by JJ King
New Moon
Alpha Wolf Academy: Book 1
JJ King
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Next in Alpha Wolf Academy…
BEFORE THERE WAS ALPHA WOLF ACADEMY…
About the Author
The characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are completely fiction and are in no way meant to represent real people or places.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this eBook with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Copyright © 2020 JJ King
All rights reserved.
Kindle Edition
ISBN- 978-1-9995531-6-6
Dedication
For Candace and Juanita, my girls.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Rebecca Hamilton. Meeting you was a turning point in my life, one that has given me unmeasurable joy and appreciation. Your mentorship has made me a better author, a better plotter, and a better person. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Chapter 1
I stared at the academy crest stitched to the blazer that lay perfectly folded on the bed of my private room in Hell and muttered a curse under my breath.
Alpha Wolf Academy. The crème de la crème of shifter universities in North America, the most sought-after spot in half the world, and the last place on earth I wanted to be.
I’d had plans to attend a regular university with my lifelong friends, like a regular wolf shifter. But no, my parents had decided to go behind my back and apply for a scholarship to the academy where Pierre LaFlamme himself had sent his children. I could still hear my mother’s breathless excitement when she’d announced their application had been accepted.
“Just imagine. My little girl walking the same halls Katherine LaFlamme walked!” Gretchen Jensen had sighed dramatically and beamed, then ran off to call all her friends and spread the good news.
That had been a little over six months ago, when I'd been making plans with my best friends, Sara and Bethany, to go on a road trip across Canada before starting our first-year studies at Kilo Wolf Academy, the eleventh-ranked shifter academy in North America. We’d still gone on our road trip as planned, dancing our way from Newfoundland to Quebec over the course of four weeks. But, instead of travelling back with them to start school, I’d unloaded my belongings from the old Honda Civic Bethany’s parents had given her and moved into my dorm room a day before classes were to begin.
The blazer had shown up while I was in the shower.
It was unnerving to realize someone else had a key to my dorm room, although, admittedly, there wasn’t much in here to steal, should anyone have that goal in mind. In fact, of all the students I’d seen while peeking out of my window and glancing cautiously down the hall of my dorm, I was certain my belongings were the last anyone on campus would want. Not when Fendi purses and Gucci kicks were the norm. My peers were the elite, the rich, and the powerful... and I was here on scholarship.
My phone buzzed insistently, reminding me I'd be late for the first assembly of the year if I didn’t get ready now. I’d built in time for a blow out and full make-up based on my mother’s insistence that I provide the best possible first impression. As much as it galled me to fancy up to fit in even remotely, I knew I’d feel more confident behind some war paint.
I stuck my phone in the small speakers my dad had bought before I'd left and clicked on my favorite Myles Kennedy song. With the soothing sound of his melodic voice in the background, I set to work.
♀♀♀
The assembly started just like any assembly I’d ever attended, with the headmistress striding across the stage to stand at the podium. Behind me, hanging from the ceiling like an enormous banner of prestige, was the symbol for Alpha Wolf Academy, the abbreviation flanked by two majestic Celtic wolves. It was striking, I admitted, even if it symbolized everything I despised.
Headmistress Matilda Donahue was an imposing woman. She was tall and fit with wide swimmers’ shoulders and enough curves to make her beauty equally strong and sensual. I took in the woman’s knee length black skirt and sapphire blouse, understanding that the pieces, despite looking simple, probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. The shoes I recognized by the bright red soles.
Yup. I shook my head. This isn’t my world anymore.
Spite flared hot in my veins, the kind that had seen me through more than one uncomfortable situation over my twenty-two years. I might not be rich, famous, or well established, but I was here now, and anyone who didn’t care for that would have to suck it up. That included me, I accepted bitterly. No one here would accept me if I kept feeling and acting like an imposter.
The speech was welcoming and informative, but mostly ignored by the majority of the school population. I listened intently, the same way I’d carefully read the pamphlets delivered with my acceptance package once I’d come to terms with my educational future. If I was going to be displaced, at least I would know the rules and the terrain. I’d spent the previous day roaming campus and finding the rooms where I’d attend classes. I’d even swung by my professors’ offices to see if they had copies of the syllabi on hand.
It wasn’t that I was anal about these things; it was just that I was at enough of a disadvantage as it was. I’d be damned if I’d willingly contribute to an even greater imbalance of power.
After we were dismissed, I stayed in my seat, fidgeting with the friendship necklace Sara and Bethany had given me on our last day together. I didn’t expect to fit in with the popular crowd, but I wanted to know who they were so I could stay far away. Experience had told me that cliques were the enemy and that mean girls were the real powerhouses behind society.
