Wolf of Choice (The Shifters and Sorceresses Trilogy Book 1)

by Shay Laurent

  Recognition flooded his face, then what looked like guilt. I tilted my head and surveyed him before I pulled myself up.

  Huh. Must be a wolf thing, not a Pack-leader thing.

  ‘Yeah, I’ve heard of her. She was here before the Crones and gave the elemental magic to the Ladies of Light, who used to be human, so they could try and stop the Crones, y’know? Didn’t quite work like she’d hoped, obviously. I am surprised you know, though. I didn’t learn about her until this year.’

  ‘Hmm. Well, Miss Stone gave me a book about her. I don’t know why she wanted me to know. I mean, it seems like I would have found out next year anyway. Any ideas?’

  Dom shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His odd behaviour reminded me of how he’d acted in my room. I sat up in my seat.

  ‘What’s going on with you? Is there something you’re not telling me?’

  Dom looked like he’d swallowed a rock. He turned his eyes away, hesitating for some reason. My heart went back to racing in my chest.

  ‘Dom?’

  He sighed and looked back at me. Anxiety and worry were plain on his face, but it looked like he’d made a decision.

  ‘Yeah, I guess there’s something, but I could be wrong about it and I didn’t want to worry you for nothing.’

  He stopped as though he wasn’t going to say any more, but I waved my hand to indicate he should continue.

  ‘It’s about your mum. It’s just, I think I’ve seen her before.’

  I sat up further, my back ramrod straight. How would he have seen my mum?

  ‘Look, it’ll be easier if I just show you what I mean, but we’ll have to go back into the Academy. Let’s go.’

  I was dizzy. Something about my mum? Why wouldn’t he have said something before? I stood up and followed him out the door and along the path. I stuck close by him, walking in the darker shadows of the trees. My head was reeling. Why would we need to sneak in to learn about her? Something wasn’t right here. My heart began thumping erratically.

  The glare of the stone wolves followed us through the Academy doors. I could still feel their eyes on my back as we snuck up two flights of stairs and down a corridor. My breathing had turned shallow; it was all I could hear besides the pounding of my heart in my head. I was so focused on sticking close to Dom that I bumped into his back when he stopped suddenly outside a door. He turned to look at me, eyebrows drawn together in a worried frown, then looked back at the door to open it. My eyes followed and I saw the sign for the first time: “Sorceress Records—Staff Only”.

  Oh, Salvatore.

  My stomach felt like it had fallen down to my feet. I trailed into the room behind Dom and stopped dead. Dozens of sketches lined the walls.

  My head shook back and forth like it was on repeat as he made his way over to a section of the wall directly in front of us. He looked at the sketches for a moment, then pointed to one. He turned back to me, watching and waiting.

  My legs had turned to lead. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to walk forward. I could hear the deafening thud of my heart picking up pace. It was like it wanted to escape. I wished I could escape. I stopped next to Dom and looked him in the eye, a cold dread filling my body. He gave me a tight smile and a small nod then squeezed my shoulder with his other hand. I absorbed the courage he was offering and turned to look where he pointed.

  No!

  I gasped, hand clutching my chest. It was her. My mother. On the wall of Sorceresses. My knees smashed into the solid stone floor. This couldn’t be true.

  A Sorceress cannot be the mother of a wolf.

  Chapter 5

  I could hardly breathe. My short, rapid breaths matched the thumping of my heart. The world was closing in around me and my face was wet with tears that wouldn’t stop rolling. The same thing kept running through my head: there was no way my mother was a Sorceress.

  Through my haze of roaring thoughts, I vaguely registered Dom sitting down on the floor beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. I think he said something, but I didn’t hear it. I couldn’t hear anything over my erratic breathing. I felt like I was going to pass out.

  ‘Hey!’ Dom shouted in my ear.

  It was enough to jolt me from the spiral of despair I’d found myself in. I looked at him in panic. The sympathy on his face was evident, and while my breathing had calmed down a touch, it just made the tears fall faster. He pulled me closer and gave me a tight hug. I finally heard him speak.

