My thoughts swirl in a tornado like fashion as I trail mindlessly behind Jace. My sisters appear to be excited for this new life they’ve unwillingly thrust me into. They still don’t get it. It makes me wish that I had told them the whole story of our parents’ deaths long ago. Perhaps they would have been more wary, more willing to listen to me.
They do bring a different perspective to the world for me. Being completely closed off and isolated from the world is no way to live. It’s surviving in a world meant to be explored and cherished. My mother always told me that new experiences are vital in creating a well-rounded royal. Well, it looks like I’m listening to her advice even if it’s against my will. There was no way in hell that I would let my innocent sisters come to this political cesspool by themselves.
We round the corner of what I assume to be the vampire dorm as it glows an ominous deep purple, and I see the shifter dorm. The dorm building is seven stories tall and is spelled with a magic strong enough to continually grow ivy and shift the coloring of the bricks. The process is a beautiful representation of our kind. Wolves roam freely around the outside or are lying in the crisp morning sun. Other shifters are leaning against the ever-changing walls of the dorm, chit chatting amongst themselves. Matt walks through the crowd easily, as most students part to let him through. They stare at our group at and gossip as we pass; it makes the tips of my ears turn pink. This much attention is foreign to me, and it makes a sigh of relief hiss out my nose when the elevator doors close behind us.
We shoot up to the fifth floor and I grip the railing of the elevator to keep my balance. It’s silent until the doors ping open once again and Jace leads us to a door at the end of the hall. The door to our dorm room swings open and the males let us step in first. It has a small kitchen, living area, and four closed doors, which I assume are bedrooms and a shared bath.
My sisters run forward and choose their rooms. They’re probably excited to have their own space after sharing a bedroom in the cabin for their whole lives. The males linger by the door, and I can feel Matt watching me. Instead of turning around, I stalk toward the final closed door and set my bags in front of it. I’ll unpack my things later when I don’t have an audience. I couldn’t help but bring a few arctic shifter relics from home even though I knew it was stupid.
Matt says, “You should be all set. Your welcome packets are on the kitchen counter. Those include your school schedule and a map to help you navigate the grounds. All classes and meals are held in the main castle, but you can always make snacks or breakfast food here in the dorm. Questions before we leave?”
I reply while looking out the window at the students below. “No, I think we’re good for now. Thank you for helping us bring our belongings up to the dorm.”
I finally turn toward them and they’re shifting from foot to foot in the doorway. It makes me wonder what they’re not saying, or what they wish to say but don’t have the courage for. Do they find me attractive? Intimidating? Both? I’ve never been around a male my age, so I feel awkward and unpracticed. It’s hard to read their body language, and they’re giving off a confusing mix of scents that I can’t place.
Jace says, “Yes, well, we will leave you to it then. And just as a heads up, you’ll be assigned a tutor tomorrow. One that’s your own age so you don’t feel uncomfortable. Sound good?”
I nod and stand there, waiting for them to leave so I can make my sisters dinner in peace. Jace makes his way out of the room first, but Matt lingers. He opens his mouth several times but always ends up closing it again. He has a puzzled expression on his face, like he can’t quite figure out what he wants to say. Despite his apparent awkwardness, he’s very handsome for a red wolf. His chocolate hair is cropped close to his head, and his eyes are a shade of brown so dark they’re almost black, and they have the telltale ring of red that marks him as a red wolf shifter. Plus, he’s extremely fit. Not that I’ve been looking or anything.
He finally purrs, “If you need anything, let me know. It’d be my pleasure helping you get settled in here.”
Chapter Three
The next morning is a flurry of activity. My sisters are obsessively applying makeup for the fourth time while I lounge on the couch already in my uniform. It’s a tight fitting white long-sleeved top with a vest, a plaid skirt, and knee-high boots. Let’s just say that I’m not a huge fan. I prefer flowing clothing that allows for easy mobility. This outfit is none of the sort.
I shout for the third time. “We will be late!”
Liss says, “We’re almost finished.”
I groan loudly so they can hear my disdain for how long they’re taking. Their schedule differs from mine, which is slightly concerning, but I have faith that they won’t actively try to reveal themselves. While they have classes like the introduction to shifting or the history of your lineage, my classes are more specialized. We use gray wolves for pack combat. Thus, my classes are centered around learning how to fight as a pack, learning personal strengths to help the group, and the politics of inner pack rankings.
It sounds boring and useless to an arctic shifter like me. Arctic shifters almost act like omegas. We roam alone, fight alone, and defend the pack in all situations. While we are all one, everyone has an individual responsibility to protect their family and themselves. This is because we are the largest of the four lineages and have an unending strength compared to the red wolves berserker like tendencies.
We can match the Indian wolves in speed but not surpass them, making them an even match in terms of agility. Plus, some arctic wolves carry magical abilities such as healing or the power of ice. It’s rare and usually reserved for the ruling family, but it’s possible. I’ve never tried such a thing, and since I’m not an eligible male for an alpha position, I doubt I have the powers anyhow.
