Destiny (The Academy Series Book 1)

by D. D. Larsen

  They keep staring. After a few awkward moments, the tall one in the back with dark hair says, “I’m glad you are finally here. Maybe Wren will be less cranky now that he’s getting laid.”

  The kids laugh. Shocked, I don’t know how to respond to him.

  Wren jumps in. “Jack, don’t you have some new agility moves to practice? Last I remember, you were getting destroyed by Matt.”

  The boy slumps slightly and murmurs something I can’t hear. As they all shuffle past us, I notice the way Chloe stares at Wren. I feel my stomach roil with jealousy. Back off bitch. I stifle a growl from coming from my throat, but when she catches my eyes, she turns away instantly, redness creeping into her cheeks.

  Wren grabs my hand and leads me to the double doors at the end of the hall. All the doors in this hallway are tall and wooden, extending up to the vaulted ceiling. I feel as if I am in a medieval castle.

  As we open the door, conversation flows. We’re in a large room with a massive stained-glass window of a group of wolves in the forest. They have to hide everywhere else; this is their sanctuary where they can be themselves.

  As we enter, everyone stops talking. The room becomes eerily quiet. We just stand there as every set of eyes watches us. I feel like prey about to get pounced on.

  A chair scrapes and an older gentleman walks toward me. A flash of familiarity hits me, but I can’t place it. His hair is dark brown and peppered with grey. As he approaches, I get a better look. When I see his eyes, I know instantly who he is. I pause, frozen in time, not wanting it to be true, but I can’t deny what is standing right in front of me.

  As he reaches us, he holds out his hand. I reach out tentatively to take it. “Jamie, I am so glad that you’ve recovered. We were all so worried. This is new territory for all of us and we felt helpless, not knowing what to do. My name is Edward, and I would like to formally welcome you to The Academy. I am the headmaster here. Please, never hesitate to come to me with questions. If you choose, you will always have a home here. I know that all this may seem like a lot. If I had my way, we would have told you from the beginning, but your mom wanted you to have a traditional upbringing. I am here if you ever have any questions.”

  I know the answer, but I ask anyway, to get confirmation. “You’re my father?”

  My body has gone through so much shock lately that it struggles to handle this new piece of news. The floor threatens to fall out from underneath me. Wren’s arm comes around me to steady me.

  He nods, “Yes, Jamie, I am your father. My blood runs through your veins. I will never try to replace your dad, but I have watched you grow up and I am very proud of you.”

  He looks behind me, then nods and walks away. Trying to grasp the full impact of what I’ve just discovered, I focus on taking a few deep breaths to steady myself.

  I look up to find my mom standing in the doorway looking around. Her eyes catch mine and she runs over.

  After the ups and downs of the last few weeks, I find comfort in my mom’s arms. She starts crying and telling me how happy she is that I am okay.

  With my arms around her, I say only so she can hear, “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

  Chapter 31:

  After breakfast, Wren takes my dad on a tour of The Academy while I go back upstairs with my mom. She is quiet as we make our way to the room I stayed in last night with Wren.

  How do you start a conversation like this with your mom? With anyone, for that matter?

  This doesn’t change that my dad will forever be my dad. He has been there for me every day of my life and I feel bad for what my mom put him through. Does he know? With no better place to start I say, “Does dad know?”

  She looks upset and embarrassed, as she should be. “Yes, honey, he does. I never stopped loving your dad. I just lost my way for a little while. It was a mistake, but it gave me you, so I will be forever grateful.” She pauses, and I wonder if she had a similar pull to Edward that I feel with Wren.

  Before I can ask, she continues, “After your father and I had your brother, we always wanted more kids, but sometimes wanting just isn’t enough. We tried for years but never had success. When we went to the doctor, she said it was me. I wasn’t producing enough progesterone, so the eggs weren’t viable. I became depressed.

  “Then I met Edward in town at the coffee shop. We started off as friends and became more. After a few months, I came to my senses and cut it off, spilling everything to your father. He had suspected, but never said anything. He is such a kind and understanding man, we were able to work through it, under the condition that it was over. We had Jacob, who was almost ten and this is when I decided to go back to work.

  “We didn’t realize I was pregnant until I was four months along. It was a miracle and we were grateful. We never did a paternity test, but when you came out with Edwards eyes, we both knew. Your dad never mentioned it and always treated you as his own.

  “I hadn’t had contact with Edward in months, but I felt he deserved to know. I showed up at The Academy and as I was pulling up, I watched one of the younger boys change into a wolf then run into the forest. I was so shocked, I just sat in my car until Edward came out. That was the day he explained everything to me, including the prophecy.

  “All I wanted was for you to grow up and have a normal life. That was why, when you were interested in The Academy, we told you we couldn’t afford it. I saw little things that happened, like your temper and attitude that hinted at the wolf inside you, but I kept hoping he was wrong. When you moved away, it was hard for us, but I hoped it would lead to you living a normal life.”

  She breaks down in tears and pulls me into her. “I thought I lost you, baby. I don’t think I can survive losing another child.”

  She has known all along. She knew it wasn’t some random animal that killed my brother. It was a wolf. Did he get attacked because of me?

