Alpha Academy

IntoTheWolf'sDen

Into the Wolf’s Den

In the heart of the Kingdom of Lalurene – a land populated by lycans, wolf shifters, and humans – lies the sprawling palace of the Lycan King. A mountain stands to the north of the castle and grounds, and the capital city of Bryton spreads for miles to the south. Connected to the east side of the palace grounds is a finishing school: the Luna Academy.

Alpha females and girls born into Alpha families are sent to the Luna Academy at sixteen, where they live and learn for four years before being sent back into the kingdom as future pack Lunas. Luna Academy is a valuable pillar of education, and all the girls who are sent there strive to graduate at the top of their classes and be designated Silver Lunas.

All girls, except me.

On the west side of the palace grounds lies the Alpha Academy, an elite school that only accepts those with Alpha genes. Alpha boys are sent there at seventeen and are trained in war and leadership for four years. Once they graduate, they can move on to become Pack Alphas, Regional Alphas, or Warrior Alphas. As the rights to Pack Alpha titles are usually passed down to firstborn sons, the Lycan King’s army is full of second-and-third-son Warrior Alphas.

Alpha Academy is my destination. I’m going to earn my Alpha title and take over my father’s pack – but first I have to get through admissions.

Luna Layla – my malicious step-mother – sent me to the capital three days ago, on my sixteenth birthday. She sent me alone, and with nothing more than a single bag of clothing and personals.

And the letter. The letter of admission that I had painstakingly copied with only a few minor adjustments…

“Next!”

I step up to the bored-looking beta official with my heart in my throat and hand him the envelope that contains my future. He pulls out the single page and glances over it. My palms are slick with sweat and the cramped, marble-lined room that constitutes the academy entrance isn’t helping my anxiety.

“Surname Solion, what’s the first name? It just says ‘V’ here.”

I take a deep breath. This is the tricky part.

“Can we leave it as ‘V’? My parents were not the best with naming conventions.”

The official doesn’t even glance up when he nods and makes a note on top page of the stack next to him.

“Yes, that’s fine, but it won’t last. You’ll be announced by your full name at the welcome dinner tonight.”

I had anticipated this, which is why I wasn’t planning to hide my gender for longer than it took to get this entry seal on my paperwork. My long black hair is carefully tucked into a braid and covered by a combination of hat and hood. The rest of my clothes are simple and nondescript, like any other traveler would wear. They’re just baggy enough that my figure doesn’t show.

The official picks up the seal and taps it onto the inkpad. I hold my breath until he’s pressed it onto the paper and the ink has dried.

“Welcome to Alpha Academy, pup. Head through the door on the right and one of the servants will take you to your room to get ready for the dinner. Next!”

I shuffle out of the way as an older alpha escorts a short, mousey boy up to the table.

“This is my son, Alpha Caspin Heartloch!” The alpha puffs up as he introduces the boy.

“You’re sure he’s seventeen? He looks like…”

The rest of the sentence is lost to me as I pass through the door I’d been directed to and take in what will be my home for the next three years.

A stone-paved courtyard opens up before me. Small fruit trees in large pots are artfully arranged around the perimeter, and between them are white marble statues depicting various historical alpha figures. The far side of the courtyard splits into three paths, dividing an immaculate, green lawn.

The first path is a straight line to an elegant, three-story stone building with ivy climbing its sides unchecked. The second path curves around the left side of the building and disappears. The third follows the perimeter of the high wall surrounding the academy for as far as I can see.

“Hell run.”

I jump at the voice and turn to see a stocky human man with wild brown hair grinning down at me.

“Uh… what?”

“You were lookin’ at the track that goes all the way ‘round the school, yeah? You pups call it the Hell Run.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Naw,” he chuckles, “but you will. Where’s your stuff?”

I raise the overstuffed duffel in my hand and he eyes it suspiciously.

“Thas all you got?”

I nod and he sighs.

“So be it. Follow me and ask any questions now. I won’t be ‘round again until classes start up in a couple days.”

“What’s the welcome dinner like?” This will be my first hurdle and I need as much information as possible. I expect him to laugh and then answer, but instead he squints at me for a long moment.

“You… You’re a lass.”

Well that didn’t take long. I tilt my head to the side, unsure if he wants a response of some kind. He purses his lips and glances toward the sky briefly before muttering to himself.

“That changes a couple of things…”

“Changes what?”

He turns and heads toward the large building, beckoning me to follow.

“Changes what pack you’re likely to end up in. I guarantee you’ll get shunted to the Mutt Pack with the rest of the pups that don’t fit the mold of a perfect Alpha.”

“Pack?”

“You’re assigned temporary packs for any team exercises until the end of the second quarter. Then you’ve to make your own packs by mutual agreement. You stay with those pups until graduation. Been a few years since we had a Mutt Pack, but looking at the pups that came in this week…”

He shakes his head as we reach the wooden double doors that lead into the ivy-covered building and pulls the door open for me. I step in side and look around quickly before hurrying to follow him again.

