TWO MATES TO LOVE

It's my first day at Raven Shadow's Academy.

Actually, my first night. It's at least seven in the evening now as I gaze at the academy's facade, ecstatic, in awe, and undoubtedly too anxious to begin a new journey in this new place.

The academy's facade was imposing and majestic. The dark stone walls were adorned with intricate details that seemed to unfold like the pages of an ancient book. The windows were tall and framed by heavy dark velvet curtains, giving the academy an air of mystery.

A black marble staircase led to the main entrance, where a carved wooden door stood tall and imposing. I felt small and humble before the grandeur of the building. A path of dark stones stretched to the left and right of the building, illuminated by several iron posts along the entire road. Some benches decorated the path, leading to the end where I knew the dormitories were located.

"Are you sure about this?" I was pulled from my thoughts when my mother's hand rested on my shoulder, her sweet and worried gaze fixed on me. "The people here are..."

"Mom," I cut her off before she could tell me once again how horrible the people studying here were. Rich, spoiled, and powerful kids who don't like being contradicted, or any other insult she wanted to add. She had already warned me about it a million times since I received the admission letter. "It's going to be fine."

She sighed in defeat, pulling me into a suffocating hug, enveloping me in her lavender scent, sniffling once more. She had spent the entire trip whining and saying she didn't want to lose her precious little girl.

"Oh Blair, let the girl go." My father murmured, setting my bags down. "She's an extraordinary girl and will be just fine here."

I looked at my father over my shoulder and gave him a smile, which he returned with a wink. "We can't go any further from here."

"It's okay, I think I can manage." I pulled away from my mother and wiped a solitary tear from her cheek.

"If anything happens, please call us, okay?" she demanded, and I just smiled and nodded. "Anything at all."

"Mom."

"All right, we're leaving." She wiped her hands on her gray dress, trying to hide her nervousness. She was more anxious than I was, but for entirely different reasons.

My father came closer, and I threw myself into his arms, hugging him. "We'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," I murmured against his neck, trying to hold back my tears. We'd be apart for a long time, and that had never happened before.

I had always stayed at home with them, for as long as I could remember. I had gone out a few times to explore, but after I turned 16, going out was the last thing they let me do. That was the age when my wolf was supposed to awaken, just like the rest of the kids, but that didn't happen. There was nothing, no stronger sense of smell, no better hearing, no sharper vision-things that would have come with my wolf's awakening.

My parents became worried and even thought I was sick, but as the months passed, they realized it wasn't going to change. So they decided it was best for me to study at home, afraid that someone from the outside might start saying things to me or about me that could hurt.

I never cared about what people thought, but for my parents' sake, I did what they wanted. However, I applied to Raven Shadow's College years later after discovering that it was where they had studied, and it was a huge surprise when the admission letter arrived.

I didn't expect it, and I can say my parents didn't either. They supported me after much discussion, and here I was: a seventeen-year-old girl without a wolf, going to study at an elite academy meant for royalty, nobles, the powerful, and the few intelligent and brave enough.

I said goodbye to my parents and walked toward the main building to head to the office. I wasn't the only student arriving; it was the beginning of the season, and all the students who had been home were returning for classes, and it was exciting.

There were people everywhere.

Though I was eager to make friends, I knew I needed to go to the office to announce my arrival and get the information I needed. This was the beginning of a new story I was writing for myself, and I was happy about it.

**

It took longer than I expected, but in the end, I made it. A map, a key, and a dream. That was all I had. They told me to come back tomorrow to pick up my schedule. All I had to do was head to the dormitory and settle in.

I left the main building the same way I entered and noticed that many students were still arriving along the main road. I took a deep breath.

The academy was located in the middle of the capital's forest, a more isolated place away from the rest of the city. We were surrounded by large trees and grass around the main building and dormitories, but there was also a huge wall a few kilometers away at the first entrance. Big enough to prevent anyone from entering-or even leaving.

I followed the path to the left, where the map indicated the dormitories were, holding my bag over my shoulder and getting used to the place. I wasn't sure if it was because night was falling or if the forest was really that sinister at this hour, but I couldn't feel at ease walking beside that darkness, even though there were a few people around as well.

I quickened my pace, turning right and finally seeing the dormitories.

The sense of comfort that place gave me was impressive. There were three buildings, one in the middle, facing the entrance, one on the left side facing the one on the right. Each trio of dormitories had a name: Orion, Ursa, Aquila, and Lyra for the girls. Draco, Hydra, Perseus, and Phoenix for the boys. There was also a building called Pegasus. The map didn't say if it was a girls' or boys' dormitory or what, but I didn't care since mine was the Orion building, the fourth set along the road, and I had no reason to look elsewhere.

In the center, there was a fountain, and along the buildings were flower beds and white flowers everywhere, with two benches in front of each. Each dormitory had at least five floors, and the entrance had a tall wooden door and a small staircase. Between the buildings, there was a narrow space leading to the forest at the back; no doubt it was used as a trail into that place.

Did the students usually walk there? It seemed so.

Orion was the last set of female dormitories. After that, there was a large courtyard with benches and even kiosks for relaxation or whatever the students might do. The kiosks were on the edge of the forest, and without a doubt, you could sit there and enjoy the view from that spot.

My steps became a bit more confident as I resumed walking, eager to see my dorm. The central building was the one I belonged to. I approached slowly, trying to savor every second of this moment, immediately regretting that decision.

"Damn, Reiner, yes, like that!"

I stopped abruptly when I heard more than I should have, my overly curious eyes flying to the side of the dorm to find an unwelcome scene, my smile vanishing from my face.

Not very hidden, a couple stood between the left and central buildings. The girl was pressed against the wall, her face pushed into the red bricks as she moaned, completely unconcerned if anyone could hear. Behind her was a boy, taller than her, one hand on her waist and the other tangled in her dark hair as he moved in and out of her with a certain brutality that made my stomach churn.

It didn't take much intelligence to figure out what they were doing.

I was a little shocked by the scene, barely blinking, dazed. Were they really doing that here?

As if sensing someone was watching, the boy looked in my direction without stopping what he was doing, and I felt my heart race, startled when a malicious smile appeared on his lips as our eyes met. I shuddered.

Was he enjoying being watched?

Did he not care about the other people passing by all the time? Or worse, did the people around me, entering and leaving the dorm, not care about what they were doing?

I quickly averted my gaze before my stomach betrayed me. I didn't want people to think I was looking because I liked watching that...

Just a few hours inside the academy, and I had already seen more than I should have. Not a great way to start.