A small group of girls made their way toward the exit now, perfectly coiffed with long, expertly highlighted hair and expensive makeup. They wore the same uniform I did, with the same emblem, but theirs looked tailor made to fit their endless curves and long lines.
I pushed to my feet regrettably and tugged at the hem of my slightly too-short skirt. My 5’10’’ frame was too long for the regular length, and I hadn’t thought to ask for a longer hem.
A young man with nervous eyes and an unfortunate cowlick that made his hair stand almost straight up over his forehead stumbled as he stepped from his row, losing his tenuous grip on the pile of books in his arms. He went crashing to the floor at the collective feet of the hot girl posse. The look on his face when he glanced up and saw them glaring down at him through narrowed eyes made my soft spot for the underdog jump into action. I dropped my backpack and rushed to help him.
“Don’t worry about it. It could have happened to anyone,” I murmured soothingly, picking up a calculator and a calculus book while he stammered out apologies and rushed to scoop his belongings out of the girls’ way.
“Seriously?” One of the girls sighed dramatically. She tapped her heel imp
atiently, apparently annoyed by the few seconds it had cost them to wait for their way to be cleared, rather than step around the mess and continue on their way. “Couldn’t you go be a moron somewhere else, Benny?” The vitriol practically dripped off her forked tongue.
I guess I’d found the mean girl clique.
I couldn’t help myself. I tried, I really did, but I couldn’t stop the automatic glare that sprang to my face as I glanced at the complainer.
She was glossy. That was the word that sprang to mind as my gaze brushed quickly over the shiny blonde hair, bright white teeth accentuated by soft coral gloss, and lightly tanned skin. She wore diamonds at her ears and in the curve of her nose, a simple body mod I would have normally appreciated if it hadn’t been for the look of contempt on her gorgeous face as she stared down.
The blonde caught my look, and her eyes went wide with surprise, as if she’d never been subjected to disapproval in her life, which couldn’t be true given her current behavior. Her eyes narrowed, locking in on me, like a government face recognition program, trying to suss out my social standing in this foreign jungle. She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut when another girl said dryly, “Seraphina. We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”
There was nothing bitchy in her words, nothing horrible or snotty, but I felt the dismissal like a shove to the floor. My gaze left the blonde’s face and came to rest on this new girl.
She was flawless, and glamorous, and understated in a way that screamed old money. Her eyes were green, like a cat’s, and edged in the longest, blackest eyelashes I had ever seen in real life. They appraised me now with boredom, as if I were so far beneath her that spending another second considering me would be too much. Her black retro inspired pumps stepped delicately over the last book in the way and she was off with her tribe in tow.
I pushed the books into the young man’s arms and offered him a gentle smile, then went to grab my bag. I’d be late for breakfast if I didn’t get going myself. My stomach growled loudly at the reminder.
“Miss Jensen.” The clipped tone brought me to a halt. I turned slowly to find Headmistress Donahue standing just a few feet away with her shrewd eyes narrowed.
I lifted my chin and met the headmistress’s gaze directly, trying for strong but respectful. “Good morning, Headmistress Donahue. I enjoyed your commencement speech.” I flinched, hearing myself and hoped I hadn’t come off as a suck up.
She nodded curtly, a simple dip of the head in acknowledgement. “Miss Jensen,” she began again, so formally it made my teeth hurt. “I personally oversee all scholarship cases at Alpha Wolf Academy. You are expected to meet with me on a weekly basis to discuss your progress in academics and social activities.” Donahue glanced at her fancy schmancy watch and blew out a quiet breath. “I’ll see you in my office at 1:00 p.m. today. We’ll discuss my expectations then.”
I mentally ran over my schedule for the day and was pleased to realize I had a break between classes that would allow the meeting. My eyes widened slightly that the Headmistress of such an illustrious university would have taken the time to memorize my schedule.
I nodded. “Yes Headmistress. I look forward to it.”
I dropped my gaze as the woman moved to glide past me. Would I ever be able to drop the forced formality?
“Oh, and Miss Jensen?” Donahue’s voice snapped my attention back into place.
I spun around to face the woman. “Yes?”
Her lips quirked up ever so slightly, then dropped so fast I couldn’t be sure I’d actually seen the ghost of a smile. “I saw what you did for Benson Davidson.”
My mind flew into action as I tried to figure out who Benson Davidson was. Since I’d only interacted with one male today, I surmised he must be the unfortunate young man that had dropped his books in front of the mean girl clique. I swallowed and nodded.
“I appreciate students who help others,” Donahue said softly, tilting her lips up once more. “You showed compassion where others would not. Don’t lose that part of who you are.” Then she was off, striding away with purpose as I watched with astonishment.
