Chapter 78 Cafeteria Politics
POV: Luna
Lunch the next day is an education in Academy politics.
Aria takes it upon herself to explain the social hierarchy while we eat.
"See that table?" She nods toward a group of large, muscular students. "Northern pack wolves. All about strength and dominance. They respect power above everything else."
"And over there?" Sienna points to a different group. More refined. Less overtly aggressive.
"Southern packs. They value strategy over brute force. Politics and alliances. Very dangerous if you underestimate them."
Lyric doesn't look up from her tablet but adds, "And the Coastal wolves sitting by the windows? They think they're better than everyone because their territories have ocean access. Pretentious as hell."
"How do you know all this already?" I ask Lyric. "You've been here one day."
"I did research before we transferred. Know your battlefield before you step onto it." She finally looks up and grins. "Plus, I hacked the student directory and cross-referenced pack affiliations."
"Of course you did."
Nova leans forward. "So where do we fit in this hierarchy?"
"Nowhere," Aria says cheerfully. "We're the misfits. The ones who don't fit neatly into pack politics. Which makes us either irrelevant or dangerous, depending on who you ask."
"And Luna?" Sienna asks quietly.
"Luna is category all her own. Eclipse bloodline puts her outside normal pack structures. She's either a threat or a prize, depending on who's looking."
"Great," I mutter. "Just what I wanted to be. A prize."
That's when they arrive.
Cassandra's Circle.
All five of them, moving through the cafeteria like they own it. Students part to let them pass.
They stop at our table.
Cassandra's second-in-command, a blonde girl named Claire, speaks first.
"I see you've made some... interesting friends, Luna."
Her tone makes "interesting" sound like an insult.
"Is there something you need?" I ask, keeping my voice neutral.
"Just making social rounds. Getting to know the new transfers." Claire's smile doesn't reach her eyes. "It's important to understand pack dynamics at Silverwood. Wouldn't want anyone to accidentally step on the wrong toes."
"Is that a threat?" Aria asks, her voice dangerously pleasant.
"It's friendly advice." Cassandra steps forward, her cold blue eyes fixed on me. "The Academy has a delicate social balance. Disrupting it can have... consequences."
"I'm not interested in disrupting anything," I say.
"No? Then why does chaos seem to follow you?" Cassandra tilts her head. "Rogue attacks. Dead boyfriends. Mysterious powers. You've only been here a year and already the whole school knows your name."
Several nearby students are watching now. Whispers spreading.
"Leave her alone," Nova says sharply.
"Or what?" Claire smirks. "You'll defend her? How noble."
Sienna touches my arm gently, and I feel her magic. Calming. Centering.
But she's also sensing something. I can see it in her eyes.
"Something's off about the wards today," she says quietly. "Can you feel it?"
I focus, reaching out with my wolf senses.
She's right. The Academy's protective wards feel... flickering. Unstable.
"What's wrong with them?" I whisper.
"I don't know. But it started this morning."
Cassandra notices our distraction and doesn't like it.
"We're boring you?"
"No. Just sensing that the wards are compromised. But I'm sure the faculty has it handled." I meet her eyes. "Was there anything else?"
Cassandra's smile turns cold. "Just remember. Silverwood has a hierarchy for a reason. Those who forget their place tend to have unfortunate accidents."
She sweeps away, her Circle following like loyal shadows.
"Well," Lyric says once they're gone. "She's delightful."
"She's dangerous," Sienna corrects. "Her family has connections to old magic. Dark magic. Don't underestimate her."
"Speaking of dangerous." Lyric turns her tablet toward me. "You might want to see this."
On the screen is what looks like a private social network. Academy students only.
And there's a whole thread about me.
"EclipseGirl is either going to be a legend or a disaster."
"Did you see her mark glow during Transformation class? That's not normal."
"My brother said Eclipse wolves destroyed entire packs centuries ago. We should be worried."
"She seems nice enough. Just grieving."
"Grief makes people unstable. Dangerous."
I push the tablet away. "I don't want to see this."
"You need to see it," Lyric says gently. "You need to know what people are thinking. Information is power."
"Information is also depressing."
"Fair."
We're about to leave when Lyric's tablet dings. A new message. Not on the social network. Something else.
She opens it, and her expression changes.
"Uh, Luna? You need to see this."
I look at the screen.
A message. Anonymous. Sent directly to Lyric's personal account.
"She doesn't belong here."
That's it. No signature. No context. Just those four words.
"Who sent this?" I ask.
"I don't know. The routing is scrambled. Whoever did this knows what they're doing." Lyric's fingers fly across the tablet. "They're good. Really good. I can't trace it."
"Someone's watching us," Sienna says quietly. "Someone with technical skills and magical knowledge."
"Or someone working with Cole," Aria suggests. "He's new. We don't know anything about him."
"Or it's Cassandra's Circle," Nova adds. "They clearly want Luna gone."
I look at the message again.
"She doesn't belong here."
Maybe they're right.
Maybe I don't belong at Silverwood.
But I'm here anyway.
And I'm not leaving.