her lip, then whispered, "It's Darius. Darius Pike. The golden boy at the Academy. Captain of the hockey team. He... he broke my heart, Raven. And humiliated me in front of everyone."

Darius Pike. The name rang a bell, but not in a good way. I'd heard whispers from the biker circles—some wolf shifter hotshot who thought he was untouchable. But Asteria? What the hell did she have to do with him?

I leaned forward. "Wait, you know this guy? How? And why's that my problem?"

Asteria took a shaky breath, her voice cracking as she started talking. "It was over the summer. I was visiting Aunt Lila up near the Academy grounds. she works in the kitchens there, you know? There was this party, one of those big bonfire things the wolves throw. I snuck in because... well, everyone talks about how cool it is. Darius was there, all charming and smiling, with his perfect hair and that stupid letterman jacket. He noticed me right away. Said I was different, not like the other girls. We talked all night. He kissed me, Raven. It made me feel like I mattered."

I nodded, keeping my face neutral, but inside I was already tensing up. Guys like that? They don't go for girls like Asteria unless there's an angle.

"Then the next day," she continued, her voice dropping lower, trembling, "he acted like I was nothing. He posted pics on his social media of the party, tagging all his friends, but in the comments... he joked about the 'stray pup' who thought she could hang with the alphas. Everyone laughed. They called me trash, and said I smelled like the wrong side of the tracks. He even had his buddies drive by Aunt Lila's place and howl at the window. It was cruel, Raven. Heartless. Like I was just a joke to him."

Her words hit me like a punch. I could picture it—some smug wolf prick toying with my little sister, then tossing her aside for laughs. But there was more bubbling up in my memory. "Darius... shit, Ast. Isn't that the same asshole who messed with Kira last year?"

Asteria's eyes widened. "Kira? From your crew?"

"Yeah. Remember? Kira's this tough chick, rides a mean Sportster, full patch in the Reapers. She told me about this run-in at that border-town bar. Some wolf pack was causing trouble, and Darius was leading them. He got her alone, sweet-talked her into thinking he wanted a real connection, shifter or not. Then he outed her to his pack, called her a 'human plaything' in front of everyone. He left her humiliated, beat up when his friends jumped her. She didn't press charges, biker code, but she swore off wolves forever. That fucker hurt one of my own."

Asteria nodded, fresh tears spilling. "It's him. The same one. He's got this reputation, Raven. He acts like a prince, but he's poisonous. And now he's at the Academy, strutting around like nothing happened.

My jaw tightened. I saw Kira’s split lip in my head. I’d buried that story deep, but it was clawing its way back now. That bastard hadn’t just hurt Asteria. He’d hurt people I cared about. People who didn’t deserve it.

I can't go back there, but... but I need someone to make him pay. You're the only one tough enough. Please, enroll. Show him what a real fighter looks like."

I stood up, pacing the room. My blood was boiling now. No one messes with my sister. No one messes with my crew. Darius Pike had crossed lines I didn't even know existed until now.

Revenge? Yeah, that sounded right. Get in there, get close, make him regret every shitty thing he'd done. I'd play the new girl, the scholarship kid from the wrong side, and tear his world apart from the inside.

But underneath the anger, a flicker of doubt burned. Going undercover at some wolf prep school? Leaving my crew, my freedom, the open road? That wasn’t me. That was suicide by boredom.

Still… when I looked at Asteria’s tear-streaked face, I knew there was no way I could say no. Not to her.

"Fine." I stopped pacing and looked at her. The idea thudded in my chest like a fist: leave the garage, the crew, the road I belonged to. For a second I saw myself in Academy halls, in their uniforms, being another pretty prize. I swallowed the taste of it. "I'll do it. But not for the school. For you. For Kira. And for the Reapers. That wolf's gonna learn what happens when you fuck with the Lockes."

Asteria's face lit up through the tears. "Really? Oh, thank you, Raven! I knew you would. There's this scholarship program, they're always looking for 'diverse' students or whatever. I can pull strings with Aunt Lila. You'll get in easily."

I waved her off. "Don't worry about details. I've got a week before the semester ramps up. Let's get my shit together."

The next few hours were a blur. Asteria helped me pack: some jeans, leather jackets, my boots, nothing fancy. No frilly uniforms for me; I'd bend those rules quickly. I called Jax, my crew's road captain, and broke the news over the phone.

"Academy? What the fuck, Rav?" Jax's voice crackled through the speaker. "You're ditching us for wolf central?"

"Not ditching," I said, zipping up a duffel. "Just a side gig. I've got a score to settle. You and the Reapers hold down the fort. I'll be back before you know it."

He grumbled but got it. "Alright, but if those mutts give you trouble, you call. We'll ride up and handle it."

"Will do, brother." I hung up, feeling a pang. Leaving the bike life sucked, but this was personal.

By evening, my Harley was loaded up, bags strapped tight, engine purring like it knew we were heading into war. Asteria hugged me at the door, her eyes still puffy. "Be careful, okay? And make him hurt."

"I will," I promised. "Now get inside before Mom's ghost yells at us for being out late."

She laughed a little, and I revved the throttle, peeling out of the driveway. The road to Midnight Academy wound through pine-covered hills, the kind that hid all sorts of secrets. My mind raced ahead: Darius pike. I'd seen his type before: cocky, entitled, thinking rules didn't apply.

But I wasn't some fragile flower. I'd grown up dodging bar fights and road rage. Shifters or not, he was going down.

The Academy gates loomed after a couple hours, massive iron things with wolf motifs carved in. It was dusk, the sun dipping low, casting long shadows. A group of guys lounged by the entrance, hockey sticks propped against the wall, laughing like they owned the place.

And there be was…he stood like a statue — broad, easy in that letterman jacket. Predatory, sure, but there was something else under the arrogance: the way his eyes cut across the crowd like he was cataloguing threats.

I should have only felt anger. Instead, for a wild second, my heart picked up its pace. Not good. Not helpful. Keep it buried.

I didn't slow down but instead twisted the throttle harder, kicking up gravel and dust as I roared past. The bike's roar drowned out their chatter, and the cloud hit them full force. One guy coughed, another swore.

Darius turned, his green eyes locking on mine through the haze. Sparks…yeah, that's what it felt like. Not the romantic kind, but the kind before a fight.

His glare was sharp, promising payback. Mine? It was sharper. I was the storm coming for him.

He wiped dust from his jacket, muttering loud enough for me to catch over the engine, "She's going to regret that."

I kicked the bike, the engine answering like a beast. The gates swallowed us, and Darius's stare burned through dust. Let him think it was a girl looking for trouble.

I wasn't a troublemaker tonight. I was a storm. "Let's watch you try, Darius." My smirk deepens.