Chapter 14

Dylan

A s Dylan sat down in her usual seat for Etiquette class, she noticed Hunter's bulky frame walk through the class's door. His citrus and woodsy scent filled her nose when he walked past her, and her wolf purred. It was evident to her that this new student was potentially her mate. She didn't want to believe it, even though her wolf pushed for her to touch him from the moment she saw him. With Silas and Jackson combined, Dylan fought her wolf more than she had to.

It must be because of my new bond with Jackson. I solidified a bond, and now my wolf wants to complete the other bonds.

Hunter looked to be the same height as Jackson but a little broader. His hair was shorter and a light brown that almost looked to be blonde. The blue that was his eyes was so bright that calling it aqua felt wrong. He had power like he should be an Alpha, but how he carried himself was far more lethal than any Alpha she ever met. She felt his eyes burning into the back of her head when he sat behind her. Dylan swallowed hard as she fought her wolf not to turn around and claim him in the middle of class.

Are you okay, Dylan? Jackson asked her through their bond.

Dylan felt her hands white knuckle the edge of her desk until she heard his voice. Her wolf calmed a little and settled down inside of her.

Better now.

Is that guy bothering you?

Jackson was seated next to her, and she saw from her peripherals he turned to look at Hunter. If she didn't answer this correctly, Jackson would be in Hunter's face within a blink of an eye.

No, not at all.

It looks like he is.

I'm fine, Jackson. Just find it weird how he clung to us so quickly.

I agree. That's why I'm thinking I should say something.

Dylan suppressed a growl. No. I am an Alpha, Jackson. Which means you are now one. When new wolves come into the pack, we must be welcoming and make their lives easier.

She felt his arms around her through their bond, and his feelings of pride and love flowed into her. He loved that Dylan immediately chose to think of this as a pack situation, which reminded him of how it should be.

Spoken like a true Luna. You will make our pack into everything it needs to be one day.

Dylan smiled at him. Shut up and pay attention.

During the rest of the class period, she noticed Lunapei kept their eyes on Dylan and would glance back at Hunter. It made her uneasy that someone else could notice the way Hunter stared at her. She wasn't sure if it was because of the bond or if this guy had a screw loose. The only way to find out would be to touch him, but that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Dylan was happy knowing she was bonded to Jackson and Silas was up in the air. Did she actually want a bond with Silas? Not so much after being around Jackson, seeing how he responded to her, and knowing she was a Shadowborn.

The bell rang, and Dylan started gathering her things when Lunapei called out. "Miss Pierce, may I speak with you."

Damn. And here I thought I would be able to skate through today unnoticed. Being mated has brought me more attention than people learning I am a Shadowborn.

Jackson was waiting by the door for her, and Dylan saw him step further into the room at Lunapei's request. Dylan fought back a groan, packed her things, and made her way to the desk. She watched the professor look up at Jackson with a sour expression.

"Mr. Fastolf, you are not-"

"Where my mate is, I am. End of discussion."

Lunapei rolled her eyes. "Dominant males of our species need to be reprogrammed by the Great Moon to stop being so damn bossy." She sighed heavily, closed her eyes, and Dylan watched her mouth count to ten before she looked back up at her. "I understand you both are newly mated. Congratulations on that, by the way. What I want to speak to you about is the tension I am seeing between you and Mr. Hawthorne. I noticed at breakfast how he would not leave your table even though it seemed to upset you and Mr. Fastolf and how he needed to sit behind you. It seems he is acting like another potential mate for you."

Jackson growled, and Lunapei glared at him. It didn't stop Jackson from his snarls. Dylan could feel in the bond that Jackson did not like Hunter and that something had fallen off about him. He didn't want Hunter's interest in Dylan either. She understood on some level since no one knew who Hunter was, and with his power rolling off him, he was a ranking wolf. A high-ranking wolf. Someone should know him, yet even the teachers looked at Hunter like they should know him but didn't.

