Chapter 2

The Institute.

That place that is full of teenagers and raging hormones was anyone’s nightmare. Some could pretend to love this place while others instead openly demonstrated how much they hated it. Hunter was one of those guys. Always complaining and always grumpy. The Institute was dangerous and teeming with predators. Much more because this said Institute was full of supernatural beings who barely managed to live together.

Humans were a minority in this place, but other humans felt too special to notice the anomalies. They did not realize that sometimes we shared classes with werewolves. A being so terrifying that they could kill an average human in just seconds. Oh, but arrogance can do more. None of them paid enough attention to anyone other than themselves, so even if the werewolves sometimes showed that wild behavior that characterizes them, the human would simply not notice.

In fact, I only knew the existence of wolves because I was raised in a pack and I knew each of the members who studied here.

“Watch out!” I heard although it was too late. Izaiah, a lycanthrope jerk, bumped into me, knocking me to the ground.

“Get back.” I could feel him sniffing at me, making me feel uncomfortable. “Get off me!”

His friends laughed like all a bunch of idiots because like wolves, idiots also had to go in groups.

Izaiah and his friends were part of the pack, but they were also part of the idiots who loved to mess with me when Hunter wasn’t watching. The future Alpha would never allow them to mess with me. In fact, the first order from him as the future Alpha was that no one could attack me. And the orders of the Alphas became law, a power so mighty that it could not fall into the wrong hands.

“Why, little human? Don’t you like having a wolf on top of you? Isn’t that how you’ve stayed in the pack for so long?”

His questions made me nauseous. He was a jerk in another category. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard things like that but he always managed to make me cry when he was alone. Izaiah wasn’t always the one leading the attacks on me. In fact, he seldom participates. We were actually friends when we were kids. However, his demeanor changed overnight, leaving me confused and hurt.

I did not allow him to see how much it affected me; on the contrary, in the pack, they would always be picking on the weakest, so I should never be weak to others. That was one of the first lessons I had learned. Always be strong, keep your head up and face any adversity. This was how wolves dealt with their problems, and that’s how I had to behave.

Using the techniques I’d learned from Hunter, I managed to turn it over with a boost from my body. I had trained with the future Alpha since I was just a child. The wolves would always be more potent than me, but if I could use my intelligence against them, then they could never beat me.

“Yes, and you are dying for not having been the one who slept with me,” I replied, listening to the laughter of his friends.

It was no secret to anyone that Izaiah wanted me, no matter how hard he tried to mess with me. We all noticed it. He started messing with me right at the age when all wolves begin to have specific changes. At sixteen, in the first transformation.

Although Izaiah was always a wolf, he’s a bit different than the others. His first transformation had come later than usual, according to what the pack was saying. Also, he had some trouble communicating with his wolf. Hunter had explained to me, simply and concisely, that the wolves were the spiritual part. A being that helped you in the transformation process. I never entirely understood it, but it seemed like Izaiah wasn’t able to hear the wolf’s inner voice from him.

It was at that stage of rebellion and anger that his behavior began to change. He stopped being the sweet boy who played with me and changed to be a smug idiot.

“You wish.”

“What’s going on?” asked a hoarse voice. I was still on top of Izaiah, catching him with my body.

Hunter took my arm, and in one fluid motion, I ended up beside him. He was so strong that he could move me at his will and I didn’t even know it. He was always careful with me. He knew that his strength was more incredible and in general, he used to be soft because of the fragility of my skin. His brow was furrowed, while his lips stayed in a line with an unusual seriousness in him. His dark brown hair was slicked back, making it easier for me to see his peculiar eyes.

“No one is going to answer?” he insisted.

Everyone lowered their heads when we heard his Alpha tone, including me. He can scare us by just speaking firmly.

The Alpha is pure wolves, and they were obliged to fulfill the responsibility of taking care of the pack.

I felt a burning on the back of my neck, so I instinctively reached for the place. I hissed when I touched it, feeling something slimy.

Instantly I had Hunter’s gaze on me. He had detected the scent of my blood. He took me by the shoulders, looking firmly into my eyes.

“Are you okay? Did they do something to you?” He was still angry, but the concern seemed to be more significant.

