The Healer's Awakening

My heart pounded as I stepped through the towering gates of Starlight Shifters Academy.

The sheer size of the place stole my breath away, gothic arches, sprawling courtyards, and shimmering glass windows reflecting the golden morning sun. I had dreamed of this moment for years, and now I was finally here.

"Your mum loved it here." My dad's voice from behind cut through my thoughts. I turned to him swiftly, smiling because he had made the right decision to bring me here, though it took a lot of convincing.

"And I'll love it more." I replied to him, giving him the last hug, it was the last hug because I wouldn't be going back home until after a session.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. And if anything goes wrong here," he paused, glancing at the towering building with suspicious eyes. He looked at me again. "Call me right away, okay?"

"I will, dad."I assured my old man but he didn't look convinced. He kept darting his gaze towards the school building like it inhabited some bad stuff I didn't know about.

"Dad!" I called him out of his trance. "If there's anything you've not told me yet about this school or mum..."

"There's nothing else, Sky. I told you everything already. I just want you to promise me, you'll be safe."

I nodded. "I promise." I said, standing there as he stroked my hair gently with his hand. I lifted my luggages, one on my left hand and another on my right and then a pack bag hung on my shoulders.

"Sky." My dad called again. "You won't go around searching for anything about your mum. Promise?

"I won't." I said and turned around. I had just lied to my father. Searching for my mum's history in starlight shifters academy was one of my goals, I had no idea why my father was against it.

What was he hiding?

A swirl of emotions tightened in my chest, excitement, nervousness, and something else. Determination. I wasn't just here for classes or to make friends. I was here to find answers about my mother. Her past at this academy was a mystery, and I intended to uncover it.

The crowd of students buzzed around me, everyone finding their way to classes. Shifters of all kinds, wolves, bears, and even some rare avian types, moved together, laughing and chatting like they already belonged.

I felt small, invisible, but a flicker of pride kept my shoulders straight. You made it, Skyla.

The first few classes went by in a blur of introductions and syllabus handouts. I barely remembered anyone's names; my head was too full of wonder about the academy's secrets. When the bell rang for lunch, my stomach growled in agreement.

The cafeteria was massive, rows of long tables, the air rich with the scent of fresh bread, roasted meat, and something sweet I couldn't place.

I grabbed a tray, piling on some pasta and a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. Finding a seat seemed impossible until I spotted an empty corner table.

I turned too quickly, my tray tipping forward. My heart dropped as my entire plate of pasta collided with someone's chest.

A low, dangerous growl met my ears. "Seriously?"

I froze, eyes snapping up to meet an infuriated glare. The boy towered over me, his muscular frame tense with barely restrained anger. Pasta sauce dripped down his designer shirt.

"I-oh, gosh, I'm so sorry!" I stammered, panic rising. "It was an accident..."

His icy-blue eyes narrowed. "An accident?" His voice was sharp, biting. "You've got to be kidding me."

Whispers rippled through the cafeteria.

"It's Adler Fenwick," someone said in excitement.

"Son of the academy owner."

"And a Lycan," another added, their voice hushed with awe and fear.

My stomach knotted. Adler Fenwick. The heir to starlight shifters academy. I swallowed hard, my voice tight but sincere. "Look, I'm sorry. Let me..."

But he wasn't interested in apologies. His eyes flicked to the dessert section behind me. Before I could react, he snatched a bowl of chocolate pudding from a nearby table.

"Here," he said with a cold smirk. "Let me return the favor."

I barely had time to gasp before the pudding landed, thick, sticky, and cold-right on my head.

The room erupted with laughter.

My cheeks burned with humiliation as the chocolate dripped down my hair and onto my uniform. I clenched my fists, my throat tight with shame. I had apologized, but he still chose to humiliate me. On my first day of school.

"Oops," he sneered. "Guess we're even."

The laughter from the tables felt deafening. I blinked rapidly, my vision blurring with tears. But no, I wouldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of him.

Something inside me snapped.

A pulse of energy surged through my body-hot, raw, and uncontrollable. My palms tingle, and the air around me seems to shift. I felt the power before I saw what it did.

Adler's mocking grin vanished, because his body flew backward.