"Mr. Fastolf, you are newly mated, but that does not excuse your behavior. Dylan is an Alpha female. It is rare for an Alpha female to have only one mate. The mate whose bond remains with her after rejection may still be completed. You are not her only."

"That guy is giving me creeper vibes, and I don't want him around my mate. I understand I have no choice since we are stuck in this school until her ex-mate comes for her or she completes these classes, but that doesn't mean I have to like her around him."

"I can understand your perspective, Mr. Fastolf, but that still won't release you from this behavior unless he is not a fated mate to Miss Pierce, he attempts to challenge you for her bond, and then you have no choice. Fated Mates are taken quite seriously at this school. He has not committed any crime against pack law nor your mate. Until such happens, you must deal with his being around your mate."

Jackson's face looked painful. Dylan walked over to him and put her hand under his dress shirt to touch his back. Jackson relaxed against her touch and leaned into it.

"I'm sure you understand why my mate behaves in such a way, though I don't see a bite mark on your neck. Have you experienced a mate bond, Professor Lunapei?" Dylan said through her teeth as she tried to contain her anger at the teacher's dismissal of her mate's feelings.

Lunapei's lips tightened before she sighed. "I have not."

"Then I suggest you apologize to my mate and empathize with our situation. The males of our species, especially dominants, are quite possessive by nature. Add in either his mated or unmarked female, and they tend to worsen. Jackson does not like this male because there are no signs of me being his mate."

Jackson pushed his sense of pride through the bond, knowing Dylan was quick to defend him. She didn't want to smile like an idiot in front of Lunapei even though she knew they were mated, and it was a side effect. Knowing Lunapei never experienced a mate bond made Dylan more conscious of how she acted around the woman.

Though part of me wants to rub it in her face since she wants to be a bitch to Jackson. Maybe I should.

Lunapei nodded. "That is why I wanted to bring it to your attention. Some males see a female become mated and hover to see if she is their mate. Once a female finds one mate, it increases her chances of finding others. Please let me know if Mr. Hawthorne becomes a problem. I was not trying to dismiss your feelings, Mr. Fastolf. I was trying to determine if this would become a potential issue for staff members. The last thing we want is for a mated pair to deal with other males challenging their right to touch Miss Pierce to determine if she is their mate or not."

Dylan looked up at Jackson to determine if he was satisfied with the apology. Jackson gave Lunapei a curt nod and wrapped his arm around Dylan's shoulders. Dylan relaxed a little and pushed Jackson toward the door.

"I think we need to get to class."

"Thank you for seeing me. I hope you two have a good rest of your day. Please let one of us know if Mr. Hawthorne becomes a problem we need to solve."

"We will. Thank you." Dylan turned to leave, and Lunapei cleared her throat.

"Miss Pierce."

Dylan turned around.

"I see your potential. These classes will also help you learn to lead someday. The Alpha in you is an asset. Use it wisely."

Dylan continued to push Jackson out the door while she smiled at Lunapei and nodded. Her attention was more to Jackson than the compliment she was given. He still wasn't extremely happy with Lunapei but knew to be civil. She could feel through the bond how he still didn't like the idea of her being around Hunter. Dylan understood that since they didn't know if he was a mate. Hunter was not someone they wanted to be around if he wasn't.

Sure enough, Hunter was seated behind Dylan the rest of the day. They wouldn't know where he was until she walked into class. During lunch, he sat himself at the same table, but this time, he sat at the other end, so he wasn't sitting by them again. Dylan wanted to ask what his problem was but decided that would only add fuel to the fire. She didn't want Jackson to notice she was noticing Hunter right now. With the new bond, he would just be huffy around any male. Hunter would push every button on Jackson if she gave him the attention.

Not letting that happen.

Dylan suffered through the classes and was ecstatic when it was time to sit through Pack Magic. It was the last class of the day, and then she could eat dinner before confining herself in her and Jackson's new suite. Any time Jackson noticed Hunter looking at Dylan, he would send her images of what he planned to do to her and use their bond to touch her in sensualized ways just to drive her crazy.

