Academy Of Mates novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I dozed off three times, blinking away the bad dreams from my mind and each time I opened my eyes, there was nothing to see but trees and more trees. From the position of the sun, I would say it’s about ten in the morning- we left five hours ago.

We were driving through unclaimed territories, carefully avoiding any of the other pack’ s land, which made the journey even longer than needed. There was another car in front of us, a long black car. A limousine the Alpha told us, and from where we were, we could hear their drunken shouts of glee and the vibration of a party song playing.

The smell of liquor hung in the air despite the distance between the cars. A couple of minutes passed and beautiful women and men in bejeweled clothes holding bottles and bottles of liquor and chocolate strawberries sprang from the top of the limousine.

It didn’t take long for them to turn their attention to us, barely keeping up with them and obviously very cramped. They all laughed, pointing fingers and grinning widely.

“Our omegas have a better ride than that!” They cackled, noses turned up.

Jeff stiffens from beside me and I hear the Alpha start to growl, having heard them too.

“See you at the School of Love, losers!” After making a bunch of faces, the limousine sped away before our Alpha could do anything.

Though I doubt he could do anything.

The last thing we want is to get into a fight with a bigger and more powerful pack.

“Prepare yourselves. That won’t be the last time you hear those words.” The Alpha warns us, face turned away to stare into the trees. “It gets worse when the Academy starts.”

My stomach sank low as I swallowed another wave of anxiousness. It’s easy to say that I’m not bothered by other people’s treatment towards us, but that would be a lie.

Another hour went by in silence and first there were just thick trees for some time, but then, like magic, a massive black gilded gate came into view as if growing out of the thick trees. I held my breath, leaning closer to see better, as did everyone.

The gate is tall and daunting, made from thick steel with vines crawling on the sides. There were no guards, no, nothing to signify anything but the door automatically opened when our car drove close, the sinister creek of the gate making me swallow.

What’s behind the gate is what takes my breath away.

For it is a white stone mansion- a palace, no, a paradise so massive and enchanting, I lose my breath just staring at it. There was something castle like about the mansion with its pointed towers of blue and white walls that gleamed with the sun. The mansion is so big that it could probably house around a thousand people or more. It’s decorated beautifully for the occasion with florals and beautiful colored fabrics

twisted around arches. We set off for it, the long driveway the only thing between us. Driving slowly, I looked out the window to see on either side was freshly cut grass and long bushes of pretty flowers of every kind.

How could something so beautiful exist?

As we approached the white brick mansion, it’s as if a piano or violin was playing in the background with the mansion growing bigger and bigger as I stared at it. There’s a sort of untouchable, enchanting vibration coming from this place, like only the best and the beautiful are allowed here.

Large, rectangular windows peppered the house, all lit and showing brief glances at what’s inside. From what I could see, there were golden chandeliers and crystal chandeliers. I blew out a breath. These great alabaster pillars, inlaid with what seemed to be precious gems, these painted glass windows that ran from polished marble and carpeted floors to domed glass ceilings- it was all majestic and beautiful and worlds apart from our home.

Simply put, there was nothing simple or humble about this paradise. Everything about it screamed unparalleled luxury and importance, the residence of Kings and Emperors … and very wealthy Alphas.

“How many acres is this?” Someone asked- I couldn’t tell who or was it me?

“About a hundred acres.” Our Alpha answered quietly. “The estate is bigger than our lands.”

“Who pays for all this?” Kelcey whispers, leaning against the window to see better.” This can’t be cheap.”

A faraway look goes through the Alpha and I can almost physically feel just how hard he worked for all of us. “Every year, Alphas pay a certain amount to be able to attend the Academy.”

“But attendance is a must.” I said, slightly confused. “What if we can’t pay?”

The Alpha shrugs, the exhausted lines on his face more visible than ever. “We have to pay. There is no can’t in these things.”

I understood then that these are one of the things needed to be a legitimized pack. Paying these dues and other things. Land wasn’t enough anymore.

Our car circles a massive five tier fountain spewing crystal blue water and stops right in front of the entrance where a small table is set up. Behind the table is a smiling older woman in a posh suit with a neat stack of papers on her side. If I squint, I can see past her, towards the mansion and through the thick doors where beautifully dressed men and women fluttered about like butterflies.

There were so many scents happening all around me, scents of foreign wolves, scents of other packs, scents of wolves that belonged nowhere. They brought with them the smell of their lands- the congested city, the icy mountains, fresh smelling rivers and blossoming spring flowers that I had never smelled before.

“Be on your best behavior. We don’t need any more attention on us.” Our Alpha warned through gritted teeth. “This is not a place you want to be singled out. Stay together as much as possible.”

I was always told everything here was a paradise, the best of life, the one thing you want to relive and although it’s every bit as beautiful as I was told… it didn’t feel like that right now.

One by one we slid out of the car, the ancient thing almost tipping out of balance with every passenger that exited.

My legs were asleep from the long drive, the feeling slowly coming back to me as I shuffled around nervously. I was a werewolf, a deadly predator, yet why did I feel like the prey here?

Through the loud panic happening inside my head, I could hear the echoing laughter coming from inside the house and as I squinted through the glass windows, I could see people inside. With bright smiles on their faces and clothes better than what I could ever imagine, they mingled and networked as if all of this was normal for them. They chatted and giggled while drinking from a long glass that had sparkling golden liquid in them. Thinking about it now, I have never spoken to anyone outside our pack. There was no life outside of our lands.

How do I even talk to these people?

There’s a reason why the Academy was made.

First, werewolves are at constant war with other creatures and themselves. As strong as we are, we die quite early in life.

Second, with so many deaths and at such a young age, we aren’t able to repopulate enough- or at all. Third, werewolf soulmates have been long since extinct due to the many deaths and the lack of meeting anyone outside their own packs.

So many werewolves have died out that long before I was born, people couldn’t find their mates since they were most probably already dead. It came to the point that no one could find mates anymore. No mate meant not many babies. No babies meant we were a dying race.

Eventually, the Academy- or most commonly known as the School of Love, was made.

Flourish aside, the Academy is basically a large wedding for young werewolves to marry all at once. It encourages early marriage and mating as young as we become adults in hopes that we can strengthen our numbers again. It also allowed the packs

to meet easily and without the danger of being harmed.

“No rank. No bloodline. You’re a one.” She reads out loud for all to hear.

“A one?” I hate how I sounded so hopeful.

“The lowest quality.” Her tone is monotonous and unfeeling, but I guess that’s better than her mocking me.

I don’t know what to say. “Oh.”

The woman attached a bracelet to my arm. My identifier. By the color and smell of it, it

told onlookers that I was in fact a one, the poorest quality of blood there is without needing to talk to me.

Speed dating done right.

She shoos me away from the entrance and into a small cobblestone pathway towards the back. With all of my pack members still having their identifications checked, I’m left to walk alone into the famous School of Love.

The walk was a short one as I followed both the laughter and the pathway towards the back of the mansion where a beautiful crystal lake shimmered right next to the fairytale mansion.

For the first time, I felt a hint of excitement enter my system.