Flower Moon Rising (Lupine Hollow Academy Book 1) Page 7

  “What about what Raff and Alarick were saying, about me bringing this pack down?”

  “Ah…” She winced. “So, Lupine Hollow is the strongest pack on this continent. But even though we’re ranked lower than the adults, anything we do that ranks lower than another pack—for example, if the Golden Arrow pack beats us out for a test score—drops our overall rank.” My head was throbbing as she traced arrows for me. “It’s why Alarick always seems so focused and tough. There’s so much pressure on his shoulders—really on Chann’s and Zev’s too, though they don’t show it as much. With their high rankings, it offsets what lower packmates do, and usually keeps our rank high enough to avoid a challenge.”

  I studied the graph again, cocking my head. “So, it’s like experience points in a game?” I mused. “Right now, Lupine Hollow has the most experience points, but if we lose battles to anyone, our HP and EXP drop, and it means it’s harder for us to complete our tasks and to keep our goods and status, opening the way for someone to usurp us?”

  She blinked slowly, adjusting her glasses. “Well, yes, I guess you could put it that way.” Huh, well, there was one thing I wish I could rub into the faces of my old classmates—who would have thought my years playing Pokémon and World of Warcraft would have a real-world application? If you could call this a real-world application anyway.

  “So, is one thing weighted more than the others?” I questioned, continuing with my video game theory. “I mean, a lot of the time it depends on what you want to do, of course.”

  “Maybe I should have let you write the manual,” she teased with a small smile, patting my hand softly. I didn’t feel like she was mocking me, her smile was sweet and a gentle humor reflected in her eyes. I grinned in reply, happy to see another smiling face. Maybe this wouldn’t be all bad—scary werewolf powers and bitchy mean girls aside.

  “Well, that’s what edits are for—Werewolf translation by gaming addicted human, an addendum.” I snickered at the thought.

  She rolled her eyes but relaxed back into the chair. “It does depend on many things. For example, the higher your rank, the more you’re expected to take on in physical challenges. You’ll see. Besides, ranks are listed on the boards by the classrooms. You have plenty of time to learn. Don’t let them scare you,” she warned me, popping up from her seat. “You’re not going to automatically drop our rank, and Alarick and the others will work on raising their levels to counteract yours. They’re just whining because they have to put in more effort. You don’t seem dumb, by any means, and as the weakest of our pack, you’ll be protected from challenges until you start to move up. Now, I know Chann and Zev were supposed to meet us to go to dinner, but I bet they’re still primping. How about we go roust them and get some food into you?” She sniffed for a minute before shooting me a grin. “I doubt that cereal filled you up.” I shook my head in awe and followed her from the room, locking it behind me. I really had so much more to learn.

  Chapter Eight

  Laughing with Chann, Zev, and Shannon wasn’t enough to distract me from the upcoming meal and what to expect. I’d be facing not only the pack, but all of the students and teachers as well. Sweat beaded at the base of my skull, though I ignored it, nervously hoping they wouldn’t be able to smell it. The doors to the hall were wide open and noise echoed out, reaching us.

  “Chin up, shoulders back,” Chann advised in a low voice.

  “And not just because your boobs look amazing that way,” Zev whispered, and I shot him a glare.

  “You don’t have to be fearless, you just have to act it,” Chann finished with a smile. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and lifted my chin the way Chann advised. I wasn’t going to be anyone’s prey, whether or not I was the lowest rank.

  The dining room was as grand as I’d expected, mimicking the same marbled floors and paneled wood walls of the hallways. Heavy tables were arranged in long lines across the expansive floor, and there was no cafeteria vibe here. All of the tables were covered in pure white cloth, with fine china and glassware gleaming in the light from the chandeliers. The farthest table at the back was full of adults speaking quietly with each other, while the other tables were full of students in uniform. It was easy to recognize those who weren’t members of Lupine’s pack—their small coats of arms were in different colors than mine, though no less proudly displayed on their blazers, sweaters, and even some of the girls’ knee socks. I saw designs ranging from series of stars to what looked like a pair of seashells. Most clustered in their own groups, though I spotted several unfamiliar crests mixed among the more familiar Lupine Hollow one.

