Chapter 6

The doors opened on silent. Not that peaceful. That kind that said, "You're not supposed to be there. I went in, and let the thick wooden doors shut behind me. The music reverberated in the room. l looked around.

The Commandant's office was bigger than I thought, but wasn't luxurious. Dark stone walls. A massive desk. A mishmash of old books piled up in haphazard heights. Weapons mounted everywhere. Swords, knives, bows and I don't even know what else. On the back wall behind the desk there was a row of photographs of graduating classes. Decades of them. All of the photographs were taken of young men.

Alphas.

A few were dressed in military uniform. Some were wearing training attire and had their arms on their chest. Some even had scares all over their face. Nobody smiled. All was clear.

Gravemont was not around to pander to boys' happiness. It's only here where they would pose a threat.

"Close the door."

It was behind the desk that a voice could be heard. I turned.Commandant De Luca was staring at me. He had a tinge of silver in his hair most of the way to the crown, but his was no fragile silver. His shoulders were wide, his back straight, and the scar that stretched down his left cheek to his jawline, made his already harsh face even tougher. His eyes were light grey in color. Slowly they walked over me. Face, shoulders, hands, Shoes. He was learning anything and everything.

I had to be a man of my own, I had to be me, as Enzo had taught me. Loose shoulders, feet slightly apart, no fidgeting, no nervous movements. There was no "oh, there are wolves there" around.

"Name."

"Matteo Antonio Conti."

A week ago my voice sounded higher than it did now.

Good.

De Luca opened up a file.

"Age?"

"Twenty-two."

"Bloodline?"

"Moretti-Conti."

His eyes lifted.

"Your father?"

"Matteo Conti."

"Missing."

Not a question.

"Yes."

"For fourteen months."

"Yes, sir."

“You have been told you're dead.”

My stomach tightened Enzo said this would happen. I suppressed all emotions from my face.

"I survived."

De Luca's back was stretched while sitting on the chair.

"Convenient."

I said nothing.

He quickly glanced at some pages.

No military academy, no prior attendance at a pack school, a private school.”

"Correct."

But you still wanted to visit Gravemont, you did.However, it was your intention to come to Gravemont.

"Yes."

"Why?

I could have come up with a hundred responses like my father attempted to sell me, i was running away from a marriage that I would NOT want to die for.

He appeared to know what was under my pendant, like Vittorio Falcone. I think there's something that's buried deep in me that I don't know.

Instead, the only answer that was relevant here I gave him.

"I wish to be a better man".

He went on to study me for a long time, after that, he closed the file.

According to everyone, that's what everyone says.

He stood. And i was immediately aware of the reason people would run away scared of him. He wasn't the tallest I'd ever seen around before but it seemed like the room was small. He walked towards me

“Here's what to come, Conti.”

I straightened.

There will be three (3) hours allotted for you.

“Three hours for what?”

To go to the top tower.

I frowned.

"That's it?"

A slight smile was on his lips.

"No."

Too late the warning came. He pushed a button under the side of his desk and there was a sound of a bell from somewhere outside. Once. Twice. Three times. From then on the Academy was in complete chaos. Doors were slammed, the sound of footsteps echoed through the halls. They shouted in all directions! My heart jumped out of its place, I was confused. I saw de Luca walking by and he unlocked the door.

“Everyone in this school here on this campus has just been informed that there's a new student at Gravemont.”

I stared at him.

"What?"

The time it takes to reach the northern tower is three hours.

"And the students?"

His eyes hardened.

“They've told them to do something about it.”

This was off and I felt it to my stomach.

"How?"

"However they want."

There was another bell... It was only a warning this time. De Luca got out of the way.

"Thirty seconds."

He smiled, looking at his watch

"Run."

I didn't argue. I ran.

When I entered into the doorway, I sensed something moving in the corridor. I didn't have much time to see the fist before it arrived. I ducked, it then hit the stone wall behind me. looking up I saw that there were three boys standing. One cracked his knuckles. Another smiled. The third one cried out down the hall.

"He's out!"

A sound was heard behind me: there was a voice. A lot of them. I ran harder. I went down the stairs, pushed open the entrance doors and ran into the courtyard. And stopped. There were Wolves all around. Dozens of them. Maybe more.

The courtyard was filled with young men, some in training attire and some in uniforms, some standing with their arms crossed against the stone buildings. All the eyes had turned to me. For one weird moment, there was no one that moved. Then someone yelled.

"GET HIM!"

The entire courtyard ran towards me

I ran. I saw a boy to my left, i sneaked up to him under his arm. Then there was another who attempted to grab me behind. I turned around and pushed him into the back of the person behind him.

"Move!"

Someone laughed.

"He's fast!"

I was between two buildings cutting. I was punched in the face. I caught the wrist a twisted it, the boy knelt down to one knee. I punched him in the chest and kept on punching.

"He's fighting back!"

Good.

Let them know. I could fight. The only thing I didn't pretend to be good at was that. I ran through the courtyard on the East, and jumped over a stone bench. I was grabbed by the rear of my shirt by a man. I twisted and jammed my elbow into his back. The boy let me go, grunting. I didn't stop, I couldn't.