  “What happens if I can’t transform into a wolf? Why haven’t I transformed?”

  I have always been aware of something trapped inside of me. I never knew what it was and assumed it was normal. I knew deep down there was always something different about me, but I never in a hundred years expected this.

  My mom puts her hand on my arm. “Honey, nobody really knows. This is new territory for everyone, but we are all here to support you.”

  The door opens. Wren and my dad come in. I haven’t gotten a chance to really talk to my dad, so I stand up, walk over, and he pulls me into a hug.

  “Hey munchkin, how are you holding up? You gave us a mighty scare there. Your mom and I are getting older and our hearts can’t handle the stress. Let’s not have any more near-death experiences, okay?”

  I love the feeling of being in my dad’s arms. He has always been there to pick me up when I have fallen. “I love you, Dad. I will always love you.” I don’t have to say more, he understands.

  My dad clears his throat and I can tell he is close to tearing up but holds it back. “I love you too, Jamie Bear. I think we have taken up enough of your time, but we just wanted to see with our own eyes that you were okay. Call me if you need anything.”

  With that, he grabs my mom’s hand and they walk out of The Academy. I watch them from the window as they drive away. Edward is standing on the front stairs, watching, too. I wonder if he has never gotten over my mom.

  What do I do now? My life has been flipped upside down and I don’t know where I stand. I call Liam; he is extremely worried, but he can hear that I am okay. He wants to see me, but I tell him I need a few days to recover before I feel up to it. I hear the love in his voice, and it makes it hard to deny him.

  I still care about him, but I don’t know if, after everything, I can be with him. He doesn’t deserve to be dragged into this crazy world. But I still want him. I still like the idea of having a normal life with him. Simple days filled with work, love, and eventually kids.

  Part of me thinks this is possible. The wolf hasn’t emerged in me and may never come out. Even if it did, from
everything I have learned, it’s voluntary when you transform. I could live a normal life with him.

  Then there is Wren. He has been nothing but kind and tender with me lately. Never pushing anything and just being there for me. But with Wren comes this lifestyle. I can tell, even during the few days I have been here, that he is an important member of The Academy and the wolf community. He is very respected by the students and the other teachers. I’ve learned a lot about him in the last few days. His job is to help the new students cope with their new reality. Some of the kids have known they’re wolves since birth, but many of the kids who show up at The Academy are taken by surprise. They have either been born to unknowing parents or they were infected. Apparently, the wolf spirit chooses who it wants to stay with, as it has been known to skip generations.

  Puberty is bad enough. Imagine finding out you’re a wolf.

  Wren tells me he came here when he was twelve years old. Other than the small amount of information he gave me when we first met, I know nothing about his past. He doesn’t seem very open to sharing it either.

  Tollen is super worried about me since I basically dropped off the face of the planet for two weeks, but I don’t have any extra energy to deal with her questions. I ignore her calls and send short text replies. We were just starting to regain our friendship, I hope this doesn’t ruin that.

  I’ve been here a week and finally people have stopped staring at me. Everyone knows about the prophecy so there is a lot of talk about Wren and me. We are always together, but we haven’t taken it past friends, and I am grateful he is giving me time to think.

  It’s been very calm, and it seems the wolf that is hunting me has disappeared for now. I’m not naive enough to believe he is gone, but there are forty-seven wolves total in The Academy and surrounding area. Returning is suicide.

  Since the incident, the wolves have started patrolling the woods around the town. They knew he was a threat before, but didn’t think he would be this bold. Something has changed recently, causing him to risk the return. I know it has something to do with me, but I feel like everyone is still holding back a part of the story I don’t know.

  That’s a future problem. Today, I want to see Liam and see where we stand. He knows I have been at The Academy with Wren for the last three weeks. I need to explain we are just friends and hope he will listen.

  Looking at the clock, I realize he will be here any minute to pick me up. I wanted my parents to bring my car here, but Wren didn’t like the idea. He said I still need to rest, and wants to be able to decide when I can leave. Not sure what he thinks gives him permission to boss me around. He doesn’t know Liam is coming and I am trying to keep it that way.

  I head for the back door, hoping to slip down the backstairs to make a stealthy retreat. As I open it, I come face to face with Wren.

  Tilting his head to the side slightly, he says, “You look really nice. What is the occasion?”

  Before today, I hadn’t bothered with my appearance. I basically died. I think that gives me the right to take the week off. But I am already on thin ice with Liam so I am hoping if I look cute, it will help my case.

  Looking back at Wren, I realize I am not going to get out of here without an explanation, so I give one. “I’m going to town to get coffee with a friend.” It’s not a lie, it’s just not the whole truth.

  He looks concerned. “Are you sure you are up to that?”

  Now more than ever, I want a ordinary life. I can’t deny there is something between Wren and me, but there are two huge things working against anything happening between us. First, I would be following the prophecy or destiny or whatever, and I hate being told what to do. Secondly, if I am with Wren, I am going to be fully immersed in this world. I’ve only seen parts of it for a short time, and I can already tell it is a crazy one, full of twists and turns.

  “Yes. I feel okay. I have been cooped up here all week; it would be nice to get out for a little while.”

