His ACADEMY’S LUNA

3

JASMINE

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‘No, i***t, that’s not our mate,’ Nyra said, her voice apathetic.

‘Are you sure-.’

‘You heard me. Not. Our. Mate,’ she stressed each word. ‘Now pick up whatever dignity you have left before you spill saliva all over his papers.’

I hadn’t even realized I was drooling.

“Thank you,” he said, a boyish smile curling his lips upwards.

When his gaze dipped, catching the grey lanyard holding my ID card, his face contorted into a frown. He yanked the paper from my hands like I had leprosy and brushed past me like my mere presence could infect him.

‘I told you, he isn’t our mate.’

My stomach twisted. But I didn’t have time to figure out what that was.

Heading to the registration desk, I met a woman. She hunched over the desk, her fingers flipping through the papers.

Without raising her head, she said, “There are six programs. Since you grew up in a pack you should be familiar with them.”

I had read the pamphlets. The six programs were, Alpha, Luna, Beta, warrior, healer and emissary.

“I want to sign up for the healer program,” I said.

“Alright,” she said, then her eyes fell on my ID card. “Oh…I’m sorry. The healer program is full.” Her tone was brusque. “The warrior pack has open slots.”

My stomach knotted. I couldn’t pick the warrior programme. Not if I want to hide my skills. Hunters had a different fighting style from random fighters since we fought creatures that were stronger. Also since we used magic.

Also, if I were going to get rid of Nyra, I needed to be around herbs.

Gripping the edges of the desk, I leaned forward. “Isn’t there any way you could squeeze me in,” I whispered. “One more wouldn’t hurt.”

She furrowed her brows. “Listen, young girl. I do not have all the time in the world, either you sign up for the warrior program, or you go back home.” Her voice rose.

My skin prickled as everyone’s attention shifted to us.

“Warrior program it is then.”

She handed over a form and after filling it, I handed it back. But the moment I stepped aside, another girl moved up behind, her lanyard black.

“Ah yes,” the woman said, her voice much warmer. “The healer programme still has slots.”

Still trying to puzzle together why she did that, I bumped into another girl.

‘Good gracious, are you a car without brakes?’ Nyra said.

Ignoring her, I apologized to the girl—black hair and brown eyes—before me, and she responded with a soft nod.

“That’s how they treat us,” she said with an easy smile. “We, half-bloods.” She touched the grey lanyard around her neck.

“Oh.” My eyes widened. “That’s what that meant.”

My eyes swept across noticing the student in the hall. Some with black lanyards. “The black—”

“The blacks are True Bloods. Full wolf. I’m Camille by the way.” She stretched out her hand.

Despite not wanting to be part of this world, I took her hand. “Jasmine.”

“Come on, I'll show you where to get out of the uniform.”

After getting out uniforms, grey like our tags, Camille led me to our dominatory. The building was tower high, like it was reaching for the heavens.

Inside the building, a long corridor stretched before us.

“Let’s take the second floor,” I said.

The second floor felt safer to me. If rogues ever broke in, they hit the floor first, giving me time to guard myself.

Camille lets out a soft laugh. “You can’t. The second floor is for full-blood omegas. The higher your rank, the higher your floor.”

Omegas were the lowest in the pack, and this school managed to even segregate the lowest.

I snorted, heavy with disdain. “What manner of classism is this?”

“In here, you are the filth, the lowest of the lowest. You’re going to hear this a lot,” she said, “so better get used to it.”

Room 20 was spacious. The light bounced off the washed white walls. Two other girls were huddled in the corner giggling over a phone.

While Camille took the left bed, I took the right bed against the wall.

“Camille!” One of the girls, the blonde, shrieked, rushing over to us.

“Emily.” Camille grinned, pulling her into a hug and bouncing around.

Camille pulled away, still smiling. “Emily, this is Jasmine.” She gestured to me. “Jasmine, this is Emily. Emily and I went to the same high school.”

Emily grinned. “Nice to meet you.” She snapped her back to Camille, shoving her phone. “Zane’s coming to our school.”

Camille’s eyes go wide, nearly popping out of her socket. “Are you serious?”

“It’s on the school’s blog,” Emily said.

“I heard even among the true-bloods, he’s the elite of the elite,” Camille said.

“Definitely, I heard he’ll be taking the entire last floor,” Emily replied:

I had already started unpacking when curiosity tugged at me. If our rankings determined our floors, how Elite could he be to take the entire last floor?

“Who’s that?” I questioned.

Emily gasped like I said Santa clause wasn’t real, Camille had this expression like the probability of me not knowing him was non-existent.

“You don’t know Zane Argent?” Emily probed.

I arched my brow. I couldn’t tell them I was a hunter, so I wasn’t familiar with their wolves' celebrity.

“Alpha of the Silver Crimson pack?”

The name hits hard. My stomach churned. During a hunt, we encountered some of their men. The battle ended quickly, with most of our men losing their lives.

Emily brought the phone to my face. “You don’t know this guy?”

Black hair, sharp hazel eyes. While he was attractive, it wasn’t the reason I couldn’t look away. But rather the photo stirred something in my chest. A flicker of something I couldn’t name.

“You’re speechless?” Emily giggled. “Don't worry, he leaves everyone like that.”

“He’s that handsome,” Camille said, unpacking her things.

While they babbled on and dreamed about him, I resumed unpacking my things.

After arranging and settling down in our dorms, the three of us—Emily, Camille, and I—went for a stroll.

The sky was darker, a navy blue. The air was cool against our skin as we walked past towering buildings.

The school felt like a small city. It had basketball courts, football fields, restaurants, and shopping malls.

Emily and Camilla didn’t hold back talking about their dream job. Emily wanted to major in acting in college and Camille had her sights on law after our one year and six months here.

The conversation shifted to something lighter; the Alpha boys at our attending school this term, giggling over what their dreams date would be. I tried not to talk much. Tried to hide the fact that I was a hunter and all I was ever allowed to dream was hunting people like them.

My stomach twisted. They were no different from us hunters. They laughed like us.

My teacher’s words echoed in my head. “Don’t be deceived by those creatures. They talk and behave like humans, but beneath their skin was an animal that seeks flesh.”

My stomach twisted further and I balled my fist. I shouldn’t let my guard down, I thought.

As we strolled a strong scent hit me. Wild. Spicy. A thick musky scent filled my lungs like it was alive.

Nyra snapped to attention. ‘We have to trace it.’

“I’ll be back,” I said, moving away.

I heard them calling me from behind. But I was moving fast. Too fast. Like a starving man chasing the scent of food.

As I moved in that one direction, the scent got stronger, and Nyra became more alert. I turned down a quieter part and there he was.

Tall. Gold hair and blue eyes. Black lanyard around his neck.

‘That’s him,’ Nyra prowled, her sound vibrating in my skull. ‘That’s our mate.’

My heart thumped in my chest. Excitedly. Nervously.