Wolf of Choice (The Shifters and Sorceresses Trilogy Book 1)

by Shay Laurent

  Thankfully, the map section was on the opposite side to the blast and was easily accessible, unlike the scrolls that always seemed to be locked away. Dom rifled through the maps quickly and pulled out a couple that showed both the Academy and Crone Keep in the Mortis Mountains. He pointed each of them out to me on the clearest maps.

  I swallowed hard. It looked like a bit of a trip. We needed to pass through a lot of forest and cross a mountain range before we’d make it there. I looked up at Dom and saw a grim, but determined, expression on his face.

  ‘Don’t worry. We can do it, but we should definitely pack some warm sleeping gear in our packs and pick some good resting places before we leave, so we don’t get caught out in a storm or anything.’

  I opened my mouth to answer and quickly snapped it shut. Footsteps. They were coming from the hallway outside the library. I shooed Dom towards the entrance we’d used to escape the Crone and her Sorceresses. He quickly folded up two maps as quietly as he could while he walked. The footsteps were closer.

  Come on, come on... We need to go.

  I stepped through the door behind Dom just as the footsteps entered the library entrance. I shut the door very gently behind us and breathed a silent sigh of relief. I waved to Dom to get moving, but there was no need; he was already way ahead of me.

  I moved lightly along behind him, taking care not to lose my footing on the dark staircase. I was relieved when we finally reached the bottom and made it out onto the corridor landing.

  We moved along to the back stairwell and I was grateful to discover that there were no teachers hanging around having conversations; it made slipping through the bottom door and outside much easier. In the open air, we moved directly back into the shadows of the trees and slowed our pace.

  ‘Did you see who was in the Library?’ Dom asked.

  ‘No. I was too focused on trying to shut the door quickly and quietly. Did you?’

  ‘Nah, but I must say I’m pretty curious about who would be in the library at this time of the night, and why.’

  I laughed. ‘You mean, besides us stealing maps?’

  He smiled. ‘Yeah, I guess so. Though I’d be pretty surprised if someone else decided to borrow maps.’

  When we were almost back to the dorm, Dom paused. I stopped and looked at him. ‘Have you been back to Miss Stone today, to ask about your Dad’s letter?’

  ‘No, I said I’d go tomorrow, remember? Why?’

  ‘I just wondered, is all. I’m kinda hoping he’ll show up so we don’t need to go do this on our own, since the Pack can’t help.’

  I tried my best to smile, but I knew it looked forced. ‘Come on, let’s get inside before someone sees us out here.’

  A branch snapped in front of us. My head whipped up.

  Natasha?!

  ‘What exactly are you two doing out here?’

  My brain went blank. ‘Uh, nothing—’

  Dom cut in. ‘What are you doing out here, Natasha?’

  She shrugged, her head tilted up in defiance. ‘Whatever I want. Why do you care?’

  ‘We don’t,’ he retorted. ‘As long as you don’t care what we’re doing.’

  ‘Fine,’ she said, then turned on her heel and walked towards the dorm.

  I exhaled deeply. ‘Quick thinking, Dom!’

  He coughed, sounding embarrassed. ‘It’s not the first time someone has caught me outside of the dorms at night.’

  I smiled. ‘That’s not surprising, considering how you stomp around crushing all the leaves you can manage with each step.’

  ‘Hey! I do not!’ I could see his blush under the light of the moon. ‘Hurry up, let’s get inside.’

  My smile stuck as I let him lead the way. As we reached the space between the trees and the front of the dorm, we both sniffed the air and kept watch. Sensing no threat, we stuck to the wall as we crept back to the door. Dom pulled the handle. It wouldn’t budge.

  I stared at him, dumbfounded.

  She locked us out.

  He muttered some curse words under his breath. ‘Come on. Window at the back is kept open.’

  I followed him around the building, irritated that Natasha would be so nasty after I’d gone out of my way to support her. Though she had said it wouldn’t change anything. Looked like she’d stuck with it.

  ‘Here it is,’ he said. ‘You go in first.’

