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“Twins? I thought so, you guys look so much alike. That's awesome.” I smile at Camden and then Conner.
He grunts then pulls out his phone and studiously ignores the two of us. Slowly, I turn back to Camden and raise an eyebrow. I hope I didn’t upset him with my rambling on about them being twins. I sometimes have a bit of a problem with blurting things out without thinking about it. I really hope I didn’t piss him off. Camden just rolls his eyes and glares at his brother over my head for a second before putting a charming smile on his face and focusing on me again. He may remind me of Henry, and I don’t think I’d ever be able to date him, but he is sweet and charming. I can see us being friends, so I smile back at him and rest my head on my hand with my arm braced on the desk.
“Ignore him. He’s a grumpy ass. So, you’re new yeah? Everyone on the rez goes to Howl academy until they graduate to Howl University. I know for sure I haven’t seen you around before because I definitely would have noticed.”
Damn, I thought that he would have scented that I’m a new Chosen, or at the very least he should have scented that I don’t have a wolf yet and made the connection. It doesn’t really matter though. I’m sure everyone here has heard about graduation night and will figure out I’m the one the boy attacked. I have to remind myself that I didn’t do anything wrong, so I shouldn’t be embarrassed to tell my story. I’m really sad that the wolf died, but I didn’t have anything to do with that.
“Yeah, I’m a recent Chosen. I just got here on May 22. It’s been an adjustment, but I’m really enjoying it so far. Abby, my mentor, says I will manifest on Friday. It's the first full moon since everything happened.”
“Oh shit.” Conner’s deep voice rumbles out, drawing our attention his way. “You’re the girl Shawn attacked. Damn, that's so messed up.”
Chapter Eleven
Shawn
Shawn.Theboywhoattacked me is named … was named Shawn. A pang of sadness fills my chest as I think about him. I didn’t know him, but I mourn him. I feel like it is my fault he is gone, even though it doesn’t make sense to feel that way. I know that he has family and friends that miss him, and my heart aches for their loss. I can’t imagine watching my friend graduate then waking up the next day to them being gone. It’s tragic that his life ended so soon. Even if he changed my entire world, I don’t think he should have died for it. He needed help, counseling and love, not death.
“Hey, it’s okay. Conner didn’t mean anything bad toward you. Shawn was a little off, he had some serious mental health issues. What happened to him isn’t your fault and no one would say different.”
“Did you know him?” I shouldn’t have asked. I’m emotional enough about the lost wolf without torturing myself by asking if Camden was his friend. Still, the words are out there now, no taking them back.
“We’re a tight community. We all grew up with him. But like I said, he got what he deserved. Our laws are sacred and sparse. The top one is that we don’t attack humans, no matter what. The next biggest one is that we don’t leave the walls shifted. He broke both then tried to fight the enforcers instead of submitting. He made his own decisions and faced the consequences for his actions.”
He gently brushes a piece of my hair off my face. Looking into his hazel eyes makes me feel a bit better. So does his clear conviction in his words. He truly doesn’t blame me for the loss of his friend. Knowing that lifts a weight off my shoulders that I didn’t even realize was there. This whole time I’ve been carrying the burden of thinking I’m responsible for that boy, Shawn, being gone, but Camden really made me see that I was the victim that night and nothing I could have done could have saved his life. He made his decisions and his choices have no bearing on me, other than how they changed my life completely. I think I’ll always feel a loss for the boy who gave me the gift of a wolf, but now, I don’t feel like I could have saved him if I'd done something differently. The professor walking in cuts off anything I could have said to him.
Camden drops his hand from my face and I sit up to turn towards the podium the professor is standing at. The man looks like he eats nails for breakfast. Muscles strain against a bright red T-shirt and his jeans are tight with rips going from the top of his thighs to his knees. He is wearing the newest Jordans and a gold chain. Basically, nothing at all what I thought a professor of a university would look like. He doesn’t even look old enough to be a teacher, but I guess you can’t tell a wolf’s age by their appearance. His new age outfit does capture my entire attention, so I guess he is succeeding as a teacher in that respect.
