LUNAR ACADEMY

CHAPTER 3

I'm LATE to class.

Even though I left my room early. The campus is a freaking maze, I swear. All of the buildings are identical. I was given a map of the school, along with my schedule but I left it in my room, while hurrying to leave. Even after I noticed it wasn't with me, I didn't risk going back for fear of the awkward conversation I will undoubtedly have with my roommate. I need to know her name. I can't keep referring to her as 'my roommate'.

I stand outside the classroom where the Mechanics of Elemental Magic lecture is currently going on and I internally groan. I don't want to walk in but I also can't miss classes. I'd promise dad that I'd attend every one of my classes. I don't want to break that promise on my very first class.

From outside of the class where I'm currently pacing around like an i***t, I hear the lecturer go on and on about how to unlock your Elements.

Most wolves are gifted with control over at least one of the four Elements. The four being; Water, Fire, Air and Earth. There is a fifth element; blood, but it hardly gets talked about due to it's rareness and unnaturalness.

Blood Elementals are said to be able to control the blood flowing in the veins of all creatures. They could make a person's blood go still, which would kill in seconds. They are regarded to as evil and too powerful. Centuries ago, they were hunted down and burnt on stakes as a way to 'cleanse' the community. The last Blood Elemental walked the Earth two hundred years ago.

They are on par with witches. Those filthy, vicious creatures who are rumored to drink the blood of young children just to keep them young. Witches are one of the biggest threat of the wolf community. Worse as they are almost immortal. Werewolves are not immortal. We live for about two hundred to five hundred years.

Witches are born with no empathy, their society have no room for morals, only instincts of bloodlust. I have only ever met one witch in my entire life and I will prefer never to relive that moment. I shudder just thinking about it.

I place my hand on the doors, taking a deep breath as I open it. Hundreds of eyes are instantly on me, all of them predatory. I feel my wolf begging to come out, to snarl at them; force them into submission. My wolf doesn't like feeling like prey anymore than I do. I tighten the leash I normally keep on my wolf, not wanting to ruin what I've spent months working towards. Today is not the day. One day I will show them I'm not someone they want to mess it.

I take a look around the classroom and I'm surprised that it is full. The course is usually for werewolves who are yet to find their Elements.

Most wolves discover their Element at 16, usually three years after their first shift. So it's shocking to find a full class of students around my age. I can't judge though. I'm also here.

I feel the lecturer's eyes on me and I turn to look at him, still standing awkwardly at the front of the class. He is about 10 years older than I am. Still too young to be the 'Professor Jackson' I saw on my schedule. He has blonde hair and clear blue eyes, the color of the sky. He is very attractive. Most of the students I have seen so far are.

Infact most werewolves have insanely attractive features. Most humans are instantly lured in by our perfect facade. They don't know it's just a casing for the monster within. Literally.

"You are late, Miss." I almost died, hearing the lecturer address me directly. If all eyes were not on me before, they definitely are now. "I'm only excusing it because it's the first class for the semester. Late coming in subsequent classes will not be tolerated. Please, find a seat."

I immediately walk to the only free seat I find; At the front!

Great!

I can hear sniggers coming from behind, probably humored by my humiliation. I'm glad I didn't have to introduce myself to the entire class. The situation is already embarrassing enough.

I take my book out of my bag, getting ready to take notes even though I have already missed a considerable portion of the lecture.

I sense it about a second before I feel it.

A folded piece of paper hitting me on the exposed part of my neck before sliding down. I hear loud hoots and suppressed giggles coming from the back; where the culprit probably is. I ignore everything though. I could have moved out of the way before the paper landed but that will probably give my wolf away.

I feel like it was a test though. Someone probably recognized me as the 'wolfless girl' and told their friends. In a bid to test the authenticity of the information, they did this. I'm not even angry at them but I'm a bit annoyed that the professor did not do anything.

He definitely noticed but choose to drone on about how we can unlock our elements and how this course will have a lot of experiments and field tests to try and wake our Elements.

I don't know how that's going to work out for me as I already know what all my gifts are and I'd prefer for them to remain a secret. I decide to take a good look around the room, tuning the lecturer's voice out. The only people paying attention are those at the front. I spot James about 5 seats away of me nodding along and taking notes. I smile. He is exactly the nerd I expected him to be.

I don't recognize any other person. As I cast my gaze towards the back, I feel a ripple of power. It seems like the more powerful wolves in the class are backbenchers. I see five guys huddled together, I assume that's where the ripple is coming from.

From what I can sense, there are two Betas and three Gammas in the group. They all sit in a weird circle format, gravitating towards a central seat that is currently empty. I assume that's where their Alpha usually sit. He is not around. I would have sensed him right away if he was.

The five guys are all equally good looking, not that I expected any less. One of the guys raise their head and I look away, not wanting to meet his gaze. I'm not supposed to be able to meet their eye. No one in the class is supposed to since they are clearly the highest ranking wolves in the class.

As I move to turn my gaze to the lecturer, I notice Barbie 2.0 sitting somewhere in the middle. I really need to know her name.

