I stepped into Pack College for the first time, my stomach all knotted up. I’d just turned eighteen, old enough to shift, and this place was supposed to teach me how. It was so different from my old school, with tall stone buildings and strict rules everywhere. Signs said stuff like

“No Running in Halls” and “Shifting Only in Training Rooms.” Everyone walked in neat lines, and teachers in black uniforms watched us like hawks. I felt out of place, clutching my bag, trying to figure out where my first class was.

“Hey, you new?” a girl next to me said, her hair in a tight braid.

“Yeah,” I said,...