  ‘Hey, it’s okay. Everything will be all right.’

  How will it ever be all right? My mother is a Sorceress. Oh, Salvatore! Is she a good one or a bad one? I mean, they’re all our enemies, but please, don’t let her be a Crone Sorceress, they’re evil.

  ‘Come on, we need to get out of here before someone shows up.’

  I pushed my shaking my palms into my forehead as I forced my breathing to even out. He was right, I needed to pull myself together. Get back to my room. I couldn’t stay here like this.

  Dom leant back and looked at me as though assessing my mental state. I supposed that was fair considering what I’d just discovered. It seemed reasonable to assume I was one inch away from laying down and never getting up again.

  Dom’s brows furrowed. ‘Let’s move. I had to shout pretty loud to get you to snap out of it before. I doubt anyone was around to hear it, but just in case...’

  I nodded. I couldn’t speak right now, there were just too many thoughts rushing around, but I could move my head up and down. I watched him stand, then hold a hand out for me. I looked at it for a moment before realising that I should take it and get up. I grabbed his hand and he hoisted me to my feet.

  On the way to the door, I stopped. My mother. I looked back to the wall where her sketch was and took a step back towards it. It looked much more recent than the painting I had.

  ‘You can’t, Elita. I’m sorry. They’ll notice and you’ll draw attention to her.’

  I didn’t think my heart could hurt any more than it already did, but I was wrong. Despite my devastation at finding out my mother was a Sorceress, and at the cold hard betrayal I was beginning to feel, I still wanted the picture. I couldn’t move myself away, but Dom gave me no choice. He grabbed my hand and gently pulled me towards the door.

  I followed him in a daze, pausing and moving when he did. I still couldn’t speak. This was too much. The unwelcome feeling of betrayal began to to bubble over. But not at my mum. This time, it was towards my dad. How could he not have told me that my mum was a Sorceress? It’s not like he could have mistaken her for anything else with his sense of smell.

  My thoughts spun around in my head. I only realised we’d made it back into the Common Room when the warm dry air encompassed my body. It was then that I noticed I was shivering.

  Dom must have seen the shivers wracking my body because he led me over to the chair closest to the fire. My earlier questions about The Seer were miles away but, once the fire had warmed my outsides and insides enough, questions started to flow.

  ‘How could they do this to me, Dom? Why were they even together? It’s not like we live or stay anywhere near Sorceresses. They’re our enemies, for Salvatore’s sake! Even the Ladies of Light are still considered enemies and we only work with them when absolutely necessary. She’d better not be a Crone Sorceress! Ugh! How did they even meet? How could my dad not have told me?’

  I gulped in a massive breath of air, my chest protesting the onslaught of questions. As soon as I drew breath, Dom tried to reassure me.

  ‘Hey. Hey! It’s all right! We can figure all this out. I’m sure when you speak to your dad, he’ll tell you. I’m sure there was a good reason or something, y’know?’

  I stared at him blankly.

  A good reason? What could possibly be a good enough reason for this?

  I guess my thoughts came through loud and clear, because he answered me.

  ‘Yeah, you know, like he probably met her doing official Pack duties or something. An
d I mean, I guess, they were probably in love, or whatever.’

  The pink tinge that popped up on Dom’s face caused me to give a hysterical giggle, which then turned into another barrage of tears. This time he just put an arm around me and let me cry it out.

  ONCE ALL THE TEARS had dried on my face, a new set of worries arose. It was too much. When Dom felt me shift, he moved back and looked at me. His concern cut me further but I didn’t have enough left in me to offer a smile of reassurance.

  ‘I’m gonna go to bed now,’ I said, my voice raspy from crying.

  Dom just nodded then hopped up and grabbed my books from the table. He led the way upstairs to my room, stopping once he’d reached my door. He turned to look at me, and I could see he was trying to think of something else to say.

  ‘Don’t worry, Dom. There really isn’t anything to say about it. I need to sleep.’