With a deafening crash, he slammed into the cafeteria wall, the impact so hard that trays clattered from tables, and students gasped in shock. Plates shattered on the floor.

Silence.

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to me.

My breath hitched. My hands, still trembling, glowed faintly with a strange, flickering light. I stared at them, my heart pounding. What...what did I just do?

Adler groaned from the floor, his friends rushing to his side. Shock and confusion flashed across their faces.

The fear hit me all at once. My stomach dropped. My pulse raced. This isn't possible.

I felt the heat of their stares, their whispers, their fear.

And then, I ran.

I shoved through the double doors, my shoes slapping against the polished floors. My breath came in gasps as I darted into the nearest bathroom, locking myself inside a stall.

The cool tiles pressed against my back as I slid down to the floor, my chest heaving. My hands were still shaking, still tingling from whatever I had done.

"What...what was that?" My voice trembled. I stared at my palms, turning them over as if they held the answer. But they didn't.

I didn't understand.

I wasn't a Lycan or a powerful shifter. I wasn't anything.

So what the hell had I just done with my hands?

My father paced the living room, the crumpled detention letter clenched tightly in his fist. His face was flushed with anger, and his jaw was tight as he read the words again.

"They can't do this to you," he growled, his voice thick with frustration. "This is insane."

I sat curled up on the couch, my knees tucked under me, my arms hugging a pillow. The weight of the situation pressed on my chest. It was just detention, but it felt so much worse than that.

My first day at Starlight Shifters Academy, and I nearly killed someone, Adler Fenwick, the heir to the academy itself. And the worst part? I didn't even understand how I had done it.

Dad's hand shook as he tossed the letter to the floor. "You're not going back, Sky. I'll find you another school. A better one."

"No," I said firmly, my voice soft but resolute. "I'm going back."

His eyes snapped to mine, blazing with disbelief. "Skyla, you don't have to..."

"I do have to," I cut in. "This is my dream, Dad. I can't just walk away because of one mistake. And... I know Mom would want me to stay."

His face faltered at the mention of her. The anger in his eyes softened into something else, pain, grief. "Your mother wouldn't want you anywhere near danger."

"She'd want me to be strong," I argued. "She loved this place, and so will I. I don't care about the detention. I'll clean floors, scrub toilets-whatever they throw at me. I'm not giving up."

For a moment, he said nothing. His hands dropped to his sides, and he let out a long, defeated sigh. "You're just like her," he muttered under his breath. "Stubborn."

I smiled faintly, taking it as a compliment. "So... I'm going back?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded. "Yeah. But if anything else happens, anything, you call me. No secrets."

"I promise."

The next morning, I returned to the academy.

The stares started the moment I stepped onto campus. Eyes followed me from every direction, and hushed whispers trailed behind me. I kept my chin up, but the heat of their judgment burned on my skin.

"That's her," someone whispered.

"The girl who threw Adler Fenwick across the cafeteria."

"I heard she's some kind of freak."

I felt a lump rising in my throat. I wanted to shrink into the ground, disappear into the cracks of the pavement. But no-I had promised myself I'd face this. I belonged here.

The morning assembly gathered everyone in the grand hall. The towering stained-glass windows bathed the room in a kaleidoscope of colors as we all stood shoulder to shoulder. My stomach twisted when I heard a commanding voice boom through the speakers.

"Skyla Smithing."

My blood ran cold. I froze as every head turned toward me. Slowly, I stepped forward through the crowd until I was standing alone at the front.

And then, a second name.

"Adler Fenwick."

My heart skipped. Adler appeared from the crowd, his icy blue eyes dark with annoyance. He looked just as displeased to be called up as I felt.

Jones Fenwick, the academy's owner and Adler's father, stood before us. His towering figure radiated power, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

"I assume you both know why you're here," he said, his voice deep and unwavering. "Your behavior yesterday disrupted this academy's peace. Therefore, you will both serve detention-together."

A murmur of shock rippled through the students.

Adler stiffened beside me. "What? Father, you can't be serious-"

Jones didn't even flinch at his son's protest. "You're as responsible for the incident as she is. Perhaps some shared time in punishment will teach you both restraint."

I clenched my fists. Detention? With him? Just perfect.

But Jones wasn't finished. "Additionally, you are both barred from attending the New Students' Welcome Party this weekend."

