Bloodwood Academy Shifter: Semester One (Bloodwood Year One Book 1)

by Rae Foxx

  I stared at them, trying not to look at the globes of flexing ass muscle and the mass amount of genitalia I was surrounded by. It was hard not to look though, it was everywhere.

  One thing was suddenly clear.

  No one kept the jungle tamed. All of the men… Were… ummm…

  I swallowed.

  I don’t think I realized until that moment how small Tommy’s prick was.

  “Damn,” I said under my breath, going back to staring at my feet as I tried to tug my shorts off, thankful that everyone was now staring at the just as naked and just as endowed Alpha.

  I was suddenly really glad that Howl was nowhere to be seen.

  “Let’s run!”

  The same animalistic hollers filled the clearing, every eye turned to the Alpha as he shifted. I could have sworn I was sucked down to the ninth ring of hell.

  A feral growl rumbled over everyone, the sound coming from the throat of the Alpha as his steel-grey eyes darkened, taking on a yellow tint. His face lengthened, teeth gleaming as they protruded from suddenly hairy lips.

  Hairy arms.

  Hairy chest.

  I took a few steps back when I saw him crouch down on all fours, saw his hands change into paws, his legs becoming, well, hind legs. This was not happening. I mean I knew it was supposed to but seeing it. God. I think I had been holding out all this time for this being nothing but a joke.

  It wasn’t a joke. It was real. All these people were going to turn into fucking wolves.

  I held my breath as the wolf emerged, the Alpha Female already shifted and growling right beside her mate.

  Then all hell broke loose.

  Scarlet didn’t even bother taking off her shirt and with a poof of red and something that sounded like a yip, she turned into a lithe red fox with a white-tipped nose. She bounced around once before taking off into the tall trees where most of the other animals were already heading.

  Wolves. Panthers. Bears. Tigers. I was sure I saw more than one fox. And an anteater, because that was normal.

  I looked over as Owen and Evan turned into a pair of kittens with stumpy legs, different colors, similar to their opposing hair colors in human form, but still, twins to the naked eye. I wanted to take them home and cuddle them. They’d probably like that a little too much.

  The anteater was the last through. Then they were gone, howling and roaring, and running through a forest that I could feel call to me. I couldn’t do anything about it short of run through it with my bare breasts jostling against my rib cage. I wasn’t shifting.

  Nothing was happening.

  I stood, surrounded by the smell of pine and jasmine, the warm glow of the house feeling cold and forgotten.

  Just like the rest of my life.

  “Nice lotus blossom hippie bullshit,” I grumbled to myself kicking the dirt with my bare toe before I began rifling through the piles of discarded clothes, looking for mine.

  If I had to wait in this dratted clearing buck naked for who knows how long. I’m getting dressed, then I’m going to break into that fancy house and use all their toilets.

  That’ll show ‘em.

  God, I was even thinking like a wild animal.

  ‘Ivy, come with me.’

  The voice slithered over my mind like a lost memory and I screamed. The high-pitched shriek echoed over the empty courtyard as I turned, trying to see who was there. I didn’t see anything.

  Instead, I tripped over the shorts I had been trying to put on and fell hard on my elbow.

  “Ow!” I shrieked, pulling myself into a ball as though I could somehow shield myself from the pain. It had been my go-to move when my mom had too much to drink and tried to take her frustrations out on me. “Fucking hell that hurt.”

  I twisted myself around to see the damage, naked body contorting against the dirt ground, sure enough, I was bleeding.

  “Shit.”

  ‘Let me see that.’ The voice filled my head again, the same low growling from the mountain top weeks before, from the lunchroom, from the hallway, and now here, in a clearing, with a massive wolf only feet from me, staring down at me with yellow eyes I had seen before.

  “The wolf from the mountain.” I gasped as I stared at the wolf, at his long silver and white fur, at his paws the size of dinner plates, and teeth as long as my pinky. He was huge. He should be terrifying. I should be getting my bare ass out of there, but something about him calmed me. Something about him froze me there.

