Year One

7

“Yes.” Something inside me felt freer. Like I was stepping away from my denial and accepting a small portion of what I tried to keep hidden.

“We’ve all been there, and that’s what the academy is really about.” The sparkle in his eyes vanished, and he touched my cheek with his fingertips. “You’re stronger than any of us realized. For you to keep your wolf contained must be a constant struggle, and not one many people could handle.”

Unease filtered through me. I’ve tried so hard to keep her contained, and it was disconcerting that he could read me that easily. “How will going there help?”

“Your natural instincts are to be on top of the hierarchy.” He dropped his hand, but his eyes still held me in place. “Bloodshed will encourage you to rank higher and to finally become one with your supernatural side.”

“But I know my wolf.” He acted as if I were clueless about myself. “She’s a part of me.”

“It’s hard to explain, but you’ll see soon enough when you get there.” Cole patted my arm like I was one of his college buddies.

“I didn’t say whether I would go or not.” I didn’t like how he was making my decisions for me.

“If you don’t, your wolf will get stronger, and you won’t be able to contain her.” He closed his eyes and shuddered. “Believe me, I’ve seen it happen once, and it wasn’t pretty.”

“Are you trying to scare me?” This random guy … no wait, vampire, just showed up and invited me to Bloodshed Academy. It was hard to believe. He had to be up to something. Even though I tried to convince myself to be suspicious, my wolf instincts were getting excited.

“I wish that was it.” After a brief pause, he took a step back. “Look, I came here and scouted you out. You’re legit even if you’re out of sync with your wolf. I’ll be back after graduation to pick you up.” He turned so his back was facing me.

“You don’t know my answer, though.” What kind of school just assumed you were going to agree?

He stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. “You’ve got a lot to learn. When someone gets invited to Bloodshed, there is only one answer.”

“I know most people would kill to get in there. Most jump at the opportunity as soon as it permits.” This arrogant asshole assumed he knew my answer, which made me ornery as hell. “But I’m leaning toward no.”

A smile slowly grew across his face and then turned into a smirk. “It’s cute that you think you can truly make the decision.”

It was my future to decide even if I chose to stay here and be miserable. “Of course, I do. It is my choice.”

His ice-blue eyes somehow seemed colder. “No one can reject Bloodshed Academy. There are dire consequences if you do.”

“Are you threatening me?” He’s a f*****g vampire and on my turf. He had some nerve.

“No, I’m not.” His sweet scent seemed to turn a little sour. That happened when vamps got angry. “But no one rejects the academy and survives. You best learn that now.” He took a step back and scowled. “I’ll see you next week.” And just like that, he disappeared.

I stood there breathing heavily with my wolf taking control. I was about to shift, but I couldn’t do that here and now.

Loud cheers from the crowd rang in my ears, and everything began to blur. If I didn’t get my act together, Cole’s words could come true. My wolf instincts were calling me, and it was hard resisting the pull. I fell to the ground and curled into a ball as the war within me fought for dominance.

T

he sun shone into my room, causing me to pull the blankets over my head. Today was the day I graduated, which meant a later start, but dreams had been plaguing me since that night at the baseball field.

It didn’t help that Sheila wound up taking me home because Greg was upset that the recruiter never showed. He was arguing with his Dad, thinking he must have blown it for him. If I had added that the recruiter had shown but wanted me, things would've escalated more than it already had.

You’d think I’d have been excited to put high school behind me, but right now, time seemed to be moving too fast. I just needed to get through the day in one piece.

I got up, dressed, and put some makeup on, but my mind seemed to be elsewhere. I was only going through the motions.

A knock on the door startled me. Damn it, a wolf should never be taken by surprise. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts, ignoring the world. A light vanilla scent floated into the room. “Come in.”

“Hey, honey.” Mom opened the door and entered the room. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her forehead was lined with worry. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?” It probably didn’t help that I had been jumpy the past few days. Almost as if I thought Cole was going to appear out of thin air.

“Ever since you came home from the baseball game, you’ve been acting strange.” She pursed her lips and tapped her fingers on her black slacks. “Even Greg has said something. I just want to make sure you’re okay. Did anything happen?”

I’m surprised that Greg noticed how I’d been acting. He’d been so obsessed and angry about the scout never showing. I didn’t want to lie to Mom, but at the same time, I felt like the truth should stay hidden. “It’s a little surreal. I mean my whole life changes today.”

A tight smile flitted across her face. “Yes, it does. Have you figured out what your next steps are? You haven’t talked about it for a little while.”

Well, that’s because apparently, I’m going to a school that no one can refuse. How the hell did that work when I never applied? Although, how peculiar my parents got when the academy was mentioned made me pause. They seemed stressed, and I didn’t want to add to their worry until I had to. “I’m thinking fate always has a way of finding you.”

Mom’s body stiffened and her fingers stilled. “Some things are better kept hidden.”

“What do you mean?” They were definitely hiding something from me, and I didn’t like it.