The Alpha’s Guardian

Chapter 2

After an hour ride, we finally arrived at Mercy University. The campus is odd. It is filled with old brick buildings that look clunky and somehow dignified. Yet on the outskirts of the campus are sleek modern buildings. The main roads through campus are blocked off with huge flowerpots. The driver goes around the campus and pulls up to a student center. It resembles a building from the 1970. Brown plaster and huge windows with metal are exposed here and there for dramatic effect. The driver pulls up to one of the reserve parking lots and gets out. He pulls out my bags and I follow into the building.

I enter the school consoler office. The driver drops my bags just outside the consoler's door and tips his head to me before turning to leave the building. I exam the office. It is small and cluttered with files lying in neat piles on different tables and the main desk. The consoler is an older woman with dark brown hair and bright green eyes. She looks up from her desk and stands and ushers me to a seat.

Consoler is not quite the right title for her. The supernatural council ensures that certain universities have people on campus to handle those of us with ‘special abilities.’ Ms. Johnson is the supernatural consoler, supervisor, warden for a better term at Mercy University. She makes sure that all the young supernatural (most who are on their own for the first time) behave themselves.

Ms. Johnsons sits back down and looks at her computer and smiles at me. “Nan-er-hak,” she mispronounces my name. “I am glad you made it here safely.”

“Thank you,” I tell her as I settle myself into my seat. “Also, it is pronounced Nanurjak.” The counselor tries to pronounce it correctly and I stop her, “Just call me Ana, it will be easier.”

Ms. Johnson heaves a sign of relief and says, “Thank You. Ana, it is so good to have you here with us. There are a few things we need to go over before I show you to your room. Please note that we require all first-year graduate students to live in on-campus housing. You will be placed in a suite with a non-supernatural room. We find it is easier to acclimate if you do not have to deal with someone else's ‘issues’ shall we say. “

“Will I have to share a room with a human?”

“No, your bedroom is a single room, but you will have to share a living area and a bathroom. We find that acclimating yourself with a human in this limited environment helps the transition to living with humans in general. As you know, many young supernatural people have never lived among different species, especially humans. Your class schedule will follow the standard classes. If you need any special classes, please let me know and we will try to accommodate you. Finally, if you need any ‘additional services’,” She pauses to look at me and I c**k my head to the side and look back at her. She sighs and begins again, “Things like needing to run or products for your skin?” She is speaking slowly and nodding her head. It finally dawns on me that she is referring to shifting.

“Oh yes, I will need a place to shift and run.”

She nods and hands me a business card. “This is Jackson Riders number. He is a part of the campus police and can recommend safe places for you to access as well as coordinate with the local shifters’ packs to ensure your safety.”

I nodded and took the card. “Is there any advice you can give me? This is my first time living away from my pack.”

Ms. Johnson flips through a file on her desk and looks up at me, “ Your file says you attended Capilano University.”

“Yes, our community college had a virtual program that allowed me to get an undergraduate degree from Capilano.”

“Oh, I see,” she stated. She flipped through my folder a few more seconds and shut it and folded her hands on top of the folder. “The only advice I can think to give you is to not speak about your species. Get used to thinking of yourself as human. Don’t ask others about their species. Some of them are sensitive about it and some may not even know they are supernatural. The humans here do not know about us. If you need anything, you call me or Mr. Rider. We will be your supernatural go-to. Other than that, have fun and enjoy your time here.”

“Except to study and pass my classes,” I told her.

She laughs, “Yes, passing classes is a very important part of university.” She pulls out a piece of paper from my file. It has a credit card paper clipped on the top of it. “You know how to use a credit card, I assume?”

I laugh, “Yes I do. We live in the woods, but we do have computers and still need to buy supplies.”

“Of course, no offense meant. Some of our new students have never had to use modern technology and there is a learning curve.” She hands me the paper and card. “This is your account information for the stipend the council has issued you. Your rooms and tuition are already paid for but you will need to buy your books and food. You get $500 a month. If you need more let me know and I will contact the council and see if it can be increased.”

I nodded and placed the card in my purse. I didn’t inform her I had my own money. I know the cost of books is probably going to be high and, from what my brother told me, everything costs more once you leave the packlands. He has been living with humans for over 5 years now and told me that his paycheck barely covers his rent and food expenses. He has refused to take money from our father, saying he wants to make it on his own.

“Great,” Ms. Johnson states, “Let me show you to your room and let you get settled. Classes start Monday, so you will have a few days to find your way around.”

