Page 19 of Dead Wolf Walking (Bad Moon Academy 1)
The first time was an accident.
He rubs the back of his neck. “We shouldn’t keep the headmaster waiting.”
“Lead the way.” I gesture with my hand.
The academy is huge and in dire need of a good cleaning. Seriously, there’s enough dust here to rival the layers covering Nefertiti’s tomb.
The headmaster’s office is on the first floor, down a hallway covered in portraits of who I assume were prior administrators. There’s a vase full of dead flowers sitting atop the secretary’s desk. The small room has chairs lining two walls and filing cabinets along the other. The final wall holds a large window which proudly displays the grounds. There are so many trees I can’t tell if there’s a wall running along the backside, but I bet there is. Something tells me Bad Moon Academy doesn’t screw around when it comes to keeping people captive.
I mean, keeping its students safe. Sure, let’s go with that.
The stout woman behind the desk glances up from a worn paperback when Carter raps his knuckles in front of her. She doesn’t look much over thirty, but her eyes are those of someone who’s seen a lot of the bad side of life. Some might call the look jaded; I prefer cautious. After all, I’m all too familiar with seeing that same look when I glance in the mirror. I kind of admire her for not hiding it like I do. She doesn’t give a damn who sees her pain.
“Leticia, Raven is here to meet with Headmaster Erron.”
Leticia gives me a once over, pursing her lips when she sees the blood on my arm. I tuck my hand behind my back, hiding the stain of blood Draco hadn’t licked up.
“He’s waiting.” She slides her gaze to Carter. “Is that all?”
He nods, and she dives back into her book.
Carter knocks on the glass pane of the closed door.
“Come in.” The nasally voice behind the door sounds nothing like what I expect of a headmaster.
I follow him through the door, stopping in the middle of the threshold when I hear whispers. I glance over my shoulder. No one but Leticia is in the waiting room. My stomach flutters and ichor flows through my veins. Something isn’t right. I take another step. An icy finger drags down my spine. With a gasp, I spin around, fully expecting to see Draco or Morg standing there.
There’s nothing.
Leticia hasn’t noticed me, but Carter calls my name, a question clear in his voice.
Are you all right?
No, I’m not, but who would be in my situation? I shake off the dread coiling in my stomach and head into the office. Scanning the room, I check for alternative exits—there are none—before resting my gaze on Headmaster Erron. He’s nothing like Dumbledore, and I’d be lying if I said I’m not disappointed.
“Oh, this must be Raven.” The man stands from behind his large desk, buttoning his suit jacket, and comes around to shake my hand. He’s at least six feet tall and built like a linebacker. He also looks like he’s in his mid-twenties.
Should I be worried that this academy is full of young staff? I mean that has to say something about retention, right? Where are the older people?
Awkwardly sticking my palm against his, I squeeze his hand hard. I don’t know why I do it, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
“Please, take a seat.” He gestures to one of the two black leather chairs in front of his desk. I take one and Carter stands behind the other, placing his hands on the back of it. Once Erron sits, he gives me a once over, eyes lingering on my clasped hands.
“Has Carter explained why you are here?” He pushes his black-frame glasses up with his middle finger and sets his palms on the arms of his chair.
“He mentioned it.”
Headmaster Erron gives Carter a disapproving look.
“She tried to run, Erron. There wasn’t time to tell her everything.”
The edges of my lips twist up, but I cough, hiding my smile behind my hand. He failed to mention getting pegged by the toilet tank lid.
“I guess I’ll start at the beginning.” Erron moves some papers around on his desk. “Bad Moon Academy is home to many changed shifters. We are the bridge between the human world and the shifter world. As you might know, your wolf is finicky, and it takes time to get used to living with another consciousness.”
I haven’t heard a peep from my wolf since the night I changed.
He clears his throat and looks away.
