Page 2 of Kiki

“Yes,” I answered.

She nodded and looked around. She wouldn’t miss me. Probably she would miss the checks she received to help take care of me, but those were easily replaced by another foster kid like me. They would replace me in the guest room. In her bank account. “Need anything before you go?”

I barely contained a laugh. “No. I have everything. Thank you.”

I added the last two words because truly I was grateful for the home she’d given me. It was a roof over my head and better than a group home.

Group homes were riddled with social hierarchies. Fights. Violent breakouts. Bullying. Stealing.

I’d heard things happening in the night at those places that made me wish I had never been born.

“What time do we need to be at the office?” she asked. Her gaze darted to the fridge where the postcard was placed with a magnet, by me.

“Ten this morning.”

“Mind cleaning this up while I get dressed?” Her tone surprised me. We took turns on the dishes, but never once had she asked if I minded. Maybe there were some scribblings on her after all.

“I don’t mind.”

She nodded and went back to her room. I heard the shower come on, and my nerves kicked up inside me. My thoughts whizzed between excitement and anxiety. I never dreamed of going to any school after high school, but especially not a school tailored to wolf shifters like me. How hard would it be to live on my own? Would I make friends? Would I find my mate?

My wolf howled inside me at the thought of finding my mate.

I had dated some, when the occasion arose, but the males were all human. I knew it was for fun only.

And the other big thing…I had not one but two sisters. They attended the Werewolf Academy.

Did they even know I was coming? Did they know I was alive and related to them? If so, why hadn’t they contacted me by now?

Did they know my parents? Did we have one parent in common or more? Did they even know?

I did the dishes easily since there were only two of us. Instead of leaving them on the drainer, I dried and put them away. My bed was made. My room was cleaned out and as sparse and lifeless as the day I arrived.

Everything was in place.

Amy got me to the bus station a few minutes early. She didn’t help me put my bags into the car or say one word on the way. I didn’t expect her to, but I wanted her to.

Something to prove that there was a beating heart inside her somewhere.

“Bye,” I said, unbuckling my seat belt. “Thank you for everything, Amy.”

She turned and, maybe for the first time, looked me in the eyes. “You are a good kid. Good luck out there.”

Better than nothing.

I boarded the bus, the envelope holding my future tucked in the outer pocket of my duffle bag. It was an improvement over the trash bag I’d used for most of my moves, even if I did buy it myself.

The Werewolf Academy and two sisters I’ve never met…here I come.

Chapter Three

The Werewolf Academy was nothing like I’d pictured in my head. I’d saved myself from looking it all up on the internet, wanting to keep everything a surprise and damn, what a surprise it was.

For some reason, I’d conjured up a vision of a castle-like place with sprawling forest behind the building and foreboding mountains in the background.

This place was the absolute opposite.

The school encompassed a huge building with what had to be twenty or more floors. It blended into the backdrop of the city, but I bet none of the humans walking the sidewalks, gripping their iced coffees and with phones glued to their ears, had a clue that within those walls were creatures that were supposed to be contained in books and movies.

---