  I moved around Dom, feeling thankful it was a decently sized window, though how he was going to fit through unscathed, I wasn’t sure. He gave me a hand so I could climb in, then he pulled himself up and followed behind, making a quiet hiss as he scraped his arms to fit through. I flinched.

  Doesn’t quite fit after all.

  ‘You okay? That sounded kind of painful.’

  ‘Yep. All good. Come on, let’s go to the Common Room.’

  I led the way in, wondering if we’d run into Natasha. Luckily for her, she’d gone straight to bed.

  Sitting on our couch by the fire and after a quick check that the room was empty, Dom pulled the maps out and laid them side by side on the wooden table. I ran my finger over the images. ‘Have you ever been out towards Crone Keep before?’

  Dom shook his head.

  I sighed and looked at the maps for a few minutes longer. ‘Okay. I think the best route is to leave via the forest where we sat to talk by that stream, here.’ I pointed to the map, then slid my finger across the page. ‘Then follow it through here and into the mountains. I’m positive there will be plenty of caves, if it’s anything like the mountains Dad and I live by. Then—’

  ‘Wait, are you sure about going through the mountains and not around? The storms will be hitting a lot harder up there, and it’ll be really rough. We’d have better protection in the forests, going around.’

  I surveyed the map again, considering the other options once more. ‘Yes. I’m sure. Your way will extend the journey even further, and it’s already going to take us at least a couple of weeks to go this way.’

  I looked at him and waited; when he nodded, I continued. ‘So, through the mountains, staying in caves along the way, and then out through the forested section on the other side. That should take us pretty much to Crone Keep, though we’ll obviously need to scout it a bit. Hey, would there be any sketches of the area around the Keep, maybe showing where they run patrols?’

  ‘Hmm. Yeah, I’d say so. We should be able to get them with the internal drawings. But I still need to scope out the routine for the Archive room before we try and get in there. I’m willing to bet there is someone watching more often than in the Library now.’

  ‘Okay, sounds like a plan. I think that’s as detailed as we can get without the other drawings. When do you think you’ll be able to scope it out?’

  ‘I’ll check the area a few times tomorrow during the day, and then at night. I’ll meet you here around midnight to go over it.’

  My chest tightened with worry. Daytime didn’t sound like a good plan for scoping it out.

  ‘Will you be able to do that without getting caught?’

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll pop in through the service stairs again. That way no one will see me and you don’t have to worry about my loud, clumsy feet.’

  I laughed, appreciating Dom’s innate ability to keep the situation from getting too serious.

  ‘Okay, fine. We should get to bed then, since classes are back to normal tomorrow. I’ll take the maps and hide them in my room.’

  Dom looked like he was about to argue. I tilted my head to the side and waited. Nothing. I nodded and picked them up.

  ‘Okay, let’s go.’

  I walked up the stairs, trailed closely by Dom. When we got to my floor, I said goodnight and left to go to my room. When I glanced back he was still standing on the landing. I smiled and waved and then went into my room. He didn’t move until my door was almost completely shut.

  So protective.

  Chapter 11

  When I arrived at my first class of the day—Sorceress Lore—Miss Stone sta
rted the lesson with a brief speech.

  ‘Good morning, everyone. Now, I know that this has been a very shocking and difficult few days with the school attack, including the devastating loss of lives and the subsequent funerals. It’s time now to try our hardest to focus on learning again. So...’

  Being in class almost did make it seem like things were back to normal, though it was obvious that Natasha was missing. I wondered what would happen to her now that she had no parents, if she would stay at the Academy or if she would have to leave. I thought that was pretty unlikely since she was still just a kid—a teen—like the rest of us.

  When the class finished, I felt bad. It was the least amount of attention I had ever paid to a lesson in my entire life, and between my primary classes in the human settlement and Dad’s lessons, I’d had some pretty boring ones. On my way out, I asked Miss Stone if I’d be able to see her later in the day. She didn’t ask me why, but I assumed she knew, and she said I could visit during lunch in her office. I gave her a tight smile and continued onto my next lesson.

