by JJ King
Compared to the science, math, and arts buildings, the education building was small. It was also in need of some updates as far as I could tell, based on the state of the ivy-covered brick that made up the east-facing wall. I sprinted across the open path and tucked myself back into the shadows in case any of the guards the academy had hired happened by.
No sooner had I melted into the darkness than a low-pitched chuckle sent my heart racing and stretched my eyes wide. I squeezed them shut just in case they reflected the light from the lamp post, and waited until three wolves I faintly recognized as third years moved past my hiding place and disappeared around the side of the building.
I moved as quickly as I could in stealth mode, praying they wouldn’t hear or scent me as I peered around the corner just in time to see them slip through an unimpressive door no more than twenty feet away from where I stood.
The door snicked shut behind them and I darted out, head whipping wildly around to see if anyone was watching me as I’d been watching them. I lifted my hand to the handle with equal parts hope and nausea and let out a rush of breath when I found it unlocked.
This is it, I told myself, stealing my backbone for what was to come. I’d gotten lucky seeing the girls enter, or I’d still be searching the perimeter looking for a way in and I’d still be wondering at the back of my mind if this were a ruse for murder. At least now, knowing there were other female students inside the building as curfew approached, the chances that I was right about what I was getting into were climbing.
Inside the building I was met with a long corridor, lit faintly by two light fixtures, spaced well apart. It was spooky as Hell. I wished again that I could have brought Rory. She was small, but she was definitely a fighter.
I strained to hear the girls’ footsteps but nothing reached my ears, so I began down the corridor, trailing my hand along the wall on one side in case a hidden doorway latch just happened to find my fingertips. I knew it was stupid, but I did it anyway.
I tested two doors and found them both locked. Another glance at my phone showed that my time was dwindling. Fear that I’d be locked out for good if I didn’t make this final leap pushed me onward.
I stopped at the end of the corridor and swiveled my neck to look down at my two choices. Each new corridor was dark like the first and lined with doors. And there was absolutely nothing in either that gave me any kind of clue as to which I should choose. I sagged with frustration, and clapped my hand against the bookcase anchored to the wall in front of me, then swore under my breath.
It was here, I could feel it in my bones. I just had to use my brains and figure out which way to turn. The girls hadn’t disappeared. They’d gone somewhere and quickly. I should check each door just in case, I thought. Unless…
I clicked on the light on my phone and held it up towards the bookshelf. Remembering every Nancy Drew book I’d ever read, which was all of them seeing as my mom had the entire collection from when she was a girl, I turned the light towards the floor, hoping to see scratch marks, and saw absolutely nothing.
“Damnit,” I muttered, gritting my teeth. So much for that theory. It would have been so friggin’ cool if the shelf had been a hidden door. I glanced down the corridor to my left and took a step forward, needing to move quickly at the seconds ticked by. Indecision made me pause and turn back.
That’s when I saw the crest mounted to the side of the bookshelf.
I abandoned my previous decision to check all the doors and turned all my attention back to the bookshelf. It would be foolish to leave any indication of a false door on the floor and The Sisterhood was anything but foolish, based on the fact that they’d stayed in the shadows for centuries. No, I chewed my lip and thought it over. They wouldn’t make it easy to spot the way in.
I moved my fingers slowly over the crest, pressing gently in hopes it would release some kind of latch. When nothing happened, I moved to the other side and, finding another crest, did the same.
Still nothing.
Blowing out the breath I’d been holding in hope, I turned to the books themselves. The spines identified them as mostly textbooks written by prominent AWA professors and alumni with a smattering of fiction and non-fiction books written by names I didn’t recognize. Most of them looked relatively new as if they’d been put there only recently and untouched by the mass of students on campus. One by one, I tugged them forward, searching for something, still hoping the right move would release a hidden door.
When I got to the last shelf, I squatted down and tried every book, then collapsed onto my ass, overcome with frustration.
“Where the hell is the release mechanism?” I muttered, staring up at the bookshelf. I traced the line of books down from the top shelf to the floor with my gaze, looking for something, anything. “What if it’s not visible,” I mumbled, and absently worried I was turning into a crazy person. But the idea stuck and got me moving.
I shot up from the floor and launched forward with my heart hammering in my chest and ran my hand along the bottom of the second last shelf. When my fingertips traced a small niche in the wood, I held my breath and pushed the rounded bump I found.
The bookshelf swung open, revealing a secret stairwell lined with lit torches.
I threw my arms up and danced on the spot, but only for a few precious seconds because the time on my phone was showing 8:57 p.m. It was time to either get murdered or become a part of history.
At the bottom of the stairs, a woman I didn’t recognize waited with a soft smile in front of a dark door. She held out her hand without saying a word and waited while I pulled the slip of paper from my pocket and handed it to her.
“Welcome Sister,” she murmured, then stepped aside as the door disappeared into the wall, revealing a room full of women.
I must have floated into the room, because I don’t remember walking. It was just so surreal. I forced myself to keep my gaze level and not gawk like a tourist at the professors I recognized and women I’d seen many times on the cover of wolf net articles about the rich and famous of our kind. The amount of raw female power in the room was staggering.
