Werewolf Academy Book 2 Read online

  —Mari, Amazon Reviewer

  “. . . I’ve fallen for the characters and their world. I’ve even gone on to share (this book) with my sister. . .So many moments made me smile as well as several which brought tears from the attachment; not sad tears, I might add. When I started Shadows, I didn’t expect much because I assumed it was like most of the books I’ve read lately. But this book was one of the few books to make me happy I was wrong and find myself so far into the books that I lost track of time, ending up reading to the point that my body said I was too tired to continue reading! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. . . Some of my new favorite quotes will be coming from this lovely novel. Thank you to Cheree Alsop for allowing the budding thoughts to come to life. I am a very hooked reader.”

  —Stephanie Roberts, Amazon Reviewer

  “This was a heart-warming tale of rags to riches. It was also wonderfully described and the characters were vivid and vibrant; a story that teaches of love defying boundaries and of people finding acceptance.”

  —Sara Phillip, Book Reviewer

  “This is the best book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. . . It literally has everything, drama, action, fighting, romance, adventure, & suspense. . . Nexa is one of the most incredible female protagonists ever written. . .It literally had me on pins & needles the ENTIRE time. . . I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Please give yourself a wonderful treat & read this book… you will NOT be disappointed!!!”

  —Jess- Goodreads Reviewer

  “Took my breath away; excitement, adventure and suspense. . . This author has extracted a tender subject and created a supernatural fantasy about seeing beyond the surface of an individual. . . Also the romantic scenes would make a girl swoon. . . The fights between allies and foes and blood lust would attract the male readers. . .The conclusion was so powerful and scary this reader was sitting on the edge of her seat.”

  —Susan Mahoney, Book Blogger

  “Adventure, incredible amounts of imagination and description go into this world! It is a buy now, don't leave the couch until the last chapter has reached an end kind of read!”

  —Malcay- Amazon Reviewer

  “The high action tale with the underlying love story that unfolds makes you want to keep reading and not put it down. I can't wait until the next book in the Shadows Series comes out.”

  —Karen- Amazon Reviewer

  “Really enjoyed this book. A modern fairy tale complete with Kings and Queens, Princesses and Princes, castles and the damsel is not quite in distress. LOVE IT.”

  —Braine, Talk Supe- Book Blogger

  “. . . It’s refreshing to see a female character portrayed without the girly cliches most writers fall into. She is someone I would like to meet in real life, and it is nice to read the first person POV of a character who is so well-round that she is brave, but still has the softer feminine side that defines her character. A definite must read.”

  —S. Teppen- Goodreads Reviewer

  “I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. . . This premise is interesting and the world building was intriguing. The author infused the tale with the feeling of suspicion and fear . . . The author does a great job with characterization and you grow to really feel for the characters throughout especially as they change and begin to see Nexa's point of view. . . I did enjoy the book and the originality. I would recommend this for young adult fantasy lovers. It's more of a mild dark fantasy, but it would definitely fall more in the traditional fantasy genre . ”

  —Jill- Goodreads Reviewer

  Love- the secret of the Universe.

  Without it, we are lost.

  With it, we are unstoppable.

  I love you, Michael.

  I love you my children,

  Myree, Ashton, and Aiden.

  Chapter One

  Alex’s paws drummed across the earth in a cadence few wolves would have been able to match. A train whistle sounded in the distance. He pushed himself harder, ducking branches and leaping the stream that babbled merrily along, unaffected by his haphazard flight. He reached the rise, but didn’t slow down. With one final push, he leaped off the highest boulder. For an instant, it felt like he was truly flying. The wind brushed at his fur, beckoning for the werewolf to join its carefree dance.

  Alex’s paws hit a boulder. He leaped to the next, then a third. He hit the ground the same time that the train left the tunnel.

  Careful to keep out of sight among the trees, Alex raced beside the steel beast. The horn sounded. It was faster than he was. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder, but it always slipped away, beating him to the edge of the forest.

