Eve

"I will teach you everything you need to know, Little Bird," Clay said, leaning down to kiss the top of my head again; it amazes me how such a simple gesture can make me feel like a giddy, lovesick girl.

"Thanks, Clay," I couldn't help but smile and snuggle into his side, then continued telling Asher what my classes are. "My third period is math with Mr. Wahkan, the fourth is Science with Mr. Ezhno, the fifth is Art with Mr. Kesteloo, the sixth is combat and training with Mrs. Hotah, and the seventh is Herbology with Miss Akando."

"Awesome, looks like we will have Math and Art together," said Asher with a smile.

After I parted with Clay and my brother, I headed towards my room with Waverly following close behind.

My mind was occupied, thinking about how somehow Clay and I ended up having all the same classes. It made me wonder if this was done on purpose…

"Man, your brother sure is sexy. Do you think he is my mate?" she asked, linking arms with me like we were best friends.

Waverly was a lovely girl with lots of energy; she would make a great mate for my brother.

"I'm not sure, but the best indicator is how you two reacted when you first met. When I first met Clay, it felt like I was coming home… but I don't know if that is what it feels like for everyone who imprints with their mate for the first time."

"For me, my heart felt like it would explode, and like…something strange was pulling me towards him .. you know? I still feel that pull now, and the further away Asher is, the stronger it feels." Waverly explained as we stepped into our room.

"Believe me; I totally understand what you mean."

I smiled as I thought about how he had looked so majestic in his wolf form and with those hypnotic mismatched eyes of his. 

I watched as Waverly flopped onto the couch, staring at the ceiling dreamily. It made me smile to see her so happy, so in love.

A few days passed, and the first day of classes arrived. I opened my wardrobe and grabbed my school uniform: a white dress shirt, a blue sweater with black embroidery, and a plaid tie. The girls wear plaid knee-length skirts while the boys wear slacks, black knee-high socks, black shoes, and a black frock coat with a plaid collar and pockets, displaying the letters GA on the chest pocket. After getting dressed, I headed off for my first day of school.

When I walked into my first-period class with Clay and Waverly, I was surprised that the classroom looked more like a college classroom, with rows and rows of desks and a colossal smartboard the size of a movie theater screen built into the wall.

The person standing before the smartboard was a tall, stocky man with dark tan skin, brown eyes, and short black hair. This man must be Mr. Pat, our Language Arts teacher.

"Well, hello there, ladybug."

I jumped in fright, turning to find Gray sitting beside me with a shit-eating grin.

"It's too early to deal with you, Gray," I groaned, laying my head on the desk a little too hard… ugh!

"Oh, it hurts my feelings when you talk like that ladybug; you will have to get used to me because thanks to my father, you know, the Headmaster of this school, we get to have all the same classes."

"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.

"What I mean is, my father told me to keep an eye on you. For some odd reason, he thinks all the problems in this school will somehow revolve around you. So I have been tasked to ensure you stay out of trouble."

Sigh… Just great…

"I'm not looking to cause any trouble, though."

"Maybe not intentionally, but you have a school full of people pissed off at you. Some of us understand what happened wasn't your fault, but others are scared and pissed off. You better watch your back and don't leave your dorm without your mate or brother."

"And why are you willing to help me? How do I know you aren't being nice now and then eventually stab me in the back?"

That's when the bell rang for class to begin…Gray just shrugged with an annoying smirk, then turned to listen to the teacher.

Gray wasn't lying, he was in every one of my classes, and it really pissed off Clay. I wouldn't mind having an extra bodyguard if this so-called bodyguard wasn't so freaking annoying! The man never shuts up!

It was now the sixth period, and I was excited when it was time for combat training. The teacher for this class was a cougar shifter named Mrs. Hotah. She is tall, lean-muscled, with dark tan skin, short black hair, and brown eyes.

Mrs. Hotah began by explaining some things about the class. She said we would be working on our offensive and defensive moves before having us follow her outside, where we saw something that looked like a mixture between a children's jungle gym and a military boot camp course... Oh, Great Spirits!

"You will be going through this gauntlet every Tuesday and Friday," explained Mrs. Hotah, "Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you will be taught basic fighting techniques and will be doing some sparring."

Since today was a Monday, we will be having Combat training. Mrs. Hotah didn't waste any time and began by demonstrating some basic moves. Her agility and strength were impressive, and I knew then that we were in good hands.

For the next hour, we practiced stance, footwork, and strikes. Clay and I were paired up, and I couldn't help but smile as he showed me some moves while teasing me playfully.

The class was intense, but I was excited to learn more. As we were wrapping up, Mrs. Hotah called out, "Alright, everyone, that's it for today. Don't forget to practice your moves when you can!"

By the end of class, I was sweaty and panting like a dog, but I'm not entirely sure if it was all from working out or if it was from being so physical with Clay…

As we left the classroom, Clay leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Little Bird, you are driving me insane…."

I couldn't help but laugh and flitter my eyelashes at him, "Oh, you know you like it..."

He let out a low, rumbling growl of frustration. "Yes, I like it, but not when I walk around with blue balls all day."

"Well, later this evening, why don't we go for a run? I'm sure we could do something about those blue balls of yours." I teased.

Clay gave a low growl as he stood straight, "That's a promise." With a wink, he took my hand and set off for our last class of the day, Herbology.

I was surprised when I learned that Miss Akando, our Herbology teacher, was the same lady who handed out folders on the day we arrived. I learned that she is a snake shifter from West Virginia.

Class today was held in the greenhouse, where Miss Akando handed us a packet with pictures of plants that we had to identify and try to memorize what the plants were used for.

The greenhouse was warm and humid, the perfect environment for the wide variety of plants that filled the space. Miss Akando moved around the room, checking on each student and answering questions.

As I studied the pictures in my packet, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Herbology was a subject that I had always been interested in. And being able to learn about the magical plants of this new world was even more intriguing.

Clay already knew most of them, so it was easy for us to get through most of the packet before the bell rang.

As I walked down the blue hall toward my room, I passed by room seven, where I heard laughter coming from inside. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. I wished I had friends like that.

But as I opened the door to my room, I was greeted by smiles from my roommates. Larkyn is a polar bear shifter from Canada who is tall and stocky with long black hair, brown eyes, and dark brown skin. Phoebe was a petite girl with curly reddish-brunette hair and green eyes, a coyote shifter from Kentucky. Willow is a lynx shifter from North Carolina with long, curly black hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them before stepping into my room to drop my backpack onto my bed.

"How was your first day of classes?" Waverly asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Exhausting," I admitted, plopping onto the couch with a sigh, "But combat training and Herbology were awesome."

We chatted for a while longer before deciding to get some rest before dinner. But as I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, I couldn't help but think about Gray's warning earlier. I didn't want to cause any trouble, but the trouble was following me everywhere.

I sighed and turned onto my side, facing the wall. Maybe Gray was right; maybe I did need to watch my back, and I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not even for a second.

I smiled when I felt Clay's presence in my head, "What's wrong, Little Bird?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Nothing, just thinking," I replied.

"Don't worry about Gray or anyone else. We'll take care of each other, okay?"

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. I was lucky to have my mate by my side. "Okay."