  The massive thing padded closer. Those yellow eyes focused on the drops of blood that were pooling on my skin. His silver and white fur ruffled against the breeze, shaking with the ground as he faded closer, his head lowered to mine, his eyes inches from mine.

  ‘You’re hurt. I can help.’

  “Is it you I’ve been hearing? This whole time?” The beautiful creature answered with a growl that was more like a laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes. Why can I hear you?”

  The wolf blinked once and lowered his head further, his wet nose nudging at the bleeding elbow that I was cradling against me. He pushed again, cold nose brushing against my bare skin as he coaxed it out, licking at it with a sandpaper tongue that felt far too warm. Far too nice.

  I shimmied away from him again, cradling the arm against me. Although I didn’t know why it was no longer bleeding. It wasn’t even cut.

  “What in the…? Please, can you tell me what’s going on?” I asked the wolf who was once again taking slow steps toward me, his yellow eyes digging into me.

  ‘I will, when you are ready, little wolf. Right now you need to shift and run with the pack,’

  “I can’t--I never have before and the lotus blossom didn’t bloom.” My voice shook with the words and I hated it.

  ‘I know you can Ivy,’ He said again, the sandpaper roughness of his voice so calm that for a moment I wasn’t sure that it came from the same wolf. ‘Let me help you.’

  He padded closer, his eyes still focused on mine.

  ‘Now, hold onto me.’ I breathed in what was supposed to be defiance but instead I inhaled his scent, the low musky woodsy aroma that made me forget everything but him, and me, and the creature inside of me that was dying to get out.

  I raised my hands, my fingers brushing through his thick fur as I wrapped my arms around his neck, as I pressed myself against him. As I breathed him in.

  A low growl of ecstasy rumbled from his throat, echoing off every tree as my own growl rose up to meet him, as something inside of me pushed to the surface.

  ‘Close your eyes,’ his voice was little more than a whisper. I did not hesitate. ‘Now imagine yourself as a wolf, right beside me. With me. Imagine your paws hitting the ground--your nose scenting the smells of the forest--warm, thick fur covering your entire body--teeth long and strong for hunting…”

  He went on, and while I could hear his voice somewhere in the distance, that same growling power in my soul pressed against me, tickling against my neck. Against my belly. My legs… It wasn’t tickling anymore. It was agony that was ripping at my bones, tearing at my flesh.

  A change I didn’t want. A change that terrified me.

  ‘Let it come, Ivy. I’ve got you. I will never leave you.’

  The promise was swallowed by my scream as my gums shredded to make way for sharpened canines that jabbed from my mouth while my ribs cracked and muscles tore and stretched with no great ease.

  I hunched forward to land on my front feet and looked to the wolf before, the powerful beast who I could have sworn was smiling at me. Me. The great black wolf with red eyes that stared at him in terror reflecting through his gaze.

  That had to be me.

  ‘There you are, my little wolf. You’re beautiful,’ he whispered into my mind, his wolf stepping closer, pressing his head against mine, his neck against my chest, pressing and pushing and greeting like two massive beasts in the wild. I could feel his heart through my fur, through my flesh, the thunderous pounding in time with mine.

  Perfect.

 
Equal.

  ‘Who are you?’ I asked the wolf, grateful when it was clear he could hear my thoughts as easily I could hear his.

  ‘I am yours. That is all you need to know, my little wolf. Now run.’ He said nothing more before he was gone, tearing through the trees after the pack that had to have been miles ahead of us by now.

  Right then, I could care less if we ever found them.

  This, the running, the smells, the way my paws hit against the grounds, and my fur rustled in the breeze.

  This was home.

  This was what I had been waiting my whole life for.

  No trailer parks. No Tommy.

  This.

  I closed my eyes, letting my wolf take control as I weaved through the trees, jumping and leaping and running.

  When I opened my eyes, the grey wolf was gone. The rest of the pack was only steps ahead, the smaller animals bringing up the rear.

