Year One (Bloodshed Academy Book 1)

by Jen L. Grey

  At least, I hadn’t missed too much. Any small victory was a big win for me at this point.

  “Now, let’s jump right into it.” He turned and wrote ‘vampires’ on the whiteboard in black. “One of the most important things every good leader knows is how each supernatural race’s beliefs, customs, and leadership hierarchy influence their kind and decisions.”

  “This is finally a topic I can agree with.” The girl who tried to trip me smiled and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs.

  “I’m sure you do.” Professor Shaw laughed and pointed the pen at her. “So, start us off. What’s your belief?”

  “That blood and power are everything.” She glanced at me and smirked. “And we take care of our own.”

  “Yes, blood and power are almost interchangeable.” He wrote the words blood and power on the board before turning back around. “For vampires, this is both their weakness and strength. At times, their thirst for the blood of someone can become an obsession. Something they can’t quite control.”

  “Hey now.” The girl pouted and crossed her arms.

  “Oh, come on now. That’s been proven over and over throughout history.” He paced in front of the room. “For example, the legend of Count Dracula. He came to an end because of his cravings and urges. However, real vampires can reproduce and rarely turn someone into one of them. They can control their venom. The only thing the legend had right was that their heart doesn’t beat, which makes them immortal.”

  Wow, this guy was super passionate about these facts. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad class after all.

  “All right.” He glanced at the clock and smiled. “Sorry for holding you over, but this is exciting information.”

  The class had been truly interesting and insightful. It was amazing how the teacher was able to break down the core characteristics of each supernatural race.

  Everyone grabbed their stuff and headed out of the room without even a backward glance. However, the vampire girl hissed at me before disappearing.

  “So, what did you think of the class?” Professor Shaw erased the board and dusted off his hands.

  “It was truly interesting.” I stood from my desk and stretched out my back.

  “I’m glad. Students either love the class or hate it.” He shrugged and turned around.

  “Well, it is a little concerning knowing everyone is learning about your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes those secrets are best kept hidden though.” I understood why this information was needed, but it could help others get a strategic advantage over your kind.

  “Any good leader already knows this information whether through this class or learning on their own.” He adjusted his shirt and smiled. “It’s what this university is supposed to do. Generate the future leaders of our races.”

  “I think each of us will learn a lot.” A whiff of cotton candy floated into the room.

  “Hey, teach. How’s our girl doing?” Cole swaggered in and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

  “Your girl?” The professor had a strange look on his face as he pulled back, taking in what was happening right in front of him.

  “Yup, I was the recruit who brought her in.” He tugged me further into his side. “So I guess I’m responsible for her now.”

  “You do realize that you’ve recruited several hundred others for us.” The professor waved his hands side to side. “And you’ve never done this before.”

  “Don’t be jealous.” He placed a hand on his chest. “I still have room here for you too.”

  It was official. Cole had no boundaries at all.

  “Aw. Thank you, Mr. Smith.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “You’ve eased all my concerns. Now, Miss Wright, if you need any help getting caught up, please let me know. We hadn’t really gotten into any of the details prior to today. It was more about why you needed this information and what to do with it. So, please, come to me if needed. I have an open-door policy.”

  “Now, don’t be trying to steal her from me.” Cole dropped his hand from my shoulders and gently grabbed my arm. “If she needs any extra help, I’m more than willing to give it to her … if you know what I mean.”

  Oh my God. I may have died of embarrassment right then if I hadn’t already. “I have a boyfriend, and it’s not him.”

  “That’s good to know.” He tsked and pointed his finger at Cole. “You’re making her uncomfortable, and I don’t blame her either. Rest assured Ms. Wright; I already know that Mr. Smith is quite full of it, so don’t worry.”

  “Aw, Ravey’s face is red.” Cole tapped me on my nose. “Somehow that makes you even more adorable. This may have to become a regular occurrence.”

  “Please, don’t.” I’m pretty sure he would try to top himself next time, and there was no telling how far he would go. “I’m not sure I could survive it.”

  “I think it’s time both of you go and grab some dinner.” The professor glanced at me and motioned Cole to the door. “I would tell you to stop embarrassing her, Mr. Smith, but I think that might only encourage you more.”

  “Challenge accepted.” He lifted both hands and pretended to shoot Professor Shaw.

  “He didn’t even challenge you.” That was the point of the professor’s whole spiel.

  “Oh, he did.” Cole tugged me to the door. “It’s the fact that he didn’t challenge me that made it a challenge.”

  “Do you even listen to yourself sometimes?” Cole must live in a different world than the rest of us. That was the only answer.

  “Sweet Miss Wright, I think the problem is that he listens to himself way more than he should.” The professor shrugged and once again glanced at my necklace.

  At least I’m hoping that he was eyeing my necklace and not my boobs. That would be even more disconcerting.

  Cole dragged me out of the classroom and into the hall. “How did your first day with Professor Shaw go?”

