Chapter 4: The Order of Wardens

XANNON:

A fucking plot twist. 

It’s the beauty with pretty, fuck-me grey eyes, sitting outside Kathleen Aranal’s office. I swear time stills for an eternity when our eyes meet. She smells like ours. She is ours.

“What?” her voice speaks to my cock, like its an audio manual.

It’s the most perfect sound to exist. I sigh mentally. I have to hear it again and again, but which of them did Wade bind us to last night by honour?

My eyes dart to the blonde pretty face at her side. A shocking spark of familiarity settles inside me. I frown. Her deep blue eyes, flawless golden skin, and that sharp nose do not seem...new.

“Mae Holden? The director is waiting for you.”

Kathleen’s secretary saves everyone from the awkwardness brewing like a storm. The Holden girls stand and leave, but my brothers and I have our eyes glued to one perky ass.

Who’s Mae? Her?

“Holy shit.” A stunned Xaden mutters when they leave. “Did that just happen?”

“Wade. That cunning bastard. He should have sent us a pic.” I say, sitting down where they had just been, relishing her lingering scent on the waiting chairs.

“Wade is the least of our problems. Seriously, both of you have faulty memories.” Xander sounds tense as he continues to stand.

“It’s the blonde one, right?” I arch a curious brow.

My brother nods, pinching his forehead, worrying. Understanding begets dread inside me. Uh-oh.

“The fuck...Xander, care to elaborate? I’m not following.”

“As expected. You always cause us trouble and forget too soon, Xaden,” I growl.

“Well, Xannon. I want to remember now, don't I?” He lifts his shoulders, begging to differ. “Tell me if that isn’t effort.”

Xander elaborates as requested, “The masked party held in Evencrest a month ago. We had just arrived from Crowngate, and you suggested we make a quick stop.” 

Amused, Xaden’s mouth forms an ‘o’ as it dawns on him.

I grit, “Xander, could you tell our brother that this isn’t funny?”

Xaden laughs, annoying me on purpose. I have the urge to break his arm, but I don’t because we can’t fight outside the directors office on our first day. Uncle Damek won’t want us ruining his reputation as werewolf royalty.

“It’s not funny.”

“No shit, Xander. I did suggest that. I also suggested we fuck that fine blonde that night, but...” Xaden licks his lips, savouring a wild thought, “Gods was she a screamer.”

“MoonFall pack wolves take a vow of chastity until mating.” Xander raises his voice a bit, losing his cool. “We slept with one of Alpha Ivan’s daughters. She can’t be mated any longer, only if it’s us, who took her innocence, mating with her.”

“Icing on the cake, his other daughter is our mate, and we’ve been blindly promised to one of them.” I follow up on our messy predicament with gritted teeth. “Dare I say Ivan Holden will send us to hell if he discovers the truth. We will lose both our chance at life and our mate—” 

Xaden raises his hands, surrendering. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry for laughing, Xannon, but she spread those tiny legs of hers. Why am I the one taking all the fucking blame?”

“Enough. How do we get out of this mess?”

Xander’s question remains unanswered. The elevator dings. A tall man with a lean build, sporting silver hair steps into the space. Behind him is his lookalike with much fairer skin.

Willas Aranal is someone who’s recognisable anywhere and anytime. There aren’t many black men in Solantis who hold as much power as he does.  

“Mr. Aranal.” We greet him, standing to welcome the man many deem as most powerful in the city and in all of Solantis.

“Xannon. Xaden. Xander. Call me professor Aranal.” He pats my back, offering a warm smile on a cold face. “Alpha Damek told me to expect you three today. Welcome to the Starweaver Academy.”

“It’s our pleasure.” I speak for my brothers.

“This is Lukas. He’s my son and the strongest shifter at the Academy.”

Lukas Aranal has closed cropped black hair with shaved sides. His brown eyes have a wicked depth to them. He also never smiles, and I see the way they look at us. They do not want us here.

“Pleasure to meet you, Lukas. Nice clothes.” I refer to his black leather vest and pants.

“Thanks. If you get named a Warden, you’ll have a pair someday.”

I laugh. “If.”

“Do we go inside the director’s office?” Xander points at the door over his shoulder. “Because it’s occupied.”

“No. Since my wife has a lot on her plate and she will keep you waiting, Lukas and I will show you three around for now.”

He’s serving us with preferential treatment.

Alpha Damek Beverion, the Lycan King and a member of Solantis’ Paragon Chamber,  made it clear we were under his protection. 

The Paragon Chamber is synonymous with a King's council. Solantis doesn't have a single head. It has the five leaders of the chamber.

A Raven crest is on our fingers now. We are keeping a low profile as Wade suggested, so that we can find out who exactly wants us dead.

