História Shifter Academy - I would rather be an orphan

Chapter 23

After class Katana and I went to my mother’s office. For a change in the scenario, this time she was leaning on her table talking to Mace. He noticed the moment I entered her office way sooner than my mother, and she was directed to the front door, so I decided that she was just ignoring me. He watched me intently for almost two seconds and then returned his attention back to my mother. He was acting as if he didn’t even know me, and didn’t like it. But it was understandable. My mother’s fox, Diana – I thought it was her name- stood up and started to hiss at Katana, who by the way looked really bored. The animal was almost the size of Katana’s paw, she didn’t have much to worry.

I ignored the little animal just like my tiger did and started paying attention to the other people in the room. My mother was playing with her hair as she was saying something to Mace. I wasn’t actually listening to what she was saying as I was too focused on her hand, resting on Mace’s arm.  Really mother? Are you freaking kitting me right now? How disgusting can you still be? I was suddenly blinded by rage. I lost the most amazing person in the world for some murderous wolfs and I am left with a mean-seductions-hungry for power monster.  That one is my mother if you are wondering. I was one second away from screaming at the woman for the injustice of it all, when I hear Katana’s voice in my head. ‘She is not worth it Kayla. He chose you of them all, even if he can’t show it right now, so be glad for it and let this sad scene go. You know she is just embarrassing herself.’ I looked at Mace and noticed that indeed he was not happy about any of it. He was trying to get away from her politely but every time he tried she got closer still. That knowledge made me smile inside. Keep on flirting while I bang the hot guy behind your back bitch.

At that moment I heard a knock on the door behind me and I turned around to see James standing there. From this close it was visible that he had quite the eyes. At first sign I thought they were just plain brown, but then it was visible that he had a green ring around his pupil, and the rest was a light shade of brown, almost greenish. I noticed that I was studying him too closely so I turned around. Mace was searching my eyes for some understanding. James cleaned his throat.

“I’m here. What is it?” James’s voice demonstrated tremendous boredom in being here at this moment, even though I could see him looking at me questionably. Mace took the chance to get away from my mother. She also didn’t look quite amused by his change of position as he was now between James and I. She straightened her blouse, looking like she was doing something wrong – what she totally was- and looked at us directly.

“Kayla. Good to know you went through the change without any trouble. And I am happy to know you are not some useless animal.”She started as if the preview minutes never happened. I decided to ignore that unhappy comment for her own good. She turned towards us all then. “I am going straight to the point. I want you guys to go out of the academy’s territory on a mission.” Ok that was very straight and not at all.

“Wait, what? Are you seriously thinking about taking two students into a mission? Are you insane? I can go with Rock. We can take care of it.” Mace crossed his arms in front of his chest while looking at my mother as if she was mad. I didn’t know if I felt furious at him for thinking that I couldn’t take care of myself, or happy that someone else beside me thought my mother was a crazy pants.

“Rock is still recovering from his injuries. And the other guardians have been busy with other missions. There have been so many attacks around the academy that is taking all of the guard to try and maintain the problems. Ones that requires more help then we can give. So, taking notice that you are the three best fighters of our academy, I would like to use your help. And that is not a request. Now that Kayla went through her transition she can leave the academy ground with no problem.” It was clear that she saw us as nothing more than her fighters. The guardians are the shifters that graduated in the academy and stayed to fight. Most of them are big mammals. Because the animals normally help in the fights against the wolves, and small animals were just too fragile, but even so we could cross some raccoon or something.

Mace was clenching his jaw.  James didn’t seem fazed by the news, but even so he kept glancing between my mother and I reluctantly. This situation putting very lightly was king of uncomfortable.

“Okay. You need us to do your dirty work because you don’t have more slaves to send. Get it out already. What do you want us to do and when?” I wasn’t bothered about it the way Mace was. I was actually very excited to leave the academy grounds and have some adventure of my own.  And the possibility of finding any wolves for a taste of my oh-so-wanted revenge was very trilling. But I had to keep up the façade, because it was too much fun to piss of my mother.

