Year One

24

My whole life, I had never wanted a guy to have that much influence on me. I wanted to be my own person, whoever that was. At the moment though, the wolf part of me was ecstatic about the scene that had just gone down. I had to keep my head on straight. I didn’t need enemies and didn’t need to be a target. Not even a week here, and I already had two sets of people that hated my guts. I didn’t need to be anyone else's target. I needed to lay low and hopefully keep my wolf in check. It was going to be an even bigger struggle since they wanted me to let her free and become more of a part of me.

A

s I entered the classroom, I was surprised to see how many other students were inside. There were eleven other kids already seated. For some reason, I figured that I would be the only one there, but in hindsight, I realized that didn’t make sense.

There were three rows of desks, and the back of the room was already filled. There was only a desk in the front middle section that was vacant. I guessed that one would be mine.

I headed in that direction when one of the kids stuck out her foot, trying to trip me. Luckily, I managed to dodge it but at the amusement of over half the class.

The girl leaned over, her sickening sweet smell hitting my nose. “That’s what you get for bothering Jordan.”

Of course, she was a vampire. Even if she didn’t smell like one, her pale skin and sharp features would have alerted me. Not wanting to cause even more problems, I ignored her and sat in the open seat, which happened to be right next to her. My first class was already starting out great.

“Why don’t you go back home and relieve us from all our misery?” The girl on the other side of me frowned and leaned away from me.

That one burned a little. She was another wolf shifter like me, and she was acting that way. Out of everyone here, I thought she’d be a little nicer to me. I forced myself to look forward and remain emotionless.

Thankfully, an older man, who had to be in his early to mid-forties, entered the room. He wore all black, and his dark hair was trimmed short. He smelled of herbs and lavender. “Is there a problem here?”

No one in the room answered.

His gaze landed on me, and he tilted his head. “You must be Raven.” He strolled to the middle of the room and gazed around. “Did anyone bother you, Miss Wright?”

Yeah, I wasn’t going to be falling for this. If I ratted out anyone, it would just get worse for me. “No, not at all.”

He arched an eyebrow and glanced at each student, one by one. “Anyone else have a different answer?”

Once again, the room remained silent. After a few seconds, the man sighed and nodded his head. “Very well.” He walked over to me and smiled. “Miss Wright, I’m so happy that you are joining our class. I’m Professor Shaw and will be your teacher.” His gaze landed straight on my necklace. “Fortunately, this class just started last week, so you haven’t missed much. This is one class that begins each summer and ends when I feel like each person is ready to move on to the next level.”

At least, I hadn’t missed too much. Any small victory was a big win for me at this point.

“Now, let’s jump right into it.” He turned and wrote ‘vampires’ on the whiteboard in black. “One of the most important things every good leader knows is how each supernatural race’s beliefs, customs, and leadership hierarchy influence their kind and decisions.”

“This is finally a topic I can agree with.” The girl who tried to trip me smiled and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs.

“I’m sure you do.” Professor Shaw laughed and pointed the pen at her. “So, start us off. What’s your belief?”

“That blood and power are everything.” She glanced at me and smirked. “And we take care of our own.”

“Yes, blood and power are almost interchangeable.” He wrote the words blood and power on the board before turning back around. “For vampires, this is both their weakness and strength. At times, their thirst for the blood of someone can become an obsession. Something they can’t quite control.”

“Hey now.” The girl pouted and crossed her arms.

“Oh, come on now. That’s been proven over and over throughout history.” He paced in front of the room. “For example, the legend of Count Dracula. He came to an end because of his cravings and urges. However, real vampires can reproduce and rarely turn someone into one of them. They can control their venom. The only thing the legend had right was that their heart doesn’t beat, which makes them immortal.”

Wow, this guy was super passionate about these facts. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad class after all.

“All right.” He glanced at the clock and smiled. “Sorry for holding you over, but this is exciting information.”

The class had been truly interesting and insightful. It was amazing how the teacher was able to break down the core characteristics of each supernatural race.

Everyone grabbed their stuff and headed out of the room without even a backward glance. However, the vampire girl hissed at me before disappearing.

“So, what did you think of the class?” Professor Shaw erased the board and dusted off his hands.

“It was truly interesting.” I stood from my desk and stretched out my back.

“I’m glad. Students either love the class or hate it.” He shrugged and turned around.

“Well, it is a little concerning knowing everyone is learning about your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes those secrets are best kept hidden though.” I understood why this information was needed, but it could help others get a strategic advantage over your kind.

“Any good leader already knows this information whether through this class or learning on their own.” He adjusted his shirt and smiled. “It’s what this university is supposed to do. Generate the future leaders of our races.”

“I think each of us will learn a lot.” A whiff of cotton candy floated into the room.

“Hey, teach. How’s our girl doing?” Cole swaggered in and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Your girl?” The professor had a strange look on his face as he pulled back, taking in what was happening right in front of him.