Once Upon A Wolf: A Dark Academy Reverse Harem Bully Romance (Everafter Academy Book 1)

by Scarlett Snow

  In my kingdom, Aira, people aren’t shunned for being different. In fact, differences are celebrated. We’re a land of sea and air and that’s a combination that makes you see things clearly. I don’t know why someone with dark blood who does good things should be shunned.

  Redera was born Darkblood. Everybody can see that. It must be hard for her to go against her nature, to be nice to people like Quasi and Alice when the rest of the school sort of kicks them all the time. I saw her being kind to him when she didn’t have to be and that counts for a lot. I mean, we’re all so sweet and mild that butter wouldn’t melt in our mouths when Lockwood is around, but that’s just because we’re being watched. Most of us don’t stay so nice when there’s not an audience. Redera doesn’t care if people are watching, though. She is who she is, all the time.

  More or less. Like I said, she has secrets, too.

  Right now, I have a secret that she needs to know. I need to find her to warn her about what my friends are planning.

  Everafter loves balls. We have one every season. Everybody who’s anybody anywhere in the Great Forest shows up for the Everafter balls, especially for the Samhain Masque. It’s the biggest of big deals and for the girls to be plotting how to humiliate Redera at a function like this, well… that’s just mean.

  I go into the main building and hesitate at the base of the stairs to the girls’ dormitories. It’s a punishable offense for a prince to be caught in a princess’s chambers, as I learned to my sorrow the first day I was here at Everafter. Professor Lockwood is a very serious customer and boy, can he wield a cane. That day stands out in my head in big, bold, red letters and I’m not in any hurry to repeat it.

  I’ve got to see if Redera is in her room and there’s only one way to do that. I have to go up. I look around for any sign of Thornhart and when the coast is clear, I scurry up the stairs to the Odd Box.

  That’s what we call their room. The Odd Box. All three of the girls who stay there are kind of outcasts, weird in their own way and so it was kismet that they ended up rooming together. I know of a few other girls who had space for another roommate, but I think nobody but Sirena and Alice could have met Redera Hemlock and not been frightened of her. Honestly? I’m glad they found each other. Everybody needs friends, because life sucks when you’re alone.

  I knock on the door. There’s no sound inside and after a minute I turn around to leave. Before I get more than two steps away, the door opens and Alice Underland is standing there with her big rabbit in her arms. She stares at me, her big eyes forever wide and unmoving. That look of hers is a little disconcerting to a lot of people, but I think I can understand it. Who hasn’t seen a few things they’d rather forget?

  “Can I help you?” she asks. Her voice is whispery and soft.

  I crane my neck so I can see around her. The crow’s cage is empty. “Is Redera around?”

  “No.”

  “Do you know where she is?”

  Alice shakes her head. Her pixie-cut black hair shines and sways like silk in the breeze.

  “No,” she says. Her innocent eyes turn wary. “Why do you want to know?”

  I sigh and explain to her, “I need to tell her something. Something important.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think anything you or your friends have to say is important to her.” She starts to shut the door in my face. I catch it with an outstretched hand.

  “Please…I’m trying to help.”

  Alice steps aside. “Come in, then, before somebody sees you.”

  I walk into the room and she closes the door behind me. The room smells like girls, their perfume and their shower gel, and I’m sort of out of my element. I shift on my feet nervously. Alice sits down with her rabbit and watches me.

  “I… I came to warn her.”

  “About what?”

  “About Aurora and her friends.”

  She turns her head slightly and squints an eye at me. “I thought they were your friends, too.”

  “They are,” I admit, “but that doesn’t mean I like everything they do. They’re going to try to run Redera out of Everafter.”

  Alice sighs and rolls her eyes. “Is that all? That’s not news.”

  I’ve had about enough of being dismissed for one lifetime.

