Year One

12

“You both are shifters and,” Cole said as he pointed between him and Rage, “we’re boys, so misters.”

“Oh, dear God.” Rage rubbed the bridge of his nose. “When was the last time you fed?”

“Not too long ago, but I wouldn’t mind feeding off someone here.” His blue eyes landed on me.

“Don’t even think about it.” A low growl vibrated deep in Rage’s chest.

“Can we get back to the university?” Cole was too high energy. I thought vampires were supposed to be all moody and depressed.

“Bloodshed is hidden by this school.” Rage leaned forward in his seat again, focusing solely on me.

Having his undivided attention was unnerving. It sort of felt like there were butterflies in my belly. “Where?”

“The school is known for its exclusivity, which means most of the applicants are supernaturals. Tulane is the name that humans know it as, and even a few of them attend. But the back section is spelled to repel humans, and that’s where Bloodshed is hidden.” Rage pointed out the window.

We came upon a gray stoned building that had an imposing fence. A gold emblem with Bloodshed Academy was attached to the gates.

“I thought you said this place was a secret from humans.” There was a huge ass sign that stated it all right there.

Cole stopped in front of the gates and pulled out his phone. He pressed a button, and the doors began to swing open. “They wouldn’t have ever made it this far.”

Within moments, we were driving through the gate and took a left toward a full parking lot. The gray stone building was huge, and there were two smaller buildings behind it.

The main thing that comforted me was all the trees surrounding the whole campus. At least there was ample space for me to run.

“Welcome to your new home.” Cole pulled into a reserved spot and lifted both hands up.

Yeah, I wasn’t sure it was quite home yet.

Rage swung open his door and gracefully exited.

That’s really nice. He didn’t even say goodbye. So, when my door opened for me, I was surprised to see Rage standing there.

“Oh … uh … thanks.” Yeah, real smooth, Raven. I clambered out, trying not to feel awkward.

Cole leaned on the hood of the car and used his arms to prop his head up. “I could watch this all day.”

I glared at him and leaned on my back leg. “Watch what?”

“Oh, no.” He stood and waved both hands in front of himself. “Please, ignore me, and both of you continue this tragic excuse for flirting.”

“Cole, shut the f**k up.” Rage gave him a warning look.

“Aw.” Cole grinned while wiggling his eyebrows. “Did I hit a nerve?”

Between Rage’s earthy smell filling my nose and the testosterone match these two were in, I had to get away. I took several steps in the direction of the school when the sound of crashing footsteps in the woods to our left caught my attention. It didn’t sound like a wolf. The feet landed too hard and so loud it had to be a much larger shifter like a bear or dragon.

My wolf surged forward, asking for control, but I shouldn’t be worried. Surely Cole and Rage would alert me if something was off.

However, the creature was getting closer and closer.

My heart began to race, and I glanced back to see Cole and Rage still bickering.

A loud roar filled my ears as one of the largest bears I’d ever seen came barreling out of the trees straight toward me.

My wolf forced its way to the front, and then blackness engulfed me.

The scent of lavender filled my nose, and the tapping of someone’s foot woke me. Where the hell am I? My eyelids were so heavy. I slowly opened them. There were rails on both sides of my bed, and the white ceiling seemed higher than normal.

“Sleeping beauty has finally awakened.” Cole’s polished voice seemed to dance across the room.

“Now isn’t the time for humor.” The lady who sat by the door stood and made her way to me. Each time she took a step, her black heels clicked, and she adjusted her red suit jacket over her matching skirt. “You both better be glad that I showed up when I did.”

Cole’s smile left his face, and he glanced at the ground. “You’re right.”

Rage remained silent, but his dark eyes were on me.

“What happened?” Flashes of the bear racing toward me flitted through my mind. “Oh, God. Did I hurt him?”

The room filled with silence.

“Right now, what we need to focus on is that you don’t have control over your wolf.” The lady’s sharp features were emphasized by the short, dark hair that barely reached past her ears. Her sparkling green eyes were a stark contrast to everything else. “My recruiters weren’t very observant, which is disappointing, but in their defense, we hadn’t expected you to be that out of sync with your wolf.”

“But my wolf and I are fine.” I was lying, and somehow this woman knew it.

Cole frowned. “I told you there seemed to be some kind of disconnect. I saw it the first time I saw her.”

“Even more reason you should’ve been paying attention.” Her stern voice echoed in the room. “You even had Rage go with you in case you needed help.”

Of course, that’s why Rage was there. Great, now he thinks I’m weak and stupid. “I don’t know what happened, but I’ve never blacked out before.”

“That’s because you’d never felt that threatened before.” The lady sighed and walked over to me. “This is not how I expected our first meeting to happen. Nonetheless, this is it. As your headmaster, the first thing we need to work on is your connection with your wolf. You won’t even last a full year if you don’t connect with your wolf completely.”

Those words didn’t sit well with me. “Are you threatening me?”

Her eyes turned hard, and she frowned. “Take it how you will.” She glanced at both of the guys. “I expect better, or there will be consequences.” She turned with her head high and walked out the door.

“Is she always like that?” A headmaster should be supportive and caring. That woman was not like that at all.

“Yeah, Isadora is always like that, but we messed up.” Rage closed his eyes and shook his head. “How are you?”