“Good Morning guys, and gal. I’m Professor Anthony and this is political basics one-o-one. This class is fast paced and we will often have visitors. Today just so happens to be a day that we have a visitor. Alpha Charles has agreed to come talk to you about basic Lupin Politics. Our first test will be on Thursday over the material Alpha Charles will be covering as well as the things we go over in class, so make sure you pay attention and take notes.”
He lifts his hand and Charles walks through the door. I fight to keep the emotion off of my face, to pretend I don’t live with his pack and I don’t really know him. It works until he walks right up to me and hugs me. I feel the gaze of both the boys on either side of me and the Professor but I ignore them as Charles takes his place behind the podium and starts talking. He goes over everything Abby told me about the Lupin Council. He tells us who is on it and a brief history of who their Communities are and their family history. I’m intrigued by the whole class and take notes over everything. I even write down things to ask him about when I get home tonight. Time flies and before I know it, the bell is ringing for lunch. There is a two class limit for all students in the Early Start program, so each period is three hours long with a two hour lunch between the classes. I never thought three hours could go by without me noticing, but apparently talking Lupin Politics is a good way of doing it.
“Alright guys. Same time tomorrow, we are diving into the communities and their order of dominance. Enjoy your night. Thank you again Alpha Charles for coming to speak with us today.” Professor Anthony shakes Charles’s hand then packs his bag as we all put our stuff up to go.
Charles waves his phone in my direction then leaves without saying anything to me. Camden is sending me looks every few seconds, but Conner ignores us all and walks out the door behind Charles. He didn’t take a single note and I hope he remembers all the stuff we talked about. Then again, he doesn’t really seem like the type to go to school, which makes me wonder why he is here to begin with. I guess I don’t know what jobs are available in the community. Abby said our enforcers are like the human police and military mixed into one force. Maybe this is a required class to become an enforcer. That could explain …
“Hey, you want to have lunch together?” Camden is standing in front of my desk watching me as I pack up my bag, lost in my own thoughts.
I consider his question before giving him an answer. I don’t exactly want to spend more time with him, he gives off a bit of an aggressive vibe and his leather scent is a little brash, but I also don’t want to eat alone and I hope that having him eat with me will keep CJ from approaching me. Charles caused enough of a stir by hugging me in front of everyone, I can just imagine what people will say if they see CJ talking to me as well. I try not to care what people think, but these are the people I’m going to spend the rest of my very long life around. I want them to like me, not look at me like I’m a weird Chosen attached to the two Alpha packs. I guess one lunch won’t hurt. Besides, despite his scent and the way he reminds me of Henry, Camden has been really sweet to me today. The staring doesn’t count. I knew I was wearing an outfit that would get attention, so I couldn’t really blame him for staring. I’m new and pretty, I imagine any guy would have stared.
“Sure.”
Standing, I let him lead me out of the room and down to the dinning hall. During the whole walk, he talks about himself and his friends. He tells me that he got accepted onto the football team and about the training regime the coaches have them on. He goes on and on about the classes he is going to take in August and the job he hopes to get in the Community Lead Department. I let him talk, commenting when appropriate but not interrupting or trying to change the subject. I learn about the betas in our class and get a few snide opinions about CJ and his pack. I get the impression that Camden is jealous of the guys and their Alpha status. I keep my opinions on the topic to myself and when he asks me what I think of The Pack, his way of addressing the four boys collectively, I tell him that I haven’t met them.
Lunch goes by without me saying much. I don’t see CJ, not that I know what he looks like, and Camden spends the whole time talking. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it was nice to fall into an old routine of just being. I was the quiet one of our group in high school and spent many lunches just like the one I’m having. Nevertheless, when the bell rings to go to the next class, I’m relieved to learn that we don’t have the same class after lunch. Camden asks for my number and I give it to him. He is the first friend I’ve made on my own, so I want to give him a chance. We part ways in the hall as he heads to the football field and I go to Manifestations One-o-one.