  “It was really interesting.” For once, I didn’t have to lie about a class. “I knew the basics about the other supernaturals, but we weren’t around them. Somehow we had isolated ourselves. Still, learning more about all the strengths and weaknesses, it’s interesting. Although it’s also …”

  “Unnerving?” Cole guided me through the crowded halls, ignoring all the people who stared at me.

  “Yes, that’s the word I was looking for.” It was surprising that he got it. He was always cutting jokes, so I wasn’t entirely sure he’d understand.

  He opened a glass door that led outside, and when we stepped through, his shoulders sagged. “There is good in that class, but it’s still relatively new.” He ran his hands through his hair, causing the spikes to be messy. “It’s something the Professor had been trying for years to push through, and the headmaster finally approved it just this past semester.”

  “Really?” At least this confirmed what I had initially thought. It was one thing to know about the other races, but to lay out each strength and weakness in front of everyone didn’t completely sit well with me. However, if we were the next set of leaders coming through, it would be good to know just for the sake of interaction and respect.

  “There is a benefit to knowing, but having each race dissected like that may not be the best idea.” He glanced off into the woods and frowned. “This is his pilot class that you’re in.”

  “Thanks for telling me.” Now my concerns were amplified. Cole must have been more concerned than I was, considering the way he was acting. All traces of the strong, inappropriate vampire I’d come to know were gone.

  “Still, for it to bother you as a newbie, it proves my concerns aren’t one-sided.” A door opened and shut, and footsteps headed in our direction. Cole’s eyes narrowed, and he stood close to me.

  Great. Jordan’s dark hair almost blended into the black tight shirt she wore, and her lips were painted a blood red. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “No, not at all.” Cole reached out his arm behind me, propping himself up on a tree. “We were discussin
g bitches, so it must have summoned one. I’m not surprised it was you who got the call.”

  She stopped and balled her hands at her sides. “What did I ever do to you?”

  “Breathe.” His tone grew colder somehow. “You’re wasting a precious commodity.”

  Before I could help it, a giggle escaped me.

  “Aw, your little pet thinks it okay for her to make a noise.” She opened her mouth, and her fangs extended. “Maybe I should teach her a lesson. After all, dogs were made to die.”

  “Watch it, Jordan.” Cole smirked and leaned closer to me. “Your jealousy is beginning to show.”

  “Once upon a time, I might have thought you were the best catch around.” She crossed her arms right under her breasts, emphasizing them. “But not anymore. How could you befriend someone like her?”

  “Because unlike you, he knows that I’m only a bitch to those who are deserving.” I’d never disliked someone as much as her. I thought I hated Sheila before, but at that moment, I could see that Sheila wasn’t even close to being an eighth annoying as Jordan was.

  Jordan cringed at my words, and her body stiffened. “Did I give you permission to speak to me?”

  “Count yourself lucky that the two of us are giving you the time of day.” Cole glanced toward the woods and smiled. “Maybe that’s the lesson you need. You get your thrills from feeling in charge. What would happen if no one talked to you?”

  “You aren’t God, Cole.” She lifted her chin, but there was fear in her eyes. “There is no way you could make that happen.”

  “That’s bullshit, and you know it.” Cole stood straight and advanced on her. Each step toward her, she backed up another step. “You mess with Raven one more time, and I’ll make that happen. Is that what you want?”

  Her bottom lip quivered, and her eyes landed on me with even more hatred than before. “You better watch your back.” She turned around and hurried back into the building, slamming the door behind her.

  Damien’s pine smell hit my nose.

  “Did you really have to do that?” Damien stepped from the woods and shook his head.

  “Please tell him that she approached us.” Cole stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

  “He’s telling the truth.” I had to protect Cole. He’d done it enough for me. “She wanted the altercation.”

  “She won’t let it go.” A side of Damien’s lips lifted. “She’s like a dog with a bone.”

  “What? Did you just compare her to a dog?” Cole glanced around and pouted. “Damnit, there was no one here to witness that.”

  “That’s enough, Cole.” Damien frowned and rubbed his eyes. “The more you keep antagonizing, the more people are going to go after her.”

  I couldn’t believe that Damien was worried about my well-being. He was so quiet and standoffish.

  “Aw, you care for her too.” Cole arched an eyebrow.

  “No, but for some reason, I’ve teamed up with you and Rage.” Damien stepped toward me and seemed to be examining me. “I’m not sure why, but you both care about her. So, if you really care, stop antagonizing people.”

  If that didn’t make it clear how he felt about me, I wasn’t sure what else would. I was obviously a nuisance, and he was doing this just for his friends. Still, Damien was right. For whatever reason, Cole was determined we’d be friends. So how exactly was I going to fit in here?

  Chapter Twelve

  The last six months had been crazy, to say the least. Luckily, we got into a pattern. Rage still avoided me like the plague, and Cole put some distance between us, at least from what everyone else saw. Of course, Greg called and texted me every day.

  Jordan and her crew seemed to settle down when Cole stopped publicly hanging around me. All of them still hated me, but her blatant attempts to make my life hell had reduced drastically.

