Chapter 13 Close Calls
POV: Mina (Age 17)
I slammed my dorm room door and locked it, then pressed my back against the wood while trying to catch my breath.
My hands were shaking as I looked down at my torn shirt. The binding was visible through the ripped fabric, stark white against my skin. If Logan had looked for even one more second, if I hadn't grabbed the fabric in time, he would have seen it clearly.
He would have known.
I moved to the small mirror above my desk and carefully peeled off the ruined shirt. The binding was still secure, wrapped tightly around my chest the way I'd done it that morning. But seeing it exposed like this, knowing how close I'd come to discovery, made my stomach turn with fear.
I grabbed a new binding from my bag and started wrapping it even tighter than before, my hands shaking so badly I had to start over twice. The fabric dug into my skin uncomfortably, making it hard to breathe deeply, but I didn't care. It needed to be secure enough that even if my shirt tore again, nothing would be visible.
As I worked, my mind raced through all the other vulnerabilities I hadn't fully considered.
The Academy had communal showers. I'd seen them during the tour—large open rooms with multiple shower heads and no privacy partitions. Male students were expected to use them after training, after combat class, after any physical activity.
I couldn't use them. Ever.
Which meant I needed a plan for basic hygiene that wouldn't expose me.
I finished securing the new binding and pulled on a fresh shirt, then sat down on my bed to think.
The dormitory was quiet at this hour, most students either in class or at dinner. I had maybe two hours before my roommate showed up, whoever that would be. Two hours to figure out how to survive in an environment designed for people I was pretending to be.
I stood and walked to the small bathroom attached to my dorm room. It had a sink and a toilet, but no shower. The communal facilities were down the hall.
Unless I woke up early enough that no one else would be there.
I checked the class schedule that had been provided at registration. Morning training started at six AM. Which meant most students would shower around five thirty, right before heading to the training grounds.
If I woke at four AM, I'd have the showers to myself for at least an hour. Maybe more if I was lucky.
It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would work. I'd just have to function on less sleep and be extremely careful about timing.
I pulled out my bag and checked my supply of suppressants. The small pills were designed to mask my natural scent and make me smell more masculine. I'd been taking them since before leaving the Sterling estate, and so far they'd worked well enough to fool casual observation.
But they weren't perfect. Logan had commented on my scent being "off," and Asher had clearly noticed something strange. The suppressants were good enough to hide that I was female, but not good enough to completely erase the differences.
I'd need to take them more frequently. Double the dose maybe, or take them every few hours instead of just once in the morning.
I counted the pills. I had enough to last maybe three weeks at normal dosage. At double dosage, maybe ten days.
After that, I'd need to find a way to get more without raising suspicion.
I was adding that to my growing list of problems when I heard voices in the hallway. Students returning from dinner, heading to their rooms.
I quickly shoved the suppressants back into my bag and made sure everything incriminating was hidden. Then I grabbed one of Rafe's textbooks and sat at my desk, trying to look like I'd been studying the whole time.
The door opened and a tall Alpha walked in, carrying his own bags. He looked at me and nodded.
"You must be my roommate. Rafe Sterling, right?"
I pulled out my notepad.
Yes. And you are?
"Dante Morrison. Beta family, but my dad's the pack doctor so I got into the Elite dorms." He dropped his bags on the other bed and looked around. "Not bad. Better than the standard housing."
I wrote quickly.
Agreed. Nice to meet you.
Dante seemed friendly enough, which was a relief. I'd been worried I'd be paired with someone like Logan who would make my life miserable just for existing.
"Fair warning," Dante said as he started unpacking. "The Elite Trio has been asking about you. Word is they're planning something. They always target new students, especially ones from powerful families."
I wrote carefully.
I've noticed their attention. Any advice?
"Keep your head down. Don't fight back when they mess with you, but don't submit completely either. They lose interest if you're too easy or too difficult. Find the middle ground and survive until they move on to the next target."
I nodded, even though I had no intention of following that advice. I wasn't here to survive by being invisible. I was here to find the Keystone and complete Rafe's mission.
But Dante didn't need to know that.
Over the next few days, I fell into a brutal routine.
I woke at four AM every morning, long before anyone else, and made my way to the communal showers. The building was always empty at that hour, eerily quiet in the pre-dawn darkness. I'd shower quickly, constantly watching the door in case someone came in early, then dress and return to my room before anyone else stirred.
I slept in my clothes, never changing in front of Dante. I claimed I was cold at night and preferred to stay dressed. He thought it was weird but didn't push.
I took my suppressants every four hours instead of once a day, carefully tracking the doses to make sure I didn't run out too quickly.
And I endured the Elite Trio's escalating attention.
They'd clearly decided I was their new project. Their latest toy to break.
Jax would "accidentally" knock into me in the hallways, sending my books flying and watching to see how I'd react. I'd just pick them up silently and walk away, giving him nothing.
Logan would challenge me to arm wrestling matches in the common room, then use far more strength than necessary to slam my hand down onto the table hard enough to bruise. I'd take the pain without flinching and walk away.
Asher was the worst. He specialized in psychological warfare rather than physical intimidation.
He'd appear next to me in the library, lean in close, and whisper things designed to get under my skin.
"You don't belong here, cousin. Everyone can see it. You're too soft. Too weak. Too wrong."
"That fighting style you used in combat class. Where did you really learn it? Because it wasn't from any Sterling trainer I've ever heard of."
"Your scent is still off even with all those pills you're taking. What are you hiding, Rafe? What don't you want us to know?"
I'd ignore him completely, my face blank and my notepad unused. Engaging with his provocations would only encourage him.
But it was exhausting. Every moment at the Academy required perfect performance. Perfect posture, perfect responses, perfect control.
One mistake and everything would unravel.
To make matters worse, I needed money. The Academy provided basic meals and housing, but everything else cost coin. Suppressants weren't cheap, and I was running through them twice as fast as anticipated.
I started offering to do other students' essays for payment. I'd write their assignments in exchange for coin or supplies, working late into the night after everyone else had gone to sleep.
I also volunteered to scrub the chemistry labs after hours. The Academy paid students a small amount for maintenance work, and it kept me busy during times when I might otherwise draw attention.
It meant I was getting maybe four hours of sleep a night, but I didn't have a choice. I needed the coin, needed the distraction, needed the solitude that came with working when everyone else was asleep.
Tonight, I was in the chemistry lab scrubbing beakers while studying a book I'd stolen from the restricted section of the library.
A book about the Keystone.
According to the text, the Keystone was an ancient artifact tied to Oracle bloodlines. It was supposed to amplify power, break sealing spells, and reveal truth. The prophecy Rafe and I had found mentioned it specifically—"the Keystone will unlock what was sealed."
If I could find it, maybe I could break the sealing spell on myself. Maybe I could access my full Oracle power and complete the prophecy without dying.
Maybe I could finish what Rafe and I had started.
I was so absorbed in reading that I didn't hear the footsteps approaching until it was too late.
A shadow fell over my book.
I looked up to see Asher Blackwood standing in the doorway of the lab, blocking my exit. His expression was unreadable in the dim light, but his posture radiated danger.
"Working late, cousin?" he asked, his voice smooth and cold. "Or hiding?"