Secret Wolves: Supernatural Shifter Academy Series

by Bailey, G.

  I catch a glimpse of Shade rolling his eyes, and Hunter elbows him. I can’t blame him - if the Academy administration thinks for one minute that I’ll buy this being an isolated incident, they’re sorely mistaken. They had a whole underground testing facility, one that seemed incredibly active and state-of-the art, in spite of Hawthorne’s claims that it was long defunct before Samantha began to use it for her own purposes.

  Hazel shoots the two shifters both a withering look, and they return their attention to the President, who continues his speech. “For this reason, the human-shifter coalition has organised a conference to address this shifting dynamic, the precautions our communities must take, and steps that will ensure the continued coexistence of our species. Ambassadors from both groups will be there, as well as the presidents of all the world’s Shifter Academy branches. As for what this has to do with you all,” he goes on, “the conference is scheduled to be held next week, in the city of Boston in the United States—the location of the North American Shifter Academy. I have consulted with the board members, and we have decided that this is an excellent opportunity to introduce the student community to the inter-species politics that are a reality for shifters living in the modern world. For this reason, we’ve decided to bring the students at the academy to Boston to witness this historic event and continue their studies in an urban setting.”

  It’s like a jolt of electricity bursts through the crowd. Everyone starts talking at once, their eyes lit up and their voices excited as the news of the field trip sinks in. I turn to look at the others; Landon has a broad grin on his face, and Hazel looks like she’s ready to burst with excitement. “Class trip,” says Hunter, giving a slow nod of approval.

  “Did you know about this?” Landon asks him.

  The vampire shifter shakes his head. “Why would I? My dad never tells me anything.”

  Hawthorne holds up a hand to quiet the group, although a few snippets of conversation carry on. “We have already arranged travel to Boston this Wednesday,” he says when he has the room’s attention once more. “This will allow you a week of seeing the conference firsthand, as well as a weekend of supervised excursions in the city. That said, you will be expected to continue with your studies, which is why we have arranged boarding for you all at the American Shifter Academy.”

  There’s another burst of activity from the group at the prospect of an exchange program with the American school. I’ve never been outside the U.K. before, and in spite of my unease around Hawthorne, even I’m delighted by the idea. It’s times like this that I’m reminded that, in spite of the experiments and decades-old conspiracies, this is still a school setting, and an opportunity to have experiences I never would have gotten otherwise. The others seem to feel the same way; even Shade, who never seems impressed by anything, has a fresh gleam in his eyes.

  “You will be provided with more information over the coming days,” Hawthorne finishes, “but I would advise you to begin preparations for the journey. If you have outstanding assignments or anything to clear with your professors, make sure you finish them before we go, as you will be studying under the American instructors while you’re in Boston. Now…” He glances over his shoulder at the line of other faculty fellows, who nod their approval. “I believe I’ve covered everything. Without further ado, I’ll let you all have your meal now. Enjoy your evening, ladies and gentlemen.” He gives a slight bow before retreating to the admin table, where the other instructors and board members are starting in on their food.

  “This is so exciting,” Hazel exclaims as we tuck in ourselves. “Vacation! I mean, I’m from California, so it’s maybe bigger for you guys, but still… I’ve never been to Boston.”

  “Do they do this often?” I ask, looking around at the others. “Field trips, I mean.”

  “No,” Landon replies, shaking his head. “I mean, last year they brought us to London to see one of the oldest siren communities, but that was just for a day trip. Nothing this big.”

  “I’ll be curious what the American students are like,” Hunter admits, picking at his food thoughtfully.

  “If they’re anything like you and your sister, I’m guessing uptight, boring, and bummed out,” Shade tells him. Hunter kicks him under the table.

  “Boys, boys!” I say, laughing. “Am I going to have to separate you two?”

  “Not a terrible idea,” Hunter mutters. “Absence does make the heart grow fonder.”

