Chapter 6

Dylan

T he sun peeked over the horizon, casting golden ribbons across the platform. The train waited for Dylan to step onto its sleek form. A suitcase was packed to the brim with her belongings, and her arms were folded over her chest as her parents stared at her. Valko's teal eyes held hers, but Dylan didn't drop them as anger rolled off her. She didn't want to be here, and she sure as hell didn't want to go to that academy. Loveta's crystal blue eyes held some tears as she tried to convince Dylan this would be a good thing.

"There is a reason the Great Moon decided to give you a mate that was not Shadowborn. She wanted it to be this way, and fixing that chance is the best way to go about this."

"You weren't there, Mom. Silas didn't want to fix this. He didn't want me the moment he learned I was a Shadowborn. The dude was saying I was an abomination!" Dylan snarled.

Loveta shook her head. "He is allowing you a second chance."

"By sending me to a damn school to learn how to fix myself!" Dylan outbursts and throws her hands into the air.

Valko sighed. "It is the best outcome, love. There are no children in our pack. Thankfully, Cassie has found her mates and is staying within our pack. A few other females at least found a mate, but it feels like they can end up with more. If you can fix this with Silas, that is another chance at bringing more into our pack."

"So, you're pimping me out so our numbers can grow?"

"Dylan, that's not what I was saying, and you know it."

"I don't see why I have to go to this school. Why can't my mate love me for who I am?"

Loveta stepped closer to her and tried to give her a hug. Dylan stepped away, glaring at her mother. "I'm not heartbroken. I'm pissed. I was told all my damn life my mate would be made to be exactly what I need and would love everything about me. Well, I met the damn guy, and he hated me!"

Valko growled. "It wasn't supposed to be that way. You're not the only Werewolf that will be there either. It happens. This hatred for Shadowborns overrides his senses. Don't let him sour this. This is a chance to start over. I'm sure he will mention how he wants you to have control over your Shadow Wolf. He saw how you can't control her completely; an Alpha would see that as a weakness. Since he is the son of an Alpha, they are treating him as the next in line. No Alpha will want his Luna to have a weakness like that."

The low growl rising in her throat made Valko narrow his eyes. Dylan didn't care. "It isn't a damn weakness. I can still kick the shit out of everyone who steps on me."

"You're not infallible, Dylan. Not being able to control your wolf is a weakness. The battle between the human and animal inside of us is one we need to keep inside of us and settle before it ends up getting us, and those we love, killed," Loveta told her.

It annoyed Dylan that she understood what her mother was saying. She and her wolf were on good terms. She never had to battle for the wheel, and when she was in a scruff and needed to shift, she always answered. They never had the issue of losing control of themselves and no incidents of putting someone in the hospital just because she couldn't control her wolf either. There were no signs that she wasn't in control either. The only issue she seemed to have was keeping herself corporal or astral when she wanted.

Okay fine. I see why that is an issue, but people really need to get off their high horse. No one I know who had this issue also became feral.

"What're the terms? I just go for a few months, and he accepts me, and then we go through the bonding, and everything is peachy?"

Valko nodded. "More or less, yes. From what I understand, anyway. When you get there, someone will walk you through the process. There will be classes you will need to complete. From what I also understand, the classes will be tailored to your situation. They have it down to a science, and there are select classes for things. Most people are rejected for the same kinds of reasons as someone else. Anyway, your one-on-one class will be left over from the classes that couldn't cover the issues. I'm going to guess that it will be your astral issues."

Dylan's eyebrows furrowed. It was weird to know that this school had a list of the reasons why someone was rejected and created classes to "fix" them, and something that wasn't a general reason why people were rejected was covered in sessions with just one teacher. It made her skin crawl how people thought this was okay.

Wait a minute. How can someone show me how to resolve my astral problem? Wouldn't a Shadowborn have to do that?

"Will there be a Shadowborn there as my one-on-one teacher then?"

Valko shrugged. "I've never been there, so I am unsure. I assume so."

A whistle blew to warn passengers to come aboard. Dylan rolled her eyes. She still didn't want to go, but it seemed to be her only choice. She sighed heavily before giving her parents hugs goodbye. She picked up her suitcase before they could get emotional and dashed to the train.

The whistle blew its final warning, and Dylan heard the engine start to yawn to life. The flames of the engine began to consume its fuel, causing the pistons to fire and the wheels to roll down the tracks. She could hear the clanging of the metal as its cogs moved and the metal of the wheels screeching against the rails as it chugged along. The glass reveals a world in motion. Fields blur—a watercolor canvas of emerald and gold. Trees bow as if paying homage. Houses, mere glimpses, harbor secrets behind curtained windows. A draft sweeps through the carriage, carrying pine, diesel, and anxiety from the other passengers headed to the same destination.

