Shadow Mate (Wolf Moon Academy Book 1) Read online

I had to let it go even if my wolf was howling in my head. She wanted to break free and run after them. She’d never acted like that before. No one had ever stirred those types of emotions out of me, but of course, it’d be those douchebags. Good thing I wouldn’t have to see them again … I think.

  Chapter Two

  It took a few days, but I'd finally managed to force myself not to think about that night …as often. And when I mean not often, I still thought about that dickhead all the damn time. That couldn't be healthy.

  "Are you going to help me set this table or just stare out the window?" Max arched an eyebrow at me and pointed to the forks I still had in my hand.

  The garage door opened, and Dad stepped into the kitchen, joining us. He set his laptop bag down and headed over to my mom, who was finishing up the taco meat on the stove. He moved her dark hair to the side and kissed her cheek. "Honey, did you by chance get the mail today? I'm expecting something from one of the alphas out west."

  "Oh, no." She glanced over her shoulder at me. "Since Max is apparently the only one setting the table, do you mind running outside real fast?"

  "Now you're taking his side." It figured. Mom had even made comments about me being flighty. Granted, it wasn't solely the dickhead that was distracting me. I'd received all of my college acceptance letters already, and tomorrow I would graduate high school. Things were getting real, and though my feelings were probably normal, I'd been having trouble processing what I was feeling. Some days, I felt like I could be bipolar. One minute, I was happy, and the next minute, I was in a pit of despair.

  "Now, now. There are no sides." Max shook his head and frowned. "There is only one side. Singular. And it's always mine."

  "Tell that to poor Ruby, who caught you cheating on her." If he was going to be an ass, so could I.

  "Hey, hey." He picked up one of the butter knives off the table. "We were on a break." He held the knife in my direction. "Don't make me use this. It could get ugly."

  "If you attack me, then I'll have to kick your ass." The problem was I could, but I had always purposely lost to him. Being Dad's replacement was so important to my brother that I didn't want to be the one who got in his way. The one thing Dad and Mom had taught both of us growing up was that family always came first. Yes, our packs were important, but in order for us to be good pack mates, we had to have a solid familial base. When I was a kid, I had always thought it was cheesy. Although, now that I'd seen what competition for being top dog amongst siblings could do, I was so thankful for them. Max and I were close in a way most shifter families weren't.

  "I could take you with my eyes closed." He straightened his shoulders, but the corners of his mouth tilted upward.

  "Yet, you resort to threatening me with a butter knife." I shrugged as I headed out of the kitchen and into the living room. "You might want to rethink your position."

  "Well, she's got you there, son." Dad chuckled as I crossed the room and slipped out the front door.

  When I stepped out the door, I thought it was kind of odd to not see many people outside. Our subdivision held our entire pack, so usually there were a few people about, but the low numbers kind of made sense since graduation was tomorrow. We were all spending our last night as high school seniors with our families.

  I strolled down our cement walkway and went straight for the mailbox. I opened it up and pulled out a handful of envelopes. As I slammed it shut, the gothic, formal script of Wolf Moon Academy caught my eye.

  Maybe my brother was finally getting in. I hadn't applied, so that was the only thing that made sense.

  Rushing into the house, I barreled through the door, pulling the envelope from the pile. As I ran into the kitchen, I came to a screeching halt. It wasn't addressed to my brother.

  Why was it addressed to me?

  "Hey, are you okay?" Mom turned around, her rich caramel eyes resting on mine. She placed the bowl of meat on the table and came over to stand next to me.

  "What's that you’re clutching?" Max's eyes went straight to the letter, and his mouth dropped. "Is that for me?"

  Dad followed Max's gaze, and a huge grin filled his face. "Maybe you got in for next year."

  It was unnerving. Max was an exact replica of Dad but twenty years younger. So, to see the hope in both sets of eyes just made it worse. I should have corrected them, but I was still in shock.

