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“Yeah, and humans usually do training with Giselle,” Lucy said. “I don’t know why, but it looks like Master Grey has you with Captain Byron and the rest of the wolves. I wonder why.”
So did I. I just couldn’t think of anything good coming from this.
Freya
After we finished breakfast and put away our trays, I headed upstairs to brush my hair again and clean my teeth. My heart tremored in my chest, but I tried not to give my nerves any attention. Maybe if I ignored them, they’d go away.
I didn’t even know why I was nervous.
I had been through much worse than going to school.
Maybe it was the mere thought of school in the first place, especially school with a bunch of wolves who didn’t seem particularly fond of humans. Maybe I felt this urge to have to do my best, even though I had never done anything like this before. Whatever it was, I knew it was important that I didn’t give into my feelings. Icoulddo this.
I headed out of my room a few minutes later, and like Lucy promised, she was at my door, waiting for me. She smiled when she saw me, and the two of us headed down the grand staircase.
I followed her once more around the staircase and through the now-empty dining hall. Instead of heading into the kitchens like I had with Captain Byron, we made a right and walked the entire length of the room, where a small door with an arched doorway was. She pushed open the heavy black door and we stepped into another hallway, but this one was different. The carpet was dark, similar to the ocean, and the walls held a variety of paintings that seemed to open up the distance.
“Right now,” Lucy said, gesturing with her hands, “we’re walking down the Hall of Masters. Everyone you see on a painting has been a Headmaster at some point since the creation of this school and since the treaty that’s so far kept the peace between the four different packs that attend this school.”
I nodded, not quite familiar with pack history. I was curious about it nonetheless, but not enough to ask questions just yet.
“This one is my favorite.” Lucy stopped in front of a picture with a thick, oak frame of a young man with a furrowed brow, lips twisted into a serious frown. “He was the youngest Headmaster. Barely eighteen. Do you see his face? He tried to look so serious. This is Caden Carmichael. He’s the reason the academy and the pack integrated with humans. If it weren’t for him, we’d all be separated.”
I perked my brow but I couldn’t seem to muster up the awe and respect she clearly had for him. I watched her for a moment, my lips quirked up. “You think he’s cute?”
“Uh, obviously.” She swept her hand at the painting. “Are you blind? Anyway, he died in the war.”
“War?”
We resumed walking.
“The integration war,” she said. “Not many humans and not many shifters actually wanted integration to happen because both sides didn’t trust each other. In fact, those that supported the integration lost the war. But Headmaster Carmichael still took in humans willing to learn and offered them protection. And Headmaster Wayne, the shifter who took over when Headmaster Carmichael died, kept up that standard.”
I glanced over at Headmaster Wayne – he had chestnut brown hair with sprinkles of grey at the side and jade green eyes.
“What caused integration to finally occur?” I asked.
“The illness,” she said. “The one that turns those into the Vrykolakas. Wolves and humans learned they’re more powerful together than apart. Not everyone feels this way. Even at this school, you’re going to get resistance. But it’s much more mainstream than it was before.” She stopped abruptly, and I almost ran into her. “Anyway, this is your first class. It’s History of Shifter Culture. I hope I didn’t spoil it for you with my little story, but I thought you should know it.”
I brushed hair behind my ear. “I appreciate it.”
“Well, I’ll see you around, okay?” She turned and gave me a wave. “Good luck!”
I watched her leave for a moment. Probably because I was trying to stall. I still didn’t understand why I hesitated so much. It was strange; Mom taught me to always walk with an air of confidence, even if I didn’t feel it. And sometimes, that meant positioning my body in ways that might boost some of that confidence within me.
I shook my head. This was ridiculous. I couldn’t just stand out here –
Before I knew what had happened, someone bumped into me.
Not someone, but some tall guy with slicked back blond hair. “Out of the way, Shortlived,” he muttered. “You’re blocking the door.”
I frowned up at him, ready to open my mouth, but he was already in the classroom.
Shortlived? What the hell was that?
I tried not to think about it. Instead, I turned on the balls of my feet and forced myself to go in. I couldn’t let anyone intimidate me, especially a wolf. We were both students here, after all.
It was only when I entered the classroom did I realize I wasn’t sure where to sit. I couldn’t see a teacher anywhere, which left me standing awkwardly to the side as more students trickled in. A few of them cast curious glances my way, but I tried not to pay any attention to them. I knew Lucy was younger than I was, and therefore not prone to attending class yet, but I wished she was with me, helping me navigate what I was supposed to do.