I see her sneer at the group at the back, looking at them like they are beneath her. Interesting! There is history there. I store that information away in case I ever need it.

I tune back just in time to hear Professor Jackson say "I'm going to give you guys a project." They is a collective groan from the class and I hear someone scream 'This is the first class' and I find myself nodding to that. Who gives projects on the first lecture?

The Professor raise his hand in an attempt for silence. It takes time but the class finally quiet down enough for him to continue. "You don't have to start walking on the project right away. You have the entire semester for it." The class seem happy with it and all noise of protest die away.

"You are to explore yourselves. I will divide the class into groups of threes. The project is basically you studying your wolf and documenting it's reactions to basic things. Think of it's interests, what it's drawn to. Also think of what sets your wolf off. If someone pisses you off, what does your wolf want to do to them? Does it think in terms of setting them on fire or drowning them? What's your wolf attracted to? Does it like water or it loves the open air?"

I already know what my wolf think of when people piss me off.

"Little things like this may be instrumental to finding what your Element is. You can add any other information you deem useful. I will send the guidelines for the project today via Email."

I don't know how I'm going to get out of this one. I will have to see if there's a way to rig it.

"Do well to take this project serious. It is what determines if you pass the class or not. It's possible to retake this class throughout your stay in the Academy. I have already divided all of you into groups so I will just read out the names."

There is a loud chatter of disapproval from the class. Most of them probably have friends already who they want to work with. I'm happy we don't have to choose our partners ourselves though. Nobody will pick me and I don't know anyone. Everyone already seem to have find their place.

I just sit quietly and listen as the Professor starts calling names, trying to put names to some faces.

"Zoey Thompson, Alexia Martins and James Derrick." All three members stand and recognize each other before sitting.

Damn! I kind of hoped I got James.

"Blake Walton, Sawyer Woods and Nadia Adams." They also stand and I see two of the power group stand together with a girl wearing an even shorter skirt than Barbie 2.0. Her face is fully made up. She smiles suggestively at the guys and they smirk back at her.

Eww!

The name-calling goes on for a while. I get to learn the names of the other three members of the 'power group'; Ryan, Josh and Phil. The three were even put in the same group and when their names were called, they high-fived one another, clearly glad that they are together. I have a feeling that the grouping process is not exactly random.

"Mandy Gomez, Natasha Rivers and Camille Alexandrè." An all-ladies group. Not sure I like it though. I stand and turn back to see who the other two are. I see my roommate and Barbie 2.0 also standing.

Shit!

I can't believe I'm in the same group with the two people I don't want to have anything to do with. At least I know their names now so I can stop referring to them as 'my roommate' and 'Barbie 2.0.

"If all the members of a group discover their Elements, you are allowed to come for clearance and you pass the course. Of course, you will still be expected to attend lectures and participate in the field tests. Any question?" Everyone remain silent. "Good. That's it for today class. Have a good week."

The words are barely out of the Professor's mouth before the students start streaming out. I remain in my seat, waiting for the moving crown to clear before I head out. I feel him there before he speaks.

"Hi Cam, How are you doing? Hope you've settled in quite well?" I'm uncomfortable as James's greeting draw some attention to us. I don't answer him. I just nod. He seem to get the memo this time around. Just murmured a 'see you later' and left. Thank God!

I stand from my seat, turning a little as I do only to notice the back-benching assholes still sitting, not even bothering to leave. The lady that was paired with two of the guys, Nadia I think her name is, is currently sitting on one of their laps, sucking faces not minding that the Professor haven't even left.

From what I can see and sense from the lady and the guy that she is sucking faces with, they are not mates. For a community that is committed and devoted to the idea of mates, this is just disgusting. I decide then that I don't want to be left alone with this group and I hurry along with the last stream of students leaving the classroom. I'm called back by the Professor though.

"You're Camille, right? You look so much like Natasha."

He knows my mom?

"Yes I do." Oops guess I said it how loud.

"No, you didn't. I'm sorry. I'm a Neuro. You were literally just screaming the words out. I don't usually prod into my student's minds. I know how invasive it can be"

That's right! Very invasive! I subtly reinforce my mental shields. I can't have my secrets leaking out to this guy. I just hope I haven't been 'screaming anything' during the class. I will just have to be extra careful.

"See Camille, I told your dad not to let you take this class but he insisted. I know what happened to your wolf and I'm really sorry about that. You're in good hands though. Natasha is very good with her wolf. My bet is that she'd be the first to discover her Element."

"Mandy is a human. She is the only non-wolf in the class. She has been with us since high school and she was top of Elemental Arts which I took before getting promoted to the University." My roommate, Mandy is human no wonder I didn't feel her wolf.

"My point is if there is anybody who can rouse your wolf, it will be Natasha. And if that fails, there is Mandy. Maybe you can still discover your Element without a wolf." I look him in the eye for the first time and he looks like a nice person. I wonder why he lets his students treat him like a pushover.

Since I don't respond, he just give me a friendly pat on my shoulder before walking away. I start to think I'm done for the day, then I remember I still have another class. This is just my first day and I cannot wait to graduate already.