  “Look, I know I’ve done nothing to make you think that you can trust me, but I swear, you totally can. Okay? Aurora, Rapunzel, Erik, Cinder and Gideon are all going to use their magic to make her look bad at the Samhain Masqued Ball. I don’t know how far they’re going to go—if they’re just going to do something embarrassing, or if they’re going to do something to hurt her. And I wanted to warn her before either of that happens.”

  She sits and strokes her rabbit for a moment, her eyes so unfocused I wonder if she’s heard a word I’ve said. Finally, she replies, “I’m not strong enough to counterspell that many people.”

  “No. Me, neither.” I think fast. “So maybe we can counterspell it before it’s a spell, you know?”

  Alice stares at me. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I mean, do something that will prevent them from casting anything. Like this stuff I heard of… back in Aira, my father’s ministers make anybody coming in for a private audience take a pinch of this stuff. It’s a powder that suppresses a magic user’s abilities so they’re just… normal.”

  “Permanently?”

  “No. It’s just temporary.”

  She listens, then says, “Do you, like you know, have some?”

  That’s where the complications start. “Well, no.”

  “Do you know where you can get it?”

  The look on her face is so doubtful that I want to try twice as hard to prove myself to her. “No, but I’ll bet I know someone who does.”

  We go to the groundskeeper’s house, down in the garden that Quasi tends. I can tell that Alice has never been here, but I ended up here on day one after I got completely blitzed on hard cider in the wine cellar and got lost trying to get back to my room. I still don’t know how I ended up here, but I remember it.

  Aladdin is always bragging about knowing secrets about everyone, but the truth is he’s an inveterate thief. He learned from his father, Ali. Of course, Aladdin is probably a better criminal than his old man was, because to my knowledge, Aladdin has never been arrested—unlike his old man, who spent a few years with forty of his best friends in Wysteria’s dungeon. Aladdin is a rotten spy, but his reputation says that when it comes to stealing things and working the black market, there’s nobody better.

  “Aladdin?” I call out. “Quasimodo?”

  I lead the way and Alice follows me closely, clutching her familiar to her chest like she’s afraid. I don’t know, maybe she has a bad history with plants. You never know what happens in people’s lives.

  The door to the greenhouse is closed, which seems strange. Quasi has never had this door shut any of the times I’ve come down here. Not that I come down here all the time. Like, three, maybe four times. Once every day I’ve been here. That’s all. That’s not a lot. I just… like the flowers, and the quiet.

  I put my hand on the doorknob, but I feel like I’m trespassing, so instead of opening up, I call out again, “Aladdin? Quasimodo?”

  There’s no answer. I turn the knob.

  The greenhouse is awfully dark. The stained glass window that adorns the back wall is covered in a thick black drape, like someone is trying to either hide or protect it.

  I hear Aladdin before I see him. “Get out of here.”

  I stop short, because he’s never rude like this. He’s always friendly and welcoming. “Aladdin? Is that you?”

  I hear him scramble under one of the potting tables, and there’s a metallic clank. “Go away. Please.”

  Alice and I look at each other, then we hurriedly move farther into the glass-walled building. We find Aladdin in the nude, wearing a thick leather collar that’s chained to a heavy iron ring inset in the stone pathway. Alice gasps and I know my
eyes about fall out of my head. He tries to cover his nakedness with his hands, looking away in embarrassment.

  “You weren’t supposed to find me,” he says miserably. “Quasi promised nobody would look here.”

  “What the hell is going on here?” I demand, hoping no one imprisoned him here.

  “Nothing.”

  Alice frowns. “It doesn’t look like nothing. We’ve got to get you out of here.”

  “NO!”

  The vehemence of Aladdin’s shout takes us both by surprise and Alice shrinks back a little. He catches himself and speaks again in a more controlled tone.

  “You can’t unchain me. It isn’t safe.”

  “What are you talking about?” It’s Alice who voices this before I can.

  He closes his eyes and comes out from under the table. “You can’t unchain me, because this is the only way I won’t hurt people tonight.”