  While the noise didn’t lower in volume, most of the students’ eyes turned toward me. I swallowed hard and resisted the urge to raise a hand to my hair. While I wouldn’t have stood out at my old school, even my average blonde locks would have been a huge variant here as I glanced across the sea of brown, black, and red-haired strangers studying me.

  “Come sit with us,” Zev encouraged, grabbing my arm to tug me after him as I tried to slip toward an unoccupied table at the far side.

  “Zev, that may not—” Shannon’s worried whisper was interrupted when Chann grinned at her.

  “She’s safer with us, right? Besides, it’ll be more fun this way.” Chann winked at me. “You can sit with us too,” he offered Shannon, and she inclined her head warily.

  “Strength in numbers, right?” I murmured, knocking my hip into hers in a show of support. The twins led us toward a large section of unclaimed seats, surprising me when they each pulled out a chair. They helped Shannon and I into seats across from each other before flopping down, with one twin on each side of me. “So now what?” I asked, taking the time to look around for other familiar faces. “Are these seats assigned or something?” Catching the way Rhiannon and her cronies were glaring at me, I felt like I’d invaded their territory. I didn’t allow my chin to slip though, remembering the twins’ advice.

  “Sort of,” Zev stated around a mouthful of bread. He’d grabbed the roll next to his plate immediately upon sitting, and attacked it as though he was on the verge of starvation. “The adults sit based on their rank in the pack—those from other packs take up their own rank based on our pack.” He waved a negligent hand toward where the teachers sat, and I scanned the spacious table. Raff wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and I wondered briefly if he ate with all of us or if he dined at a separate time. Honestly, it was surprising enough to see the teachers gathered there. Unfortunately for me—or more accurately my grades—the teachers were as attractive as the students. How was I ever going to be able to pay attention and get any of my actual work done when everyone here looked like a supermodel? Then again, it may act as a reward system, so I’d give more effort to impress them.

  “With us students, our ranks change so fast there’s no real way to make the seating arrangement follow it. Most of us have tables we prefer, and a lot of us sit with other members of our original pack, but there aren’t any real rules,” Shannon added.

  “Are all of those people teachers?” I inquired quietly, hoping my words wouldn’t carry to them. Their table was close enough to ours to make me worry slightly about super werewolf hearing. I hadn’t noticed any other adults today besides Raff, and there had to be a few dozen adults sitting there.

  “Nah,” Chann replied, glancing at the table of adults and rolling his eyes. “Some of them are teachers, a lot of our pack are, but it’s always up to each pack member if they want to teach here, or have a supporting role like working in the law department, the gardens or kitchens, or if they’d like to go out and find employment in a different area. Those two…” He indicated a pair at the farthest end of the table, their red hair bright enough to make them stand out amongst the waves of black, brown, and gray. “They’re visiting professors from the Starlight Woods Pack,” he told me around a mouthful of roll.

  Shannon wrinkled her nose, adjusting her glasses again as they slid down from the motion. “I hate when we have visiting profes
sors. They always score us so much harder.”

  “So, what should we do after dinner?” Zev asked, eyeing my roll since his was gone. I tugged it to me, sticking my tongue out at him when he pouted. I may not need as much food as he did, but I was hungry too, and I wasn’t going to let him steal my roll. For all I knew, dinner would be nothing but raw hamburger, so I wasn’t going to risk giving up the one part of my meal I knew I’d get a chance to eat. Shannon chuckled, tossing Zev the roll from her plate, and he tore into it enthusiastically.

  “I was just going to try and go over the handbook again,” I admitted with a shrug, knowing it was boring. “My schedule says I have classes first thing, so I figured I’d call it an early night.” I grimaced, remembering how early I was expected to be in class. I’d never been a morning person, and getting up for classes had always been a struggle. I hadn’t caught the name of the two visiting professors, but if I ended up having them on my schedule, I didn’t want to risk dragging Raff’s pack down on my very first day of class.