I’d just been commended by the Headmistress of Alpha Wolf Academy.
Nice.
I was grinning when I rounded the corner, stepped up onto the landing, and slammed into a solid object.
I flew back, staggering on the edge of the step for a split second before crashing to the floor, ass first. A moment later, the back of my head made contact with the marble. It landed with a crack that sent stars floating freely in the darkness behind my eyes.
I moaned and reached for my head, feeling the emerging bump through my thick hair. I blinked several times to clear my vision and thanked the Old Ones I was a wolf. A strike like that would have sent most humans to the hospital with a concussion.
“Ow,” I mumbled, pushing myself up so I was sitting on the floor instead of sprawled across it.
“Shit.” A voice followed by a slightly blurry face filled my vision. “Are you alright? I didn’t see you.”
I blinked again as the guy’s face came into focus. My stomach tightened and flipped almost painfully. Eyes so impossibly green they looked like emeralds stared into mine. A flush started at my knees and spread like wildfire up my body to my cheeks.
“What?” I said because none of the words he was saying were quite making their way into my brain.
Maybe I needed to worry about a concussion after all. I pressed my hand to my cheeks and wondered if I’d actually passed out and he was a figment of my imagination. It would make more sense than the way I was reacting right now.
His hands touched me gently, then I was being lifted into his arms with what seemed like no effort at all. I grimaced as pain shot through the back of my neck, and buried my face in the crook of his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him without thinking. The butterflies fluttered again.
He set me down on a table I hadn’t noticed at the back of the auditorium and crouched to catch my gaze. “Hey.” His voice was gentle but insistent as he tilted my head up. “Look at me. I think you hit your head pretty hard.”
I missed his arms as soon as he let go and was fighting the urge to snuggle into him again when the flawless leader of the brat pack stepped into view just over his shoulder and cleared her throat.
Chapter 2
“Sebastian.” The single word came out clipped and sharp.
My gaze shifted, going back and forth between the beautiful green-eyed princess and my gorgeous green-eyed savior several times before my addled brain could make sense of what I was seeing.
“I’m kind of busy right now, Dani,” the guy, whose name was apparently Sebastian, said without sparing a glance. His eyes, so intense behind the thick black lashes that framed them, stayed locked on my face. “How’re you feeling?” His hand reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
“I’m alright,” I said quietly, still not sure I was processing events properly. “Just a little light headed.” I lifted a hand to the back of my head again and felt the knot there. It wasn’t that big, I realized. I’d be fine in a few minutes.
“That’s good.” His voice was like a deep rumble and impossibly sexy. I literally felt it in my knees. “I’m Sebastian Reeves, by the way.” He extended a hand with a crooked grin. “But everyone calls me Bash and that,” he gestured behind him absently, “is my twin sister, Daniella.”
“Elena,” I responded automatically, never having loved going by my full name. Elenora just seemed too formal and old fashioned for me. “Elena Jensen.” I slipped my hand into his and felt the buzz of it race up my arm.
His eyes widened just a little, just enough to make my breath hitch as I recognized his response to me. Heat flooded my body, releasing a wave of pheromones that his nose easy picked up on. There was no hiding attraction as a wolf shifter, especially not when the response was this intense.
He swallowed and inhaled sharply, then leaned in just the slightest am
ount. I froze and forced myself to push out the oxygen that stagnated in my chest. Man, I wanted him.
“Pleased to meet you, I’m sure.” Daniella Reeves moved in swiftly, pushing her arm between us to take my hand. “I do hope you feel better soon but my brother and I really must be going if we are to make our appointment.”
My gaze turned to Daniella’s in astonishment. Growing up in Newfoundland I’d never heard anyone speak in such a precise well-mannered way except for the few times I’d caught the tail end of Downton Abbey or some other fancy show. To hear it coming from someone my age’s mouth was downright bizarre. It threw me off so completely, I automatically slipped my palm free of Bash’s and offered it to his sister who grasped it firmly, shook twice, then disengaged.
Daniella’s eyes, so similar to Bash’s in color that it made my stomach twist, were as hard as the precious jewels they so resembled. Understanding, on a deeply female level, passed through that connection, and I shifted back, putting distance between myself and Bash. The message was sent and received.
Back the fuck away from my brother.
A subtle arch of a brow and a tilt of lips was the only reaction Daniella gave to my subtle retreat. She patted her brother on the arm and walked away, fully expecting him to follow like her peons had.
“Sorry about her,” Bash whispered with a chagrined shrug. “She can be a bit much at times.” The warmth from his eyes seemed the polar opposite of his sister’s. “I’ll see you around, Elena Jensen.” He turned and followed Daniella out of the auditorium, leaving me alone and completely stunned.