The lighting dimmed a moment later and a woman ascended a small podium near the far end of the room. I walked forward, pulled by curiosity and the flutter in my stomach, then nearly swallowed my tongue when the woman turned to address the group.
“Good evening,” she said with a wide smile that echoed in her bright blue eyes. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Katherine LaFlamme.”
Holy shit. Mom is going to freak out when I tell her!
“My mother, Sylvie LaFlamme, Alpha of Canada,” her voice rose with pride, “has worked alongside some of our world’s brightest minds and fiercest hearts for centuries to bring equality to our society. She and others like her have stayed the course when it looked as though time would fail to sway stubborn minds.”
Katherine scanned the crowd and, as her gaze fell on me then passed to take in every face, my skin prickled with awareness and wonder. My entire life, I’d prepared for an average life, an average path and destiny. There had been times I’d dreamed of more, but more had meant leaving home, leaving my family and friends, and facing the terrifying possibility of failure. So, I’d set my sights on achieving all I could within my bubble of safety, then my parents had blown that out from under me.
I couldn’t quite manage to get a deep breath. It was as if the oxygen in here was too thin for my lungs to fill properly. My head swam as I tried to find my equilibrium and I wished for a chair to sit down.
“We have a long road to travail,” Katherine continued, shifting her voice so it was firmer, more commanding. My head cleared in response.
“Which is why we must stand now, new generations and,” she smiled, “seasoned generations of wolves together. We’ve stepped out of the shadows and there is nothing left to protect us but our resolve, our strength, and our fortitude. History is being made right now and you’re invited to become a part of what is to come.” Katherine
grinned. “Just think, years from now little girls around the globe will look back at this moment and know that there were those of us brave enough to fight for the right to lead. Welcome to The Sisterhood.”
Chills flashed through my body once more, leaving me shivering. I blew out a deep breath and glanced around, hoping for a familiar face that could help ground me in this unreal situation. The Old Ones must have taken pity on me because the first face I saw belonged to Rory.
She caught my glance and rushed forward, scooting gracefully around a few women to get to me in record time. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” she exclaimed, grabbing my forearms and squeezing lightly.
I gaped. “You’re happy? I’ve been freaking out all day. I wanted to call you right away but I was scared someone would, I don’t know, hear me or something, and they’d rescind my invitation.”
“Me too!” she whispered in a hiss. Rory let go of my arms and turned to stand by my side. “Can you believe we’re here?”
I shook my head then realized she wasn’t looking at me and murmured, “Not even a little.” My gaze zeroed in on Katherine’s bright red hair and wondered if I’d get the chance to say hello. Mom would die a bit if I got this close to her idol and didn’t at least try. “Come on,” I tugged at Rory’s sleeve and stepped forward. “Let’s get a bit closer.”
Rory didn’t ask who I wanted to get closer to, she just followed my lead without complaint then hissed and stopped dead in her tracks. “What the hell is she doing here?”
I followed her gaze to where a woman with long black hair and a stunning black dress was stretching her hand out to Katherine. I recognized Daniella almost immediately and experienced a surge of disgust that washed away most of the disbelief I’d been feeling. I hadn’t seen her since I’d broken her perfect little nose, which was back to perfect, of course. Her full lips lifted in a smile meant to impress.
Katherine shook Daniella’s hand politely and leaned in to speak with her. I watched as my new idol laughed at something my arch-nemesis said and felt all the confidence I’d miraculously sprouted when I’d received my rose wilt and fade away.
No, I drew my eyebrows down. No, I wasn’t going to do this to myself again. So what if Daniella was rich and important? I’d been invited to this meeting the same way she had. I was done letting her make me feel less. As long as I let Daniella control my emotions, I was giving her power over me. I let my fisted hands relax.
I was turning to Rory to fill her in on my epiphany, when I noticed Dr. Sherman slide up to Katherine and lean in to whisper something, then both sets of eyes turned to stare directly at me.
I froze in place, unable to function, let alone think straight. They were looking at me. Katherine LaFlamme was studying me. Or was she?
I glanced back over my shoulder, sure I’d find someone important standing just behind me, but there was no one there and when I looked back there was a smile on both their lips.
Shocked pleasure raced over my skin like an electric shock as Katherine inclined her head towards Daniella then turned and started towards me with Dr. Sherman at her side. My gaze darted from Katherine’s face to Daniella’s, which was turning redder by the second as she saw who had stolen Katherine’s attention.
“Ms. Jensen,” Katherine said, extending her hand to me as she approached. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m glad you figured out our little hiding spot.”
Breathe! I commanded my body to obey and sucked oxygen into my lungs as quietly as I could manage, then expelled it in a rush. My hand lifted, moved by a lifetime of ingrained manners, and took hers. My father’s lessons came back to me in a rush and I tightened my grip.
“Thank you,” I managed to say in what seemed, to me at least, like a normal tone. I met her gaze and was surprised to see interest there.
In me?
“My mother is going to die when I tell her I met you,” I blurted, feeling the need to fill the silence with something.