  The day wore on and I barely saw Dom, but I knew that while he was doing his part of the job, I needed to do mine.

  Time to find Miss Stone.

  I walked up the stairs to her door and knocked. After a few moments, she opened the door.

  Huh, maybe the sound spell means I couldn’t hear her say “come in” even if she had... Cool.

  My cheeks heated and she gave me a questioning look. When I shook my head to let her know that it was nothing, she pointed towards a chair. I walked past and took a seat. After closing the door, she walked back and sat down.

  ‘You’re here for your father’s letter?’

  ‘Yes.’ I sat up straighter in my chair. ‘Is it here?’

  ‘It is. But first, I want to ask you about Natasha. How is she doing?’

  My mouth dropped open. Realising how ridiculous I must have looked, I snapped it shut. ‘Why would I know how Natasha is doing? It’s not like we’re friends or anything.’ I shifted uncomfortably.

  ‘I did notice that you left the Alpha ceremony. You went to speak to her, yes? And again at the funeral?’

  ‘Oh, well, yes. But, I mean, she said she doesn’t want to be my friend or anything, even though she spoke to me.’

  Sheesh, why do I feel so guilty about this?

  ‘Even so, I am sure since you have spoken to her, you could let me know?’ She raised her eyebrows.

  I sighed and thought about it for a moment. ‘She’s sad. Miserable, really, but she hides it really well. She seems to be doing pretty well, considering.’

  Miss Stone nodded, seemingly satisfied and reached into a draw. Before she managed to collect my letter, I interrupted.

  ‘Ah, Miss Stone. I know she’s not my friend and it’s really not my business, but what will happen to Natasha. You know, now that her parents are both gone?’

  Miss Stone paused for a moment, considering, but thankfully decided to indulge me.

  ‘She’ll stay at the Academy and will essentially become a ward of it. The teachers and the Alpha will take care of her, and make decisions and the like until she turns eighteen and is able to make choices on her own. She will be well cared for Elita, do not worry. I know you were not brought up with the Pack, but we do take care of our own.’

  I smiled faintly. What about the ones that are half your own, like me?

  ‘Have you got my letter?’

  She reached back into her drawer and pulled it out. My stomach fell. It was tiny. There was no way it could have held much detail. As I reached for the letter, I saw Miss Stone’s look of pity and felt even worse.

  I snapped the small wax seal, the tiny wolf imprint cracking down the middle. As I unfolded it my hands began to shake.

  DEAR ELITA,

  I’m sorry that you had to find out that way about your mum, I know that must be hard and I understand that you are really angry and want answers from me. It is something I will have to talk to you about in person, I can’t answer it via letter. It isn’t safe.

  I love you always,

  Dad

  I READ THE LETTER OVER and over, looking for some extra information or a sign or hint of anything, any reason. But there was just nothing. I crumpled the paper. My chest thudded and my hands continued to shake. I looked up at Miss Stone again and realised my eyes had become blurred.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she asked.

  I shook my head. ‘He told me nothing. Absolutely nothing. “Not safe”, he said.’

  ‘Well, it is certainly risky. I’m sure he’ll tell you when he can. You are welcome to send another message back with Xavier,’ she said, indicating her crow’s empty cage, ‘as soon as he returns. I did already send a quick message regarding the invasion... and about your mother. I’m sure he will write back very soon.’

  I thought it over briefly, but I was just too angry and devastated at his response—or rather, his lack of one. I shook my head. I wasn’t ready to send him a message now. Maybe he’d change his mind after discovering that mum was alive.

  I stood, the chair scooting back with a loud scrape on the stone floor. It echoed harshly in the room.

  ‘Thank you, Miss Stone.’

  I turned and walked to the door. Before I could open it, she called out to me. I paused with my fingers resting on the handle but didn’t look back.

  ‘Elita, I’m sure he has his reasons and will explain them as soon as he sees you.’ Her voice was weighed down with concern.