  Zev and Chann groaned in unison, reaching over to toss their arms across my shoulders in a mimic of a hug. Their faces were close to mine, their eyes wide and innocent as they leaned into me, acting as though it was no effort to contort their bodies on their chairs without falling to the floor. “Aw, come on, Pixie girl,” Zev purred in a way that had me second-guessing whether he was a wolf or a cat shifter. “Come out and have fun with us. You can’t hide like a stick in the mud.”

  “Pretty little Pixie like you,” Chann continued, his voice low as he reached up to tug on my multi-colored hair. “Surely you like to have fun.”

  Suddenly, it was very hard for me to breathe, and I knew my face was flushed with heat as I glanced between the pair. “Um…” I tried not to stutter—or drool. Something tickled at the back of my mind, encouraging me to focus harder on their words rather than on how close they were to me. “What, exactly, do you think is fun?” I inquired warily. I wasn’t going on any naked runs through the woods, that was for sure.

  “How about strip poker?” Chann suggested, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

  I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Zev. “How about an actual idea?”

  “Well, skinny dipping is always an option. There’s a lake on the property.” He tracked his gaze up and down me.

  “That’s enough, both of you,” a cold voice snapped. Alarick dropped into the seat next to Shannon, putting him directly across from me. “Are you trying to impact our rankings already? You need to be putting your best into everything so we can make sure this one doesn’t screw us over too badly.”

  The twins both opened their mouths, I assumed to argue, but Alarick snarled, slicing a hand through the air. “I will not tolerate further arguing.” His eyes were a brilliant blue, nearly glowing, and he pulled his lip back, revealing his teeth. “I’ve made my decision, as has my father. It’s your job to follow my orders and to help me protect this pack. No more games.”

  Zev and Chann froze beside me, and Shannon was cowering away from the power in Alarick’s voice. “Yes, Alarick,” both murmured, turning their heads slightly away and sliding back into their own seats.

  “That’s a neat little trick,” I muttered, eyes wide. He scowled at me, his eyes still that nearly ethereal blue. My pulse pounded in my throat, but my gaze remained on his, the blue light nearly swallowing me as I struggled to breathe. Someone kicked me and I swore, my eyes sliding across to where Shannon cowered. “What was that for?” I asked incredulously.

  “You can’t stare into his eyes like that,” Shannon explained, her voice shaking softly. “It’s a type of challenge.”

  “And believe me, Pixie,” Alarick sneered, emphasizing my name, “you will never be ready to challenge me.” Irritation blasted through me at the insult and I scowled.

  “Welcome, everyone.” Raff’s voice boomed through the dining hall, silencing the murmuring and whispers of conversation that hissed through it all. “As many of you know, we have a new student amongst us tonight. Penelope, would you like to stand up?”

  I swallowed, ignoring the painful cramping in my stomach as I pushed to my feet, and offered a small smile—the best I could do in this situation. I didn’t enjoy having the eyes of everyone in the school on me. A few of the eyes that met mine were curious, a couple of them even friendly, but most were hostile and wary as they studied me. Even the gazes of the adults were alert as they sized me up. “Hi.” A little weak, but the best I could do in this circumstance.

  “Pathetic.” I couldn’t say with certainty who had made the comment, but the giggles that came after it seemed to come from the direction of Rhiannon and her little band of cronies. Raff ignored the interruption, as though he hadn’t heard it—though with his super hearing, I doubted that was a possibility.

  “I’m sure you’ll all make her feel welcome as she learns about us and takes her place in our pack,” Raff added, arching a brow as he scanned the room. If by welcoming he meant planning to take me out at their first opportunity, then I’m pretty sure he was on the right page. “Now, if there are no other announcements...” He waited for a moment, glancing at his fellow teachers before turning a smile back onto us, his twinkling eyes meeting mine before sliding away. “Nothing? Then I believe it’s time to eat!”

  Raff settled into his seat, and a few adults from the end of their table slid from their chairs, disappearing through a set of double doors then reappearing a moment later with plates. Raff was served first, and his meal looked surprisingly normal from where I sat. With the growling of my stomach, I was hopeful mine would look just as normal. Raff took a bite of his meal and evidently it was a signal—all at once students began talking again, whispering to each other as they waited for their plates to be served.