Willas Aranal makes the list of suspects easily. Every member of the Paragon Chamber is on it, including our Uncle. We trust no one.

“The Academy consists of four Orders. The Founders. The Wardens. The Elders, and The Shapers. On naming day, you get named as one of these,” Willas explains as we tour the vast school, him and his son in the lead.

Lukas clarifies, “Your names will best suit the power your crest holds.”

He shows us the three-legged wolf on his family’s crest. It represents strength, and so he had been named a Warden.

Xaden squints. “I understand Wardens fight to protect Solantis. Elders advise the Founders, who lead the lands, but what do Shapers do? No one on the outside really knows.”

Willas stops before a tall building with the shape of a hand on a potter’s wheel resting on its roof. He replies.

“Shapers use their crests’ power to fabricate. They are kinda like artists.” 

“Hmm...I like them already.”

“When is naming day this season?” I ask, rolling right over Xaden.

“The date is usually announced five hours after the reception of freshlings. We have one more to go before the rest of your lives begin,” Lukas responds as his father walks ahead when another professor joins us. 

We fall into step, all four of us. 

He adds, “I’ve been training for seven years, but it’s not enough for someone who will sit in the Paragon Chamber someday.”

“Seven years?!” Xaden almost chokes on his spit.

Honestly, I’m shocked. Who stays in school that long? It can never be my brothers and I, though.

“Some shifters take weeks to master the power of their crest. Some take years, while some, never.”

The last building we pass is a short but large one with a rectangular shape. A sword held by a strong fist rests atop it. This is no doubt the order of Wardens.

“Triplets, there’s been a little twist in the rules this year. You can't go beyond these walls until your name tag is no longer blank.”

My brothers and I share a knowing look. It's tense. This changes everything, I realise. We won’t be lifting the other end of our bargain with the Moon Fall pack any time soon.

Xander asks, “What was it like before this little twist?”

“Well, last season, shifters could leave after enrollment, provided that they were kept under the watchful eyes of a guardian and a tracking chip—not that it is important to go into detail. So, which of the four will house you until your naming day?”

My brothers and I glance at each other. We share meaning with our eyes. The Order of Wardens and Shapers stand out. They wait for my final decision.

“That’s some really cool leather.”

Lukas smirks. “I just hope you three aren’t all talk.”

We bid Willas farewell and Lukas leads us into the building with a sword on its roof. It is made up of a few floors, but he stops at the entrance of the round court with a domed roof. Sun rays pour down on the ground at the heart of the court.

This court is at the core of the building. The remaining floors all form around it.

There are a few dressed like him, about seven main Warden shifters, while the many watching the action at the centre aren’t wearing uniforms, but their name tags spell ‘Warden’. 

The fight is brutal. 

The first guy sends a ball of ice to his opponent’s heart. It hits and the second guy drops on one knee, holding his chest.

“Arggh,” he growls in raw pain, eyes glowing amber.

 But he doesn’t give up. 

He commands the daggers on him with his eyes. They rise from his pockets and flash towards the first guy. It’s so fast that I almost miss it. Some do.

“Yield! I—” The first guy screams even when we all think he’s dodged all the blades.

He falls, as blood spurts from his sliced abdomen and mouth.

Lukas claps. A spelled mop and mopping bucket get to cleaning the court without hands controlling them. Two amongst the seven main shifters help the wounded fighter out of the Warden court.

He leans in and says to us, “Today’s champion is called Kace Morgant. A Dusk Fae shifter of House Veldor. Do well to remember the name.” 

Then, he walks to the centre of the room, calling everyone’s attention to him.

I rove my gaze through the crowd because I smell something sweet. My brothers and I find the Holden girls seated on the bleachers with our eyes.

The blonde-haired one already has a name tag spelling Warden. Her tag is blank like ours. 

It occurs to us. She’s Mae.

Mae Holden. The newest addition to the Starweaver Academy.

“Always interesting to watch, right?” Lukas begins with a roaring voice. “But do you have what it takes to be newborns like us? The results of your training will tell if you deserve those rings on your fingers or not!”

They cheer him on while we stand at the entrance watching and waiting for what happens next.

“Kace Morgant will name another fighter and his fighter will challenge any of you but...we will explore freshlings for the rest of today.”

The crowd gasps.

And before I know it, the Fae boy points at me.

“Xannon Beverion of House Raven!” Lukas confirms his choice.

All eyes fall on me, including hers. I walk over as the cheers happening around me almost split my ear-drums. Are these Wardens always this loud?

Lukas tells me. “Who will it be, Xannon?”

Time stills as I filter through the crowd. 

When my eyes make their obvious choice, I say, “Her.”