My stomach dropped. "What?" I blurted before I could stop myself. The Welcome Party was the first big event of the year-a chance to meet everyone, to belong. And it was the night of my birthday.

Jones's voice was firm. "Instead, you will assist in setting up for the party. Decorations. Cleaning. Every detail."

The crowd buzzed louder.

"They're missing the party?"

"He's punishing Adler too?"

"I can't believe it. Adler never gets in trouble!"

My chest burned with frustration. I hadn't even started my life here, and already, it was ruined, because of him. I shot Adler a glare, only to find him scowling back at me.

Great. Just great.

The week crawled by, every corner of the school filled with whispers and pointed stars. Adler and I barely spoke during our punishment shifts, though I caught his sharp glances and scowls whenever we crossed paths. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

The day of the Welcome Party arrived. My eighteenth birthday. Instead of celebrating, I spent the day hanging banners and stringing lights with Adler, who offered no help beyond what was absolutely necessary.

"You missed a spot," he said flatly, pouring water on the ground deliberately.

I gritted my teeth, his smirk angered me the more.

We finished setting up just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The music started, and laughter spilled from the ballroom as students poured in for the party.

I stood outside the doors, hearing the fun I couldn't have. My heart ached, this was supposed to be my first taste of life here, my first birthday on campus.

Suddenly, a sharp, searing heat shot through my body. I gasped, clutching my chest as an unfamiliar sensation spread, like fire in my veins. My pulse quickened, and every nerve tingled with something foreign and powerful.

What was...The scent hit me.

Woodsy. Warm. Spiced with something that made my knees weak.

And then, a voice. A growl laced with disbelief.

"No. No way."

I turned, my eyes locking with a familiar pair of icy blues. Adler stood stiff, his body tense, his pupils blown wide. His expression twisted in confusion and something else, something primal.

It slammed into me with the force of a tidal wave.

The scent. The pull. The heat.

It couldn't be.

But it was.

Adler Fenwick.

The boy who had humiliated me. The boy who I couldn't stand.

He was my mate.

My heart pounded so loudly that I could taste it in my throat. My skin still stung from the bond, our bond. I glared at Adler, my so-called mate, my head screaming with horror and fury.

"No," I hissed, my voice cold and hard. "This is not happening. I don't want you. Reject me. Now."

Adler's lips curled into a sly, slow smile, and I was enraged by it. He folded his arms across his chest, his huge body blocking the doorway. "Reject you?" he echoed tauntingly, his head tilted back as if the idea amused him. "And why would I do that?"

I clenched my teeth. "Because I despise you."

His eyes glinted with something volatile, something wild. "Hate me, huh?" He took a slow step closer, and I backed up automatically until my back hit the cold wall.

I was trapped, but I wasn't going to let him see fear. "Get away from me," I spat.

He didn't. He pushed a hand against the wall beside my head, holding me in place. His heat was unbearable, and the sweet, dense scent of cedarwood and smoke suffocating you.

"You want me to reject you," he growled, his tone low and almost languid, "because you think that'll make this go away." He leaned closer, his mouth inches from mine. "But let me tell you, Skyla. I don't reject you."

My ribcage narrowed with something searing and caustic. "Good," I barked. "Then reject me."

His mouth tightened into the same harsh smile. "No."

I blinked, my fists clenched at my sides. "No?"

He chuckled, the sound causing a shiver of revulsion down my skin. "Why would I let you off that easily?" His voice dropped, his tone heavy with mockery. "You're my mate, Skyla. And I think. I'll keep you."

My stomach knotted. "You're insane," I hissed.

Perhaps. His eyes shifted to my lips, and I felt myself surprise and catch my own pulse racing within me. "But I find making you squirm so much more amusing than simply letting you go."

His free hand came forward without warning, sweeping an unruly snarl of hair from my face. I tensed into a stiff jerk, gasping for air. "Stay the hell away from me.".

But he didn't. He leaned in closer, his body against mine as he tilted his head as if considering something. "You're already shaking," he whispered. "What's wrong, Sky? Is the bond so terrible it's ill-making you?"

I glared at him, every inch of my body tense. "You're disgusting," I spat. "I'd rather die than be yours."