Dylan could tell there were only about five other werewolves on the train. She overheard them as they handed over their tickets, asking where their destination was, and they said RISE Academy. She was shocked to see three of them were guys. One was awfully cute with shaggy brown hair and puppy dog brown eyes. He flashed her a smile, looking at her as she passed his cabin. His full lips gave her the idea that he might be a good kisser, but she knew better than to think much more about that. Dylan looked out the window to ignore him. She didn't feel like flirting after the whole debacle with Silas. The other two guys were plain-looking. One had brown hair and eyes, and his face was heartbroken. The other was blonde with green eyes who didn't seem interested in anything outside of what was out the window. One girl was taller with blonde hair and eerily pale blue eyes. As Dylan passed her cabin, she took note that the girl was dominant and had the potential to be at least a Beta. Her curves were small but still noticeable, too. Dylan added a mental note to ask the girl why her mate rejected her and had a feeling it was because she was dominant and didn't submit. The last cabin held a redhead girl with green eyes. Her curls framed her face. Even from this girl sitting down, she could tell she was on the shorter side because she could barely touch the ground with her feet from the cushion. There was some roundness to her body, but not enough that would scream a problem about her wolf not being active. The brown freckles across her cheeks almost appeared like a mask, making this girl more attractive as Dylan got closer.

The girl caught Dylan looking at her and waved. Dylan stopped in her tracks to look at the girl. She smiled and continued waving, clearly waiting for Dylan to wave back. Dylan lifted her hand and waved. She attempted to smile, but it must have come off as frightening from the weird expression the girl gave her. Dylan sighed and felt like her chance at making friends was a shot in the dark. Shockingly, the girl waved Dylan in to sit with her. Dylan shook her head and waved her off, but the girl insisted on patting the seat beside her. A seat was across from her, so Dylan opened the glass door and stepped in.

"Hi! I'm Serafine Osmera." Serafine held out her hand for Dylan to take.

Dylan took it and nodded. "Dylan Pierce." Afterward, Dylan sat down across from Serafine. She noticed the whole cabin smelled like bergamot and lemongrass. It was an interesting combo that, somehow, made Dylan relax. Her wolf curled into a ball, and she could hear rumbling from her chest. The wolf enjoyed being around Serafine and wanted to stay even though Dylan could see Serafine was like a one-thousand-watt bulb just illuminating the room.

"Isn't this exciting! A whole new place to explore and meet people to have adventures with. I heard this place is beautiful! Like a castle made for people like us to come to after being rejected. Almost makes me feel like a forgotten princess or something."

Dylan raised an eyebrow at her. "You are happy to go to a place that makes its living by reforming those rejected by their fated mate?"

Serafine smiled. "Well, of course! As I said, it's a new place and even a way to meet new people. You're a Werewolf, right?"

Dylan just nodded. She wasn't sure why, but this felt odd to her. Anyone she had ever heard of being rejected wasn't really happy about it, yet this chick thought it was a new adventure and a good thing.

"Well, as a Werewolf, you know the packs aren't exactly united. Some people just hate other packs for no reason."

Yeah, no kidding.

Serafine continued. "So being able to meet all these people and connect to other packs, I look at it like it's the Goddess's way of uniting the packs in a small way. But small gestures turn into bigger ones eventually! It's like a snowball being built at the top of a hill. It'll grow as it rolls, and eventually, you'll have this enormous snowball of everyone working together!"

Dylan chuckled. "Not what I ever experienced, but I like your cheerful outlook."

"You'll see. Things get better when people work together."

She thought Serafine was an Omega because of how laidback and bubbly she was, but Dylan could feel the dominance on her. It was subtle, so she wasn't extremely high on the hierarchy. Enough to where Dylan knew if she were pissed off, she would be a force to reckon with. Any wolf she knew that could hide her power, like Serafine, was not someone to piss off either.

"Tell me something, Sera. Why would someone reject you? If you don't mind me asking."

Serafine smiled. "Don't mind at all. It's a silly reason, honestly. He didn't like how bubbly I was, and I guess he couldn't accept that about me. He was too grumpy for my awesome self. Not that I can blame him. When you are in a positive and amazing presence like me for a long period of time, and you are constantly living in misery, your energy just upsets your demons. Sucks for them."

Dylan laughed out loud. "Wow. You sure know who you are and are damn proud of it."