"Okay, class. Today, we are going to discuss mate bonds."

Dylan noticed Professor Wilcox's tone was slippery compared to what it had been on Monday. She wasn't sure what was happening. Werewolves didn't have periods like human women had, so there was no bitchiness for a few days a month. Instead, females went into heat at certain times of the year when she was most fertile. Pregnancies usually didn't happen outside of that either. So, it was happening outside of class if she was in a bad mood.

"Mate bonds between Werewolves are something our species holds in high regard. As you all know, I'm sure that females can have multiple fated mates due to the small number of born females. No one understands why that is to this day. Our genes are similar to humans regarding the X and Y that create a male or female. However, more often than not, a male gives the Y gene instead of X. Due to this, our creator, The Great Moon, had made it so females were given multiple mates."

She turned toward the board and started writing things down. Dylan thought about copying it, but this was basic information taught inside packs, and she didn't understand why they were being taught it inside a Pack magic class.

"This is where pack magic can get complicated. Males tend to have higher dominance than females, correct? Due to this, males have the necessary strength to keep their mates and their pack safe. Ever notice when a female has multiple mates, and the males tend to be less agitated and think straighter? That is the power of a mate bond. When the bond settles, the power between the couples or group will create stronger magic, allowing the power to flow through them all instead of just one of them. Which then can mean it can be helpful inside of pack bonds as well."

When Wilcox turned and looked at Dylan, she already knew where this was going. It was leading to something Dylan was dreading after they returned to class today. Dylan and Jackson were now the demonstrations when it came to mate bonds.

"Miss Pierce and Mr. Fastolf are a newly mated pair. Their bond is complete, and they are settling into a place where they can safely be around others. This means Mr. Fastolf will feel less chaotic and need to assert his dominance over other males unless he feels challenged."

Dylan saw out of her eye that Jackson was peering over to Hunter. She rolled her eyes and mentally slapped the back of Jackson's head. His head snapped at her, and she felt his anger through the mate bond.

Why did you do that? He snarled.

Knock it off. You are supposed to be less agitated. She just said that! How are you? Did you not get laid enough for something in the past two days?

His arousal flooded the bond, and Dylan had to stop herself from moaning at feeling him use the bond to touch her. Is that an invitation, mate?

No, you dork. That is my genuine concern that we didn't have enough for you not to want to pummel every male who looks at me.

Not every male. Just one. Who keeps leaning toward you and, I think, sniffing your hair.

Dylan didn't notice Hunter doing that. If he were, that certainly explained why he couldn't control himself. Hunter was crossing a boundary where only mates were allowed. She frowned before paying attention to the teacher talking about mate bonds. She had already covered something about how magic assisted dominance.

"Miss Pierce, I understand you are an Alpha in your own right, aside from your father, who is the Alpha of your pack. Mr. Fastolf, you are the Beta of your pack. Correct?"

They both nodded.

"So, in this situation, Dylan's dominance would add more of the overall power they could share. Dylan can draw from Jackson, and he does as well. With more from Dylan's ranking, they are more powerful than two Betas."

Dylan raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Pierce."

"I'm sorry, but how is this part of pack magic?"

Wilcox was hesitant, and Dylan noticed she rolled her eyes a little. " It's all part of the overall lesson, Miss Pierce. We will get there."

"I understand that, but no one can manipulate the bonds between mates, but the Alpha can manipulate the bonds from the whole pack."

Shockingly, the professor smiled. "Exactly! I was getting to just that. The magic inside of mate bonds is like pack magic itself, but it cannot be manipulated by the pack's Alpha. This can create tension within packs if someone is mated to all dominant males. Imagine someone mated to three Alphas. That alone can make the group more powerful than the Alpha himself unless he is within a mated bond with nothing but Alphas as well."

Dylan realized where she was getting. Silas was an Alpha. Jackson was a Beta. If both males had completed their bond with her, she would already have more power than her parents. This is where issues arise in packs. It could mess with the hierarchy, and there could be challenges for Alpha if a group is more powerful than the one already leading.

