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In fact, I had a document open on my laptop whenever I was in class or studying in the library or in the suite just for that purpose. We didn’t need to not be warriors. I loved being a warrior. But we could be so much more.
Shifter anatomy was a very complex class. Of course, we focused on wolves, since nearly everyone in the academy was a wolf shifter, but the professor also strove to help us to understand some of the others we might encounter. Primarily other large predators like some of the big cats. How the shifting happened was still largely a mystery, but we could learn about the differences between our two forms. This was one of my favorite classes both because of the subject matter and the fact that the professor treated me just like everyone else.
We were deep into a side-by-side diagram of wolf/human shoulder muscles when I received a summons to go to the office. As I packed up my laptop, my classmates cast me glances of pity or, in a few cases, actual smirks. Nobody liked to be called to theoffice—but the sooner I got there, the sooner I’d be freed up to get back to what was important.
The prof handed me a hall pass, something I found a bit juvenile considering the age of the average student, but it was one of many rules here at the Reject Academy. Growing up in our clan, I’d been taught independence as well as self-discipline, two things many of my fellow students lacked.
I plodded down the hallway, lifting the pass whenever I came upon one of the monitors stationed at various points for the purpose. Honestly, I’d have preferred to punch their smirking faces—but that would do nothing to move me forward toward my goals.
Since I’d been at the opposite end of campus, it took me a few minutes to get to the office, but when I did, the secretary at the main desk waved me over. “Took you a while.”
“Yeah…sorry.” I didn’t feel any need to explain myself, or apologize, either, really, but that seemed like the easiest solution. “Who is it?”
“One of your betas, I think.” She waved toward the chair across from her desk and punched a button on her landline phone. “Have a seat.”
If phones worked decently in this place, I’d have been able to take the call privately, but maybe that was part of the point. I lifted the receiver. “Hello?”
“Casimir? This is Antoine.”
“What’s up?” The beta was one who my father relied on heavily. I tensed involuntarily in preparation for what he’d have to say.
“It’s about that situation we discussed before you left. It’s not getting any better.” The situation he referred to was a competing pack trying to take over our warrior/security service. We provided bodyguard and other similar services for packs that did not have the inclination to provide it for themselves.We even hired out to humans, most of whom had no idea we were anything more than the words scrawled across our logo:Protection Services for Individuals and Businesses. Okay, there was a picture of a wolf on there, but nowhere did we mention being shifters. Those who knew knew.
“And what did you want me to do about that from here?” I’d been back such a short time. “I hope you’re not asking me to return for a meeting or anything like that?”
“No, it’s just a heads-up that things are getting worse, and a call may come.”
“Can’t you all handle this? Father surely has things under control.” Or he did when I left.
“You are the next alpha. You belong here, at your father’s side, if you want to keep that position.”
I had been very much responsible for the business growing into what it was. Setting up the computer system, teaching those who handled it what to do…I didn’t have the skills that my roommate did, but between what I’d managed to learn on my own and what he’d helped me with, we had a solid business going now. No wonder they wanted me back. But I also wanted this education—and preferably one I could get from the Urban Academy. Not just for me but for the young people who would follow me in once they realized warriors weren’t necessarily troublemakers.
“I have permission to be here. When I come back, it will be as a better educated person than when I left.”
“You don’t need all that to be a warrior.”
“I need to get back to class.” Without waiting for a reply, I hung up. “Thanks for the use of the phone.”
As hard as it was being here, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to go home. I could try to find another way for the youth to get into the Urban Academy. After all, I hadn’t done anything terrible here. Maybe they’d agree that being from a warrior clandidn’t make a wolf all bad.
Chapter Eleven
Karelis
By the time the day was over, I was more tired than after a full day of running away from what was once my home. My brain throbbed as I tried in vain to process all of the information that was thrown at me hour by hour. I had enough syllabi to fill a binder, which the school kindly provided for exactly that purpose.
Once I got back to my dorm room to change for dinner, June’s and my desks had a bag on top with said binder and enough school supplies for the year and even a laptop. It was marked as property of the Urban Rehabilitation Academy, of course, but it was mine to use for now. I’d seen most of the students use them during our classes that day but didn’t feel left out. I kind of preferred the notebook-and-pen situation.
I met June at the dining hall where we opted for the to-go option. Baked chicken, along with a vegetable stir-fry and perfectly fluffy rice. It came in a large bag that included cutlery, a drink, and a large piece of carrot cake for dessert. It was a big meal by human standards, but, by the end of the night, I would be reaching for the granola bars I’d gotten from the bus driver.
When I ran out of those, I would be out of luck. We shifters ate and because I had two wolves inside me, I ate a lot, even more than every shifter I knew.
I had changed into my pajamas which consisted of the same black tank top and some satin pants while June finished her carrot cake. Honestly, I’d hoped she would leave me some but lost hope when she ate the last bite.
Damn it. I was hungry already.
“What do we do now?” she asked, walking around the room.