The building is just as elegant on the inside as on the outside, with gleaming wooden accents and pristine white walls. We pass through the short foyer and I glance up to see several faces peering down from the second and third floors.

“I’m gonna assign you to third floor, hall ‘B’. I usually put potential Mutts up there since it’s more effort for bullies to get to ya. Thas about all I can really do for you in that regard.”

The stairs are just behind the foyer and lead both upwards and downwards. I thank the goddesses quietly that I’m not in another basement. I shake away thoughts of home. This isn’t the time or the place. We reach the top floor and the man turns to me.

“The Academy is shaped like a backward ‘C’ and has three wings. Dorms and classrooms are the outside arms. We’re on the dorm side. The middle has the kitchen in the basement, Great Hall above that, and professor quarters on the top.

We split the dorm wing right down the middle both ways, like a plus sign. Or if you look at just the hallways it looks more like an equal sign with the stairs right in the middle. Third floor is referred to as just ‘Three.’ Second is ‘Two,’ and so on. The first hallway to the left of the stairs is ‘A’, the second hallway is ‘B.’ ‘C’ is across from ‘B’ on the right, and ‘D’ is across from ‘A.’ The rooms are all numbered, one to thirty on each hall. So if you’re in the third room up here in ‘B’ hall you-”

“3B3?”

He blinks at me and nods. “You’d be surprised how many pups don’t catch on too quick. You’ll be in 3B16, all the way at the end here. It’s a corner room, so you get plenty of light. This is your key.”

He holds up a long, thin, bronze key that has seen better days.

“One of the professors has locator spells on all the keys, but he makes any pup who loses their key do his personal errands for a week as payment for finding it. I recommend not losing your key.”

He unlocks the door and I follow him into the small room. There’s a bed large enough to fit two of me, three short shelves on the wall next to the door, a wardrobe, and a desk with a chair. There’s no room for anything else. I drop my bag into the chair and turn back to the man.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name. I’m V-” I stop myself. I don’t have to be Val here. “I’m Bryn.”

The man grins again.

“Good to meet you, Bryn. I’m Bones.”

“Bones?”

“Yes.” He offers no other explanation before speaking again. “An’ for the welcome dinner? You’ll wanna wear the fanciest clothes you brought with you. Entry to Alpha Academy’s as formal a deal as graduation. The second and third years will all be sittin’ there while you pups are announced in one at a time. Your first impressions with the older ones can be lifesaving later on, so do with that what you will. You’ll go to the pup tables on the far right. They’ll all be in one long line for important dinners, but the rest of the year you split up by packs.”

Bones turns to leave but pauses again at the door and looks back at me.

“Classes don’t start for another couple days. I recommend you eat everything you can get your hands on before the first day… Mealtime can become a privilege rather than a right for pups.”

I nod and swallow tightly. As soon as he leaves I fall onto the bed, my throat sore and my eyes tingling.

Sana, my wolf, makes her presence known for the first time in hours.

Oh now you want to cry?

“Shuddup…” I mutter.

She doesn’t respond and I blink tears back.

“I didn’t mean it…”

I know.

“Are you still mad at me?”

I wasn’t mad, I just vehemently disagreed with the execution of this plan.

“There’s no way I could have pretended to be a boy for three years, and anyone who sees you will obviously know you’re a female. This is the only way.”

I’m feeling more optimistic after seeing the bone man’s reaction to your gender.

“Why do you think his name is Bones?”

Perhaps he recognizes his own mortality and understands that, as a human, he will always look like meat and bones to a wolf.

I groan and force myself off the bed.

“We don’t eat humans.”

I know. It’s just the principle of the matter. I’m a predator and he’s a weak, crunchy snack.

“Gross,” I giggle.

I unpack my bag, ignoring Sana’s mumbles in my head. She always manages to pull me out of the dark space in my mind when things get bad. I wouldn’t have made it through the last five years without her.

The regular clothes I brought barely fill half of the wardrobe. The singular dress I own takes up the rest of the space. I dump the rest of my bag out onto the bed and shove it into the bottom of the wardrobe, then take my time setting up my meager belongings in my new home.

You’re procrastinating.

“Yes. Your point?”

We don’t procrastinate, we attack. Find the washroom and get ready. You stink.

“You stink,” I mutter, but turn to do as she says. I grab my small shower bag, a set of spare clothes, and my key and lock the door behind me. When I turn around again I come face to face with the mousey boy who had been behind me in the entry line. Even at my short height of 5’3 I find myself looking down into his hazel eyes.

Up close, his features are more feminine than I’d previously noticed, and his bone structure seems fragile.