  Tonight is the full moon. There’s only one reason an otherwise nice guy would worry about hurting people on a full moon night.

  Alice vocalizes the question, again beating me to it. “Are you… a wolf?”

  It can’t be. Wolves have been expunged from the Western Wood for generations. They’re dangerous, evil creatures, the sort of thing that parents use to frighten their children into behaving. They’re terrifying and I can’t believe that he’s been here all along. How can a wolf hide in Everafter? How could a Darkblood like Redera get in, too? Lockwood isn’t keeping a very good watch… unless he’s dark, too. My brain starts to spin with conspiracy theories and I try not to get carried away by my imagination. One thing at a time.

  Aladdin hangs his head in shame. “I was cursed. The Genie who kidnapped my father and I put this curse on me before he dumped me on the street. If I’m not kept in here, chained like this, I’m dangerous. Too dangerous.”

  We stare at him in shock and he stands and covers himself with his hands.

  “Have you killed people before?” I ask softly, genuinely praying the answer is no.

  Aladdin closes his eyes. “Yes. That’s why this…” He shakes the chain. “… has to happen.”

  My pretty companion shakes her head. “I don’t approve, but I think I understand. But… no. Different question. Have you seen Red?”

  He nods. “I saw her after dinner. She went out hunting with her familiar.”

  Alice turns on her heel and starts to march out. I grab her arm. “Hold on. Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m going to find her.”

  I shake my head. “No. You can’t go out there. It’s nearly dark and there are things hunting out there.”

  She whirls to face me and her normally pale face is flushed. “Yes, but my friend is out there…”

  “She knew the chance she was taking.” I sigh. “She’s a witch. If anyone would know what the full moon brings, it would be her. She can handle herself.”

  Alice is frustrated, I can tell and very worried about Red. I’m worried about her, too, but I know better than to go clumping around out in the bush when things much more suited to that environment than I am are ready to eat me. She bends her head down and stares at the floor.

  Aladdin speaks again. His voice sounds gravelly and strange. “I need you both to leave now.”

  Quasi comes into the greenhouse now with a blanket and a bowl of water. He looks surprised to see us standing there, and his eyebrows rise.

  “Sorry,” I tell him, not knowing for sure if he can hear or understand me. “We were looking for Redera.”

  Alice’s head snaps up and she says, “I know what to do. Come with me.”

  We leave the greenhouse at speed and it’s all I can do to keep up with her. She moves awfully fast. She’s practically running, taking steps two at a time.

  I struggle to stay with her. “Where are you going?”

  She pulls me out of the stairwell and into one side hall, then another. Soon we’re in front of a closet where the extra teaching supplies are stored. Alice grabs the doorknob and faces me.

  “I can reach her without going out into the forest,” she explains, “and if you tell anybody I can do this, I will pull your liver out through your ear.”

  I blink. “That sounds deeply unpleasant.”

  She studies my face for a moment, then says, “I’m trusting you, Christopher.”

  “I’m honored,” I say and it’s true. I am. Trust is more precious than gold. “What do you need me to do?”

  Alice leads the way into the closet and from there through a door that opens into a tiny bedroom. There’s a narrow bed, barely big enough for a grown man, and an enchanted candle whose eternal flame casts golden shadows around the room. She sits on the bed with her rabbit in her lap.

  “I have a skill,” she says slowly. “A special gift. Or a curse. Whatever. I can project myself as a spirit to walk the world.”

  “Astral projection?” I ask, incredulous. “You can seriously do that?”

  She nods. “It’s not something I can control very well and it really tires me out, but I can find her in spirit form. I just need you to guard my physical body and make sure nothing happens to it while I’m walking in the dreamtime.”

  “Of course.” I nod at her. “Just… how do I know when you’re in trouble?”

  Alice gives me a wan smile as she pulls her legs up and folds them meditation-style. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll start screaming. If that happens?”

