Academy Of Mates novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When Benedict and I walked back to the mansion, we did so together, side by side with our elbows almost rubbing. It was hard to keep my heart in check and my lips to stop from smiling up at him.

I felt like a little girl again, crushing on the popular boy. The most handsome. The most untouchable.

Yet unlike that, there was something easy and natural about Benedict. I didn’t have to try with him. It was effortless and I could talk to him without needing much thought. There was no worry, no hesitation. Only this heat, the skipping of my heart beat and this peace within me that I cannot explain.

For once, I felt normal in the School of Love because Benedict didn’t notice or mention my low birth, bloodline or anything along those lines. He talks like it’s not even on his mind and in a world that is only about someone’s standing and what they can offer, I can’t help but admire him for it.

He’s a Beta.

A desirable position.

A very strong one at that.

Nearing the mansion and away from our little getaway in the gardens, the crowd began to grow with more and more people staring at us. I prepared myself for the worst at first, to hear the whispers again, but it seems they’ve opted to ignore my existence completely, focusing solely on Benedict instead.

I purposely fell behind from him, mostly to give him the space to get back to his pack- secretly because I was getting intimidated by the stares that followed and that’s when reality slapped me in the face.

It’s like a bubble around me pops, the smoke clears and I’m reminded of who he is: the Beta of a very powerful pack.

His hold on people is instantaneous. Boys and girls alike turned to watch him walk in the mansion. With one hand in his pocket while the other holds the back of his neck, The strides through the entrance without a care about the attention he was getting.

Suddenly, he’s stopped by a girl in a dark red dress. The girl is beautiful. Her skin is radiant, her eyes wide and doe like. From the smell, I can tell she’s from a big pack, her blood line high.

Benedict stops, his expression unreadable and his blue eyes blank. I can’t hear what she’s saying to him but she’s talking and smiling. They were familiar. Just when I think they know each other, Benedict frowns and looks around all while she’s still talking. Blue eyes searched the crowd until they found me, hidden among a wave of excited

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participants.

He finally smiles, his cold expression breaking into something warm… warm enough to even thaw my stomach that turned to ice from their interaction.

“There you are, Vareesa.” Without giving her a single word, Benedict pushed past the girl in front of him and walked up to me. “Where did you go? You suddenly disappeared.”

“I was just,” I started to say, but the words died in my mouth when I saw the sharp glare of the girl he left behind. “I should find my pack members.”

Benedict’s smile falls. He covers it up quickly with a nod. “Of course. Foolish of me to try and steal you away for the entire weekend.”

The blush comes instantly and I almost lose my footing.

He takes my hand, his thumb running knuckles. “I’ll see you later, Vareesa.”

I watch him go but he doesn’t get far as he is stopped again by a voice. “Hello, cousin.”

Cousin?

When I turn to face the voice, I see strawberry blonde hair and similar baby blue eyes… very similar to Benedict’s. She’s tall and lean and powerful. Her muscles are obvious but not taking away from her feminine features.

And she’s beautiful.

Too beautiful.

Her skin is perfectly tanned like she spends her days sunbathing, her hair all made up in a way I never thought was possible and her dress, oh her dress, was black and studded with a million crystals. It hugged her in all the right places- even I was attracted to her. She made me feel underdressed, under everything. She was a star and she knew it.

This girl, no, this woman, is beauty and strength all in one.

But then I also noticed the obvious.

She was the Alpha everyone was talking about.

The Alpha’s daughter of the richest pack in the world, the one worth so much that could buy anyone.

And I remembered what she called Benedict.

Cousin.

He’s a cousin of an Alpha, the Alpha of the richest pack. Which means he has an Alpha bloodline.

I felt even more silly.

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Benedict sighs, crossing his arms on his chest. “Odette, I didn’t know you were going this year.”

The beautiful Goddess smiles, pushing her long strawberry blonde hair back. “If you knew, you would tell him and if you told him, he wouldn’t come.”

“I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t have attended either if I knew you were here.” Benedict not so kindly teased. “Unlucky for you though, he’s not coming. It’s time to abandon that dream of yours, Odette. He won’t mate and even if he did, he certainly won’t mate you.”

Her confidence didn’t waver, the smile on her lips widening. “It’s my last year. He’ll come.”

Benedict laughs like this is the funniest thing he’s heard. “He hates your pack. He hates you most especially. How many more years will it take you to realize that?”

A perfectly curved eyebrow goes up. “You say he hates us but then he takes an Alpha blooded pack member of ours as his Beta?”

His expression darkens at the mention of his bloodline. “We’re not the same, Cousin. We might share the same blood, but we are not the same. He knows this. He knows what you are.”

“And what’s that?” She smoothly challenged, looking much taller than Benedict despite them being almost the same height. It was subtle but still there.

“A greedy bitch who’s always thirsty for more power.” He says factually and oh so calmly.

When she laughs, it shatters her beauty, turning it into something wild and feral.” Greedy? I already have the world.”

Benedict finds amusement in this. “You have everything except one and it irritates you that you don’t have it.”

She steps forward, her face a mere centimeter away from his, and I’m suddenly very afraid for Benedict. “For now. He will be mine one way or another. You’ll see.”

The School of Love.