  Alex skidded to a stop at the fence. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he watched the train continue its path oblivious of the race it had won. He was still fighting to catch his breath when another sound caught his ears. They were here!

  Alex dashed back through the forest. He dodged a lightning-struck tree and ducked beneath a bush that turned out to be too low for his body. Breaking through the other side, he shook leaves and twigs from his fur as he ran.

  He reached the road as the buses rumbled by. Accepting the challenge, Alex darted alongside, keeping as far into the forest as he could without being held up by the underbrush. He passed one bus, then the next. He ran alongside the limo at the front of the buses and glanced up in time to meet an icy blue gaze.

  Alex’s heart skipped a beat when Kalia’s eyes widened in recognition. He tried to jump a log, but was a fraction too slow. His paw caught and he tumbled head over heels into nest of boulders. A poof of dust rose at the impact.

  Alex stood slowly. Bruises would heal; he expected the pain to be gone by the time evening fell. He padded through the dust left by the vehicles to the point where they vanished between the tall gates that marked the entrance of the Academy.

  Alex hadn’t been sure if Kalia would return to the Academy. They hadn’t left on the best of terms, to put it lightly. She had been mad enough at him that he doubted she would speak to him. Guilt flooded his conscience. It was his fault for accusing her of working with Dane Carso so he could kill the twins.

  It had been Pip all along. Kalia was just a girl caught between two worlds. She hadn’t phased, yet her eyes glowed golden whenever she was upset, which tended to be a lot around Alex. It wasn’t her fault her parents feared werewolves and sent her to the Academy just in case she happened to phase. The fact that her brother Boris was an Alpha didn’t help matters, and he wasn’t especially pleasant. No wonder they were worried.

  Alex ran to the back of the Academy and phased where he had left his clothes. He pulled them on and reached the courtyard just as Dean Jaze was addressing the new students. Alex walked to Jet’s statue.

  “Where were you?” Cassie demanded, her dark blue eyes worried.

  “Just changing my clothes,” Alex replied, giving his twin sister his most convincing smile.

  She reached up and pulled a twig from his hair. “This is from a blueberry bush.”

  “Huh,” Alex said. “They aren’t very tall, are they?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked, frustrated.

  “Shh,” Alex told her. “Jaze is talking. You don’t want to be rude.”

  Cassie sputtered at him for a moment. She finally gave a shake of her head and turned back to the proceedings. “Boys,” she muttered under her breath.

  Alex smiled. He wanted to point out that he doubted human boys would have any success racing a train or buses, but decided not to press his luck. Instead, he folded his arms and leaned against the base of the huge black wolf statue. Jet guarded over the courtyard, watching the proceedings from his vantage point. If he had been alive, Alex knew no one would dare to go into the Academy with malice in their hearts; as it was, the Academy had been breached last Christmas. Alex was determined to never let it happen again.

  “Mingle among yourselves,” Mrs. Nikki Carso, the dean’s wife, encouraged the
students. “Get to know each other. We’ll have the Choosing Ceremony in a few minutes, and the contacts you make now may very well determine how the rest of your term here goes.”

  A tall seventeen year old with brown eyes walked up to Alex and Cassie.

  “Ready for another year?” Jericho asked, holding out a hand.

  “I didn’t think you’d take me back,” Alex replied with a grin. “We had quite the year.”

  Jericho nodded. “Yes, we did. But I think that if you’re not my Second, this next year is going to be quite boring in comparison.”

  “We wouldn’t want that,” Alex said with mock solemnity.

  “No, we wouldn’t,” Jericho replied.

  Both boys looked over the crowd of students.

  “Fifteen more this year,” a voice said beside Alex.

  Alex smiled down at Trent. “Really? It looks like more.”

  “That’s because they’re extra loud,” Terith proclaimed, standing next to her brother. She shook her head and her blonde curls bounced on her shoulders. “Don’t they know Alphas like Grays who are quiet?”