  She presses a hand to her solar plexus and when it comes away, she’s holding a glowing cord of energy in her hand. She gives the cord to me. It burns and tingles and holding it is both exhilarating and uncomfortable.

  “If I start screaming, pull me back.”

  I look down at the energy tether in my hand and I can feel Alice’s essence inside it. “Is this part of you?”

  “Think of it like a leash,” she says. “‘Cause I tend to wander.”

  She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and then she’s silent.

  I walk through the forest with Broin beside me, happier than I’ve been since before my family died. I’ve got friends for the first time, but best of all, I’ve found someone like Broin in Lockwood. The headmaster is a perfect foil for me and I enjoy him and all of the twisted things he does. I have two men who suit me perfectly.

  “You seem awfully pleased with yourself,” Broin comments.

  “I am. I’m mostly pleased with Lockwood.” I smile, squeezing his hand. “It’s like I’ve found another you.”

  It’s meant as a compliment, but he clearly doesn’t take it that way. He sets his jaw briefly, then says, “You know you spent the whole night in his office. People will notice.” He glances at me and there’s both concern and anger in his eyes. “You have to be more discreet.”

  I sigh. He can be such a buzzkill. “I will. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

  “Good.”

  He’s harshing my buzz, but I think I know where it’s coming from. I just wish I understood why he’s so worried about something happening to me. He was never this insecure about my safety before. Then again, he never really had any competition, either. He was always able to make sure my playmates were able to look out for me. Little did he know I often had to look out for them, like with Damon.

  I decide that I’ll let him work this out on his own for a while, considering the rapid changes we’ve both been through. But if he’s still moping and fragile in a week, I’m totally going to call him on it. He needs to trust me like he usually does.

  Broin looks up at the sky. “It’s the full moon tonight.”

  I lift my head and smile, basking in the light. “Perfect time for hunting werewolves.”

  “It’s also the perfect time for werewolves to hunt witches,” he warns. “They know you survived the attack on the cottage. They’re looking for you.”

  My stomach burns with all the rage and pain I’ve swallowed since that horrible night. “Then I hope they find me.”

  “Don’t be…”

  He’s
interrupted by the distant howl of a wolf. Its pack calls back and I count seven distinct voices. They’re all near the northeast portion of the woods. I look at Broin and he nods. He shifts into his crow and flies up above the trees to do a little aerial reconnaissance. I pull my dagger and slip through the forest, following the sounds.

  They repeat their call and answer and Broin says, —I see them, many of them, scattered around the forest. If you keep heading in the direction you’re going, you’ll end up in the middle of the pack.—

  —Just where I want to be.—

  —For the love of Lilith, be careful!—

  I creep forward. The woods are alive with whispers tonight and I can feel the weight of a hundred pairs of eyes as I slide through the underbrush. The full moon is a dodgy time to be out and about and when I was younger, Grandma used to keep me and Redera inside until the moon had begun to wane. When I finally got to stand outside in the wind and the light, I felt the power blowing through me and I understood why so many creatures were at their strongest when the moon was full.

  As I walk, I hear something in the trees above my head. I’m familiar with the sounds Broin makes when he’s following me in his crow form and this is the same sort of thing. Whatever it is that’s trailing me is heavier than a crow and I keep my dagger at the ready.

  There’s a small clearing up ahead. I’m going to have to cross it to get to where those wolves are sending up their third round of call and answer. When I step into the clearing, either my stalker will have to waste time going around, or it’ll have to show itself. Either way, it’s good for me.

  I step into the clearing and almost immediately, a tiny black form appears in front of me. It’s bipedal, with bat wings and tiny horns. Sharp fangs overhang its lips and its long, barbed tail swishes as it looks up at me. It’s no taller than my knee and if it weren’t so ugly-it’s-cute, I could kick it into next week. There’s no way I’m going to kick this little guy, though.

  This is an imp, one of Lucifer’s messengers. I guess the Big Guy has something he needs to say.

  The imp grins up at me. “Watch your back. You’ve trusted an enemy.”