by Jen L. Grey
Year One
Bloodshed Academy
Jen L. Grey
Copyright © 2020 by Jen L. Grey
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the Author
Also by Jen L. Grey
Chapter One
Today wasn’t anything special. It was the same damn thing I had to relive over and over again. If only they knew what I hid inside… There was no way that anyone could ever know though.
I pushed my wolf harder, letting her take control. Times like these were my bliss, but it was rare that I could sneak away to run by myself. Birds chirped above in the trees, and even though it was the end of spring, the grass smelled like rain. These small stolen moments were the only thing that kept my sanity.
Hey, Rave, where are you? Greg’s raspy voice appeared in my head.
Great, that lasted all of five minutes. My wolf growled as I pushed her back, letting my human side maintain more control. Sorry, babe. I thought I heard something and wanted to check it out.
And you didn’t wait for me? A few leaves crumbled under his footsteps as he ran in my direction. You should know better than to shift this close to school and put yourself in harm’s way. Besides, that’s my job.
Sometimes I’d bend the rules when there was a chance I could run wild all on my own. When I could let her out and just be what my wolf wanted us to be. You’re right, but none of the humans saw me change. I made sure of it.
Oh, come on. Greg appeared as he stepped through the trees with both his and my backpacks slung over his shoulder. He dropped my dark pink bag on the ground and pulled out my track uniform. Put this on. We’re both going to be late for practice.
I hated being told what to do. That was just one more reason why I didn’t belong here; not that it mattered. My wolf snapped at me as I willed her back in. It worried me because each year, she seemed to be getting stronger.
Mustering all my control, I forced my wolf to stand down, and I shifted back to two legs. It didn’t take long for it to happen, and of course, I found myself buck naked in front of Greg.
A huge grin filled his boyish face, and he dropped his black bag as he took a few steps toward me. “Damn, you’re fine.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, resting the palms of his hands on my ass cheeks.
“Greg, stop.” I should’ve known better than to shift in front of him. I purposely avoided situations like these because he’d get pushy. “Someone might see us.”
“Oh, come on.” His dark brown eyes found mine, and he grabbed my ass. “You know that it’s been forever since you’ve given me any, and it’s way past time.” His lips landed on mine, and he forced his tongue into my mouth.
How I wished I could think this was romantic, but no… it felt like a slug dancing inside my mouth. It was juicy, limp, and somehow cold. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him backward. “Though that may be true, now isn’t the time or the place. Remember we’re going to be late to practice.” I grabbed my clothes that had fallen on the ground and quickly dressed before he decided to try again.
“If it wasn’t for the big game, I’d be taking you right now.” He sighed as he ran his fingers through his short, brown hair. “Come on, we can’t be late.” He grabbed our bags and then reached for my hand, rushing back through the few trees that had hidden us from the outside, human world.
Ever the obedient girlfriend, I followed behind my alpha, obeying his every command. It made me sick, and my wolf howled loudly in my ears. But this was my role. Women weren’t alphas; betas at most, and even that was rare.
As we stepped out into the student parking lot, a group from our pack was standing there, directly facing us. We normally tried not to stand out, but it was hard, especially when we were in a group.
What the hell are you doing? Greg linked the others in, rage evident in his eyes.
Shit, I’d messed up this time.
Darren cringed and glanced down at the asphalt. He ran his hand through his shaggy, black hair and kicked his red baseball cleats on the ground. Sorry, man. You took off, and we thought there might be a problem.
What did you expect? Ian lifted his chin as his light green eyes glared at me. Figured princess was causing trouble.
That one had never liked me, and I couldn’t blame him. One day, he cornered me at school and told me that I wasn’t worthy of Greg. That may have been true, but I thought it was more likely that Ian was the only one who could sense my wolf inside and worried my ranking could be higher than his. He was Greg’s beta, and it was easy to tell just by looking at him. He was built like a freaking Ford truck and one of the best football and baseball players that Montgomery Central High School had ever seen.
“Oh, don’t give Raven a hard time.” Sheila tossed her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder and stuck out her boobs that had Indians written across them.
Ugh, I’d always hated the mascot; Indians. I guess that’s what you got for living on the outskirts of Clarksville, Tennessee and attending the infamous school that was built on some man-made lake.
“Come on, let’s go before the coach throws a fit.” Greg ignored Sheila’s advances and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Dad told me that there might be a scout coming from Bloodshed Academy tonight for the big game. It’s the last big one before graduation.”
My blood felt as though it turned ice cold, and my wolf perked up at the name. Bloodshed Academy was the elite paranormal school where only the best alphas attended and even fewer graduated. If you weren’t there by invitation, wards prevented you from entering—that was just how damn exclusive it was.
