Page 23 of Moon Kissed

I tripped coming out the door, slid on my heels, and crashed into the opposite wall. The pain was blinding. Laughs pounded my sensitive ears. I peeled myself off and kept running, not stopping. Not looking back.

AN HOUR LATER, I FOUNDmyself walking through the lecture hall—searching for my classroom.

It took time before my wolf healing repaired my scalded, burned skin. I couldn’t stand a hot bath until it did.

When I was finally healed, I washed, changed into a simple pair of jeans and a blue sweater, then... I stood there.

I stood there—stock-still and barely breathing—staring at the letter I taped to the vanity mirror. I wanted to see it in the morning when I woke up, and every night as I fell asleep. I wanted the words singed on my soul where nothing would ever heal it.

I wanted the pure rage and hate that fucking letter gave me to seethe and weep like an infected sore, rotting my heart from the inside out and reminding me why I killed Castor Tahan—

—and why I’d fucking do it again.

I consulted my schedule as I walked, gaze flicking from door number to door number.

I already knew from being the mother wolf what I’d be learning if I was doing the priestess track. That track was heavy into learning the history of Wolf Nation, psychology so that we could become the de facto advisors and counselors of Wolf Nation, and martial arts so that both our forms—woman and wolf—were lethal weapons.

I assumed the alpha track would be similar in many ways, and I was wrong.

7:20-7:50: Homeroom

8:00-9:00: Leadership & Diplomacy

9:10-10:10: History of Wolf Nation

10:20-11:20: History of The Dominions

11:30-1:30: Lunch

1:40-2:40: Economics

2:50-3:50: Strategic Thinking

4:00-5:00: Special Lessons

5:10-6:10: Martial Arts

6:20-7:20: Athletics

7:30-9:30: Dinner

The schedule was intense. We were in classes all day, and I didn’t even know what they were all for. Athletics? Strategic Thinking? Special Lessons? What did all of that even mean?

My father was alpha of the Volana Clan, another name for the moon wolves. He never told me his time in Corvin was this intense. But then, Father hadn’t told me a great many things. He was always a quiet, introspective man, but after Mother died, he retreated into himself. Any conversation about the past just made him think of her, so we stopped talking about life before.

We stopped talking period.

My eyes lit on Room 115.Homeroom.Tucking my schedule away, I pushed inside.

“—what you’ve decided for—” The speaker cut off, his gaze flying to me along with everyone else in the room. He stepped out from behind his podium—revealing all six feet of his long, muscled legs, tight suit, broad shoulders, and scowling, handsome face. “Ah, Miss Daciana. How nice of you to finally join us.”

“Sorry, sir, I was—”

“I’m not interested in excuses. That’s a demerit for being late. Sit down.”

My eyes bugged. A demerit for being two minutes late?! Was this guy for real! “But, sir—”

“Would you like another?”

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