  Our table was served quickly, and I would bet it was related to the fact that Alarick sat with us. I resisted the urge to groan as the smells hit me full in the face. My bowl of cereal seemed like it was an eternity ago, and my last full meal before that—especially one that looked as good as this one did—was far enough behind me that I couldn’t exactly recall it. A roasted chicken breast, a pile of creamy mashed potatoes, and a stack of brussels sprouts made up my first meal here, and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Glancing to my sides, I realized everyone else was already eating, and their portions were far bigger than my own.

  “Metabolism,” Chann mumbled, catching my glance at his plate. I rolled my eyes at the extravagance, even as the heaping mounds of food on their plates were quickly disappearing. Add another thing to be jealous of onto my list. I hadn’t really considered myself a jealous person, but since getting here, envy was tickling at the back of my mind.

  “I can hang out with you tonight if you want,” Shannon offered quietly, finally breaking the silence Alarick’s presence had caused. “Go over more of the handbook, prepare for classes.” She shrugged, somehow making the motion look smooth and elegant rather than my childish shoulder jerking. “I was just planning on hitting the library tonight anyhow.”

  “You guys don’t generally hang out together?” I glanced at a blushing Shannon and watched the way Alarick reached out to softly pat her hand. She hadn’t reacted poorly when Rhiannon had come on to him, but she may not be the jealous type. “Are you two dating?”

  Alarick nearly choked on his bite of chicken, and Shannon’s shaking hands spilled a little water from her goblet. Chann and Zev nearly howled with laughter, drawing the attention of everyone around us—including Rhiannon’s icy stare. Maybe she and Alarick were more suited for each other than I’d previously thought, her stare mimicked Alarick’s as he finished clearing his throat and continued to glare at me. “Why in the world would you think that, let alone ask it? You may not have been raised among wolves, but you were clearly raised among animals,” he replied with a sneer. “Enough out of you two as well,” he scolded, as Chann and Zev began to quiet their raucous laughter.

  I ate another bite, ignoring the twist in my stomach as nerves caught up to
the words that had fallen out of my mouth without my permission. “Well, that’s not exactly a denial,” I pointed out, scooping up another forkful of mashed potatoes.

  “We’re not dating,” Shannon whispered, color mantling her cheeks. She pushed her glasses up nervously, glancing at Alarick as if sizing him up. “We’re friends,” she explained almost frantically, as he sat in stony silence. “We’ve been friends since we were pups.”

  I cocked my head, considering them. “Well, the best relationships come out of friendships, right? It’s not like it’s that odd of a suggestion.”

  “Maybe not to humans,” Zev commented cheerfully, reaching out to grab a piece of chicken from my plate. I smacked him with my fork, nabbing the piece and stuffing it into my mouth, ignoring the mild nausea I was experiencing from having already eaten too much. “It’s why Rhiannon wants him so badly, you see. Most wolves pick mates based on rank. Alarick’s our highest-ranking, unmated male in our pack. Rhiannon is the highest-ranking, unmated female, excluding the adults, of course. She sees it as her right to mate with Alarick, even if she’s nothing but a—”

  “Enough, Zev” Alarick commanded. “You know rank isn’t going to be my deciding factor. There’s no need to go over any of this now.” Movement at the head table distracted me, and I saw Raff rise from his seat, striding purposefully out of the hall. Another unknown signal occurred, causing most of the students who were done eating to exit the hall after him. A few of the other teachers stood to follow him and one caught my eye. He seemed to be younger than the other teachers, though he looked no less stern. His three-piece suit was nearly as black as his perfectly styled hair, each piece without a crease or wrinkle despite him just sitting through dinner. Dark-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and his mouth was set in a severe line as he followed the alpha, his stride sure and long, his shoulders back and chin up as though he was in complete control of his surroundings. I quickly moved my eyes back to my plate, hoping the heat that burned there would be taken as embarrassment rather than the attraction I’d felt. Was there anyone here who wasn’t stunningly attractive? I was starting to develop a complex.