POV: Ayla

The first day of the final term feels heavier than I expected. The academy courtyard is already busy when I step outside. Students move in clusters, laughing too loudly or talking in low voices about the summit and the Alphas who are still here. I keep my head down and my bag slung over one shoulder. My steps are steady but careful. My body still carries the memory of the last time I walked these paths, the way eyes used to follow me and the way voices used to turn sharp the moment I passed.

I have not told anyone how different my wolf feels lately. It has...