  “Damn, your sarcasm is improving, Ash,” Landon observes. “Looks like we’re rubbing off on you.”

  The vampire shifter gives a dry laugh. “Yeah. Maybe. Don’t tell Amelia.”

  Silas has remained quiet, and I turn to him. “You okay?”

  He nods. “Just thinking.”

  “‘Just thinking,’ eh?” teases Landon, although his tone is good-natured. “What else is new?”

  There’s a long pause, and the big dragon shifter sighs. “Actually, I, ah… I think I might head up to bed, you guys. It’s been a long day.”

  “Already?” asks Hazel. “You’ve hardly eaten anything.”

  Silas glances down at his plate. “I’m not really hungry anymore. This whole trip thing is putting me off a little.” Getting to his feet, he nods at the rest of us. “Might as well get a head start on packing though, yeah? I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  “Later,” Shade replies, and we watch him disappear into the crowd.

  “Wonder what’s gotten into him,” Landon says, frowning.

  “Hawthorne,” I reply, leaning an elbow on the table. “And I don’t blame him.”

  Hunter’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean…” I shrug. “Don’t you think it’s a little odd that they’d decide to bring us all out to America so soon after what happened with Samantha?”

  “I don’t see how that tracks,” Hazel replies.

  “I’m not sure I do, either,” I admit, looking down at my hands. “It’s just a little weird, that’s all. It feels like all this stuff with humans and shifters has started happening all at once, you know? I mean, had you guys heard about any of what Hawthorne was talking about back there - riots, skirmishes, conspiracy theorists?”

  “My dad’s mentioned it a few times,” Hunter admits. “We were talking to him last weekend, actually. He said one of the shifter settlements in Russia was attacked by a pro-human fringe group. It sounds like the government is doing an okay job of keeping a lid on the rumours, but…”

  “It can’t be an easy job,” Hazel remarks. “Think about it - you’re basically having to keep the existence of a whole species a secret from the general population. And with the internet and everything…” She shrugs. “I’m honestly just surprised this hasn’t happened earlier.”

  “It’s a strange time to be a shifter,” Shade comments.

  “Yeah,” Landon agrees. “Damn right, it is.”

  * * *

  The excitement doesn’t seem to die down, even after dinner concludes and the students start making their way up to their rooms. I say goodnight to the others, and I’m on my way to the girls’ wing of the dormitory when I catch sight of Silas in the downstairs common area. He’s looking out one of the broad bay windows, his arms crossed as he sits slumped in one of the armchairs. “Hey,” I say, coming to stand next to him.

  He seems a little surprised to see me. “Hey, yourself,” he says. “You guys finish dinner already?”

  I nod. “The others are headed to bed. I was thinking of going too, but…” I chew the inside of my lip. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I appreciate it.” He stands up, and I’m stunned again by just how much he towers over me. “I think this trip thing just caught me off-guard, that’s all.”

  “Yeah,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “You and me both.”

  “Do you feel a little like…” He purses his lips. “Like this is a bit sudden?”

  “Yes,” I exclaim, relieved that someone else had the same reaction. “Yes, I w
as just saying that to the others!”

  He nods in the direction of the stairs leading up to the boys’ dorm, and I follow him to the door. There aren’t many students left in the common area, but Silas keeps his voice low when he turns to me and says, “I’m worried, Boots. What if this is just some kind of ploy to get us away from the Academy? What if…” He trails off, but I see where the question is going.

  “You’re worried they’re going to use this as a way to continue the experiments.”

  Silas nods. “Maybe that’s just my paranoia talking. I don’t know. But if it’s not…” He looks down at his hands, which are still shaking a little - the tremors have gotten a lot better since we first broke him out, but he’s still not back to a hundred percent.

  Instinctively, I reach out and take his big hands in my own, looking up into his dark eyes. “We’re not going to let them,” I tell him, even though I know there’s no way I can really promise something like that. “They’re not going to pull that shit again, Silas. I swear. I’m in your corner on this - we all are.”