  "Let's see then." Mom snatched the letter from my fingers, and when her eyes landed on the name, she stopped short. "Uh … it's to you."

  "What?" Max's face fell. "I didn't realize you applied."

  "Because I didn't." It wasn't even on my radar. "Maybe it's a survey or something."

  "Well, open it and see." Dad's face still had a huge-ass smile on it.

  "Maybe we should just throw it out." Mom headed over to the garbage can.

  "Are you being serious?" Dad's brow furrowed, and he slid it out of her hands. "Either way, let's see what it has to say." He held it out to me. "Do you want to do the honors?"

  "Uh... yeah." Something inside me stirred, but I had no clue what the hell it was.

  He handed the letter back to me and I took a deep breath. With shaky fingers, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out the contents. As I unfolded the paper, the first sentence rocked the very foundation on which I stood.

  Dear Mia,

  Congratulations. We are honored to offer you a spot at Wolf Moon Academy.

  I stopped there. "How is this possible?" My eyes flicked upward to Mom's face. "I didn't even apply."

  "Holy shit!" Max once again grabbed the paper from my hands. "You fucking got in and didn't even apply."

  I wasn't quite sure if his tone was filled with surprise, hurt, or disgust. "Maybe there is a mix-up."

  "It doesn't matter. We can't afford it." Mom shook her head.

  "Not only did she get in." My brother blinked a few times, and a frown filled his face. "She's got a full ride. They are offering her a scholarship that covers classes, all materials, and food, plus a dorm room." He lowered the paper, and hurt reflected in his eyes. "You had to have applied."

  Great, now he thought I was lying. "No, I didn't. I swear." He was looking at me as if I’d betrayed him, which killed me inside.

  "Then how did you get in?" His voice rang in my ears, and he growled.

  "Max." Dad placed his hands on his hips, causing his polo shirt to conform more to his athletic build. "You don't talk to your sister that way. You should be happy for her."

  "Like hell I am." Max shook his head and wrinkled his nose. "Is that why you've been acting weird all week? You knew you'd be getting that letter?"

  "What? No." He and I had our share of spats growing up, but nothing like this. "I didn't lie."

  "See, it's already causing this family to tear apart." Mom frowned and shook her head. "It's best if you go to KSU with your brother next year."

  Even though I hadn't applied, now that I had been accepted, I wanted to go. Though, not at the cost of hurting my family.

  "This isn't the time for a decision like that." Dad pointed at the round maple stained table that was big enough for just the four of us. "Let's eat and talk about everyone’s day."

  "Fine." Max spun on his heel and sat in his usual chair.

  This was going to be fun.

  I couldn't sleep. No matter what I did, I tossed and turned. Thoughts of Wolf Moon and Liam were circling my head. If I went there, I'd eventually see him again. I couldn't tell if that excited me or pissed me off more.

  It didn’t help that here I was pretending I might actually go. I couldn't do that to my brother. It had always been his hope and dream growing up. He made sure to play sports and make an impact. He volunteered to help other packs out with various projects. He even made straight A’s in school. I hadn't tried even one day in my life to do any of that.

  Sure, I'd love to go to school there. They had a top of the line education that could only be found at Wolf Moon. Despite all of that, I wasn't willing to sacrifice my relationship wit
h my brother. And let's be real; if Liam and his followers were going to be there, that probably wouldn't be a good thing. Hell, they probably wouldn't even remember me, but I saw his face every time I closed my damn eyes.

  This wasn't working. I flung the covers off and stood. Maybe a run would help me clear my head.

  I slowly opened the door and tiptoed down the stairs, cautious not to wake my parents. As soon as I reached the backdoor, I unlocked it and removed my clothes. The last thing I wanted was to ruin my favorite pajamas.

  As I stepped onto the back porch, I looked up to see the moon was high in the sky. A slight breeze picked up, and I welcomed the shift. My body slowly transformed, and soon I was on all fours. I dug my paws into the ground and ran in the direction of my favorite spot in the world.