She stands and ushers me to the door. I follow her from the office building stopping at the security desk to retrieve my suitcase. When then exit the building and she shows me to a small motorize cart. It is small and looks like something the rangers of the park use, but less rugged. I put my things in the back of the cart and claim in next to Ms. Johnson. She turns a key and the cart jumps to a start. Ms. Johnson looks around the parking lot and then speeds off. A couple of minutes later we arrive at a large brick building. Where the office looked modern, this building is showing its age.

As if reading my mind Ms. Johnson states, “This building has just been renovated. The insides are much nicer than the exterior.”

She pulls up to the front door and we exit the cart. I grab my belonging and follow her to the door. She slides a card across a sensor and the door unlocks with a loud click. She is right the inside looks much nicer. She leads the way to the elevator and punches the up button. A few moments latter it bing and opens up.

“You may find it is easier to use the stairs, especially in the mornings when everyone is heading to class. They are located on either side of the building.” She punches the number 3 and slides the card across the sensor at the top of the number pad. The door closes and the elevator goes up. “All the floor requires a key card to access. This keeps each floor secure. Your room has lock as well. So, you do not need to worry about that either.”

We exit the elevator and she leads me to a room a few feet away. She puts the card into the door and it clicks. She removed the card and turns the handle to open the door. I walk into the room. It looks like a small living room with a coach and two desks on either side of the room. There is a large window with a TV siting in a TV stand. There are 3 doors inside the room. There is two on one side and one on the other. Ms. Johnson walks towards the open door and states, “This is your room. You are lucky, it looks like your roommate has a TV already.” I walk into the room and drop my stuff off onto the bed. It is a plain room with a bed, closet and dresser. There is nothing else in the room except for the large window. Ms. Johnson hands me the key card. “I will let you get settle. There is a campus and town map on your dresser as well as the campus shuttle schedule. If you need anything from the store, just take the shuttle it will drop you off at the nearby shopping area.”

As she turns to leave, I stop her. “Ms. Johnson, what about my roommate?”

“Oh, she must be out. Don’t worry she knows you are arriving today.” With that she turns and leaves me in the bare room looking out the window.

I am glad my mother made sure I packed sheets and towels. None of that seems to be supplied. There is a large box sitting in my room in the closet. I walk over to it and see my mother handwriting on the top of it. I wrestle with the tape and finally get it opened. There is a note on the top from my mother. ‘Just a few things I thought you would need. I love you, Mom.” I smile at the note and pull-out pillows, blankets, and curtains. There are some other items in the box and start to set up my room and hang up all my clothes.

A little while later I hear the door open and shut and then a timed “hello?” I poke my head out of my room and see a beautiful dark skin girl with a backpack slung over her shoulder.

“Hi, I am your new roommate,” I go to say my name and decide against it. I don’t want to hear everyone torture my poor name, “Ana.”

She smiles, “I am Beth. It’s nice to meet you.” I c**k my head at her. I don’t know many humans but with my gifts I can sense them and they always feel chaotic. Supernatural always feel more centered. Well, most supernatural feel calm, some feel crazier than the humans. But Beth feels blank. I shake myself and reach out a hand to her. She shakes it and then studies me. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what she is when she states, “You’re from Alaska, right?”

I laugh. “No, I am from Canada, British Columbia to be exact.”

“Oh, I am sorry. I thought they said Alaska”

“No problem, are you from around here?”

She laughs, “No, I am from California, LA.”

“Really? You are far from home.”

“So are you.”

“True, I got a full scholarship to Mercy, so it made more sense to come here then stay near home.”

“I understand. No full ride for me, I just needed a change of pace. So, what are you studying?”

“Law.”

“Oh, you are an L1, that must be exciting. I am studying phycology.”

“L1?”

She laughs, “That is what the law students call their first year. Creative, huh?”

I laugh too. “I have never heard of anyone referring to a lawyer as creative, so it makes sense.”

“True,” Beth looks around me towards my room. “You got everything you need? I am catching the shuttle a little later to go get dinner in town. You are welcome to join me.”

“That would be great. I think I have everything I need. My mother sent a box ahead of me with anything she thought I would need in addition to everything she forced me to pack.”

Beth giggles. “You will probably realize you forgot something later, but I can show you where to get those things then, I will leave you to finish unpacking. Meet you here in about an hour?”

I agree and Beth turns and walks to her door. She drops her backpack on one of the desks and fishes her phone out of the pocket. She then walks into her room and shuts the door. I go back to my room and finish unpack all of my stuff.