  “That makes me feel better than you would believe,” he tells me, a small smile creeping onto his face.

  “That’s what I’m here for,” I joke, my voice chipper. “Now if I could just find the bright side to this wolf shifting exam…”

  Silas laughs. “You’ll do fine, Boots.”

  “I’m glad at least one person thinks so,” I say.

  He takes a step closer to me, his eyes meeting mine, and my stomach floods with warmth. “That’s what I’m here for,” he says quietly, echoing my earlier words, and then he leans forward and kisses me. It’s gentle and brief, but sweet enough to leave me swaying on my feet when he pulls away and flashes me his crooked grin. “Goodnight, Boots,” he says, before turning and heading up the stairs towards the boys’ dorms.

  I’m left to watch him, my insides like jelly. But a small part of me feels conflicted. How can a kiss feel guilty and perfect at the same time? A scoffing sound is the only thing that’s able to pull my attention away, and I turn to see Amelia Ash watching me from the opposite corner of the room, her arms crossed over her chest and an unimpressed look on her face. Our eyes meet for a moment and she raises an eyebrow, but before I can say anything, she’s turning on her heel and disappearing into the downstairs bathroom.

  I sigh—she’s got eyes like a hawk, and I’ll no doubt have to deal with more of her snark sooner or later. There’s no winning, it seems. Running a hand through my hair, I make my way in the direction of the girls’ rooms. It’s getting late, and by the sounds of it, we have a big week ahead of us.

  A very big week.

  Chapter 30

  “What’s the weather like in Boston, anyway?” asks Landon, scratching his arm as he looks around my room from his seat on my bed. He’s kicking his feet, leaning back as he watches me pack; my meagre possessions are all strewn about, littering the floor around my still-empty duffel bag. Who would have thought packing would be this difficult when we wear uniforms, for god’s sake? But I’m having trouble figuring out what’s important. I left home in such a hurry last time that I wasn’t really even thinking about what I brought, but this is a different situation. We’re talking about an international conference here, and I’ve never felt so woefully unprepared.

  It’s been a couple days since Hawthorne’s announcement, and the student body has been abuzz with excitement about the trip. Even the professors seem to be in a better mood than usual, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say they’ve started to ease up on the workload just a little. My wolf shifting practical was yesterday—it went okay, but the knowledge of the upcoming conference has been looming in the back of my mind, bringing with it equal parts excitement and nervousness. In spite of my reassurances, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that Silas was right—that this all feels a little too sudden, in the aftermath of the disappearances. I guess time will tell if I end up having to repeat the class or not. Shade’s not going to let me hear the end of it, either way.

  “I’ve heard it’s nice this time of year,” I reply, although what they mean when they say “nice,” I have no idea. “I just don’t know if I should even bother with normal clothes. We’re still going to be wearing our uniforms, right?”

  Landon shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe they’ll give us new ones.” He grins, lifting his head and meeting my eyes. “That’s why I came in here to watch you. I figure I’ll just copy whatever you pack.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I say, giving him an exaggerated eye roll. “I’ll make sure to stick with the girliest stuff I can find, then.”

  “Hey, who says I can’t pull off girly?” Landon retorts. “I bet I could rock one of those skirts.”

  “It’s an interesting image, that’s for sure.” I sigh, shaking my head, and then throw my hands up. “You know what? Screw it. I’m just going to pack one of everything and hope for the best.”

  Landon laughs. “You’re starting to sound like me.”

  “Thanks for the company,” I tell him as I begin to fold my clothes and stuff them into my bag. “It’s kind of a weird time right now.”

  “My pleasure,” Landon replies, giving me a mock bow. “It wouldn’t be right to leave the lovely Millie Brix to do the packing all on her own.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “‘Lovely,’ is it?”

  “Sure,” he responds gamely, without missing a beat. “Lovely, ravishing, gorgeous, noble… Give me a thesaurus, and I can come up with even more.”

