Two
Chapter Two.
Selene's POV.
As I walked through the massive gates of Howlspire Academy, I decisively stamped down any seeds of doubt that were trying to sprout in my heart. The imposing structures only served to fuel the inferno that currently raged within me.
I made my way towards what I assumed to be the administrative building, where I was going to complete my registration. I entered the building and headed straight to the front desk, which was being manned by an attractive young man.
“Welcome to Howlspire, how may I help you?” He asked, not looking up from the screen in front of him.
“I'm here to enrol as a student,” I said, my voice also disguised to be deeper through lesser magic.
He looked up at those words, quirking an eyebrow at the sight of me standing there alone.
“And your family?” he asked, sounding skeptical.
“They couldn’t make it, but I have a letter of recommendation.” I offered.
He extended his hand for the letter, and I gave it to him, alongside a file that contained everything about my new identity.
As he ran the documents through the system, I silently prayed that the fake documents Lyra had gotten for me were as secure as she said.
“Well, Young master Shadowbrook,” the man's voice startled me, but I try not to let it show, “your circumstances are…special, but seeing as you have recommendation from the Varyn noble pack, we can proceed with your enrolment. Follow me.”
He got up and walked deeper into the cavernous building, and I followed, feeling grateful that the fake identity Lyra had gotten for me held up to their scrutiny.
Also, if my father ever found out that we had falsified a recommendation letter from him, he was going to kill us, but I was certain that I would have already proven myself before that could happen.
The rest of the enrollment process was a blur of activities. The assessments were rigorous but manageable, and I fought to keep my posture controlled, knowing that any sign of weakness could raise suspicion. Before I knew it, I was being led to my dormitory by a different young man.
“You're smaller than the guys that usually attend here, yet there's no mistaking the aura of an Alpha coming from you.” He said as we walked down a silent hallway.
I grunted noncomitally in response, still overwhelmed by the fact that I was officially a student of Howlspire Academy.
I looked down at the identity card in my hand once again which confirmed my status here as a student. I was now Leon Shadowbrook, Alpha inheritor of the Shadowbrook pack, a vassal to the Varyn noble pack.
Of course, that was a lie, but no one here could know that I was Selene Varyn, so a secure false identity was needed.
“Alright, here we are,” the man whose name I had forgotten stopped in front of a door, “this is your dorm. Your schedule will be emailed to you this evening, and the rest of your things delivered to you later. Your classes begin tomorrow, and you are to report immediately.”
I nodded and took the key he handed me.
“Welcome to Howlspire.” He said and left me alone.
I opened the door and walked into the room. It was nothing like my old room, with it ostentatious and girly furniture. This one was sparsely decorated, with a bed, a reading desk and chair and a large armoire to one side.
It was…functional.
I locked the door behind me and settled in, arranging my few belongings in the room.
Now that I had gotten an opportunity to be here, I was determined to make the most of out of it and prove everyone wrong.
The next day, dressed in a uniform consisting of black combat pants, a black t shirt emblazoned with the logo of the academy, I made my way to my first class of the day, which, unluckily for me, was Sparring and Tactical Training.
I found the room and walked in, a few minutes early as I saw quite a few empty seats. I ignored the strange glances that followed me as I picked a place to sit, deciding on one in the second row beside a huge blonde guy.
“Hey, I haven't seen you around here before. You new?” He leaned over as soon as I was seated.
“Yeah.” I muttered in response.
“I'm Rylan. You are?” He pressed on.
“Sel… Leon.” I started to introduce myself with my actual name, but caught myself just in time.
“Cool.” he said.
The instructor walked in a few minutes later and everywhere fell silent. He was dressed similarly to us, except that his shirt was long sleeved, and he had weapons strapped to various parts of his body.
He looked coldly at the class, then turned that icy gaze on me.
“Shadowbrook, is that right?” he asked me, crossing his arms in front of his barrel chest. He was a Beta, but he seemed to a very powerful one, judging by the way the rest of the class regarded him.
“Yes, sir.” I answered, still sitting down.
“You get the hell up when I'm talking to you, trainee! I don't give a damn if you're an Alpha. In here, you listen to me.” He barked, and I shot out of my seat, causing a few sniggers to rise from behind me.
“Silence!” he ordered, causing the class to fall back to silence before regarding me once more, “I'm Instructor Arthur Durran, and I oversee most of the physical courses here at Howlspire. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a little smaller than the others.” he seemed place a lot emphasis on the word ‘smaller’.
“I expect nothing less, sir.” I replied, feeling a little put off by the man.
“Good. Now take your seat,” he said, then his brow furrowed as he took in the class.
“Where's Draven?” He asked, to which no one replied.
“I said, where the hell is Draven?” He thundered, but this time, a reply came from beyond the door.
“Cool it, teach. I'm here.”
The voice dripped with calm and confidence, a perfect fit to the god that walked in.
If I hadn’t been seated, my legs might have betrayed me. The man who walked in commanded attention with every step, his presence an undeniable force. But I wasn’t Selene. I was Leon Shadowbrook, and Leon couldn’t afford to be rattled.
Tall, with tawny skin that stretched across his muscular frame. His uniform fit him like a glove, marking him as a student despite the sleeve of tattoos that ran down his left arm.
He strutted into the class like he owned it, not bothered about the infuriated Beta that stood in front of us.
“Watch it, Draven. Don't test me.” Instructor Durran warned him with narrowed eyes.
“Sure, sure. He replied nonchalantly, right before bright hazel eyes, a mesmerising combination of green and amber, landed on me.
“Well well well, what do we have here?” He asked before gracefully dropping his huge body into the other empty seat beside me.
Too overwhelmed to answer, the blonde from earlier answered on my behalf,
“This is Leon Shadowbrook, our new student.”
“Shadowbrook, huh? I'm Kai,” he extended a hand towards me, and I noticed that his other hand was covered in tattoos too, up to his fingers.
“Leon.” I managed to say, not wanting to melt from the feeling of his large hand dwarfing mine.
I shook my head and reminded myself that I was now Leon, not Selene, and I couldn't be getting distracted by a stranger, no matter how handsome he may be.
His eyes glimmered with something mischievous as he looked me up and down, making me feel smaller than I already was.
“It's gonna be fun having you around.”
A shiver ran down my spine—not from fear, but from something far more dangerous. Whether Kai Draven would be my greatest obstacle or my undoing, I had yet to find out.