Serafine winked at her. "Of course, sweetie. Confidence is key. Just because a dumb man turns down a life of happiness with the mate the Great Moon gave him doesn't mean it was my fault. I am who I am. Take or leave me because I am not changing for anyone."

"Hell yeah! I like your style, Serafine."

She beamed at Dylan's praise. "Well, I told you my story. What's yours?"

Dylan groaned. "How do you feel about Shadowborns?"

"I think they are like any of us but have a sweet power to go all smokey and still kick ass." Serafine pulled her legs up and crossed them under her, put her elbows on her knees, and held her face in her hands. "Go on."

Dylan ended up spilling all of her story out to Serafine. She hated how she relished the details and opened her soul to this girl that she had just met, but it felt too damn good not to. Serafine just listened to every word Dylan said without interrupting. She made some faces during the part about how Silas reacted to her being a Shadowborn. When Dylan finished, Serafine shook her head in disbelief, and Dylan heard a soft growl in her throat.

"So, the dude couldn't handle you being more badass than him? That's what I got from all of that. I didn't even know there was still that much hate for Shadowborns. My pack was raised to believe you were created by the Great Moon to help protect the packs with your stealth."

"That's the legend I always heard. My pack has kept a few neighboring packs from losing fights of others moving in on their territory. They are a bunch of idiot lone wolves that want nothing to do with the Monarch. Thought they would get away with taking over another pack and then came face-to-face with my father and his top wolves mixed in with that pack. They didn't know what hit them."

"Well, duh! That's why Shadowborns were created. But didn't you say he wasn't taught that history?"

"Apparently."

Serafine shook her head. "His loss."

After that, they fell into more girl talk and got to know each other. Dylan laughed often at Serafine's bubbly way of putting things together, and her mood turned right around. Hours melted away until they felt the train slowing down.

They had arrived at the academy.

The hustle and bustle of getting off the train made Dylan feel claustrophobic. There were other Werewolves getting off in different compartments, but she noticed from the array of scents that there were other species, too. Some smelled of magic, others of elements, and she even caught a scent of an angel somewhere, though she didn't see a pair of wings.

A few white shuttle buses were lined up outside the platform to transport them to the school. Serafine looped her arm in Dylan's and started walking toward the first one in a row. Normally, Dylan would shrug off someone doing this, but Serafine had already won her over. She already helped her mood by explaining why she was rejected, and the laughs they shared gave her a positive view of being sent here. If anything came out of this at all, it would be the newfound friendship she had.

The buses held about ten people, and all the werewolves piled into one. There were only eight on the bus, but no others got on. People's hatred for other species was worse than Werewolves' for Shadowborns. Dylan rolled her eyes, noticing no one had gotten on the bus with them. It wasn't as if they were diseased or would kill anyone for being a different species. It was just the generational hate the supernaturals handed down to their children.

Maybe I should also become friends with some other species at this school. Not like I get much of a chance outside of this place.

She watched the trees pass by in a blur as the shuttle drove its cargo to the academy. The flutter in her stomach and her knees bouncing made Dylan aware she was more nervous than she thought she'd be as they made their way to the place she was condemned to live until she learned how to control her shadow wolf. She must have been growling because she felt an elbow enter her side.

"Cool it. Everything will be fine."

"I know. I don't know why I am getting all antsy."

Serafine patted Dylan's thigh. "This isn't exactly a normal thing. We are being sent off to a school we know nothing about other than we will have to attend classes to better ourselves. What those classes will be? We don't know. For all we know, they are sticking us with syringes full of some potion that will turn us into thoughtless zombies."

Dylan glanced sideways at her new friend. "I didn't know you had disturbed thoughts in that bubbly brain of yours."

Sera giggled. "I have dark thoughts. I just choose not to express them. I mean, thoughtless zombies tend to get a lot more sex than someone who challenges their mate every second."

Dylan laughed. "I can get all the sex I want while being the dominant that I am."

"I assume with more handcuffs than some of us would use."

Dylan laughed, and she heard people turning to look at them. They sat in the back to watch the other students during the ride. Now Dylan was receiving glances from every other Werewolf on the bus, especially the guys. Dylan ignored them, though she could have fun with these glances.

"No, though, that gives me some ideas for having more fun the next time I choose to go to bed with someone. But I just meant-"

"I know what you meant. I just chose to have some fun with you."

"You know, I think we will be the best of friends."

"Hells yeah!"