  My biggest concern was that I still wasn’t able to fully connect with my wolf. Damien was getting frustrated with me, and to be honest, so was I. It was like there was some kind of barrier. Damien had told Cole to stop hanging around because I had no way to protect myself yet.

  Christmas was already upon us. Still, I wasn’t allowed to go home because of my issues. After what I had done to Damien, they were afraid that it could happen again. For some reason, Damien wanted to stay here and help me gain control. The break gave us another two weeks of training with no interference from anyone else.

  Everyone was getting ready to head home, but there was a dance tonight for the students and staff.

  Something was being dragged across the den floor, and I jumped out of bed to see what was going on. When I entered the den, I found Jess with an oversized suitcase with clothes sticking out the sides. She was attempting to tug it to the door, but the suitcase probably weighed more than she did.

  “Do you need some help?” I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face.

  “Hmmph, no.” She tugged on it once more, but it didn’t even budge an inch. “Fine, but I don’t want any gloating to happen.”

  “No promises.” I couldn’t help digging at her. She normally never needed help so this was a rare opportunity.

  “Hey now.” When she saw the look on my face, she sighed. “Girl, don’t play me like that.”

  “You know I love you too much to follow through.” I walked over and grabbed the luggage. It was even hard for me to carry. “What the hell do you have in here?”

  “Well, my clothes here are nicer than the ones at home.” She cringed and shrugged. “So maybe … uh, over half my closet.”

  “How did they all fit in here?” Our closets were pretty full, and most of them were our standard button-down shirts and skirts.

  “I might’ve used some of my magic.” She shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

  “Are you leaving already?” My stomach dropped. I’d assumed she and I would go to the dance together.

  “Of course not.” She reached over and swatted my arm. “I just know it’ll be hard for me to get out of bed in the morning. My parents are coming bright and early to take me back home.”

  “Your parents are coming?” She hadn’t told me that little nugget of information before now.

  “Yeah, didn’t I tell you?” She tapped her finger to her lips. “Oh, wait. I was going to, and then Damien pulled you away for training. Oops.” She cringed and then smiled at me. “Hey Raven, my parents want to meet you so they are picking me up.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.” It wasn’t a big deal at all, but I had to tease her a little more. “So, I guess I shouldn’t go to bed naked tonight.”

  “If you want to make a lasting impression, sure.” She shrugged and fell back onto the couch. “I won’t judge.”

  “There goes my confidence in you telling me if something is a bad idea.” It was crazy how close we’d become in this short amount of time. I figured living with someone inadvertently did that.

  “Speaking of which, we need to go dress shopping.” She crossed her legs and picked at her nails. “We should’ve already done this.”

  “How are we going to get off campus?” Neither one of us had a car, so I’d planned on rolling in with just jeans and a shirt.

  “Did you really just ask me that?” She jumped to her feet and hurried down the hallway to my room.

  “What are you doing?” If she was hoping for some cute dresses in there, she was going to be sadly mistaken.

  She walked into my room and was back out within seconds with my cell phone in her hands. “I’m taking this emergency into my own hands.” She swiped my phone, entering the correct design to gain access to contacts.

  “How do you know my password?” I’d never given it to her before.

  “Oh, come on.” She rolled her eyes as she operated my phone. “It’s a freaking square. Do you know how boring that is?”

  “No, but I’m pretty sure you just told me.” That had me worried about how many others knew it. I was going to have to change it before she did some kind of spell on it wh
ere it couldn’t be changed.

  “That’s what friends do.” She typed something into the phone and then tossed it to me. “There, problem solved.”

  I glanced at the phone and saw what she’d texted.

  Hey Cole - I need a trip to town.

  “Really?” I was never going to hear the end of it.

  “Oh, come on.” She placed her hand on her hip. “You love him.”

  “He’s like a fungus.” The more I asked him for stuff, the more I knew I’d never live it down. “He takes hold and won’t leave.”

  “I’m so telling him you said that.” Jess laughed and moved past me.

  The phone buzzed in my hand.

  Ohhh! Are we buying lingerie? I’d be more than happy to let you know which outfit works best. Meet me at my car in ten.

  Of course, that would be his response. “We’ve got to meet him in ten. You better get ready.” I slammed my door and rushed, throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Even though it was late December, it wasn’t super cold here, so my wolf alone kept me warm.

  I raced into the bathroom and grabbed the toothbrush rather than my hairbrush. I quickly applied some lip stain and mascara. Thankfully, it didn’t take me long, I headed into the den.

  “What took you so long?” Jess was pacing back and forth. “I was ready to go before.”

  “Girl, it’s only been like five minutes.” I wasn’t sure if I was up to handling both her and Cole this morning. Hell, I hadn’t even had a cup of coffee yet. I slipped on my tennis shoes and grabbed my purse. “Let’s go.”

  “It’s about damn time.” Jess swung open the door and rushed to the elevator.