His smirk increased. "Strong words for a man whose heart is racing," he jeered. "You feel it, don't you? The pull?"

I hated how right he was. My body betrayed me, my wolf clawing at my chest, baying for our mate. But I did not want him. I would never want him.

"Deny it all you can," he said, his voice falling into a husky sneer. "You're mine."

And then

He leaned in close, his cheek nearly against mine, so I could feel his breath on my lips. I didn't move, the panic and rage surging through me.

But then-

The music and laughter burst into the hallway. The ballroom doors creaked open as students started pouring out, their voices ringing and raucous as the party spilled into the corridor.

Adler's eyes flicked to the crowd, and something in his expression shifted, annoyance, maybe, or amusement at being interrupted.

He pulled back slightly, his lips curling once more into that infuriating grin. "Looks like you're saved. for now."

I sucked in a breath, my body rigid, my heart thundering against my ribs.

But as he stepped back, he added, with a mockingly soft voice, "But don't get too comfortable, Skyla." His eyes burned into mine, a cruel promise lingering there. "You're mine."

With that, he turned on his heel and strode away, his broad shoulders disappearing into the crowd of laughing students as if nothing had happened.

I stood in a daze, my back against the wall, my flesh still burning from the embers of the bond and the shame he had so freshly seared into my existence.

My fingers trembled, and I pulled them up into tight fists until my nails cut into my palms.

I could not go to my dorm tonight.

My roommates were probably entwined with whatever boys they'd managed to get into their beds, and the last thing I needed was to have to hear their whimpers as I lay awake, fuming at Adler's cruel words.

You're mine.

The tone of his voice still resonated on my skin like a plague. I brushed it off, wrapping my arms around myself as I walked down the dark halls of Starlight Shifters Academy.

The library was the first thing that came to mind.

It was mostly vacant at this hour, the warm glow of antique lamps casting long shadows down between tall shelves. The air was heavy with the smell of old paper and wood polish, a calming escape from the stifling heat of the ballroom.

I moved in the direction of the History of Starlight Shifters Academy department, tracing the spines of books with my fingers until one stopped me, an ancient leather book with golden letters nearly worn away by time.

Before I could pick it up, another hand extended to snare it on the other side.

I blinked in surprise and turned to see a girl with short black hair, dark eyes narrowing as she gripped the book.

"I need this," she stated bluntly.

I tightened my hand. "So do I."

We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us willing to release it. She had this look of quiet determination about her, something that resonated with me.

"How about this?" I said. "I'll read it first and then pass it to you."

She leaned her head, considering. "Or we can read it together."

I wasn't sure. I didn't share things, not especially something so private as this. But... she wasn't irritating me, and I didn't want to fight anymore.

"Fine," I growled, relaxing my grip slightly as she relaxed hers too.

We walked over to a secluded reading area in the back of the library, away from the busy walkways. The chairs were old but comfortable, the light warm and gentle.

As we scanned through the book, looking over the aged pages, she at last spoke. "I'm Timika."

"Skyla," I replied brusquely.

She did not seem to resent my brusque response. Instead, she kept flipping through pages, eyes scanning the lines in quiet determination. "I'm looking for anything for my mom," she admitted. "She was a student here but I've never met her."

I regarded her. "What do you mean?"

Timika leaned back, sighing. "I have no idea who my parents are. I was in an orphanage, and the only thing I know is that my mother attended here before she... vanished." Her fingers ran over the edges of the book, which were worn smooth. "I thought perhaps if I learned something about her, I could determine who she actually was."

I furrowed an eyebrow. That was... surprisingly similar to my own situation. "I'm looking for info on my mom, too," I admitted. "She was here, but I don't know a whole lot about what she did while she was at the academy."

Timika's lips wobbled into a small smile. "Guess we're looking for the same thing, then. Maybe we should be best friends."

I rolled my eyes, but the idea for some reason did not annoy me as much as I had expected.

I was just going to make a sarcastic remark when...

I stood stock still.

My breath caught in my throat as my gaze fell on a photograph on the page in front of us.

A bright-eyed young woman, a familiar face, smiled at me. Stomach churned, my heart hammering against my eardrums.

She was the one.

My mom.

Roselyn Smithing