  I turned the handle and pulled it toward me, stepped through and gently pulled it shut. Wishing instead that I could slam it repeatedly. I was really glad I had weapons training coming up. Hitting something in that class would seem perfectly reasonable.

  Plus, it’ll be a good opportunity to check out the weapons available, see if there are any that might not be missed.

  MASTER IRA BEGAN BARKING his usual set of instructions to prepare. Since I had arrived early, I’d spent my first few minutes looking over the weapons rack. There was a range of practise and actual weapons. Everything from ropes, to archery gear, to knives and swords. I carefully considered which weapons would be helpful, balanced against those that would be too heavy to carry or get in the way when travelling for so long.

  I decided on a rope, a bow and arrows, a couple of throwing knives and a short sword, though I knew I’d need to check with Dom what he thought and what he wanted.

  I was so intent on the weapons that I completely missed the fact that Natasha was already back in class. When Master Ira told us to get moving for our warm-up run, I dodged around the rest of the students and up to Natasha, who had already started running. Despite her gruelling pace, I caught up and stuck with her. She acknowledged my existence with a purse of her lips and an increase in her speed. I dug my toes in and kept going.

  I’d given up trying to reason with myself about checking on her and just resigned myself to the fact that I cared. When we got to the end, we were once again the first there.

  ‘Natasha,’ I huffed. ‘What are you doing back in class already?’

  She took a couple of gulps of air. ‘Well, I couldn’t very well get out of shape and let you take over, could I?’

  ‘No, of course not.’ I shook my head and looked to the rest of the group who were close to finishing. ‘You’re really okay to be here?’

  She gave me a hard stare but chose not to answer. Worried, I continued to watch her throughout our lesson, which today included using throwing knives to hit a target. A small group of us, thankfully including Natasha, were allowed to practise on moving targets powered by a pulley system. Even upset, she maintained her skill level. I briefly wondered if she was good at all forms of weapons before focusing on my own turn.

  At the end of the class, I watched her leave and considered if I should check in on her again later. I turned to her usual crew and noted that none of them had rushed off after her, and even seemed to be avoiding her a little. It was weird.

  WHEN IT WAS FINALLY time fo
r dinner I was pretty thrilled to see Dom sitting outside. I rushed over to see if he’d had any luck.

  ‘Easy, there. I still need to check later tonight to see what time will be the best, but I’ve noticed a couple of windows we could use.’

  ‘Actual windows, or...?’

  He laughed at me while stuffing in some food. ‘No, I meant times.’

  ‘Oh, right.’

  ‘You hear from your dad?’

  ‘Yep. Wouldn’t say anything. Said it wasn’t safe, ’cause, you know...’

  Dom nodded and continued scoffing down more food. I couldn’t ever figure out where he put it all; he must run it off or something.

  ‘Uh, Elita. Why are you staring at me like that?’

  I looked up at his flushed face and laughed. ‘Sorry. Was just wondering where you keep stuffing all that food!’

  ‘Oh.’

  He turned a deeper shade of crimson and looked away as he finished his food.

  I coughed to interrupt the now awkward silence. ‘So, uh, I’ll meet you in the Common Room tonight, near midnight?’

  ‘Yep. Sounds good.’

  As the bells tolled I tried to think of something to say to him to break the new awkwardness, but nothing came to mind. Once we’d finished eating I gave him a tight smile then said goodbye and rushed over to join Harper who was standing by the door.

  At about an hour before midnight, almost everyone had left the Common Room. Everyone besides me and Natasha. She sat curled up on the couch across from me, just staring into the fire. I’d been reading a book and was glancing up occasionally, but every time I checked, her eyes were still there, unseeing.

  I put my book down beside me and waved a hand in the air. Nothing. I coughed loudly. Still nothing. Starting to get a bit more concerned, I gave a half-shout. ‘Hey!’

  ‘There’s no need to shout at me. I’m not deaf, you know. And you can stop staring at me now. I’ve felt your eyes on my head for, like, the last hour. I’m fine.’