  There is concern in his face, but he says, “Okay. Just take it easy and let me know if you want me to come and get you. Also, go to Roberta’s coffee shop, she can keep an eye on you.”

  It suddenly hits me. “Roberta knows about the wolves, doesn’t she?”

  He nods but doesn’t elaborate.

  As I walk by Wren and head down the stairs, I think about how different Wren has been this past week. He has been nothing but caring and sweet, a drastic contrast to the moody and closed off man I had become accustomed to. The pull is still there, but the more time we spend together, it seems to lessen the intensity. I think how we have been sharing a bed every night and start to feel guilty. I don’t want to lead Wren on, but I feel safe when I am closer to him.

  Chapter 32:

  Liam pulls up as I am exiting. His flashy, black BMW convertible still looks out of place among the mountains, but it fits him so well. He hops out of the car and pulls me in for a deep kiss. I stiffen, not because of the kiss, but because of where we are. This area is very open and we probably have multiple sets of eyes on us at the moment, including Wren’s.

  Feeling my hesitancy, he pulls back and looks at me with his icy blue eyes. “Is everything okay?”

  I nod and respond, “Considering how shitty the last few weeks have been, yes, but this is just a really public area.”

  He seems to understand, and being the perfect gentleman, opens the passenger-side door for me.

  When he gets in the car, he says, “I have been extremely worried about you. I know we just recently restarted our relationship, and I can’t apologize enough for how I treated you before, but I like what we have. I love you, Jamie, and eventually I would like to marry you.” My jaw drops.

  He sees my shock, so he adds, “I don’t expect you to say anything right now, I just needed to say it.”

  Being honest with him, I reply, “Liam, I care about you, too, and I want to make this work, but there are a few things I need to figure out with my life right now before I can head down the road to that type of commitment.”

  Liam smiles at my response. It wasn’t a hell yeah, but it wasn’t a no, either. “Jamie, I want to be with you. Whatever it is, we will figure it out.”

  With that, he pulls out of The Academy parking lot. I tell myself not to look back. There is no reason to look back, but as we approach the corner that will take the view of The Academy away, I peer over my shoulder to see Wren standing on the deck in the front of the building, watching me.

  We are a few hundred feet away from him, but I can tell from his hunched stance that he isn’t happy. It makes me second-guess the choice I made to return to Liam, I feel a new warning voice I never noticed before. Something is making me feel uneasy when I look at Liam’s eyes. I’m determined to give it a chance, my heart is still telling me that the road with Wren will be bumpy and dark. I just want a normal life.

  I turn around, trying to enjoy the warm summer day. Before we know it, the snow will return, and winter will be here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow, but there is something about the warm sun on your face with the cool mountain breeze that just settles my soul.

  I just need to take it one day at a time right now and not worry about the future.

  After about twenty minutes of Roberta gushing over me, Liam and I head out to my table on the porch, drinks in hand.

  I don’t know what Liam knows or where to start, so I awkwardly begin, “I know the last few weeks have been strange. Not only for you, but also for me. A lot of things have changed in my life recently and I am still trying to wade through it all. You have already been incredibly patient with me and I appreciate it, I really do, but just give me a little more time.”

  Liam nods. “Are we still together?”

  With these words, I know I have an out. This would be the perfect time to tell Liam it just isn’t working right now. I should do it for Liam. Free him of me and my crazy life. But I can’t do it. I don’t know how we will make it work, but I want to try.

  I stand up and crawl ont
o Liam’s lap with my face inches from his, and I say, “Liam, the last thing I want to do is end this before we have even gotten a chance to really see what ‘us’ means. It would be easier and probably better for you if we did, but I am being selfish and not letting you go. The last few weeks have been an eye opener for me as well.

  “I feel like this, us, is working, but just as I was patient with you when I gave you a second chance, I need you to be patient with me. Nothing is going on romantically between Wren and me. He is involved in my life whether I like it or not. I have told him this and while he may not seem happy about it, he seems to respect my decision.

  “Now, I have really missed you and would like to kiss you if that is okay.” He gives me a small nod and I press my lips against his. In Liam’s arms, I feel safe and comfortable, like this is where I belong.

  I end the kiss and snuggle into him. With my head on his chest, I say, “I need a distraction from my life. Tell me about what I’ve missed these last three weeks with you.”

  I know Liam has questions. I basically disappeared for three weeks without any warning. Eventually, I will have to tell him something, but for now he is waiting until I bring it up.

  Liam dives into the past few weeks talking about work and the house. I only catch about half of what he says while I feel his chest rumble under my head.

  This is nice. I need more of this in my life.

  After a nice afternoon just hanging out and drinking coffee with Liam, we drive back to The Academy. As we get closer, I start to become nervous about Wren.

  He looked so sad before. Not angry, but sad. I know how to deal with angry Wren, not sad Wren.

  As the front of The Academy comes into view, my stomach rolls and I feel as if I might puke. Where is this coming from?

  Not wanting to worry Liam, I try to keep a brave face as I say goodbye and walk into The Academy. As soon as the door closes, the pain in my stomach becomes unbearable. Clutching it, I collapse onto the ground.