“Are you fucking with me?” Ian stopped moving, and his mouth dropped open.
“They’re coming here?” Darren’s voice cracked, and he smiled like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Hell, yeah!” Greg glanced at my face and moved his hand down my waist possessively. “They called my dad last night and said they were coming to scope me out. What do you think of that, baby?”
Honestly, it bothered me that everything got handed to these four entitled asses. “That’s … great.” I tried to put enthusiasm into my words, but they only fell flat.
“Don’t sound so happy for him.” Sheila faked a frown while shaking her head. “It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything.”
She was as dumb as a box of bricks, so I must have fumbled worse than I had thought. “No, I am.” Even then, my words fell flat. I had to recover and fast. “Sorry, I just have my final exam in Calculus. I’m stressed.” I stopped walking and grabbed Greg’s arm. As he turned around toward me, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips. “I’m really happy for you.”
A wide smile spread across his face, and he bent down for a longer kiss. “You should be happy for us. There’s no telling where this will take me.”
That was the problem. It was always about where he was going, and my future n
ever seemed to matter. “I can’t wait.” Somehow, I managed to force those words out and believably too.
“Come on, man.” Ian wrinkled his nose and punched Greg in the shoulder. “We’re going to be late.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Greg leaned in and kissed my forehead. “See you at the game, alright?”
“Of course.” Ever the doting girlfriend, I had to be there.
The three of them walked off laughing while Sheila, my frenemy, stayed right next to me.
“Do you even care for him?” Sheila narrowed her ice-blue eyes at me.
The truth was that I did care for him. Well I mean, I didn’t want him to get bitten by a vampire or anything. So that had to count for something. “Of course, I do. School is just wearing me out.”
“I told you that you were crazy for taking on that load.” She arched an eyebrow and lifted both hands in the air. “I mean, why do that to yourself? You should have taken it easy. It’s not like you’re going off to college or anything.”
Of all things, she had to bring up that sore topic. “I mean if Greg goes to Bloodshed …”
“Do you really think you could get in?” Sheila laughed so hard she bent over holding her stomach.
My wolf growled in my head. “No, I thought maybe I’d be able to go to a college too.”
“Oh, come on, Raven.” Sheila rolled her eyes and began heading toward the track. “We don’t go off to college. Bloodshed is the only exception. You’ll be heading to community college just like me.”
Pressure began to build in my chest, and it almost felt like I might explode. “But if Greg says …”
“So glad the two of you could show up.” Mrs. Smith scowled at the two of us. “It’s not like you’re five minutes late or anything.”
“Sorry, coach.” I had to think of something to get us out of trouble.
“Yeah, sorry. Raven couldn’t find her shoes so we had to search for Greg to check in his truck.” Sheila side-eyed me and sighed. “And of course, that’s where they were.”
It only seemed fair for her to blame me since my seconds of stolen freedom got us in this predicament. “I was studying on the way to school this morning and must have forgotten to put them in my bag.”
“Well, don’t let it happen again.” Mrs. Smith waved her hand to the left and pointed in the direction of the other runners. “Go catch up to them and warm up. We’ll be doing sprints soon.”
I took off in a run with Sheila right behind me.
As I entered the house, I found both of my parents in the kitchen.
Mom’s dark brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and her blue t-shirt had flour dusting the front. “Hey, honey. I’m glad you’re home.” She opened the oven and pulled out some raw steaks.
Dad wrinkled his nose and fanned his hand in front of his face. “You smell disgusting.” Despite his complaining, there was a twinkle in his dark brown eyes.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t smell much better after sprinting a total of five miles.” My legs still felt like jelly when I walked. It didn’t help that my hair was stuck to the back of my neck and my stomach was completely empty. “I’m going to run upstairs and take a quick shower.”
“Hurry, we can’t be late to Greg’s game tonight,” Dad called out after me.
Yes, heaven forbid we be late for something of Greg’s. Sometimes I wish my parents weren’t as tight with Greg’s parents. Both sets were bound and determined that he and I were meant to be together. I’d been dating him since I was sixteen in the middle of my sophomore year. Now, here we were seniors and eighteen.
I remembered the night I turned sixteen. Right before I went out on my first date, which had been with Greg, my mom gave me a crescent moon necklace. She had made me promise to never take it off. It was long enough so that even when I shifted, it still stayed around my neck. I’d never taken it off except for one time—last week. The chain broke when I was changing for school, and I had to find a replacement chain. Mom found me and practically lost her shit. She ran into her room, brought me one of hers, and told me to put it back on immediately.