  I caught up to Scarlet, nudging her ruddy fox with my nose. She turned to nip at my leg and then we chased each other through the trees, weaving and darting as everyone else began to break off and play and hunt.

  The same feeling followed me with each step, the feeling of home and belonging. Something was missing now. No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find that grey wolf.

  He was gone, leaving me tangled in the emotions he’d left me with. With this weird loss and ache.

  It followed me through the rest of the forest, everyone running right back to the back of the massive house where we’d first shifted. With pops, and growls, and tufts of fur, everyone shifting back. When I got to my pile of clothes, all I could do was stare.

  Again, nothing was happening.

  What the fuck? How was I supposed to shift back?

  ‘Think of your human form, Ivy. Of those gorgeous legs. Your beautiful breasts…’ his voice filled my mind, a blush covered my cheeks and I thought about my skinny self, my stringy straw-colored hair and my eyes that seemed dull against the general population. I felt my body raise and when I opened my eyes, there were feet instead of paws, skin instead of fur. And yes, even boobs.

  “I just shifted back!” I yelled and turned, expecting to see the grey wolf and the man that was hiding inside of him, but there was nothing. Nothing but the Alpha and the rest of the pack who were all openly laughing at me.

  Chapter 9

  My excitement over having shifted the first time was nothing but a fizzle of the worst kind of gas. I sighed and turned, ready to go punch of tree or something so as to let out all my frustrations.

  That plan was cut short when my flight ended with me slamming right into too smooth hooch of none other than Selene. Of course, she would be the only one with a perfectly trimmed bush.

  “Where the hell do you think you are going, trailer trash?” she snarled, pushing me hard in the shoulder blades and sending me stumbling. “What makes you think you can touch me?”

  There was a collective gasp around us everyone turning at her outbursts, looking between us like kids in school back in the desert. They were ready for a fight. Guess things didn’t change that much when you had money, people still wanted to punch each other.

  Fine by me. She was better than a tree.

  “Touch me again and it will be the last time you have your fingers attached,” I snapped back, my eyes widening at the quick retort. Damn, I sounded badass.

  “Oh, I’m so scared of the scrawny bitch from the single-wide. Did Daddy teach you how to fight?” She paused, smiled and took a slow step forward, pulling everyone's focus before she added in full voice, “Oh, wait, that’s right. You have no father.”

  Selene wasn’t good with the insults. But I did realize at that moment that one of two things were happening: one, Nicky was feeding this girl info or two, she was getting it herself somehow.

  Maybe from the grim-looking Alpha who was glaring at us.

  I popped my hip out. “Aww, you’re gonna make me cry. What the hell is your problem? Shave your pussy too much and forget what a real wolf is?”

  Again, where was this coming from?

  Her face grew red even up to the tips of her ears and she shook in place.

  “My problem is you, thinking you can come in here and prance around in the forest like you belong with our pack. Like anyone wants you!” She shouted the last sentence, but I was still cracking up at the word ‘prance’.

  She took two steps forward, her toes pressing against mine as we stared eye to eye, the grey-green of her wolf staring at me. “You don’t belong here--in this pack or our school. I want you gone.”

  “Not your choice, bitch. I ain't going anywhere, so back. The. Fuck. Up.”

  She vibrated with anger and took one tiny step back. She kind of looked like one of those wiggling toddler toys. “I challenge you, Ivy Potter, right here and now.”

  The fuck?

  I looked around for someone to translate wolf-girl-fighting shit but everyone backed up and made a circle instead.

  “Challenge? Like dodge ball? Beer pong?”

  “Choose your second!” She hollered, ignoring my rambling questions and my confusion as she stepped back and pulled none other than Howl from the crowd, the guy looked freaking pissed. His eyes were little beads of flaming daggers being thrown in my direction.

  Umm yeah, okay, a second. At this point I would settle for answers, and possibly some kind of shield to Howl’s eye daggers. Maybe I could do both.

  I rushed from the middle of the circle, grabbing the only person who could help me make any sense of it.

  I yanked Scarlet into the circle, sending dust into the air as she fought me. Everyone around us began to laugh.