I’m not sure why I’m complaining. It’s not like the academy even has classes for arctic shifters available. If I want to train, it will have to be on my time after playing along with the gray wolves. And no matter how tedious it may be, I have to land in the middle of the spectrum. Not too weak as to be picked on by the others, but not too strong to be challenged. It’s a fine line to walk around other territorial and aggressive supernaturals, but I’m sure I can manage.
My sisters finally flounce out of the bathroom and gesture at me impatiently to lead the way. I glower at them and pull open the front door to reveal Matt standing there. I’m so taken aback that I step back into Janna as she tries to peer over my head to see who it is. Liss smiles brilliantly at him, trying to gain his attention, but they fix firmly on me. The deep auburn ring in his eyes pulses as if in time with his heartbeat. It’s mesmerizing in a way that makes me sway toward him before I remember myself and snap back again.
I almost growl, “What are you doing here?”
He smirks, “I came to escort you to your first class.”
“My sisters need me to help them find their way. Sorry, maybe next time.”
I try to step around him, but he blocks me and flashes a dazzling smile at my sisters. “They look like capable young ladies; they can find their own classes. Can’t you ladies?”
Liss practically melts. “Yeah, totally. You can go with him Ashe.”
Janna chimes in while twirling her hair, “Of course we can, and maybe we can meet up with you guys later at lunch.”
Then they both giggled, and I cover my face at how ridiculous they’re acting. Ugh. Matt turns to me and spreads his arms wide in a see? gesture. Having no other choice but to follow him, I shoo him forward with my hands. All four of us get on the elevator and ride it down in silence. Matt is standing way too close to me. I can practically feel his body heat radiating off of him. Plus, his blatant, almost assaulting, hotness is making my head spin. Good god, I hope I don’t have all of my classes with him. He seems to have taken an interest in me.
Once we leave the elevator, my sister's wave goodbye and practically run in the opposite direction. It leaves Matt and me to walk to the main castle alone. Th
e walk is awkward, but not because he makes me uncomfortable. It’s because he makes me a little too comfortable for my liking. No matter how much I inch away, he always seems to move closer. It’s infuriating and I can feel my anger starting to bubble to the surface. It battles against the foreign desire I’m feeling toward him. He steps towards me one too many times and I lose it.
“Can you back off?” I almost shout.
He steps back, but only a few steps, “What’s wrong?”
“I just don’t like you rubbing against me like that. I’m not sure how you guys do it here at the academy but I’m not okay with it, all right?”
He nods while holding up his hands. “Sorry, I keep forgetting that you’ve never lived with other shifters.”
We step into the classroom and to my dismay he takes a seat next to me. He must be in the same class as me. The first one on my list, shifting properties and how to identify them, is a general fourth year class. All the other wolves in the room watch me curiously, their eyes going from Matt to me and back again. Is he popular here or something? Great, that’s just what I need. Not. I face forward in my chair and pretend I don’t know him. Maybe that will squash some rumors.
He leans his forearms against the desk, and I can see him smiling at me out of the corner of my eye. It’s making me want to punch him in the face. Instead, I ball my hands into fists beneath the desk. What is this guy trying to do? If he’s coming onto me, this is not the way to do it, that’s for sure.
I whisper, “What the hell are you trying to do here, huh? Because I’m not interested.”
He leans back with his hands behind his head. “You’re wild and feral in a way few wolf shifters are anymore. It’s both hot and intriguing. I’m attempting to bring you into a courting bond.”
His straightforward answer makes my jaw slacken. A courting bond? Is he kidding? All I do is look at him, but he doesn’t start laughing like I thought he would. This isn’t some practical joke even though I sort of wish it was. I don’t even know this male that well. We met yesterday for God’s sake. And even though there are several levels of a courting bond, I’m still not ready to accept one with anyone, let alone this red wolf shifter. Who apparently thinks I’m wild? What does that even mean? After his confession, all student conversations died. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“Uh, I’m not looking for that kind of relationship right now.”
The teacher strides in at that moment, and the students take their seats in a flurry of movement. But Matt hasn’t stopped grinning at me. That look makes my face flush and I have to look away from him before I lose my nerve. Why does he have to be so attractive? Are all the red shifters this good looking? I thought I’d hate them, not attracted to them!
“I’ll change your mind.” He says before facing forward.
His complete indifference to my answer makes me see red. How dare he insinuate that I’ll eventually let him court me! That makes me even more sure that I wouldn’t want a mating bond with this male anyhow. I blow a breath of frustration out of my nose before turning forward, not missing the answering smirk on his face.
The teacher begins, “So, let’s jump right into it, shall we? Can anyone tell me where we left off last class?”
A girl in the back says, “We just finished the gray wolf unit, and you said we’d start on the brief section about arctic wolves today.”
My chest burns with panic at the mention of my lineage. I didn’t realize that things about the Arctic lines are taught in school. It has me both worried and intrigued. Surely no one will see the traits he talks about in me. They barely know me, and the only telltale things left to see are my blue eyes and tall stature. However, that’s not impossible in other lines, especially if you have a mixed lineage. So, there are plenty of ways that I can explain it away.
