2. Little Mouse

Raiden’s pov

“You’re mean,” my best friend Zev said.

It was just a joke.

The girl needed to get some hair on her chest. Not literally; I mean, some people might be into that sort of thing, but I like my girls as hairless as possible.

But she needs to toughen up. I have no clue why anyone that timid and shy is here. Nothing about her screams high-ranking wolf. She looks sick, weak, and maybe kind of pretty with those big blue eyes and pouty lips. If you like that heroine chic look, I guess.

This is an academy for the best of the best. A school where you can learn to become even better so you can serve your pack. A place where you can make allies that can benefit you for years to come.

My grandpa is actually the one who started this school as a way for our packs to learn to get along. We were so busy fighting stupid pack wars that we failed to realize how much we had in common.

But that wasn’t even the primary reason to open the school. Grandpa Vince explained to me a few years ago, before I even started here, that we had started drawing attention to ourselves.

The humans had become more technically advanced, and it was becoming a risk for us. It wasn’t like we weren’t using their technology just as much as them. Everyone here has a phone, albeit from a different provider than humans have, so none of our information can be tracked or used by human companies.

We have our own mobile networks and our own internet.

But with phones, cameras, and everything else that exists now, it’s a miracle we are still able to live in anonymity.

And every time we’re attacking each other, there’s a chance someone could film us.

We’re hiding in plain sight, living our lives in small towns that are actually packs full of werewolves. They’re gated communities, so nobody bats an eye when we have fences around our properties.

Our towns are hidden in forests, most of them unknown to humans.

Some of our packs aren’t able to keep themselves hidden as well as others. The humans have been spreading, gaining land, and traveling more and more. Those packs that are located near human cities tend to be more careful. Their members only shift at night and stick to themselves as much as possible. But it’s inevitable that they run into humans sometimes.

For a werewolf, it’s necessary to shift. If we don’t let our wolves out once in a while, it means they grow weak. There are stories of werewolves who chose to live among humans and lost their wolves in the process. They’re residing somewhere in the back of their minds, unable to talk with their human counterparts.

Thankfully, the Crescent Moon Pack is located in the middle of a large forest, surrounded by mountains on one side and a river on the other. There is no reason for humans to come here, and we are free to be ourselves in our own pack.

Those who can shift do so as they please, which means a few naked men and women could be seen walking through our cities at any time.

Shifting from human to wolf requires you to tear through your clothes or, if you have time, to take your clothes off first. But when you shift back, you’re as naked as the day you were born.

I can’t wait to shift. Just a few more months, and Zev and I will turn eighteen and get our wolves.

“Raiden….”

O, yeah. Zev was talking. Oops. He asked me why I was mean.

“She can handle it.” I replied. It was just a joke.

Zev raised an eyebrow. He had such a kind heart. I have no clue why, after what he endured, he still cares so much. Especially about someone he doesn’t even know.

“Alphas don’t apologize.”

Zev chuckled. “I didn’t say anything about apologizing. She’s new, though. So maybe cut her some slack.”

“You like her?”

Zev rolled his eyes at me, “don’t even start.”

Zev doesn’t like girls. Well, he does. He pretends not to. He’s anti-mate or whatever. I mean, I get why. After losing your mom the way he did and what happened with his father after, I wouldn’t jump at the chance of finding my mate either.

But still. The guy needs to get laid sometimes. Maybe he can join Atalanta in taking that oath of virginity. Or maybe, together, they can end both of their oaths.

I chuckled to myself. Yeah, then maybe he’d stop complaining about my sex-life.

After Mr. Hemming told his little Greek tragedy, he spoke about some old alphas. Grandpa Vincent had always been very strict about me learning every tale of the Crescent Moon’s conquests and battles. Our pack was one of the first to settle here.

Throughout history, we’ve tried to keep our distance from humans as much as possible, trying our best not to get involved in their ways of doing things. But it hasn’t always been easy.

While some might look at werewolves and see savages, humans are far worse. Slavery, wars, the atom bomb? We fight with our claws and teeth, but we fight fairly. Wolf against wolf.

No guns, no swords. Nothing but our own strength and abilities.

We might have a hierarchy in our pack, but that is based on people's strengths and weaknesses. Not based on the color of their skin or how much money they own. Our omegas get paid, get a choice in the job they pick, but sending them out to fight our battles would mean a quick death.

They lack the skills and strength to fight.

Everyone has their place, and it’s all of our efforts combined that make a strong pack. Although some of these idiots here think it’s all about the alpha, there is so much more needed to make a pack as great as ours.

