When I arrived at the University of Miami for my first year of college, I was incredibly excited to see all the different places and people that I normally wouldn't see back home. My excitement was so overwhelming that, for a brief second, I forgot about the mark on my neck before I even reached my dorm room.
I never knew there were so many things you could do without adult supervision all the time. Back home, there was always a guardian around every corner, making sure nothing went wrong. This campus was much bigger than the college campus back home, and the dorm rooms were a bit smaller than my room at home. Now, I had to share a space with complete strangers who would either become my friends or my foes by the end of the year.
My first roommate walked in looking like she had stepped straight out of a K-pop video.
"Hi, my name is Mia Liang. I'm a computer science major from Germany," she said softly while setting her belongings down on the bottom bunk.
I held out my hand and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Siera Dawson, from Appalachia," I said with a smile. "So, are you into K-pop or what?" I asked curiously.
She turned and looked at me like I'd grown three heads before responding politely, even though her expression clearly said, Have you been living under a rock?
"Ummm… I'm guessing you don't get out much," she said with a small laugh. "K-pop is basically the thing for our generation. Ever heard of BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids, NewJeans, and stuff like that?" she asked me.
"Sorry," I said quietly, rubbing the back of my neck. "Where I'm from, we mostly just keep to ourselves. We don't really rely on outside world trends or anything like that." I gave a small awkward smile, trying not to sound completely clueless about the topic.
Before I could say anything else, the next roommate walked in — and instantly my wolf wanted to claw her eyes out. Of all the people it could've been, it had to be someone from my clan.
Melissa Lyons.
She wasn't exactly my first choice for a friend, but she definitely wasn't someone I wanted as an enemy either. The problem was, Melissa had always known exactly how to push every last one of my buttons, and right now she was already skating dangerously close to my piss me off limit.
"Oh wow," she said dramatically as she walked over to the single bunk closest to mine. "I'm rooming with my future Luna."
The comment instantly rubbed me the wrong way. My jaw tightened, and for a split second it made me want to snap and smash her face in. Instead, I clenched my fists at my sides and forced myself to breathe, reminding myself that losing control here would only make things worse.
Biting back my anger, I forced myself to acknowledge her presence.
"Melissa. I didn't know you applied here. What's your major?" I asked, not really caring what her answer was.
Before she could turn the moment into one of her usual power plays, I gestured toward the other girl. "Anyway, this is Mia. She's our roommate this year."
Mia held her hand out politely, curiosity flickering across her face as she clearly wondered how Melissa and I knew each other — and probably what Luna even meant where we came from.
"Nice to meet you, Melissa," she said with a genuine smile.
Now that we were all introduced, we decided to continue unpacking while Mia launched into a full explanation of K-pop culture. She talked about everything — the dramas, the fashion, the music, even the idols and fan culture. Honestly, the more she talked, the more interesting it sounded.
"If I ever get the chance to visit Korea," Mia said while folding clothes onto her shelf, "I might never come back to the States. Everything here is hella expensive right now." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "At this point, surviving on ramen might become my whole college plan."
"From what I hear, in Korea most college students survive on nothing but bread and ramen so they can make sure their student loans are being used responsibly," Melissa said casually.
"I might end up doing that too. What about you, Lu—"
I shot her a sharp look before she could finish the nickname — one that clearly said, Don't call me that here.
Melissa stopped mid-word, though the small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth told me she'd done it on purpose.
Mia glanced between the two of us before looking at Melissa suspiciously. "Do you two know each other?" she asked. "Because I'm kinda getting the vibe that you both grew up in the same area… at least."
I answered before Melissa could say something smart.
"We're kinda like childhood friends who drifted apart as we got older," I said. "She moved to another side of town, and I… well, let's just say I stayed on the side where things were rough."
I left it at that, not really wanting to unpack years of history sitting in a tiny dorm room on the first day of college. Even Melissa stayed quiet for once, which told me she understood exactly what I wasn't saying.
"As much as I love mushy interactions—" I started.
Melissa immediately looked at me sideways, her expression practically screaming, You hate mushy interactions.
I ignored her look and kept going. "I'm gonna check out the campus grounds and get a feel for the place before classes start tomorrow."
Both girls agreed it was a good idea, and after grabbing our phones and room keys, we left the dorm together and headed out onto campus.
As we stepped outside the dorm building, Melissa suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side, away from Mia.
"Luna, we can't shift here," she whispered urgently. "There's no woods, and there are way too many people around."
Her grip tightened slightly, and the serious look in her eyes told me she wasn't teasing this time. For once, Melissa was actually worried.
"Melissa, didn't you let your wolf out before traveling here?" I asked quietly as we looked around the crowded campus.
She groaned under her breath. "No. I really didn't think about it." Then she crossed her arms and muttered, "Plus, my wolf is stubborn. You know that."
I let out a low sigh because unfortunately, she wasn't wrong. Melissa's wolf had always been hotheaded and difficult, even back home. Bringing that kind of energy into the middle of a packed college campus sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
"When you go out there," I told her quietly, "there's a forest a good distance away from campus. It's more off the radar, so you shouldn't run into people." I gave her a serious look. "But you have to mind link me while you're out there to prevent any problems. Understand?"
Next day College life begins
I literally jump out of my sleep when I hear my alarm clock blaring through the room. Melissa and Mia are still fast asleep as I quietly climb out of bed. I quickly get ready for the medical classes I needed for my doctor's degree, trying not to wake either of them as I move around the dorm. I quickly rush out of the dorm, realizing I was almost late. I really hated being late, especially now that I had a job lined up too. If I wanted to survive out here on my own, I needed to be careful with money and learn how to manage without relying on my pack's wealth to help me out anymore.