  “Scarlet. You need to tell me what’s going on,” I demanded, she rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together. “Like now.”

  “She wants to fight you over pack hierarchy. Think of it as a battle for seniority.” She looked around her, everyone was still laughing at us, while Howl and Selene were now officially locked in a lovers quarrel. Stupid over-protective guys. Ew.

  “Wait. So, this is all because this bitch wants to fight me to prove that she’s stronger?”

  “Well, that and to show everyone that. In a pack your place in the line of power means everything. You have to fight until her wolf submits. You don’t like kill her or anything.”

  I cackled. “Oh, yeah, cause that would be archaic. I’ve been a wolf all of one time and now I have to fight?”

  “And win.” She looked a little sheepish at that, her cheeks coloring red as she looked at the still laughing crowd around us.

  “So, why is everyone laughing?” It was getting hard to ignore the rock that was growing in my gut.

  “Because you picked me as your second.” I raised an eyebrow at her, her answer made no sense. “The second is supposed to pick up the fight if you get injured. We can hold your competitor at bay while you heal. It’s like a time out and you only get one. And you picked me.” She paused like I was supposed to be following. “A fox. Against badass mother fucking wolves.”

  Selene took off her shirt, bouncing at Howl and jutting her far too perfect boobs out at him, like some weird claim of ownership. Boob-marking ownership. What weird subculture had I walked in on?

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, that was worse than someone smelling my ass. “You don’t have to fight, trash. You can decline.”

  “If you decline, you’ll be shamed. They’ll kick you out of the pack,” Scarlet hissed in my ear, her hand tugging at mine.

  “You think I’m going to back down from this? I’ve had to fight for everything in my life. This is no exception. I was born and bred with fight in my veins, this bitch is going down.” I narrowed my eyes at the now shocked girl across from me, the crowd erupted into cheers.

  I hadn’t realized I had been so loud. Oh well, at least now she knew what was coming for her.

  “Fine. Let’s do this. I’m starving.” Selene licked her lips and I almost punched Scarlet, she had promised no death. Too late now, Sele
ne was already shifting into a massive black wolf, grey eyes staring at me.

  “A fight to submission for a place in the pack,” Mr. Wulfson yelled from somewhere behind me. I didn’t turn. I stared straight at the massive wolf, at the still furious Howl standing behind, arms crossed over his waist as his muscles flexed. “No blood, no mercy.”

  Then I turned, how in the world did those two go hand in hand?

  “If I see any foul play, I will declare the fight over, are we clear?” He looked right at me. His thin-lipped smile nefarious, maybe that was because the massive wolf behind me was growling in agreement.

  I wasn’t able to conjure anything close to a response before the Alpha lifted his chin, shouted behind and I was headbutted from behind, the powerful head of Selene’s wolf slamming between my shoulder blades and sending me stumbling forward, right into the wall of laughing people who pushed me back into the fight.

  “Take off your fucking clothes and shift,” Scarlet snarled from the sidelines, gesturing to Selene who was getting ready to make another move. Howl was chuckling now.

  Fucking douchebag.

  I stripped my clothes off as quick as I could, trying not to think about who was looking at what and waited.

  Waited to shift.

  Waited for the voice.

  Instead, I got a whole lot of nothing.

  “Shit,” I hissed, dodging to the side as Selene rushed me again, I ended up face down in the dirt, rolling boobs to ass as I tried to remember what the wolf had said, what he had told me to get me to shift.

  Teeth, and Paws, and the smell of pine. And teeth digging into the flesh of my enemy.

  I screamed as the pain came, as the canines ripped through my jaw, as my flesh tore. My bones stretched, the human me was ripped to shreds and replaced by a wolf that towered over the trim black fur of Selene.

  Towered.

  God, I was huge.

  ‘And beautiful.’ There was the voice, where the hell was he when I was rolling around like a dirt slug trying to will myself to go all werewolf?

  ‘Watching. Now focus, Ivy.’ Right. The fight.