High Moon Academy

Chapter 2 - POV Charlie - Things are changing

“Can you believe they want to send me away, and next week at that, all of our plans for the next four years have just gone, boom, nothing, and ugh those mating balls will be dreadful without at least you or Damon there” I whispered to Patty behind the portrait.

“Just think of all the kicka** moves you’ll learn. Their warrior training is intense, also it might not be the worst thing in the world if you branched out and added a few more people to your social circle”. I looked at Patty shocked. Not once had he ever made a comment about me not being social enough. I mean, yeah I don’t really have many other friends, but that's never mattered before. He must have seen the hurt and shock on my face because he quickly followed up on that comment.

“I just mean that as a future Beta, you’re going to have to be able to converse better and become more of a people person if you’re going to be helping to run a whole pack, and currently, your friend circle is me and Damon and he’s your twin, so not sure that even counts” He jested and went on. “You’re not really the approachable kind of Beta the people of Silver Moon are used to now are you”. He has a point. I see how his father is with our pack. They all know they can go to him about issues and he will not only fix them but make them feel better about the situation in the meantime. The way Beta James is with our pack has always been something my family has been proud of. Maybe I do need to step out of my comfort zone, but does it have to be three hours away at an academy filled with ranked wolves from all over the world, I can smell the competing Alpha auras from here. I swear it's going to be like one big frat house, filled with everyone trying to be better than the next. How am I even supposed to make friends with those people?

“I can see what you’re thinking and you need to stop, you’re a kicka** future Beta and Alphas daughter, you’ll be fine, you just need to concentrate on becoming a kicka**, don’t mess with me warrior type, while simultaneously becoming this super approachable and helpful person like your mom.” I’m pretty sure even in the dimly lit room he saw how big of an eye roll I just gave, cause yeah everything Patty just said is just oh so easy peasy lemon squeezy.

‘As if becoming more of a bada** while also becoming super friendly and appeasing sounds oh so easy’ I said this in my head, but with Iris being there too, she heard me.

‘I’m not looking forward to leaving the boys or our home either, Charlie, but I know we can do it. The Goddess must have a plan for us’. With Iris’s words, I looked again towards Patty to say something when I suddenly heard my dad.

“So now that I assume you two are finished, and Patty has convinced you to go, we would love for you two to come out and join us, as a proper future Beta would”. My eyes widened as did Patty's, both realizing the power behind my father's words. Never had my dad ever referred to me as the future Beta over the past couple of months since turning 18, and as I had long suspected, he totally knew we were in the room behind the portrait all these years.

“Oh, so I guess you always knew we were there, eh,” I said with a bit of a knowing smile. My dad smugly and lovingly smiled back at me. My dad wasn’t a bad guy, he’s always been my hero and someone I looked up to. He has just always been very traditional in his thoughts about how women are in the pack hierarchy. Maybe just maybe I’m rubbing off on him.

“So, I guess you heard most of our plans for what we would like your future to look like”, as he half smiled at me, but all I could really think about was how dad had finally said out loud that I could be the future Beta and the pride that brought me. Not a future beta’s mate but a future Beta. Even Iris could hardly believe what she was hearing, the pride that was swelling inside her chest. Even Iris thought that we would’ve had to fight tooth and nail for our rightful place in the Silver Moon pack. I think he could sense what I was thinking.

“I know that you and your brother think you’re the best choice for the future Beta of this pack, and though you are strong and care deeply about this pack, that's not all that matters, as Patrick said there is more to the position than just keeping the Alpha and pack safe, and those are things you need to learn”. His expression hardened a bit and he went on. I took a deep breath to steady my heart rate and continued to listen.

“I am willing to listen to your brothers and your wishes, as long as you attend the academy and learn everything you can over the next four years about becoming a good Beta for your brother, and I see that you are the right fit after. Then I will accept your brother's decision to make you a Beta if that's what you both still think right”. My heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest with excitement. Not only was my father finally taking me seriously, but I was about to get everything I'd ever wanted and all I had to do was go to some academy over the next two years. It's basically like any kid going to university for their dream job. I guess my dad saw my excitement and took that as his time to tell me the next stipulation. Cue the drum roll and internal eye roll.

“I know you're excited, and I have every faith in you that you can graduate with honors. The other stipulation is you do have to attend all the mating balls the school provides, and if you should find your mate, it will be up to two to decide if you come back to our pack to be our Beta or if you follow him to his pack. I know you think being the Beta of our pack is what you want, but you haven't met your mate yet, so I don’t want you to get tied down to this pack if it turns out differently.” My dad has just offered me everything I would ever want, also he’s crazy if he thinks I’d ever let a man get in the way of my dreams. What could possibly be better than being the Beta of my home pack? Helping to lead my pack into the future with my brother as my Alpha.

I jumped from my seat and ran over to my father and mother and hugged them both tightly.

“I agree, I wholeheartedly and absolutely agree, oh my Goddess Patty, this is happening, it is really happening. When do I leave?” I looked into my parents' eyes eagerly. My mom hasn’t said much but she has an almost sad smile on her face as she watches me with slight excitement, probably just sad I’ll be leaving for two years, though I'll definitely have to talk to her before I leave to make sure. I just get the sense she wants to say something.

“You’ll leave next Thursday. You can take the Audi with you as you’ll need transportation. The academy is three hours away from our territory. I do hope you find everything you want there Charlie.” I gave my dad another big hug and grabbed Patty’s hand and started running through the pack house like a little kid. We ran out the front door and towards where I knew my brother would be. We stripped our clothes behind a tree just outside the pack house and put our clothes in the tree hole for retrieval later. We shifted and ran for our sanctuary.