Chapter 2

Theo motioned to the guy who was sitting to the left of him. The guy had longish blonde hair that fell into his forehead and gray eyes. Like Theo, he was tall, muscular, and incredibly good-looking. He reminded me of a Baywatch Lifeguard. “Raven, this is Colton.”

“Hey, Raven.” Colton flashed me a grin a heart-stopping, gorgeous grin.

“And this is Rhys,” Theo went on, motioning to the auburn-haired guy with dark blue eyes. He was the shortest of the four, but they stood well over six feet. Like the others, Rhys was still really muscular more muscular than any of the guys who went to my high school.

“And Aiden,” Theo said, pointing his chin at the last guy in the group a guy with dark brown hair, tan skin, and honey brown eyes. Like the others, his body was rock solid. Why were they all so muscular? Were they, like, bodybuilders?

Theo let out a little laugh. “We’re not bodybuilders. We are, however, werewolves. Werewolves naturally have a higher proportion of muscle far more than the average human.”

“There’s no way werewolves are real,” I replied, shaking my head. “Actually, we are,” Aiden spoke up. “And you’re one of us.”

I glanced over at him sharply, staring at him like he had four heads.

“I’m a werewolf?”

“It’s the entire reason I’m able to listen to your thoughts,” Theo said quietly. “When you kissed me, something happened” Colton nudged him and shook his head. “Not yet. She’s not ready for that.”

Theo glanced from Colton to me. He swallowed hard and then paused for a long moment. Finally, he said, “There’s something you should know,

Raven.”

“What?” I asked, unsure of why I was even bothering to hear them out. I didn’t believe anything they were saying. Or did I? Wouldn’t I have left them if I really didn’t believe them? Was it possible that a small part of me was actually entertaining the possibility that they and I were werewolves? 

“Your parents didn’t just die in a fire,” Theo told me. “That fire was set by their archenemy.”

“How do you know about the fire?” I recalled that I hadn’t talked about my parents or the fire at all when I had kissed him. I hadn’t known him long enough to talk about any of that.

“We were close friends of your parents,” Rhys explained. “We made a promise to them many years ago. We promised them that we would take care of you in the event that something should ever happen to them.”

“We promised to protect you,” Colton added.

“That’s the reason we’re here. To protect you,” Aiden agreed.

I glanced at each of them. If they were making this up, they would have had some nerve. “Protect me from who?” I found myself questioning.

“Their enemy. The one who killed them,” Rhys explained. “And who would that be?” I pressed.

“His name is Milos Santorini,” Theo answered. “He is the Alpha of one of the most powerful packs in the world.”

“Why would he have wanted to kill my parents?” I asked. “Because of you.”

“Because of me?” Was he indirectly blaming me for my parents’

deaths? I wasn’t a goody two shoes, but I hasn’t ever done anything that would have made someone want to kill my parents.

“Milos wanted you to be his wife,” Theo explained. “He wanted you to rule his pack alongside him.”

“Why me?” I questioned.

“Your parents were both very powerful werewolves. Your father was the Alpha of a very powerful pack. Milos felt that, together, the two of you would rule the world.”

I allowed what they were saying to set in, but then I shook my head. “There’s no way any of this is true. Werewolves aren’t real.”

“Wanna bet?” Aiden asked. Before I had a chance to answer him, Aiden began to unbutton his shirt, revealing just how chiseled his chest was. God damn. Before he had even taken it all the way off, he had dropped down onto all fours. Moments later, a gray wolf stood there instead, staring back at me.

I took a step back, nervous that he was dangerous. “He won’t hurt you,” Theo assured me. I glanced over at him. There was no denying that he really could hear all of my thoughts… 

“You can’t say you don’t believe us now.” That voice had definitely belonged to Aiden, but he was in his wolf form and his lips hadn’t moved “how did I just hear him speak?” I asked the others.

“You heard it because you’re a wolf,” Theo explained.

“Oh.” I swallowed hard. A part of me was beginning to believe them, but if what they were saying was true…

Well, this was all so crazy. It would have meant that my parents were werewolves and that they had kept this a secret from me my entire life.

How could that possibly be true? Except, Aiden had just turned into a werewolf and I was watching him shift back into his human form right in front of me. So, they were being honest about that. Why would they have lied about the rest?

“We’re not lying,” Theo assured me.

“Unless I’m just really drunk and this is a dream or something.” I pinched myself just to make sure. Nope. Definitely not a dream.

“You need to come back to Werewolf Academy with us,” Theo told me then. “We believe it’s the only place you’ll be safe from Milos.”

“As safe as she can be, considering we have no idea where Milos actually is,” Colton added.

“Werewolf Academy?” I asked with raised eyebrows. “It’s a boarding school for werewolves shifters, like us,” Theo

explained. “You will enroll as a student. The Headmaster is already expecting you.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be a student at Werewolf Academy,” I protested. “Maybe I want to stay at West Brook High and finish out my senior year like a normal teenager.”

“You’re not a normal teenager, I’m afraid, and the Academy is the safest place for you. You will have constant security. And more importantly, you will learn to control your inner wolf. You will learn more about this life.” His eyes locked on mine. “The Academy will train you to be the most powerful werewolf you could possibly be.” I just stared back at him, not entirely convinced.

“Let me put this into perspective for you, Raven,” Theo said with a sigh. “Milos has already killed your parents. We fear that if you don’t come back to the Academy with us, he will come back for you. He will force you to marry him, to rule the world with him, or worse. If you don’t go with him willingly, he might kill you.” “So, what do you say?” Aiden asked. “Will you come to the Academy with us?”

I glanced from him to Theo, to Colton and Rhys. What did I really have to lose? I had already lost everything: my parents, my home. I could stay here and possibly risk being killed if what they were saying was true, or I could go to this Werewolf Academy with them. And they were all so gorgeous.

“Okay,” I said after a long moment. “I’ll go to the Academy.”

“I knew you’d make the right choice.” Theo smiled. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. “In order to get to the realm where Werewolf Academy is, you need to put this on.” 

I glanced down at necklace, a simple white gold chain with a round pendant that reminded me of an opal but even prettier.

“It’s a moonstone,” Theo explained. “When you put it on, it will transform you into a werewolf and take you to the gates of Werewolf Academy.”

“Are you all going, too?” I asked.

“Yes, we have our own moonstone necklaces,” he replied with a nod. I took a deep breath. I was about to find out the truth, one way or another. If I put the necklace on, I would turn into a werewolf if I was really a werewolf.

With shaky hands, I pulled the moonstone necklace on over my neck, and instantly, I could feel my bones shifting and contorting. Light gray fur so light that it was almost a shade of white began to cover where my skin was, and my hands were turning into paws.

It was happening.

It was happening.

I was shifting, for the very first time.