Katherine laughed. “Well you tell your mother it takes a strong woman to raise a strong daughter. I should know.” Her hand reached out to touch my arm lightly, sending goosebumps down my spine. “I’ve heard many good things about you, Elena, and I’m sure you’ll have an important role to play in The Sisterhood.”
I didn’t know how important a role I could possibly play when I was just a small-town girl with an unimpressive past, but I nodded and promised myself I would do whatever it took to prove Katherine right as I murmured, “I’ll do my best.”
A flutter of movement out of the corner of my eye reminded me of Rory’s presence. I pulled her forward and presented her to Katherine like a life-line, meant to save me from my own awkwardness. “This is Rory Dumont.”
Katherine turned her attention to Rory with a grin. “Welcome Aurora. Your mother speaks of you often with great pride.”
Rory’s eyes were wide as she shook Katherine’s hand and managed a few, basic responses. Thankful for the reprieve, I watched my friend gaze up at the woman who could one day be Alpha of the Canadian pack and wondered at the fact that I was now part of the sorority that had made that possible.
Dr. Sherman bumped up next to me as Rory answered questions about her family. “I’m glad you could join us tonight, Elena,” she murmured.
I twisted to look at my professor, who seemed even more sure of herself in this setting than she did in the classroom.
“I almost didn’t find it,” I admitted, thanking the Old Ones that I had.
Dr. Sherman made a dismissive sound deep in her throat. “I never doubted you for a second.” Her eyes flashed with what looked strangely like pride before she turned to touch Katherine’s arm. Once again, they seemed to communicate without words.
“Well, it seems my attention is needed elsewhere.” Katherine turned to me again. “I look forward to seeing you both at the next meeting.” She locked her gaze on mine for a long moment as if looking straight into my soul.
Then she was gone, striding away on incredibly long legs to where a group of women waited to speak with her. My breath whooshed out as I reached for Rory’s hand without looking. I found it waiting.
“I can die happy now,” she whispered, squeezing lightly.
“Can’t die,” I said in a shaky voice. “We’ve got too much to do.” I shook my head in disbelief. “We’re sisters now.”
Daniella’s sharp laugh just inches behind us cut my joy off at the knees. I turned slowly, wishing I could ignore her, but knowing civility would go further here than outright bitchiness. I was already on thin ice. Her emerald eyes glinted with disgust and a fine sheen of jealousy that I should have been able to enjoy, but there was something deadly in those eyes that chilled my blood.
She arched a perfect brow and pitched her voice just high enough for everyone around us to hear. “And exactly how long do you expect to remain a member of The Sisterhood once I have you expelled from Alpha Wolf Academy for assault?”
A multitude of eyes shifted to look directly at me.
Heat spread quickly from my stomach, where a million determined butterflies were trying to kill me, up my neck to set my cheeks on fire. It felt as if everyone was waiting for an answer that I was physically incapable of giving right now. My mouth opened and closed but no words came out. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how to when every shred of hope I’d scraped together to make my life at AWA tolerable was in jeopardy of being torn from my hands.
Chapter 11
I reread the same paragraph I’d been on for the last ten minutes then closed my copy of The Cruel Prince. It was too good a book to ruin with nerves and butterflies. I checked the time again.
After lunch, that’s what I’d told Bash in the text. No specific time, just after lunch. I chided myself for being so foolish now but, at the time, I’d been torn between The Sisterhood and meeting him. Patience was not my strong suit, but I was going to have to suck it up and wait until he got here.
It would help if I could stop sweating.
I st
ood up and twisted, reveling in the satisfying crack of my spine. I’d been curled up in my favorite chair for almost an hour, basking in the sunlight filtering through the solarium windows and pretending to read the newest Holly Black book. On the surface I’m sure I looked totally casual, that was my plan after all. Inside, though, I was a ball of nerves. What if Bash wanted to tell me face to face that we were over or that his parents were having me kicked out of AWA?
Hope and anxiety warred inside my stomach, making it churn furiously. I tasted copper and realized I’d been chewing my cheek again, a bad habit I’d never been able to break. Sometimes I didn’t realize I was stressed out until I tasted blood. This time, I was well aware of my stress.
For someone who’d never wanted to attend a fancy university, I sure was concerned about getting kicked out. Things had changed since my first day here. I’d met a guy that made my blood sing, forged a friendship that felt as solid as family, and became part of a world-wide sisterhood.
There was nowhere in the world I wanted to be more than right here at Alpha Wolf Academy.
A yawn snuck free before I could stifle it completely, making me wish I’d grabbed a cup of coffee before leaving the cafeteria. I’d been pleasantly surprised to discover the vast assortment of coffees available on what had been dubbed the Go-Juice Bar by students and faculty alike. I guess the academy could afford the best with the prices they charged for tuition.
I looked out the window at the quad where students milled about, enjoying the sun, and my thoughts turned to my parents. They were the hardest working people I knew but we’d never been able to do the things other families had. There’d just been no extra money for vacations or big houses. Not that I’d ever minded. Our little three-bedroom house on the ocean had always been a haven to me.