It only took a few minutes for me to bathe, and I felt like a new human being. As I headed downstairs, there was a knock on the door. Greg’s scent hit me before I even reached the door and put me on edge. Why the hell was he here?
Not wasting a moment, I yanked open the door and found him in a clean Indian’s baseball uniform. He winked at me and leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. “I see you’re wearing the sundress I like.”
It almost made me completely regret the decision, but I knew it would be hell from my parents if I didn’t make an effort. The sundress was off the shoulders and white with a blue pattern. Greg always said my dark brown hair and olive complexion contrasted nicely with the colors. “Got to do everything I can to support you.”
“Greg?” Mom called from the kitchen. “Please come in and join us. We were just sitting down for dinner.”
“You had me at dinner,” Greg called back before capturing my hand in his.
As we walked into the kitchen, Dad was already laying an additional plate on the table. “We gotta make sure the big baseball legend himself gets fed.”
“Especially for tonight’s game.” Greg marched over to the end cabinet and opened it, grabbing another fork and knife. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Yeah, time goes by fast.” Mom carried over the steaks to the table, placing them right in the center. “If you think it’s quick now, just wait until you get our age.” She patted Greg’s shoulder as she headed back to grab the steamed vegetables.
“No, that’s not it.” Greg took a deep breath, savoring the aroma. “It’s the scout that’s coming.”
“Scout?” Mom pulled her seat out from the table and sat.
“Your Dad wasn’t able to meet me for lunch today so we haven’t heard anything.” Dad sat and picked up his fork from the table.
Yay, here he goes again. Let’s hear all about the hoity-toity scout. I plopped into my seat and grabbed my glass of water.
“Someone from Bloodshed Academy is coming to meet me.” Greg couldn’t keep the huge grin from his face. “Can you believe it?”
Dad startled, and his fork pinged off the table while Mom’s face turned a shade of white.
“Say what now?” Dad straightened in his seat and cleared his throat.
“Right?” Greg grinned as he cut a large piece of his steak and then took a big bite. “It’s amazing.”
Although Mom and Dad’s faces didn’t show looks of amazement. They almost looked scared, and I had no clue why.
Chapter Two
To say dinner was tense would be an overstatement. Greg talked the entire time about Bloodshed Academy and what it meant for someone from their pack to finally get an invitation. Mom and Dad only nodded their heads and replied in one or two words, which was starkly different than normal.
As Greg and I walked out into the foyer, Mom and Dad followed behind.
“Honey, I’m not feeling so well.” Mom placed a hand on her stomach and then shot Greg a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make the game tonight.”
“You had said something earlier about not feeling well.” Dad touched her shoulder and shook his head. “Is it getting worse?”
It’s funny because I don’t remember her saying anything earlier about not feeling well. In all fairness though, I had been rushing to school since I had overslept.
“Yeah, but I hate missing the baseball game.” Mom sighed and gave me a small smile. “It’d be kinda nice if you stayed home to help take care of me.”
Was she being serious? She and Dad had been all about this game up until this very moment. “What?”
“I really need her there with me.” Greg threw his arm around my shoulders and tugged me into his chest. “She’s my good luck charm.”
His musky cologne nearly made me choke. Who the hell wears cologne when they’re going to play a game? He’s the damn
pitcher, so he’s one of the sweatiest ones, too. “It’s the last baseball game of my senior year.” I hated being this way because my parents usually didn’t ask me for a lot. But there was something inside me telling me I needed to go.
“Yeah, but you can always hang out with your friends another night.” Dad winked at me and pouted. “Please don’t make me take care of her all by myself. You know how she gets when she’s not feeling well.”
In Dad’s defense, Mom did get overdramatic and diva-ish when she didn’t feel well.
“Sir, I really need her with me.” Greg’s arm stiffened around me, and a low growl rumbled in his chest.
An alpha wolf doesn’t like not being listened to. If Dad wasn’t careful, Greg’s wolf was going to come out.
Dad glanced at my mother and then sighed. “Fine, but come back home right after the game. The scout is here for Greg, so it’d be best if you didn’t interfere.”
“Sure, I can have Ian bring her back.” Greg dropped his arm from my shoulder and opened the door. “Come on, I can’t be late for warm-ups.”
Yes, we must rush. The world would come to a halt if Greg wasn’t there. Those words were at the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down like a bitter pill. I didn’t feel like fighting with him tonight.
As I turned to step out the door, Mom grabbed my arm and tugged me toward her so she could look me in the eyes. Make sure your necklace stays on you, no matter what. Promise me.
Ever since last week, she’d been nagging me about my necklace. I didn’t understand why it was so important to her. Yes, I promise.
“Is everything okay?” Greg’s brows furrowed, and he glanced at where mom was clutching my arm.