  I snort. “I can guarantee that’s not necessary.”

  “Maybe,” Landon replies thoughtfully. “But you can humour me, can’t you?”

  I meet his eyes again from where I’m kneeling on the floor, and my heart skips a beat. I’m struck with the same pang of guilt and confusion that I felt in the forest with Hunter the other day. An image of Silas pops into my mind, but Landon’s presence in this moment is damn near overwhelming, and I find my reply sticking in my throat. As if reading my mind, Landon clears his throat and begins to examine his fingernails, saying, “I don’t want to step on any toes, though. You and Silas seem… close. If I’m making you uncomfortable, just tell me.”

  “You’re not,” I assure him, getting to my feet and rubbing the back of my neck. The scattered clothes suddenly don’t seem as important as they did a few minutes ago. I feel the words threatening to spill out even before I can stop them. “I mean… close? Yeah, I’d say we are. But I don’t know how, exactly, you know?” I frown. “He hides it well, but I think he’s still struggling to get over what happened with Samantha.”

  “Yeah.” Landon sighs. “I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. He’s strong to even have survived as long as he did. I’m glad you’ve been there for him.”

  I blink, surprised. “Really?”

  “Well… yeah.” He shrugs. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t be?”

  I bite my lip. “I don’t know. I guess I just thought…” Shit. My words are getting away from me. I didn’t think we would end up here. “You were saying all that stuff just now… I kind of figured you were…”

  Landon raises his eyebrows. “Jealous?” A grin spreads across his face, and he hops down from my bed. “Come on, Boots. Give me some credit. I’m pretty good at picking up on these things. I’m a siren, you know? We have a nose for romance.”

  “I…” I clear my throat. “I guess that’s true.” Meeting his eyes, I bite my lip. “So that doesn’t bother you, then? Me and Silas?”

  He shrugs. “Should it? I mean, it would be a little weird if you guys weren’t close, considering everything that’s happened. And as for the flirting…” The corner of his mouth twitches, setting off another rush of adrenaline in the pit of my stomach. “Like I said, I don’t want to make things weird for you. If it bothers you, tell me.”

  “It doesn’t,” I reply honestly. “I… like it.”

  “Good,” he says, taking a step closer to me, and the tension mounts even further. It dawns on me t
hat we’re alone together in my room, with nothing to stop something from happening, if we wanted it to… But that familiar confusion is threatening to rear its ugly head. God, why is it so hard for me to talk about my feelings all of a sudden? “You know, I meant what I said,” he adds in a husky voice, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “None of those adjectives really does you justice.”

  “Sweet talker,” I say, unable to pull my gaze away from his eyes, like chips of onyx gleaming against his dark skin.

  He leans forward, and my heart threatens to beat out of my chest. Thoughts of Silas seem to flit away in the face of this gorgeous siren, and it’s all I can do not to swoon at the waves of sensuality that I feel coming off of Landon. He moves closer still, his hand lingering on my cheek, and I feel my eyelids flutter - this feels so dangerous, so complicated… Am I really about to go there with another one of my friends? His face is inches from mine, and I can make out the dusting of freckles on his nose. Landon pulls me close, closer still…

  And then he flicks my nose. “Gotcha.”

  I shove him playfully. “God, you’re starting to sound just like Shade.”

  “Hey, hey, easy,” he laughs, rubbing his chest. “I can’t help it that I’m sexy. I’m a siren.”

  I groan. “You use that line much, Landon?”

  “All the time.” He grins. “Is it working?”

  “You know,” I tell him, crossing my arms, “I think it just might be.”

  Damn. I’m in so much trouble.

  * * *

  Lunch break is over, and Landon and I have gone our separate ways for the next classes of the day. I’m still reeling from what happened—what almost happened—but I can’t help but chuckle when I think about it; this is what I like about these guys. Even in the most awkward of situations, they’re able to make me feel comfortable, and that’s a feeling that’s more foreign to me than I can describe.