LUNAR ACADEMY

CHAPTER 5

I WAKE up disoriented. My bed is wet from my profuse sweating. My pulse is still racing high. I immediately burst into tears as I recall my dream. I can't believe the nightmares are back. This isn't the first time I'm having this exact dream and I know it won't be the last. The only thing different about this dream is the appearance of the silver wolf. The wolf who also seem to be in pain. I shudder to think of what it is probably enduring there.

For a moment during the dream. I thought I was back to that Dark Room. I sniffed and rub my eyes, hating how weak seeing that man has made me. He was my assigned torturer and damn! Was he good at it, always coming up with new ways to break me. I never did break though.

My wolf growl in my chest, not liking that someone has hurt me this bad. She wasn't around me for most of it, the silver restraints I was locked up with kept her away. She came back though for the worst of it and only because of her I survived.

The months I spent away from my wolf were definitely my worst moments. I thought I was going to go rogue. The emptiness I felt cannot be explained, only experienced. I don't know how she did it but she came back even with the silver still there; she found a way and she came back to me. That was the day I made a promise to leave there. I have already resigned my fate to death in The Dark Room but with my wolf came a renewed vigour to live. And when I finally found an opportunity to escape, I was only too eager to take it.

Men like the one the voice in my nightmare belonged to, do not deserve anything good in this life. He deserves to be hunted down and burnt a thousand times. It will be lovely to be the one to set him on fire. God! I hate him so much. I was a child and he didn't mind tearing me up. All for what? A stupid movement that have no place in the modern world. I can feel my eyes changing colour and I have to focus on taking deep breaths to have them return to their normal color.

I'm just glad no one was around to see me thrashing in my sleep.

I'm shaken out of my thoughts by the sound of my alarm ringing. I can't believe I woke up before my alarm. I groan into my pillow, definitely not ready to wake up. The night I had making me feel like I have been slammed into by a bulldozer. I just want to spend my entire day curled up in my sheets.

I hear my phone ringing and I reach over to turn it off, definitely not in the mood to chat. I change my mind once I see that it's my Dad calling. We haven't talked since he and Mom dropped me off. I certainly miss him. I just want to crawl into his lap and have him stroke my hair while whispering to me that everything will be alright.

I slide the green icon on my phone, picking it up.

"Hey Dad." My voice comes out groggy, laced with sleep.

"Did I wake you up, Miel?" I start to say yes, knowing he'd cut the call and let me sleep back but instead I just say.

"No Dad. I have been awake for a while now. Just haven't left my bed." I pick at a thread coming loose on my shorts. I wore shorts and a tank top to bed. I'm not a fan of pyjamas.

"Okay. How was your first day at the Academy? Hope it was fine? Is anyone giving you trouble? If they are, just say the word and I will get you out of there. I will have to fight it out with your mum but I'm confident I can win."

I laugh out loud at that. I know my dad will definitely do it but I don't want him picking fights with mum on my behalf. So even though it kills me to say, I tell him

"Don't worry Dad. I'm fine and I think I might even like it here at the Academy." I don't think I'm lying. Okay! Maybe I am but only a little bit.

"That's the spirit, demonè dè feu. Take care of yourself. I love you. I will send your regards to mum." I smile at his nickname for me. He started calling me that when I accidentally set his study on fire. Thankfully, no one died. My smile turn to a frown when I processed his parting words. Ever the peacemaker. I roll my eyes at that.

The call with my dad has definitely put me in a better mood. There is no denying that. I decide to attend class today instead of just wasting away like I originally planned to do.

I check my socials to see Professor Jackson's debrief for the project. The debrief is accompanied with my group members phone numbers.

Speaking of my group members, Mandy - I internally rejoice that I now know her name. She did not come back last night. I don't know much about her to even decide if not sleeping at home is normal behavior for her or a cause for alarm. I suppose I could call her seeing that I now have her phone number but I'm not sure she'd appreciate that so I just tuck my phone away.

I stretched out on my bed, purring like a cat until there is a satisfying crunch and I feel the knots in my back loosen. I need to continue my workouts and training. It's almost a month since I stopped and I can feel that I'm not as strong as I was and I frown at that.

I need to be fit and ready in case they come back for me. I make a mental note to look around the campus for a gym or training centre.

I have Shifting 101 class today and I already know I won't be participating. I will just watch from the sidelines. I hope whoever is taking us have been briefed on my 'wolflessness'.

My stomach grumble and I'm reminded of my unhealthy eating habits. Throughout yesterday, I only ate a sandwich I grabbed at the cafeteria. There was no takeaway package for meals. I'd have to eat there. I wasn't so keen on eating with other people. I'm still not keen but I guess that's one fear I will be over coming today. That will be after class though. I will just grab a sandwich on my way to class to quiet the grumbling.