The tower in the north was outside of the main training grounds. Well, I had to get there. Simple, right? Except Gravemont appeared to be setting out to make things difficult. I continued running for the next hour, I climbed walls, Crossed rooftops. I lay under an old wooden staircase, as four students ran by shouting my name.

"CONTl!"

"Where did he go?"

"Check the dormitories!"

I waited till I could no longer see them. Then I crawled out. I was having trouble breathing. My legs were beginning to hurt. In me a little girl awoke, named Seraphina.

"You're enjoying this"

" I don't want to die"

You are enjoying yourself!

I almost smiled. Maybe a little.

I took off again. I first spotted the tower when I arrived in the north side of campus. Black stone. Four stories high. A big clock is near the top. I was almost there. Then six pupils came out from behind the building. I stopped. They stopped. One of them smiled.

"Found him."

I sighed.

Yes, you did"

The biggest of all stepped up to the plate.

“So far you are a man of valor.”

There's a place else I need to be.

He laughed.

“No one goes through us.”

If so, then I'll have to go through you.

His smile widened.

"Try."

The first hit was a very strong one. I blocked it, I felt a sharp pain going down my arm. Strong but slow. I went where it was not expected, and punched my knee into his stomach. He folded, I hit the second. Then the third. The 4th got me in the ribs, I stumbled. I was met by the 5th. I ducked. He swung again. I grabbed his arm, twisted and sent him crashing into the dirt. The 6th was staring at me. I stared back.

Still wishing to try?

He shook his head.

"Not particularly."

He stepped aside.

I ran.I was cheered on by them. Then I had an idea. There was no laughter any longer, they were watching, respecting and testing. That was dangerous. I don't need any more attention at Gravemont!

After 2 hours I was in a lot of pain. I lost the feeling in my feet at the third. I have gone over the Academy twice. An hour of running around outside beating more men than I had in many weeks of training at home. Then I thought I lost them and another group came out. The academy was a maze. Extremely violent maze.

I was running in the western courtyard, and I heard footsteps behind me. Not one person. Two. Three. I pushed harder. My lungs burned. My shoulder throbbed. Below my shirt was a humming pendant. Not loudly. Just enough time for me to see.

It was something I picked up "automatically.

Don't, Seraphina warned.

Why?

I don't know.

This was the scariest response.

I rounded the corner. Walk on into a person.

I was knocked back and hit the ground. Hard. It was like someone was jabbing me with a knife in my head. I blinked. There was someone standing on top of me. Tall, very tall. Dark hair, black training clothes. He had dark ink under the sleeves and up his side of his neck tattooed all over his arms. But it was his eyes that had made me forget the pain. orange, not golden, not amber, just orange. Burning.

He couldn't say a word and he looked at me down. I pushed myself up.

"Move."

He didn't.

I stood.

“Did you NOT listen to ME?”

His eyes narrowed.

"You smell strange."

My blood went cold.

"What?"

He stepped closer.

I did my utmost to avoid slipping back. He pushed his wolf into the air around us. Heavy, dominant. Dangerous. Seraphina went silent. Not cautious. Silent. That hasn't ever happened to me when she was around. My face was scanned by the boy's eyes. Then my shoulders. Then my chest. The pendant. His eyes came to a halt. He transformed himself into a new person. Barely. But I saw it. Recognition. No. Impossible. I stepped back. He stepped forward.

So what do you have to be afraid of?

"Nothing."

He had a smile on his face.

"That's a lie."

Before I could answer, he moved.

Fast.

I just caught his first blow off. It was a surprise and I almost fell over. He came again. I ducked. I felt his fist in my cheek. I swung. He caught my wrist. and twisted it, the pain in my arm was unbearable. I kicked his knee. He barely moved. What do you mean, "what the fuck are you"

I hit my head into his nose. He released me, I stumbled backward. He came in contact with the blood under his nose. This is the first time he gave a smile and this was no pretty smile. it was the kind that caused my abdomen to tense.

"You've got teeth."

“Well, I have been told.”

Then he stalked up to me again. I braced.

The academy bell went off then..Once, twice, three times. The probation period was over. The boy stopped. He gazed at the tower and then back at me.

"What's your name?"

"Matteo."

His eyes were fixed on me.

"Dante."

He walked past me.

He blended in with the crowd and I watched him go. There was something amiss with him. Not wrong, as evil is. Wrong like familiar. I was feeling lost and confused, just like my wolf. I looked towards the tower. A group of students were standing around the door. Some were laughing, Some were bruised And some were staring at me. And then I saw Enzo. He was by the steps, relieved and horrified. I smiled.

He didn't. His gaze was into the back of my head. I turned. Dante was on the outskirts of the crowd. Still watching. Still studying me. Then he lowered his eyes to my chest. To the pendants under my shirt. His expression changed. And he said something in his ear that I could not hear, but Seraphina heard it. I heard her voice; it was like a shout.

Gia!

I froze.

What?

She didn't react straight away.

Then she quietly said,

He knows.