The teacher, a medium-sized gray wolf female, hops up to sit on the front of her desk. She’s beautiful with long black hair and forest green eyes. The males in the room seem to track her with a primal attraction that makes me uncomfortable. Am I the odd one out here? I have no primal needs or thoughts, at least I don’t think I do. Am I really as wild as Matt makes me out to be? The thought makes me glance at him only to find that he’s already looking at me. I quickly look away, cheeks flaming.
The teacher continues. “Ah, yes. The ever-interesting arctic shifter lineage. Every year my students are eager to learn about the line no one speaks of,” She pauses, choosing her words carefully, “There are many explanations floating around why they are no longer a part of our community. I will dismiss most of those claims today. You will get the clear facts from me, no stories, and no speculations. Are we clear?”
The class nods all the while leaning forward as if everything she’s saying is taboo, and I suppose it is. Arctic shifters are banished and have stories about them I’ve heard from my sisters. Half of the stories have risen our kind to almost mythical proportions, for example, claiming that when we shift, we’re the size of ten wolves in one. Before coming to the academy, the stories had made me laugh, but now I’m curious to see which ones the teacher will claim to be a fact.
She pulls up a slideshow, and the first picture is of my parents, standing tall in front of the academy gates. Seeing them again takes my breath away and makes a ringing fill my ears. My father looks regal beyond belief and gives off a ferociousness that I don’t remember him ever showing around me. His white hair is braided down his back in intricate French braids and woven with gold jewelry, as was customary. His blue eyes seem to blaze out of the picture, coming to life against his rigid cheek bones.
My mother is a picture of feminine beauty. She’s tall, only an inch or two shorter than my six-foot nine father. But her body looks soft and delicate. They braid her hair around her head like a crown with small curls falling around her face. Her smile is full of the familiar warmth and kindness that I associate with my childhood. Looking at her and thinking of her love makes my heartbeat slow to normal. My vision tunnels back out, and I’m able to hear what the teacher is saying to the class.
“There are very few full-blooded arctic shifters left in the world, if any at this point. They are the strongest, largest, and most magically powerful of all the shifter lines. They’re easily identified by their snow-white hair, overly tall stature, and blue eyes. And as this picture displays, they were once our ruling shifter line. The shifters pictured here were the king and queen of the wolf community, Delora and Alagan Romanoff. I knew Delora for her impeccable negotiation skills and her overwhelming strength. The king was the most powerful arctic shifter in history as he had the ability to manipulate snow and ice magic. Something rare and respected in the shifter community. All shifter lines revered and loved them. So why were they forced out? Killed? Can anyone tell me?”
A male in the room's front says snidely, “Well, that’s easy. They had all female heirs and were planning to put the eldest girl on the throne after her father. My line, the red wolves, couldn’t allow something as heinous as that to happen. So, we put a stop to it and killed them so they couldn’t resist. Shifters culture is about power and respect, and there’s nothing about a female leader that portrays that.”
The room is silent and most of the surrounding students look uncomfortable. My body had gone numb as I listened to the male speak. The amount of rage within me isn’t hot, it’s tipped in ice. Instead of leaping across the room and ripping his throat out with my teeth, I sit there with a schooled expression on my face. No one here will bait me into revealing myself. It’s all just words. My eyes travel to Matt to see a blank expression on his face, and I’m glad that he doesn’t appear to be openly agreeing with what the fellow red wolf is saying. Does everyone feel this way? Or is that male the odd man out?
The teacher spreads her arms wide and clicks through several slides of the rebellion before stopping on a final picture of the new king and queen of the shifters. They’re a feral, massive looking red wolf couple wearing a heavy red fur-lined cloaks. The rest of t
he student’s murmur, shifting in their seats, and I take a minute to realize that the white fur lining their cloaks isn’t fake, and the red isn’t dye. The cloaks they’re wearing are the hides of arctic shifters. They had skinned them, skinned actual people. My stomach heaves and I hear audible gasps from others in the room. Are those my parents? I search the picture closely, but eventually have to sit back in defeat as it’s almost impossible to tell.
She goes on, “As you can see it was a brutal end to the rebellion. While the king and queen had fled with some arctic shifters and their children, others were not so lucky. They have not been seen since, except for one supposed sighting close to the academy. The ruling family dismissed the claim as fake.”
My heart stops, dismissed as fake? But they came for us, and my parents paid the price for our freedom. Were they not publicly executed as I had thought? And if not, why? Is there a chance that my parents could be alive somewhere? Lying alone in a dark jail cell rotting away? The thought makes me even more upset than the thought of their deaths had. Captivity for a wolf is torture. Death would be a much better and more preferred end.
A gray wolf shifter asks, “So they’re out there somewhere? Waiting to come home?”
The teacher shrugs, “Or not. They had perhaps created a new one,” she spins toward her desk as the bell rings. “We will continue this discussion tomorrow. Class dismissed!”
Chapter Four
My next few classes flew by in a whirlwind of notes and boring lectures. And after a delicious lunch with my sisters and begrudgingly, Matt, I make my way to my final class, which is the independent study with an assigned tutor. According to my schedule, they have already picked the one out for me. I’m supposed to meet him or her in the training facility at the back of the main castle.
Arctic Hunter Page 2
