Chapter 1

• The Beginning
• “Honey, we got a letter.” Mom said, clutching a red envelope in her fist for dear life.
• I set my bowl of oatmeal down.
• “Who from?”
• “From a school, they’re requesting your presence.”
• “What kind of school does that? I don’t remember writing to any schools, plus university applications are months away.”
• “Yes… I know.”
• “Something’s fishy mom. Throw it away.”
• “I can’t.” Her voice cracked. “This is their fourth letter. We have to… consider.”
• “Geez, who are they?”
• “McGregor Academy… It’s a school for shifters.”
• My eyes from the red tablecloth to the kitchen window, giving me a perfect view of the oak tree in my backyard. A shifter school? I lost all feeling in my fingers and my cheeks heated. They shouldn’t be after me.
• “Honey I think you should…” My mom Anya trailed.
• What was she thinking? I couldn’t go there.
• “Mom, I can’t shift.” I was eighteen and still hadn’t gotten my wolf. I was pretty sure by then that she wasn’t showing up.
• “You just haven’t done it yet.” Mom said, still clenching the letter.
• “I’m not a wolf. I’m done with the wishful thinking.” I grabbed my bowl, wandered to the sink, and turned on the water. “I’m not like everyone else.” I could see the backyard completely and into my neighbour’s bigger yard.
• I lived in EastWood a community of shifters. Mom wasn’t a shifter and since dad vanished living in a community of wolves made her nervous.
• “The school is requesting you be there by tomorrow Gabbie. They’ve been asking for you for weeks. I thought they would go away if I didn’t answer.”
• “But I don’t have a wolf, what are they going to do? I didn’t know they just handed them out.”
• Mom groaned, “They’re going to involve the Alpha’s council. All shifters have to go to the academy.”
• “Is it because my birthday was a month ago.”
• “From what I know most shifters turn before eighteen. They must think you’ve already turned.”
• I settled back on the table. I knew about the mysterious shifter Academy. I couldn’t count how many people I knew left town to attend the Academy. I honestly thought a select few got to go. When I was fifteen my best friend Alex left town to attend. Well… he’s no ordinary wolf. He’s the son of the Alpha. I haven’t seen him since or heard anything about him.
• Obviously, I would know if he died. It would be a dark day in the pack. Would I get to see him again?
• “Do I have to leave so soon?” I asked.
• Mom settled on the empty chair to my right. I didn’t want to leave her here alone. Not that this was a dangerous pack. The Alpha was friends with my dad once upon a time so I’d like to think we’re protected. I don’t want her to be lonely. My dad wasn’t coming back and she was too scared to put herself out there again.
• “Yes honey, there’s a bus that’ll take you straight to the school.”
• “How long will I be there for?”
• She pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, “You haven’t even gotten there yet and you’re thinking of leaving.”
• “Being the new girl is hard Mom. Not to mention the only one without a wolf.”
• “They’ll help you out.” She insisted.
• I bit my lip. The kids here were bad enough. Everyone was expecting me to shift but I didn’t. I always wonder if there’s something wrong with me. I can’t even feel the connection other wolves talk about with their wolves. Mine was just quiet or hollow. Dead.
• “You’ll make lots of friends. I think you’re a pretty cool girl.”
• I chuckled, “Thanks, mom. You think I’ll see Alex again?”
• I felt my cheeks blush a little. I could imagine he was totally different on the outside, I was hoping he was just the same on the inside.
• Mom’s face brightened, “Yes, Alex. He was such a sweet boy. See you already have a friend.”
• She got up and wandered into the living room. I followed, she wasn’t going to cry, was she? She struggled with the drawer on the table that carried a massive ugly lamp my grandmother gave her. She got it open and rummaged inside until she pulled out a chain.
• “What’s that?” I asked.
• She held the shiny silver chain out for me. “It was your dad’s I think you should take it. I think he left it for you. He never took that thing off.”
• It had a pendant of an arrow and an axe crossed together. I let the cold metal fall in my palm. I remembered it dangling on his chest when I was a kid.
• “You should get ready Gabbie,” Mom said softly.
• “I just… It’s so soon. I don’t want to leave you…”
• “Oh… Gabbie.” She wrapped me in her arms and I squeezed. “I’ll be fine.”
• ***
• I had one suitcase in front of me and a backpack. The bus taking me to my new home for the next who knows how long was empty and the driver looked at me as if I kicked his dog.
• “It’s going to be okay Gabbie.” Mom smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
• I nodded. I couldn’t believe I was reaching home. It was only now hitting me that I wouldn’t wake up in my own house anymore. Not for a while. I hoped they were wrong. They’d find out I didn’t have a wolf and send me home. I would still be teased, but at least I would be somewhere familiar.
• Mom wrapped me in her arms, “Everything’s going to be fine. You have to go now, honey.”
• “I know. I’ll try to call every day.”
• “That’ll be great.”
• The bus ride felt like five hours. I fell asleep with headsets on listening to music. The rock of the bus woke me up. The lights came on and I had to blink to adjust to the light.
• “Final stop young lady.” The bus driver rasped.
• I slung my bag over my shoulder and wobbled out of the bus. Well, here was home. A medieval castle that looked possessed by demons. Better yet people that turned into fury beasts. The lights from the bus illuminated the entrance.
• A woman in a long gown and bucket hat stood in front of the door. I placed my hand on my chest. I thought she was a ghost.
• “Welcome Miss Chambers.”
• “Thanks?”
• What was she the caretaker? She turned and beckoned me on.
• “School officially starts tomorrow. New students sleep in Helene Hall for the night until they can be put into your proper dorms. Unfortunately, you’re the only new student.”
• “Why?”
• “Well… some arrive on the first day. Some years we have no new students at all.”
• I paused, this didn’t feel right.
• “I’m sorry ma’am…”
• “Headmistress Athena.” She straightened up her spine.
• “Headmistress… I don’t think I should be here. I’ve never shifted before. I don’t know why I’m here.” I said almost in a whisper.
• “Just because you haven’t shifted doesn’t mean you aren’t a wolf who belongs here.” She proceeded expecting me to follow.
• The only other sound was that of our shoes clicking against the marble floor.
• “What happens if I can’t shift?”
• “We’ll cross that line when we get there, Miss Chambers. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”