  It took mere seconds to reach the tree line and enter the woods that surrounded our neighborhood. Since the moon wasn't full, not many pack members would be running around, so some peace and solitude was a possibility.

  The scent of summer was upon us, which was one of my favorite smells. It wasn't overly sweet like spring or bitter like winter. The only way I knew how to describe it was that it smelled like promise. A promise of more sunlight and animals scurrying around. Sometimes during the winter, I almost felt as if I was the only animal in the woods. That wasn’t something I experienced in summer; the nights came alive.

  It wasn't long before I approached a small spring where I liked to sit and relax. Right when I was about to break free from the woods, my brother's piney scent caught my nose. He must already be there. In wolf form, we could mind link with other pack members, so I connected with him. Max?

  Hey, Mia.

  It surprised me that his tone wasn't angry but rather resigned. I took a deep breath. Mind if I join you? I hated that I had to ask. We'd always been close and rarely fought with one another, so being at odds wasn't something common for me.

  Yeah, I needed to come out here and clear my head, too. The sound of his paws hitting the ground grew louder as he moved in my direction. His light brown wolf appeared right in front of me. I'm glad you're here. I was afraid you were asleep, so I came out here to think.

  Well, we're here together now. I rubbed my head against his neck before trotting out to the clearing and sat in front of the spring.

  This place always brought me peace. I wasn't sure why.

  Look, I'm really sorry about earlier. My brother followed me and sat next to me. I … I was jealous.

  We were both watching the water and listening to the sounds of it trickling.

  It's okay. You were upset. I know that’s where you wanted to go. He had his heart set on it. Dad was one of the stronger alphas reporting to our regional north alpha. There were three regional alphas in our district that reported to the council members. Most of the students who attended Wolf Moon were the stronger alphas, which followed their bloodline. However, over the past ten years, Dad had noticed that he seemed to be weakening and his alpha strength had slowly depleted. Though he had no clue why. That was the only justification we could come up with for why Max didn't make it in.

  No, it's not okay. I acted like a selfish asshole. He whined a little next to me. I should be ecstatic that you're going there.

  Who said I was going? From what Bree had said, it didn't sound like a very fun school, and her brother pretty much validated her point. Even though the thought of seeing him again pulled at me.

  You've got to go. He shook his wolf head and rolled his eyes. You got a full scholarship, for goodness sakes.

  Max, I never applied. That's what was so bizarre. It has to be some fluke or accident. Seriously, it didn't make sense at all.

  Even if it was a mistake, they wouldn't admit it. Max huffed, and there was amusement in his eyes. You'd be crazy to turn it down. Think about all the opportunities it might open for you and the difference you could make for our pack.

  Mom isn't thrilled with the idea. That's what shocked me most of all. I figured she would be like Dad and encourage me to go.

  You know how she is. He laid his head on his paws. She always wants you near. To be honest, she isn't even thrilled with the idea of you going to KSU, and it's not even that far away.

  He did have a fair point. I bet she's not so against it after this. Wolf Moon was an hour farther away than KSU.

  That is not an understatement. He stood on all fours and motioned back in the direction of the house. Come on. We don't want to worry them.

  You're right. I glanced at the moon and realized it was well after midnight, at this point. I followed after him as we both ran back home.

  The entire way back, his words haunted me. He was right; if I went to Wolf Moon, I could help bring to light our pack’s issues. Still, I wasn't all that sure I was Ivy League material, but it wouldn't hurt to at least give it a try. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

  Chapter Three

  The summer seemed to speed by, and before I knew it, August was upon us. To say Mom hadn't been thrilled that I'd officially confirmed attending Wolf Moon would be putting it mildly. Dad and Max were my biggest supporters, so Mom finally gave up arguing against it.

  However, today was my move-in date, and for the first time in my life, Mom wasn't the one beside me. Dad and Max were the ones dropping me off. It stung. We had always done things together as a family.

  "Hey, are you okay?" Dad glanced in the rearview mirror, looking at me. His eyes were full of concern.