The shuttle snaked through the terrain, hugging the contours of the land. The engine's steady hum and the tires' grip on the pavement provided a rhythmic backdrop to the journey. With each bend, the anticipation of seeing the school come into view had Dylan peering out the window. At long last, a black wrought iron fence came into view. Dylan noticed two security stations on either side of the gate, and she couldn't help but think she would be a prisoner here until Silas deemed her worthy enough to be his mate. As they drew nearer, Dylan noticed the academy crest at the center of the gate. The letters RISE in this shield-shaped crest made her heart clench. The building behind the gate held Dylan's gaze. The beautiful gray stone stood out against the greenery all around it. Two large turrets encased the corners of the small castle. Windows lined the building. Any accent to the building looked as though it was the green color bronze turned as it faded with rust.

Well, no going back now.

The gates opened, and the crest split in two. The shuttle opened its doors after it stopped at the academy's opening. The sun was hot now that it hung directly over them. Dylan was thankful when she stepped out into the heat, and she was hustled to stand under the double-stone archway that provided shade for them as they waited. A woman walked through the door's entrance and smiled radiantly at the group. Her brunette hair flowed around her waist, and a slight wave appeared. Her eyes were so pale that they looked scary as if her irises were blending in with the rest of her eyes. The woman was tall and muscular, which told Dylan she was a Werewolf before the musk that every wolf has carried to her nose. The power rolling off her in waves pushed against Dylan. She realized she had been staring at the woman's eyes for too long and dropped her gaze quickly. She already knew this woman was more dominant than her, and she didn't need to be making challenging gestures to her before school even started.

"Welcome to the Reform Institute of Self-Enhancement. I am Louve Lupe, the Werewolf Council Member and your mentor during your time here. Here, you will Reform, Improve, Shine, and Elevate yourself. You are not here to compete with your fellow students. We are here to rehabilitate you and restore the bond with your fated mate. Through those doors is the chance for a better tomorrow, so have this thought in mind. You are only competing with yourself to be better than who you were yesterday."

Dylan rolled her eyes at Louve's speech. She almost made a gagging gesture toward Serafine but thought better of it.

"Follow me. I will give you the grand tour and hand you your class schedules. We have spoken to your fated mates and carefully selected the schedule that fits your needs."

Louve pointed out that the first floor was for the common areas. The library and dining hall were located on this floor, and they would share that with the other species. The second floor was for the classrooms, and the hallways were lined with lockers. Some classes would be shared with other species that also needed the same classes to enhance themselves. Things like etiquette especially, and Dylan noticed Louve glanced in her direction when she mentioned that. Floor three was for the admin and teachers' offices and the hospital wing. There were dormitories for each species scattered around the property. Louve walked them over to the Werewolves' dormitories. On the way, the process of the academy was explained to them. They would attend classes Monday through Friday, and the weekends were for themselves. The classes they were given could not be changed, but each semester would have a check-in at the end with their mentor. The mentor would review their progress and assess if they would need to further their class or if it were considered complete. When they deemed the student had completed the courses, the fated mate could come to the school and assess for themselves.

The Werewolf dormitory, Lupine Hall, stands tall amidst the whispering pines of the secluded woods. Its architecture blends rustic charm and fortified strength with stone foundations and timbered walls that speak of heritage and resilience. The entrance is marked by an ornate gate featuring motifs of the moon and forest, welcoming all who are part of the pack.

Inside, the dormitory is warm and inviting, with a grand hearth at the center of the common room where students gather under the soft glow of firelights. The walls are adorned with tapestries depicting the lore of lycanthropes, and the air carries the earthy scent of the forest that seeps in through the open windows.

The dorm rooms are cozy, each with a view of the moonlit sky, ensuring that the connection to their primal nature is never lost. The building is designed for the unique needs of werewolves, with soundproof walls to muffle the howls during the full moon and spacious grounds for safe transformation. The dorms being close to the woods also meant they could have full moon runs like normal.

There were two rooms next to each other at the end of the hall and Serafine immediately jumped next to Dylan and looped her arm in hers again. Louve smiled and nodded. Dylan took the one closest to the wall and opened the door. Louve stood behind her as she wheeled her suitcase into the room.

"Dylan, here is your class schedule."

Monday through Thursday

8:30am to 9:30am: Breakfast

10am - 11am: Etiquette

11:30am to 12:30pm: Pack Politics

12:30pm to 1:30pm: Lunch

2pm to 3pm: Pack Magic

3:30 to 4:30pm: Combat Training

Friday

10am to 2pm: Mentorship - How to Control Your Wolf

Dylan growled, I'm in a fucking etiquette class?!