Atalanta, damn, that’s a mouth full, stood up, her eyes down at the floor. While some of these fools here enjoy a lady who’s submissive, I can’t stand it. My mom is just as powerful as my dad in our pack, and I want a Luna who will challenge me.

Luna… That’s why she’s here. That’s why most women are here.

To become someone’s Luna. Or the mate of a beta or gamma. But if we’re being honest, and I’m usually a pretty straight-forward guy who tells it like it is, then most of the women here want to become Luna.

As a woman, it’s the highest-ranking position you can get. And there are some who would do anything to get it.

I doubt she would, though. Small girl is a mousy type with long brown hair that almost reaches her ass. She has a good ass, though. It could be a bit bigger, but for as skinny and short as she is, it’s fine.

But it's the way that she carries herself that annoys me. Everything about her screams like she wants to hide away in a hole somewhere.

“Little mouse,” I yell at her, getting no response.

“Atalanta….” I say in the most alpha-like tone I can muster. Goddess, is it wrong of me to secretly enjoy seeing her jump? Just like a real mouse.

She turns around, her eyes up to mine, for a second before going down. I walked towards her, Zev behind me, unsure of what I’m going to do. He might question me in private, but he won’t call me out in public unless I really mess up.

“Did you make notes?”

She looks confused before nodding.

“Zev and I need those, so hand them over.”

“I actually made, -“ The look I give stops Zev from finishing. Zev’s a big nerd who always pays attention. If he’s not making notes, he is writing something down in that journal of his. He never lets me read it, but he knows I’m here whenever he needs to talk, and that’s good enough for the both of us.

She goes into her bag to grab the notes, not even questioning my request. She extends her hand to hand me her notes; her tiny wrist looks fragile and pale. It looks as if it would break if I grabbed the notes too quickly.

But before I can take the notes, Suzie stops her. “Stop, Raiden. You know all this stuff already. Atalanta comes from a tiny pack in human territory and went to regular school. This is all new to her.”

“You went to school with them?” I said, my voice unable to hide the disgust.

“Yes,” she replies in a tiny voice, looking at her feet. Why do I feel she’s lying?

“Well, little Mouse. I am Raiden, the alpha heir of the Crescent Moon pack. Have you heard of us?”

“A little bit,” she admits, surprising both me and Zev. Every werewolf has heard of us. This isn’t just some arrogant alpha bullshit; our pack is known throughout the country, perhaps even the world.

“I’m Zev,” Zev says, extending his hand.

She seems unsure whether to reach out as well, but when she does, Zev gives her the most gentle handshake in the world.

There is something about her that I find intriguing, but I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s just because Zev has stared more at her in a day than he has at any other girl in the last few weeks. Or it’s that there’s something about her that I don’t trust. Probably because, amongst everyone here, she tries to stand out the least.

“You should sit with us,” I say, walking out of the classroom. It’s lunch time, and I am starving, but I need to find out more about this strange new student.

She isn’t the only new person to enroll here. A few seventeen-year-olds have just joined. One of them has a room across our hall. He seems very angry. Then there are about ten new girls who’ve joined, including our little mouse.

New girls means fresh meat for all the guys here. There is a lot of testosterone, and werewolves have a strong sex drive. While some wait for their mate, a lot don’t.

This school might want the male and female students not to visit each other at night, but in reality, these dorm rooms are filled with people having sex. Zev has come home to a sock hanging on the door countless times. He usually hangs out at the library until I’m done.

So far, no socks of Zev have been up. But maybe I can change that.

We’re to stay here from age seventeen until nineteen. Unless we meet our mate, then we can choose to stay here together or go back to our pack. The eighteen-year-olds get special training to make sure our wolf counterparts are ready for anything.

Zev walked beside me, and I could hear the footsteps of Suzie and Atalanta a few steps behind us. They were whispering, but it was futile. With our hearing, there was no point in whispering; we’re able to hear almost everything inside this building if we make an effort.

“Why did he invite us?” Little Mouse asked Suzie.

“I don’t know, but you don’t say no to an invitation like that.” Suzie replied. I liked her. She is as sweet as can be, until she’s not. That girl will put anyone who tries to mess with her in their place. Including me.

“Why, because he’ll hurt us?” Atalanta asked, making me laugh out loud. She really is a timid little creature.

“No, silly. Because it means a seat at the popular table. Who knows when we’ll be able to sit there again?”