Werewolf Academy

Chapter VIII

Recap: "When I was nine, someone found me. They helped me. Trained me. I only took my birth name again after my letter came at the end of summer. My name to him and the others is Selina Carver. And you are my next assignment."

I wait to hear the yelling. For them to kick me out. Anything. I am faced with silence. I meet my second mother's eyes. I didn't expect to find a clear expression of pity. I couldn't stand that look. I rise from my seat, turning to walk out. 

"Violet. He didn't give me a file on Jack. He can still come to the academy. You need to get out of the city. Even the state. But I can't kill you." 

"Adalynn," Jack says. "Wait."

He grabs my shoulder and I tense. "Just don't use that name in the academy. Everyone else thinks I still have some of my innocence left."

I rush from the house and back to my car. I turn the ignition, driving the streets. I wasn't ready to go back yet. Going into  a small cafe, I buy a pastry and drink. Because the place only had four tables and there wasn't a single one vacant, I start towards the exit to eat in my car. I plow into another person, spilling my hot chocolate all over both our shirts.

"Could my life get any fucking worse," I grumble. "First that damn assignment, now..." I look up. "Shit. I'm sorry, Jake." 

"We're back two days and your life is already heading downhill?" He takes my now empty cup from my hands, tossing it in the trash. "Want me to buy you another?"

I shake my head. "What's brought you up here?"

"A few rogues were caught outside the territory's border. They got away before the patrol could catch them, but we caught a trail. They've been all over this part of town.  You haven't picked up any scents, have you?"

The rogue in the office yesterday couldn't have anything to do with this. Unless The Master was trying to move in on the pack with rogues on our side. That is probably why he made me report in front of him yesterday.

"Nothing at all," I lie. "But then I've been in the house until a couple hours ago. I'll call if I find anything weird."

"Thanks. See you at school."

----

I enter the school again, dreading the fact I have core classes again. Hannah and Rachel run towards me shrieking. The hug me and I tense. "Still not crazy about hugs?" I hear.

"Not the greatest fan."

"Who are you?" Hannah asks. "Not to be rude, but..."

"Addy's... Adalynn's best friend, Jack. We never spent a second apart before the pack was attacked." He draped an arm around my shoulders. "Everybody thought we would be mates when we got to the academy. It drove us insane. I never thought Adalynn would be anything other than a Luna."

"Yeah. We think so too."

"Guys, he and I are not mates. Just because we get along now does not mean I will be mating him." 

"Oh whatever. I swear these guys are worse than our pack," I tell Jack. He laughs just before I see the other guys heading over. "Hey, you three."

"Hey, Adalynn," Nathan and Jake say. Brian just waves.

"See what I mean? There's no way we could be mates."

Brian chuckles. "Rachel and Hannah still giving you hell too?"

"And the guys. I can't get a break." I roll my eyes. "So, how'd all the rogue stuff turn out?"

"Managed to capture one," Nathan tells me. "Nobody could get him to talk. It's obvious he wasn't very lose to the leader anyways. Whoever that may be."

"Still owe you a drink," Jake says.

"And I should probably buy you a new shirt."

"I've got five others like it."

"I've had more than one cup of cocoa in my life. We're even."

We part ways to head to our rooms and get ready for classes. They were delayed for a couple hours to let everyone catch up. I move into my room, gathering my books from where I had left them two weeks previous on the dresser. I walk back out to the sitting area after packing my school bag. Twenty minutes later I am off to morning combat training. As usual.