Chapter 3 The Welcome

Elowyn swallowed uneasily and quickly blinked.

"I'm sorry. I will have to run with my.... servants before they get exhausted."

Baron's brow creased and he watched her questioningly.

"Exhausted?" He repeated.

"I'm sorry." She said again, stepping back. "We must hurry."

Baron watched the scrawny roommate turn around and run. The strangely pale and orderly servants stepped along with eerie grace.

The door slammed shut.

Silence.

★★★

★★★

Elowyn gave a stiff, awkward wave at the illusions dear Mia had created - their noble uniforms, their unreal posture - to make her arrive in this strange place in a grand style.

All a lie.

She bit her lip and fought the sadness that welled up in her chest. She shut her eyes and muttered a prayer for her friend.

Then, she jumped back into reality once the entrance gate slammed loudly behind the illusionary servants.

"You're in a new world now."

She instinctively began to raise a hand to rub her other arm but she was quick to come back to her senses.

"You're no longer in The Somberwoke Village. You're not a girl anymore." Her mind reminded fiercely and she stood straight.

She had to make way because large males - alphas-in-the-making were marching in with their servants and luggages in groups.

Tall and mighty.

Eyes cold and expressionless.

Aura. Cold.

They were wolves in human form.

The crowd was growing.

"You have to leave this place and go stay in your room. You can't afford to be noticed." Her mind spoke again.

But she was too hard to not notice because too many alphas were already watching her.

Someone nudged another and said something in a low voice.

Her heart rose in fear.

"They see something, Elowyn!"

But....

She shook her head and straightened her shoulders and turned to walk back to where she'd come from.

"I'm inside the academy. I won't be married off. I'll be careful and try my best." Her head murmured.

She hurried off.

★★★

★★★

Elowyn was careful when she opened the door to Dormitory 3B - slow, quiet and watchful. Like this was a survival drill.

The room was dim. Empty. Silent.

Baron was nowhere around and she held her breath, stepping in fully.

One glance around and still no movement. Good.

She then proceeded to steal her way to her door.

And before two counts, she was in and padding towards her bag on the bed. A sigh pushed out of her nostrils.

"Oh Moon...."

She brought out the binding flask Mia had given her. Elowyn sipped the herb fast and her body hummed. The masking herb was settling into her.

In 5 seconds, it was over.

Elowyn began to hide it back in it's place beneath a folded shirt....

The door whipped open.

She gasped and turned sharply, breath caught in her throat.

And what she saw got her gasping again and shifting back.

Baron....

He stood in the doorway.

Naked.

Hair tousled and soaked immensely.

Elowyn was struck and her gaze flickered lower than it should have. She saw him.

Completely bare before her like nudity was a nature-given right.

Her stomach tightened instantly.

"Stand straight! Chin up!" Her head barked and she instantly obliged, her heart was beating. She was pooling hard.

She didn't say a word.

Elowyn could only stare at whatever it was that was behind this completely naked creature. She was as stiff as stone.

Her fists clenched.

Baron didn't look disturbed at all.

"Greatest way to introduce yourself, Scrawn Wolf." He said, walking towards her.

She stood still and remained unshaken.

"What's with this goddamn smell?" Baron asked dangerously.

Silence.

"Speak."

Elowyn remained silent and refused to meet his eyes.

But she was moved when he growled.

"I'm warning you. Speak."

"I...." Her words cut and she tried again. "Long journey."

"You smell very repulsive. You're scrawny. Is there something everyone needs to know?"

Someone interrupted.

Someone knocked - then walked right in without waiting.

Another male. As tall as Baron. Broad shoulders, sun-kissed skin, and a smirk that was already cruel before it landed on Elowyn.

"Did I miss the freak show?" the new male said, his voice lazy, arrogant. "Or is this it?"

Baron didn't turn around. He just stepped aside and motioned toward Elowyn like she was a faulty weapon on display.

"The great Scrawn Wolf." Baron said, enjoying himself. "From the far-off sticks. Smells weird. Talks weird. Looks like a stick."

Azpen snorted. "What's on his ID?"

Elowyn's hands balled tighter at her sides.

"That reminds me. Where the hell is your ID?"

Elowyn paused and she quickly put a hand in her coat and brought it out.

"Azpen, get me a trouser."

Azpen obeyed.

Baron was silent when he read and Elowyn was trying to breathe.

Without much time, Azpen was back. Baron took the trouser and whipped his head this way and that with two loud cracks.

"Moon above, I hope this one doesn't snore. I don't do well with whimpers." Azpen muttered.

Baron sat on his bed lazily, pushing into the clothing he'd just grabbed from his roommate. "We might have to toughen him up."

Azpen gave Elowyn a look. "You scared, Twig?"

She shook her head slowly, saying nothing.

Baron's lips curled wickedly. "Mute. Cute. Don't worry, someone's got a way of carving words out of quiet ones."

Elowyn stood there, heart hammering, rage and fear twining in her chest like thorns.

She wouldn't speak again.

Not now.

Let them laugh. Let them prod.

She'd survive this. She had to.

Azpen shrugged and opened his wardrobe, already moving like he owned the space. "Schedule gets dropped off by noon. We're in the Combat Wing this semester, so be ready to bleed on the floor."

"Also," Baron said, shooting her a glare, "get your scent sorted. I'm not living with something that smells like rotten sage."

Elowyn blinked - slow, emotionless.

"I'll be clean by two hours."

Baron smirked again, unconvinced. "You'd better."

There was a knock again.

Baron stood up and opened the door.

This time it was a silver-coat valet, stiff and precise.

"Cadet Elyan Froste." he announced. "Your academy kits. Uniforms, schedules, rule logs, and ID crests. First-year scent scan begins tomorrow at sunrise."

He dropped a parcel at the table Elowyn had not been chanced to notice beside the door.

Elowyn quietly went and took it with both hands. It was heavier than expected. Like it held all the pressure of her fake life inside.

"Do not miss scent scan." The valet added, eyes settling briefly on Baron and Azpen. "Latecomers are flagged for invasive testing."

Then he left.

Baron walked into Elowyn's small washroom.

Azpen plopped onto Elowyn's bed.

Elowyn stared down at her parcel, throat dry.

Scent scan. Sunrise. Invasive testing.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

"Wait in the sitting room." Azpen said, authoritatively.

So, she turned away, set the parcel down where she had picked it, and left her room.