“Cas,” he mutters, holding out one hand. “I figured I’d introduce myself since I’m your neighbor.” He jerks his head toward the door labeled seventeen.

I nod and shake his hand.

“Bryn.”

He raises one eyebrow but says nothing else and we end up standing there awkwardly for a moment.

“Uh, did you happen to see the washroom on your way in?”

Cas blinks, then glances around.

“No, but I should probably find it too.”

He turns and we amble down the hall in a silence that slowly grows more comfortable. We find the washrooms easily about midway down the hall.

“They’re communal… want me to keep watch?”

I blink in surprise at his offer.

This one we keep.

We can’t keep other people, Sana. I argue back silently. Aloud, I say, “Thank you for the offer. I don’t think it’ll be necessary, and I don’t want any kind of special consideration in the future either, but I really do appreciate it.”

Cas nods and turns to head back to his room, but stops suddenly.

“Are you taking suppressants?” He spins around with a look of horror on his face, “I’m so sorry, that was rude of me. You don’t have to answer that. I just wanted to let you know that I think they’re fading. I was able to scent your gender immediately and my usual instincts in that regard are actually terrible and-”

“Cas,” I interrupt him with a smile. The blush spreading up his cheeks is adorable. “It’s fine. I appreciate your concern, but I’m letting them fade on purpose. For tonight, at least, I’m going to be myself.”

Cas blinks owlishly again and nods.

“Oh. That makes sense. Yeah.”

I think for a moment, then ask, “Do you want to head down to the dinner at the same time?”

Relief flashes across his petite face and he nods.

“Yeah. New places and people tend to give me anxiety and I’d rather not…”

He pauses and looks at the floor.

“You’d rather go with a stranger you know than alone?” I offer.

He nods again.

“Me too. Let’s meet outside our rooms in an hour, deal?”

Cas smiles and small dimples appear in his cheeks. “Deal.”

We will be the first to keep a person.

I sigh at Sana and head into the washroom. I clean myself and wash my hair in record time and head back to my room. It takes me the rest of the hour to dry and artfully braid my hair to lay over my left shoulder, and then to get into my dress. It’s a green silk dress that reaches to my knees with just the right amount of petticoats to accentuate my curves. The top of the dress has a curved bateau neckline and is form-fitting down to my waist. The back of the dress is open, revealing the Grey Peaks pack crest tattoo on my left shoulder: three mountain peaks with three claw slashes through them.

The only other tattoo I have is also visible: a stylized band around my left wrist with three straight lines coming down onto the back of my left hand. Anyone else might see it as a regular, tribal-looking tattoo, but it has a much deeper meaning to me than mere aesthetics. It’s a tiara that represents both my father’s pet name for me – little princess – and my ultimate goal in coming to the Alpha Academy: the leadership of my pack.

There’s no mirror in the room other than the small one that I brought, so I adjust myself as best I can without one, put on my heels, and step into the hallway just as Cas does.

He’s wearing a formal suit in black and has combed his brown hair neatly to one side. The blush from earlier returns in full force when he turns my way.

“Oh. You look… That’s…” He stammers for a moment more before finally settling on, “Good dress.”

I grin.

“Thanks! It has pockets!” I grin and shove my hands into the pockets to show them off. I tuck my room key safely into one and we head down to the first floor, where we join near the end of a long line of young, suit-clad alphas. Slowly the line moves up the hall and around the corner towards the door to the dining hall.

A few of the alphas both ahead and behind us have caught my scent and whispers are moving up the line. Cas glances back to me with furrowed brows, but doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to.

Relax your jaw. Straighten your spine. Breathe deep. You are an alpha from an impeccable bloodline and have as much right as any of them to be here. If any of them so much as breathe a hint of disapproval in your direction, I will tear this pretty dress to shreds and rip the limbs from their bodies.

I blink at Sana’s ferocity, then smile.

To shreds, you say?

Sana huffs quietly in my mind. She’s the stronger of the two of us, but I can sense her hypervigilance and the small thread of worry that matches my own.

Before I know it, I’m standing at the front of the line, facing the doors that lead into the dining hall. A prim-looking beta in royal livery looks me over with a critical eye before reaching down and straightening a crease in my skirt that I missed.

“You’ll do. I’ll announce you, you walk directly to the bottom of the steps and curtsy – you know how to curtsy? Good. – you curtsy in the direction of the Lycan King first, then again towards the instructor’s tables. Then you walk right and take a seat at the pup tables. Got it? Good. Name?”

I take a deep breath. This is it. The only way through is forward.

“Valera Brynja Solion, of the Grey Peaks Pack.”

The beta nods solemnly at the men standing next to the doors and they pull them open in tandem.

The beta steps forward into the hall and speaks loudly into the silence.

“Presenting Alpha Valera Brynja Solion, of the Grey Peaks Pack.”