  Alex and Jericho exchanged a look. Terith was the most talkative of their pack. For her to be pointing out the noise was either ironic or showed how truly rambunctious the students were.

  “Has anyone seen Pip?” Cassie asked quietly.

  Alex shook his head. He had been searching the crowd for the small student with big ears who had almost cost them their lives. They had stayed friends until the end of the year, but it looked like the young Second Year hadn’t returned.

  “Too bad,” Jericho noted. “He was handy at the first full moon challenge.”

  Cassie and Alex glanced at each other. Only a few others at the Academy knew Pip was the one who had been Drogan’s contact. They planned to keep it that way and protect the little werewolf’s name in case he returned.

  “Time to go to the Great Hall for the Choosing Ceremony,” Nikki announced.

  Everyone filed into the Great Hall. As usual, Lifers and Termers sat on opposite sides of the hall, but this time the werewolves who had made up Pack Jericho stayed together. There really wasn’t much doubt who was going to be in their pack. Alex didn’t see any reason to mess with the camaraderie they had created, and everyone seemed content to stick together. With the addition of fifteen more students and Pip’s absence, there might be two more spaces to fill, but the rest was pretty much settled.

  “Sid Hathaway,” Torin announced, choosing his Second for the year. Sid was always the Lifer Alpha’s Second, so it came as no surprise.

  Boris, the Alpha leader of the Termers, stood up next. Alex glanced at Kalia. She glared at her brother as if daring him to say someone else’s name.

  “Parker Luis,” he called. Kalia gave a visible wince. Alex felt bad for her. It had to be hard getting chosen third by family.

  The other Alphas took their picks. Jericho was last; even though he was seventeen, it was only his second year at the Academy.

  “Alex Davies,” Jericho called when it was his turn.

  Alex took his place beneath the dais. If Trent’s information was correct, the ten Alphas had one hundred and sixty-seven werewolves to choose for their packs.

  Torin walked forward again. “Amos Jones,” he called.

  Alex stared. The huge Gray rose slowly from his seat with Pack Jericho. His expression was confused as he looked from Torin to Jericho and Alex. Alex nodded encouragingly, but his heart sank at the thought of losing the hulking Gray.

  Alex glanced back at Torin. The Alpha smirked at him as Amos took his place below the dais. Alex clenched and unclenched his hands. He wanted to do something, but as a Gray, it wasn’t his place. Jericho met his gaze and gave a minute shrug. There was nothing they could do.

  Boris cleared his throat. “Matthews Johnson,” he said.

  Alex glanced at Kalia. She looked ready to cry or scream. Instead, she crossed her arms and glared at the floor as the other Alphas chose their pack mates.

  “Cassie Davies,” Jericho called.

  Cassie hurried up to join Alex. She was excited to get out of the anxious crowd of students waiting to be picked. It was only the second year both she and Alex hadn’t been chosen last. She stood next to him with a small smile on her face.

  At the next round, Boris called Kalia’s name. She stood up, but didn’t move toward the stage.

  To everyone’s shock, she took a deep breath and said loud enough for everyone to hear, “I refuse the choosing.”

  Whispers erupted through the students. Professor Kaynan stood up from his seat with the rest of the Academy staff near the back of the stage.

  “What are you doing? Don’t be stupid.” Boris growled, not caring that the rest of the students watched.

  Kalia ignored the statement, her attention on Professor Kaynan.

  The professor’s red gaze traveled over the crowd. “It is Kalia’s right to deny the choosing,” he stated.

  Kalia nodded and sat back down. She pointedly ignored her brother as he glared at her from the stage.

  “Zach Mitchell,” he finally called.

  Maliki, Shannon, and Raynen made their normal choices. Drake hesitated. He glanced at Jericho, then out at the students.

  “What’s up?” Jericho asked the other Alpha quietly.

  “I need a brainiac on my pack,” Alex heard Drake reply. “Some of my guys are barely passing classes.”

