The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of Capitol City College, casting golden streaks across polished floors and echoing halls. Students moved between classes, their laughter, footsteps, and whispers mingling with the faint hum of supernatural energy lingering in the air.
Aren Winson walked briskly toward his classroom, backpack slung casually over one shoulder. His mind replayed fragments of last night's dream — the forest, the moon, the golden eyes staring back at him — but he pushed it aside. Dreams were just dreams… weren't they?
A shadow fell across the hallway.
"Watch where you're going, Winson."
Aren looked up to see Theo Raeken, a vampire from one of the minor aristocratic bloodlines, his pale features sharp and perfectly composed, dark hair slicked back, and golden eyes glinting with disdain. Theo's posture radiated superiority, and every step he took seemed to command the space around him.
"Excuse me?" Aren asked politely, stepping aside.
Theo smirked, an arrogant curl of his lips. "You. Always lucky, aren't you? Straight A's, teacher's pet, the flawless Winson. You don't even try, and yet you succeed. It's… irritating."
Aren blinked, unsure how to respond. He had been aware of Theo's dislike before — many students envied the Winsons, especially someone who seemed naturally adept at everything. But he hadn't anticipated this level of contempt.
"I'm not trying to—" Aren started, but Theo shoved past him, brushing against his shoulder deliberately.
Aren felt a subtle shiver, an instinctual unease he couldn't explain. His senses tingled, as though something in him was awake and aware of Theo's presence — sharper, faster, and stronger than a human should feel. He shook it off, forcing himself to calm down. "Careful next time," he muttered under his breath.
Theo spun around, lips curling into a sneer. "You don't get it, Winson. No matter how perfect you are, no one can stand someone who's always… above the rest. And trust me, I will find a way to put you in your place."
Before Aren could respond, a sudden commotion near the stairs caught his attention. A pack of younger students — some shifters, a couple of fae, even a newly awakened vampire — had clustered in a whispering group, their eyes drawn repeatedly toward him. It wasn't the first time something odd happened around him, but the feeling was stronger this morning. The air seemed… charged.
Aiden Thomas appeared at his side, adjusting his backpack. "Ignore him," he said quietly, tone firm. "He's not worth your time."
Aren nodded, but deep down, he couldn't shake the sensation that something fundamental was shifting around him. His body felt… alert, like a dormant engine revving for the first time. Something in the way Theo's gaze lingered, in the way the supernatural students seemed subtly aware of him, pricked at the edges of memory — fragments of the dream, the forest, the golden eyes.
Theo's gaze met his one last time before he strutted away. "This isn't over, Winson."
Aren watched him go, a strange mix of irritation and curiosity stirring inside him. He didn't yet know what made Theo and others react to him so intensely, nor did he understand the pull of the power growing quietly within.
All Aren knew was that today, the first thread of something larger had been tugged — a thread that would pull him deeper into a world of packs, bloodlines, and powers far beyond the ordinary, and one day, make him the True Alpha of the Winson Family Pack.