This was the School of Love: where the powerful get what they want and everyone else is trampled along the way.

“Vareesa!” Kelcey grabs my arm, pulling me away from Benedict and his cousin.” Where have you been? The events are about to start!”

“The what?” I blabbered, coming back down from my thoughts.

Kelcey playfully lets out a huff. “The elders are gathering us in the ballroom to

announce the schedules and other stuff. There’s supposed to be these activities to get everyone to mingle.”

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Remembering Odette and how she all but announced her high standing in life, I doubt everyone will mingle like the elders want.

“Let’s go!” Kelcey urged, smiling and excited, the pressure of finding a mate not on her mind.

I followed behind her and was immediately greeted by a huge golden chandelier at the entrance. Various gasps can be heard from the crowd and I can’t blame them. I think I was actually one of them.

We enter the white stone mansion and it’s absolutely breathtaking. It’s like I walked into a fairytale or some Parisian mansion in a faraway countryside. The windows are high with luscious wine red curtains draped over them, paintings of famous wolves of every kind on every wall, beautiful art pieces and vases that probably cost more than our pack decorated the wide, never ending halls.

It’s no wonder why everyone spoke highly of the Academy. We got to live here and I can pretend to be a Princess. I can pretend like I am someone I am not.

It was nice to feel pretty, to feel important, even for just a short time and even if it’s just in my head.

My smile widens as everyone gets ushered into a large open ballroom space. It could easily fit my entire pack back at home and have space for breakdancing. Three times

over.

At the very front of the room is a raised platform with a podium. A hush goes through the room when the Alpha of the richest pack himself enters the room. Some Alphas like to go to the School of Love to watch over their attendees, like our Alpha who stays in a separate compound. They’re not supposed to come near the mansion, but I guess they make exceptions when it’s him.

I know he’s the Alpha of the richest pack because, frankly, he looks exactly like his daughter, an exact replica. Glamorous. Handsome. Tall. Strawberry blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He’s older than I thought he would be but his aura alone had my head bowing before I could think of doing it.

The Alpha’s mere presence is commanding and powerful despite his old age. He carries himself in such an imposing way that no one could hold his gaze… no one except Benedict, who I see roll his eyes at the Alpha’s arrival.

Benedict is way across the ballroom surrounded by his pack mates who, I realized, all glared at the Alpha.

I don’t know much about the city pack’s Alpha. From what I heard from our Alpha though, he’s a politician and a businessman all rolled into one. There’s a reason why he’ s so rich and it has everything to do with him exploiting people.

Looking at him now though, he didn’t seem like it, but maybe that’s his game: cunning

Chapter 11

and manipulating. I suppose all corrupt politicians are like that.

But what did I know?

I’m only a poor girl from an even poorer pack.

The Alpha makes it to the podium and stands behind it. He smiles, flashing us all his perfectly white teeth. I see him lock eyes with his daughter, his face beaming with pride and then his eyes find Benedict- the smile disappears and I see something dark behind his perfect features.

A crack in his otherwise perfect mask.

“I welcome all of you to the Academy.” The Alpha begins with his strong and powerful voice. He explains the importance of the Academy to the attendees the same way our elders speak of it. Pride. Honor. But he adds something else to it: the strengthening of bloodlines. “The Academy, as you know, was founded for our race to thrive, for our bloodlines to be purer and stronger, for the honor of our families and for the optimum child to be born. This will make or break your future.”

He certainly knows how to make me feel like cattle.

And then his smile returns, perfect and well calculated. “I met my mate in this Academy several decades ago and, apart from the birth of my daughter, it’s the best thing that has happened in my long life. I hope that all of you are blessed with the same happiness I’ve gotten from it. Enjoy the weekend and I hope to not see the same faces again next year.”

Laughter goes through the ballroom. Some forced-mostly from the poorer packs.

Alphas and elders alike have always encouraged everyone to find their mate in the first year. It’s cheaper that way, less expenses for the pack and, much like where I came from, we can only really afford to go once.

With all the flourish of a peacock, he walked down the platform and spoke with an elder who was waiting for him at the side. Something the elder says makes the Alpha scrunch his face and shake his head, looking disappointed. I hear an echo of her name Odette, before he stomps away.

He’s replaced by another elder at the podium who gives a few announcements. “We shall start the afternoon with a feat of strength by the gentlemen. Participants may choose another attendee to honor and represent- a prospective choice if you will. After the feats of strength, you will be given free time to explore and mingle. Food and drink will be available anytime. Your room assignments will be posted on the board outside. We will be having dinner outside at exactly seven o’clock and we will resume here at the ballroom for the evening festivities. Now, let’s all proceed to the clearing to watch the power of this year’s attendees.”

Kelcey and I followed the bounding crowd of attendees intent on finding their room

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assignments and to watch the most powerful wolves in attendance wrestle each other to victory of the fairest.

Our Alpha told us about this. How there will be events to show strength, beauty and power. They were pageants. All to show dominance and all to show just what you’re buying into when mated.

Right as we’re in front of the board, a hand takes mine. I turned around in confusion and, to my utter surprise, saw Andrew, smiling down at me with his pearly whites.

“Vareesa,” He began with an easy smile. “Hey,”

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