  “Alex, what do you think?” Jericho asked.

  Alex thought about it for a second. “Take Nate Smith. He’s usually last on Shannon or Maliki’s packs anyway. He’ll be grateful for the bump up and probably become a strong member of your pack.”

  “But he’s a Stray,” Drake protested.

  The word sent a surge of anger through Alex.

  Even though he wasn’t an Alpha, the expression on Alex’s face made Drake quickly amend his word choice. “I mean a Lifer.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Jericho replied quietly. “My pack was the most well-rounded last year. Can you argue against that?”

  Alex could tell by the look on Drake’s face that the Alpha wanted to, but he had no legs to stand on. All of the students were watching them, and with a room full of werewolves, there was no doubt everyone was listening. He finally nodded. “I choose Nate Smith.”

  The relief on the Lifer’s face made Alex smile. The boy practically ran to Drake’s area below the dais. He turned around with a big grin on his face, revealing the big gap between his two front teeth that gave him a bit of a lisp.

  “Thanks, man,” Nate whispered, leaning over to Alex. “I appreciate it.”

  “Anytime,” Alex replied.

  Jessilyn, Kelli, and Miguel made their selections from the normal members of their packs. It was Jericho’s turn again. The Alpha asked quietly, “Who’s next, Alex?”

  Cassie spoke up, surprising them both. “Kalia,” she pleaded.

  Alex and Jericho both stared at her. “She hates me,” Alex replied in a whisper. “That’d be a horrible idea.”

  “Please?” Cassie pleaded. “She needs a pack.”

  Jericho looked from Cassie to Alex. When the Gray met his gaze, the Alpha gave a slight shrug, leaving the decision up to his Second.

  “Okay,” Alex replied. “I hope I don’t regret this,” he muttered under his breath.

  “You won’t,” Cassie promised with a huge smile on her face.

  “Kalia Dickson,” Jericho called.

  Gasps ran through the crowd. Alex dared a glance sideways and met Boris’ furious glare. Maybe it was worth it after all.

  Kalia walked sedately to the front of the Great Hall. She stood next to Cassie, ignoring Alex entirely. While he felt relieved that she hadn’t turned down their choosing, he wondered how the term would go with Kalia as a pack mate.

  Chapter Two

  “Shaking things up again?” Jericho asked as students left the Choosing Ceremony in packs.

  Alex and Jericho walked slowly behind their new pack mates.
The group was made up of mostly their regulars from last year, along with a new seven-year-old named Caitlyn, a Fourth Year named Steph, and Kalia. There was also a new fifteen-year-old Lifer named Tennison that Jericho had chosen at the end of the ceremony. It was unusual for new orphans to come to the Academy, but it was no secret Drogan and the General still waged their war on werewolves. Tennison had come in on the buses and nobody knew much about the werewolf, except that he wasn’t an Alpha and he was going to be staying at the Academy with the rest of the Lifers.

  Seventeen members made for a huge pack. Alex watched students stormed up the stairs anxious to get to their new quarters. Pack Jericho would be at the end of the hallway again because Jericho was the newest Alpha. They were in no hurry to fight the rush down the hall. Alex shook his head. The professors were going to have to figure something else out the next year if more Termers came in; the Alphas were going to have a hard time managing so many Grays.

  “Could I share a room with you?” a small voice asked.

  Alex glanced back to see Caitlyn, their new seven-year-old, clinging to Cassie’s hand.

  Cassie smiled down at her. “Actually, we all have our own rooms.” Caitlyn’s wide green eyes filled with tears. “But I’ll make sure your room is next to mine, and you can visit me whenever you want,” Cassie concluded quickly.

  “Really?” Caitlyn asked.

  Cassie nodded and the answering smile that broke out across the little girl’s face filled Alex with relief. His sister was making new friends. Besides Terith, himself, and Kalia, she hadn’t really branched out over the last year. Perhaps Caitlyn was the beginning of something new.