  He nodded again and handed me my books, worry furrowing his brow.

  ‘I’m in number five upstairs, if you need anything.’

  I dredged up all the energy I could manage and pulled up the corners of my lips in thanks, then turned and let myself into my room. I closed the door gently behind me, though slamming it would have been more reflective of how I felt.

  Then again, maybe not. My insides felt dead from the shock of this new knowledge, and even slamming the door seemed too hard.

  I placed the books on my shelf then laid on my bed and let my worries flow through me.

  If Dad is a wolf and Mum is a Sorceress, what does that make me? I know humans and Shifters just make Shifters, but I bet this won’t be the same!

  What will happen when I Shift for the first time?

  Will I even be able to Shift?!

  What happens to me if I can’t Shift? Will they make me leave?

  What will happen if anyone finds out my mum is a Sorceress?

  Could she... maybe... be alive?

  Why didn’t Dad tell me about all this?

  Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, I rolled over, buried my face in my pillow and closed my eyes.

  I WOKE TO THE SOUND of loud knocking on my door. I quickly rolled out of bed but as the events of last night hit me, I staggered to a halt. When the knocking turned to banging, I forced myself to continue to the door. I pulled it open to find Natasha. She looked me over from top to bottom, making me feel unusually self-conscious.

  Can she tell I’m not a real Shifter?

  Before I could drift into fully-fledged panic that I’d been discovered, she spoke, her usual snarky tone turning my mood from misery to irritation. ‘You’re late. Stone sent me to find you. Hurry up.’

  ‘I’m not ready to leave,’ I ground out.

  She glared at me. ‘Obviously.’

  I shut my door in her face and gave a satisfied grin at the “Bitch” I heard come from the other side. I considered taking my time, just to annoy her more, until it really hit me that I was so late I’d missed breakfast and part of the first class for the day.

  I wonder why Dom didn’t come and get me? Maybe he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. Can hardly blame him now, can I?

  I sighed and quickly changed into my training gear, feeling somewhat glad I’d get to hit something today, then I sucked in a deep breath and let it out. On the other side of the door, Natasha looked irate. If those daggers she stared were real, I’d be shredded.

  Maybe I’m not the only half-breed after all. Natasha looks like she could be part Crone.

  I gave her a grand wave, to signal that she could lead the way. She ripped herself away from the wall and stormed off. She kept up a wicked pace, clearly trying to keep ahead of me. Not that it did her any good since we were about the same height.

  When we got to the class, she charged straight in without knocking and went directly to her friends. I briefly wondered why she’d been picked to come and get me, but my anxiety at being so late caught up with me and forced me to focus on entering the room. I looked at Miss Stone, who stood at the front by the slate on the wall. She gestured for me to go to her. The concern on her face brought the tension running through me down a notch.

  ‘Good morning, Elita. Are you feeling okay? Since the bells are about to ring for next period, I thought I’d send someone to get you.’

  ‘Morning, Miss Stone. Sorry, I’m not feeling great today.’

  Not really a lie.

  She nodded. ‘If you need to go back and rest, you can do that. You just need to get a slip from Mrs. Randolph, in the Administration Office.’ She then added gently, ‘You should also do that from the beginning of the day in the future, if you’re not up to classes, or ask one of the other girls to do it for you.’

  I nodded, heat rushing to my cheeks.

  ‘Sorry, Miss Stone. I’ll be sure to do that next time. I think I’m good to go onto the next class though.’

  She nodded again and sent me to wait at my desk for the last part of our lesson. I purposefully ignored Natasha’s filthy look when I sat. To pass the time, I scrawled absentmindedly on a page.

  When the bells sounded, I looked down and saw what I’d drawn. The blood drained from my face. Despite its simplicity, the image was clear. A wolf shrouded in magic. A haze of interwoven lines surrounding the wolf, coming from its centre. As discreetly as I could, I shredded the paper then stuffed it into my book.