  "Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't want to pout. Today was one of the most important days in every shifter's life—the day they started college. Of course, it was an even bigger deal because of the university I'd be attending. Each shifter was encouraged to go to college to help gather skills for their individual packs. Each pack had their own doctors, lawyers, engineers, and whatever else was needed. Yes, we blended in with humans and hid in plain sight. However, we had to have our own resources because of our animal half. This was the one school where only shifters attended. From a human perspective, they didn't have a clue what set us apart from other Ivy League schools. Not only were the students there good at academics, but the sports teams were amazing too. The school acted and functioned like any other college.

  "You know Mom loves you." Max turned around in the front passenger seat to see me. "She's probably a blubbering mess right now. I don't know what's going on with her."

  "Me neither, but your brother is right." Dad turned onto the road that would lead to the college. "Your Mom is torn up inside. She'll come around. You're the baby, and we're going to be empty nesters with you gone. She's not sure what to do."

  "Yeah, you're right." One of Mom's things was making sure we all stayed close. Maybe she was afraid this was the beginning of the end.

  The trees began to thicken as we approached the school, and my stomach began churning. I was so nervous about today and upset about Mom that I had skipped breakfast. Right about now, I was regretting it. My first interaction with this school wasn't pleasant, and I was anxious about seeing Liam again. It was stupid because I was sure he wouldn't even remember me, which pissed me off worse, for reasons I couldn’t explain.

  Too soon, a huge-ass brick wall with a gate appeared displaying a sculpted wolf howling at the moon on the iron connecting the two sides. The gate was wide open with a ‘Welcome Home’ sign hanging on one side.

  "Wow." Max leaned back in his seat and shook his head. "It's even fancier than I imagined."

  If I had thought I was anxious before, I now stood corrected. Nausea began to inch its way upward.

  Dad slowed at the gate, rolling down his window as a guard stepped out from a small building between the two roads.

  "I need to see some ID and an acceptance letter." The guard examined my father and glanced at Max then at me.

  "Oh, here." Dad pulled out his ID, but the guard lifted his hands.

  "I'm pretty sure you're not the one attending school here." The guard nodded his head in my direction. "She’s the one with the power. I need
her ID and the letter."

  Okay, that was strange. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. I pulled out my driver’s license and my letter, handing them to Dad. "There you go."

  Dad passed them over to the guard, who walked back into the small building for a minute.

  "What is he doing? Verifying the paper and ink was actually printed from here?" Max snorted, but it sounded forced.

  "Shush." Dad cut his eyes over at him. "The window is still down, and he's a shifter. Get your head on straight."

  "Whoa!" Max lifted both hands in the air. "Don't get all pissy."

  The guard headed back over to us, and his eyes locked on me. "Welcome to Wolf Moon Academy. Good luck. You'll need it." With that, he tipped his hat and waved us on through.

  What the hell was that about? Maybe Mom was right that I shouldn't have come here. "Should we just go back home?"

  "No." Dad shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. "It's fine. You'll be fine. And if it doesn't work out, we'll go from there."

  "Holy shit ..." Max murmured the words as a humongous stadium appeared on our right. Through one of the breaks, we could see the whole football team in their signature silver and blood-red uniforms.

  The stadium may be huge, but as Dad took the turn, only four large, brick buildings appeared. Two of the buildings were side by side. A third larger building appeared to have a gym on the side. Then, a fourth building that was perpendicular to the other buildings sat back against the tree line. It had a wide stairway leading up to its main entrance. However, the woods were thick surrounding the entire campus.

  "This is a lot smaller than I realized." When I had thought of Wolf Moon, for some reason, I thought large.

  "This is where the select few go." Dad followed a sign that pointed to the buildings on the right. "It's a private school. I bet there are only five thousand students here if that."

  As we passed the sign, I realized it was leading us to the dorms. So the two side by side buildings must be the girls’ and boys’ living areas.