“And that is proof enough that I wasn’t the one that raised you. If that was the case you would never talk to me like that.” she cleaned her throat looking around when she saw that no one supported her on her opinion. “Very well, that is beside the point anyways. So, I was told by a very reliable source that you used to date a guy names Kevin Stevens, is that correct?” I felt every eye in the room on me now. The air was suddenly too thick to breathe in.

“Yes, but I don’t know why that is relevant.” I felt my cheeks reddening viciously.

“You were aware he was a shifter if I recall correctly. Could you tell what animal was he?”

“He never told me what he was, so I always guessed he was embarrassed about it or something like that.” Ok, now I was starting to guess what all of this was about, and I felt ridiculous for my answer. I waited for her reply to confirm my fears.

“He was everything but embarrassed about it. He is the Alpha of the Florida pack.” The truth hit me like a wave in a sunny beach. Did I really dated a wolf for almost two years? The memory of my father came to mind and I regretted all of it. The world became red with rage and Katana rubbed her head on my lap in a tentative to comfort me.  It contained my madness barely. I could even feel Claymore throwing himself at the bars of his cage as an answer to my anger. Kevin was the one responsible for my father’s death.  Even if my father never liked him much he always treated him fairly. He took Kevin home and fed him well because of me. He was always very polite to him. And even after all of that he permitted his death in cold blood. I had to control my breathing because I could feel myself losing control over Claymore’s binding.

Everything started to make sense. Kevin used to be a sweet guy but always someone revengeful. When he was a kid I admired him truly. But after he went through the change our relationship changed. Everything was more about him and less about me. He became awfully arrogant, and I couldn’t take that. But what pushed me over the edge was his friends. They were the type of people who humiliated the others and hurt them even just for a laugh. Something that I didn’t take well. So we broke up. The way he started acting kind of reminded me of myself after the change. How I had this newfound confidence I didn’t had before. But I wasn’t as bad as him, because of Katana I guessed. At least I think I am not as bad as him. I dropped that thought aside for now.

Mace and James were still watching me carefully while my mother was petting Diana. Funny thing is that I still called her ‘mother’. It was very comical, because she was everything but. I guess is a reminder of everything she never did for me. Like help me with boy drama – and right now she was causing three different types of that- or shopping. But enough of that. She didn’t deserve any of my thoughts. Starting now I would only call her Jenna and with that I will knowledge what she truly is to me. A stranger.

  I turned my attention to the guys this time. I never told James about my father’s death, but just like everyone else he knew about it. They were both looking at me with pity. And I hated it. I wasn’t sad. I was mad, and there was a big difference. I looked at Jenna.

“Tell me when do I get to kill the bastard and where.” She smiled viciously at that. Yeah, lets add blood-thirsty to Jenna’s list.

“In a week the three of you will go to the ‘Madness veil’ where he goes every Saturday, and you will take him out. With that, the pack will be unstable for some time, with the fights for the next alpha. Then we can get in there and finish this off. We will attack them in four days after that. Be prepared. Now all of you are dismissed.” And just like that she turned around and sat on her desk. There was nothing left for us to do but to leave the room. So that is what we did. James acknowledged me with a nod and left, and I walked with Mace and Katana to our dorms.  He squeezed my hand reassuring when he was sure no one was there to see it. With a soft kiss he left me in front of my room and left without a word as well. And I was glad for both of them letting me have my time. Because I knew that I was about to explode with vengeance, rage and humiliation from all of the information we just gathered. I entered the room with Kat on my heels. Both Mia and Gwen were sleeping, so I quietly got ready for sleep. I laid myself on the bed, Katana beside me just like the first night. We weren’t able to sleep apart any longer, so that became our routine.  With a deep breath I closed my eyes and as I was almost asleep I hear Katana’s voice. ‘Rest well Kayla, because in a week, everything will change for us.’