My next class is all about manifestations and the jobs that are available to each of the three manifestations. It also has an in depth chapter about shifting for the first time and the physical, emotional, and mental difference between humans, wolves, and each of the manifestations. I’m really looking forward to this class. When Abby was talking about manifesting, I kept thinking of questions she couldn’t answer and when I asked the Alpha Pack, they told me to take this class. August said he could explain it, but he thought I’d enjoy the course more. He said he took it when he was in school for his MD, and even suggested I would make an excellent doctor if I choose to go that way. I’ve been thinking about doing it ever since.
Walking into the classroom I’m surprised to see that the class is actually pretty equally split between boys and girls. For some reason I assumed that most guys wouldn’t take this class. My eyes graze all the faces in the room, trying to find someone to sit beside, and come to a complete stop on the group of four guys sitting in the back of the room talking amongst themselves. I know who they were the second I see them. The Pack. The next generation of Alphas, and the boys that Mandy speaks so fondly of. I’ve only ever heard CJ’s name and I know immediately who he is. He is a spitting image of Charles. Long blonde hair and pretty blue eyes that twinkle with mirth over something one of the other boys said. His outfit is simple but it fits him in a way that almost makes it indecent for the public.
The boys around him are equally as stunning, but so different. The biggest of the group has me taking a step back and swallowing down a lump of fear. His biceps are bigger than my head and his thighs are straining the brown natural leather of his pants so much, I’m half worried they are going to shred to pieces like the Hulk’s. He has an off white loose linen shirt on and with the way his long hair is braided and bound into a bun on top but shaved on the sides, he looks like an actual viking king come to life. That is, until he smiles. When he smiles, his baby blue eyes light up and his face becomes softer. He goes from looking like a fierce warrior battling in a snow-covered field to a giant teddy bear with a twitch of his lips.
Beside him is the smallest of the group, though that doesn't say much since I’m sure I would still only come to his shoulders if he were to stand beside me. His green eyes are magnified behind a pair of adorable black squared glasses. The frames are thick, but the lenses look like they are more for show than actual need. His raven black hair is wavy and hanging down to his ears and his yellow shirt looks amazing against his naturally tanned skin tone. He is the only one wearing dress slacks and a polo shirt and he has a laptop open on his desk. His focus is on the computer in front of him, but he keeps chuckling when the others do. As I watch them, he reaches over and swats the fourth member of their group, drawing my gaze to him.
He is like an exact opposite of CJ. They are about the same size, but that is where their similarities end. He has the most beautiful brown eyes I’ve ever seen. They are so clear and full of humor. His warm umber skin looks so smooth and soft even from here, all I can picture is snuggling into his broad chest while rain pounds against the windows. His clothes are simple, a blue shirt and a pair of white washed dark denim jeans. His sneakers match his shirt perfectly and the hat turned backwards on his head hides his hair from view. His boisterous laugh travels across the room to me and my heart races at the sound. Before I can even process what I’m doing, I start walking towards them. A loud growl stops me in my tracks before I make it even halfway, though.
Despite their cheery disposition and their otherworldly good looks, I can tell that these guys are trouble. Specifically, that they will be trouble for me. Something about them calls to me. I see them and I want to be next to them, cuddled up with all of them. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but until I figure it out, I need to avoid The Pack or I’ll end up doing something embarrassing. Like rubbing my body against all of them. Looking around, I see an empty desk on the other side of the room, all the way in the front. That is where I go. I keep my back to the boys and pretend I never noticed them. Pulling out my phone, I reply to all the messages I’ve missed while I wait for the professor to start the class. This is going to be a long ass month if my body doesn’t calm down after I manifest on friday. As it is now, this is going to be the longest week of my life. Having to sit here and pretend like my body isn’t fighting to go be with them is torture, but I won’t make the first impression they get of me be some hormone driven urge to be close to a group of Alphas. Especially since I’m going to be a Beta and they have to have an Omega to complete their Pack. Best to keep my distance until I manifest then let my heart feel something it shouldn’t.
Chapter Twelve