We are a dramatic breed, and we can't even defend ourselves and say we aren't.

Dylan raised her hand again. The professor's mood seemed to change, seeing Dylan as involved as she was. No one else seemed to be into the lesson like Dylan was, and it felt weird. She wasn't like this usually during school. However, this was more interesting information than she had in high school.

"Let me make sure I understand this. My father is only mated to my mother. Both of them are Alphas. I have two mates already and completed the bond with one. When I complete the bond with Silas, can I become more powerful than my parents and the Alpha?"

She already knew this, but for some reason, it never struck Dylan like it does now. She was possibly more powerful than her parents once she completed the bond with Silas. Did she want to overrule her parents and take control of the pack? No. At least not right now. When they were ready, that was certainly something she and her mates could do. Right now, she wants to live her life and gain more experience while watching her parents. Rule as their Beta until they were ready to hand it over to her. However, if the wolves in her pack felt she and her mates had more power than her parents, they would slowly not listen to them. An Alpha must be more dominant than every wolf inside the pack to keep them all in line. The hierarchy fell apart if the Alpha was less dominant with their mates.

Great. I would need to take over almost immediately because I would be too dominant. Me and my mates' wolves, and I recognized they were more dominant and did not want to listen to my parents. This can't happen.

"Yes, Miss Pierce. That is correct. Thank you for your perspective as well. I'm sure that just helped the class understand this material."

Dylan blew out a breath and bowed her head. This was not something she wanted to be worried about right now. She pushed the thoughts into the back of her mind and listened to the rest of the content in class. There were ways for the mated pair to use the magic between them to assist the other, and that's what the lesson turned into. It would be discussed according to the outline provided in the first class. Dylan suspected Wilcox did this intentionally since she had a mated couple in her class.

"Now, onto the magic a mated pair can use to help them heal each other. As you all know, we draw some blood after biting into our mate and swallowing it. This allows your blood to merge, combine your scents, and connect your souls. This creates a bond where the connection between you can become known. After that, whenever your mate is wounded, you can take another drink from your mark, and your mate's blood will heal you."

Jackson raised his hand. "Does that mean only when you complete the bond? Or let's say me and Dylan didn't complete the bond right away, and I got hurt during combat class. Would I have been able to drink some of her blood to heal that?"

"Yes, actually. All it takes is for the bond to be started, and this magic can be used. We already have advanced healing, and it can be healed within hours. Some things take longer, like broken bones or regrowing a limb. But if it was a gash that would take hours, blood from your mate can make it heal within minutes."

Dylan remembered something she read and wondered if it was true. She held her hand up and didn't wait to be called on to ask.

"Is it true that Shadowborns can manipulate the magic between them and their mates, as well as pack magic, so that they can heal their mates or packmates?"

The room went silent. There was a reason why Shadowborns were feared. Not only were they harder to kill in battle due to their Shadow Wolf being able to turn ethereal where no one could hurt them, but their magic was different, too. Her father was sure to tell her it was a myth, but if people hated them so much because they were harder to kill, why wouldn't this also be a factor?

Wilcox swallowed hard and sighed. Dylan could tell she was fighting with herself, to tell the truth right now. But inside a room full of werewolves, they'd smell the lie.

"Yes. It has been known for Shadowborns to carry the magic where they can push the pack bonds and mate bonds to a level non-Shadowborns can't. As far as I am aware, you can learn the magic that Shadowborns have with your wolf and do things no other wolf can. One of those things is healing your mate or packmates without exchanging blood. Over the years, that knowledge has somehow been erased from textbooks, but those of us with long lives still have long memories. Suppose it came down to it, Miss Pierce, I believe your wolf will be able to remember exactly how to do this."

Dylan sat there, too stunned to speak with that information. It would explain everything if it was being erased from history, and some still remembered why Shadowborns were feared.

Holy shit. No wonder we are hated. We have more magic than all the other werewolves.