  I WALKED INTO WEAPONS Basics behind the rest of the class and joined into what appeared to be the usual five-lap warm up. Today, I didn’t pace myself. Today, I needed to run. In no time at all, I’d well overtaken almost everyone, including the boys. The only one who really managed to keep pace was Natasha. Irritated, I increased my speed, causing my lungs to protest. Apparently it was a competition, because she moved faster too. We were neck and neck for the last lap, only a foot in it by the finish. I launched myself over the line. Victory. I threw myself on the floor and attempted to catch my breath as I waited for everyone else to finish.

  Once the last of the kids crossed the line, my breath was mostly back to normal and Master Ira instructed us to pair off with this week’s partner. That meant Natasha, again. I glared as I squared off with her. Normally I disliked boxing, but today I was glad.

  We spent the last hour going through the combinations Master Ira barked out at us. I used as much strength as I could manage for each hit and kick. Every impact sent a question jolting around my head about my mother and father, and about the new uncertainty that clouded my life. Inside my head was a vicious tornado; questions, worries and emotions flinging around in an ever-increasing spiral. Each hit Natasha made was like a knife through my body, widening all the wounds this new revelation had caused.

  By the end of the session I was drained. My body barely had enough energy to move and my mind was a blur, unable to hold onto a thought for more than a moment from the sheer exhaustion. It was time for a wash.

  When it was my turn, I waited for the water to reach scalding before I filled my jugs. As I poured each one over me, I felt the heat work its way through my aching and thrashed muscles, slowly restoring them. When I was almost out of water, I quickly lathered myself with soap and used the last jug to rinse the suds away.

  Back in my room, changed into some fresh clothes and did a short set of stretches; I knew my muscles would scream at me later if I didn’t.

  I’d learned that lesson when I’d trained with Dad. We’d done a particularly gruelling workout and I was annoyed at him for pushing me so hard, so I’d refused to stay and stretch. The punishment for that choice: I could barely walk the next day.

  As I stretched in my exhausted state, my mind stayed blissfully blank and allowed me to just feel the pull of my muscles. I changed stretches after I felt each muscle begin to relax. By the time I’d finished my set it was time for lunch. I raised myself up from the floor and gently shook out each limb, relishing in the feel of my worn body.

  Walking down the stairs with my bag over my shoulder, a pit began to build in my stomach. I wondered if Dom would want to see me after
finding out about my mum. The thought hollowed me out. I couldn’t take much more right now.

  Please, please be waiting for me.

  Chapter 6

  Relief surged through me when I spotted Dom’s concerned face waiting outside the Academy doors. As soon as I reached him, he enveloped me in a tight hug.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ he whispered, ‘I’m here for you.’

  I was glad he was holding me at that moment because otherwise I may have fallen.

  He stepped back and looked at me, a troubled smile on his face. ‘Why don’t you go sit outside. I’ll bring lunch out for you.’

  I sat and stared, unseeing, into the forest across the field as my worries returned one by one. Dom sat in silence beside me, though I could feel him watching me pick at my food. He must have been extra worried because I realised he hadn’t even gotten himself any meat today.

  In no time at all the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. I looked down at my barely touched plate and sighed. I knew I needed to get moving, but the idea of going inside was just too much.

  ‘Hey,’ Dom said, ‘do you want to go for a walk in the forest or something? Get away from here for a bit.’

  I turned and stared at him for a moment. ‘What about classes? I mean, I just have personal study until I get my specialist class assignments, but don’t you have a class?’

  ‘Yeah, but don’t sweat it.’ He looked at the emptying area then back at me. ‘Let’s go—we’ll have to be quick. We’re really only supposed to go into the forest during lessons with the teachers.’

  Before I could say anything else, Dom grabbed my plate and disposed of our uneaten food inside. As he exited again he waved me over. I knew I should just go inside, but the idea was suffocating.

  I followed Dom at a run. We stuck close to the wall of the Academy. When we reached the end, he peered around the corner, gave me a nod and sprinted off towards the forest. I followed, pushing myself to keep up with his longer legs. It felt good, like I could breathe a little easier.