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Shifting 101 class is brutal, werewolves are at their most aggressive forms here. Majority of the students are in their wolf forms, prowling along the arena, sniffing and just messing around. The wolves look relaxed, enjoying being let out. I see a couple, mates I believe nestling around, just enjoying each other company and I almost awwn at them.

There are some groups of students training, switching between their human and wolf forms. The sight in the arena is a big trigger for my wolf as she aches to be let out, to be part of the charade. It's been long she stretched her limbs and felt the earth beneath her paws.

My heart aches for her. I know how awful it must be for her, being cooped up like that, ignoring her natural instincts. The worst time for her is during full moon. I normally spend it holed up somewhere with my shields out, trying to coax my wolf and ease some of the pain she feels from refusing the shift.

"Okay okay. Enough of this play. Everyone, shift back to your human form and assemble here. You have 30 seconds." The professor looks more like a coach. He even has a clipboard in one hand. There is also a large red whistle hanging off of his neck and he blows it for added effect. I look towards the mated couple and they don't look too happy about being interrupted.

The sound of bones snapping and cracking fill the air as everyone shift back. I close my eyes with my hands hoping to shield away from the bare bottoms suddenly popping out of furry bodies. I peek through my fingers to see that they are all dressed. That was fast. Maybe they keep a stash of clothes somewhere close.

I feel someone come to stand close to me and I go still.

"Funny you are taking this class seeing as you have no wolf."

"I could say the same about you." I look at my roommate... Sorry Mandy as she picks at her nails. There are large bags under her eyes, as if she didn't sleep at all last night.

"So where were you last night? Is it going to be a routine? I need to know so I can lock the doors before going to bed."

She lets out a huff before she gritted out. "I was out meeting relatives, just so you know. How come you are running your mouth now? Last time I saw, you could barely talk."

I don't answer her. I just face my front, just in time to hear the professor barking out orders.

"All of you are so eager to shift thinking that's all there is to this class. Infact, no shifting. I don't want to see any fur out. Yes Ryan. Keep your wolf in check. Tell him play time is over." I look towards Ryan to see his jaw locked in tight. He doesn't respond though. I see his other friends all standing with him, their faces drawn taunt, I still don't see their Alpha anywhere though. I decided that I like this Professor... A lot.

"So today you are going to show me how good you are in combat. Today I'm going to teach you how to resist shifting into your wolf. Take a seat, class." We all scattered around, aiming to sit on benches that line the arena. The arena is big enough that it can hold the entire class in their wolf form.

"There are rules in combat. There are technicalities to fighting. That's what differentiate us from rogues. I already told you how the class is going to go. You are going to train in pairs. Your wolf will try to come out once it detects a threat. Don't let it out. Simple. Girl vs Girl. Boy vs Boy. No mixed pairing. I'm aware some of you are mated and I don't want to deal with possessive wolf bullshit this morning." I smile at that. Maybe this will be my favorite class after all.

"Okay. You can choose who you pair with but if I don't like it, I'm changing it. Camille and Mandy you are together." Great.

Mandy just look at me with a shrug. I just groan. I woke up this morning wanting to resume training. Maybe this is the universe way of answering my prayers. Students are already taking their stance on the training mats that have been rolled out. Mandy nudge me towards one and I grudgingly stand up.

I see Natasha and another girl really going at it on the mat closest to us. Natasha is really handing the girl ass to her. Her technique is flawless and I watch, in awe of her. I used to be able to fight like that. I hope I'm not too far off.

I take a fighting stance on my mat, flexing my fingers as I wait for Mandy to make the first move, slowly crafting a plan. She moves her feet and aim a swing at my jaw but I move out of the way before it landed. She smiles, flexing her arms. I can tell she is just getting warmed up. She might be human but she has the same bloodthirst as most wolves. She fake a swing to my left, hoping I'd fall for it but I don't, blocking the punch she aimed at my throat and giving her one of my own which she swiftly avoids.

We went on like that for a while, none of us getting the best of the other. I hear a groan from Natasha's mat and I see that she is on her third opponent now.

That's when I sense it. The smell of pine and freshly wet earth that immediately wants to lure me in. I can feel the smell getting closer and my body try to push me towards it but I don't move. The pull becomes stronger and I just want to weep because the smell reminds me of home. My wolf is silent for the first time, not even trying to come out. When I hear the door open, I turn to see who the lovely smell belongs to but I also created an opening for Mandy and she takes it, hitting me hard enough to knock me out.