“I’m fine. It was just an accident,” I replied. I was only doing it because I didn’t want him to fight those people. I hated to see him fight.

“You’re bleeding.”

It was not a question. It’s a statement. It was the bad thing about living with werewolves with ultra-developed noses. No scent would go unnoticed by them, but sadly for him, I knew how to outwit him.

“Yes, just like every month.”

The laughter was not long in coming, even though I had only whispered. They also had very good ears, to my regret.

“Oh,” he exclaimed, the colors rising to his face.

He reminded me of the first time I had my period and how uncomfortable it was to have to explain to him that I didn’t have any injuries. Since then, I have tried to be discreet.

“Get out of here. I don’t want to see you near her,” he ordered.

Everyone obeyed immediately. We were left alone in the corridors of the north wing. The director knew about the creatures that inhabited here. In fact, the charge was the elders of the pack. In order to prevent wolves and humans from interacting more than usual, we used to have separate classes. We only shared a few classes in the main building. The north wing was forbidden to all students who did not belong to the pack so that the wolves could act freely here.

“What were you doing with him?” He continued with the interrogation.

“I was seducing him,” I replied, trying to chase him away.

I thought he would laugh at my joke; however, his face clouded over. If I didn’t know him like the back of my hand, I could even swear he was jealous. But Hunter didn’t reciprocate my feelings. Things like jealousy were out of context.

“Seducing him? Did you lose your mind? Izaiah is an idiot!”

His fury amused me. I wanted to see how far he could go with my strange little scene. What did he want? There was no point in him being jealous of someone in his pack, not when he was the owner of my heart from the first moment.

“Yes, you are too, and look, here we are.”

“You know what I mean.” He gave me an irritated look. “I don’t want you near him.”

“You are not my father, Hunter.”

Hunter was always possessive and protective of me. However, this was the first time that he had looked so jealous. He took care of me from the first day I came to the pack, so I always willingly accepted his protection. At first, I believed it was just because I was a weak human, but as time went by, he proved that he was sincere.

“Don’t get me off with those, Sienna.”

I hated when he called me by my full name since it meant he was upset, and I would have to apologize. Well, not this time, sir, I’m-the-alpha-and-everyone-must-do-what-I-want.

“I’m not getting away with you, Hunter.” I have the right to sleep with whomever I want,” I declared, starting to walk straight to class. My best friend must already be waiting for me.

I had to go to the territory of the wolves to deliver a message to the board, but he had already taken me longer than it should have.

“On my corpse.” I turned to see him, surprised at the seriousness of her words.

“Why couldn’t I do it?” I asked, feeling the rage beginning to dominate me. You sleep with any girl you are attracted to.

“Just keep Izaiah away,” he said after a few seconds.

I did not answer him, and I did not want to continue fighting with him. Hunter had the conquests of him, from time to time, he dated a girl or another, including Wynter. Not that I wanted to sleep with someone, but I wanted to at least have the decision there, at my fingertips. And if he wasn’t going to reciprocate my feelings, then the best thing I could do was move on with my life and look for someone. Someone who would like to be with me and not just as friends.

I walked towards the class. Today I was studying philosophy, a subject that I had always liked, and that was also one of the few that I shared with Hunter. I sat in my usual position while Hunter sat next to me. Primrose, my best friend, made an interrogation gesture at me. She barely saw me, we were just seconds from being late, and she knew well that I was very serious about my studies.

In the middle of class, while she was concentrating on what the teacher was explaining, Hunter handed me a small sheet of paper folded in half. I looked at him, intrigued. He shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

When I opened it, a drawing of a wolf welcomed me. He had a sad little face, with a somewhat fat body and an enormous head. It was a chibi version of a wolf, with a small bubble at the side that read a big sorry. I laughed helplessly, drawing the attention of the teacher and all the students.

We were always together. The place, the date, or the time did not matter. We were soul mates, after all, even if he didn’t know it.

It took me a bit to concentrate on the class, but after a while, I was able to do it, taking note of everything the teacher dictated without further interruptions.

“Let’s go?” I asked Hunter after class.

It was about thirty minutes from here to the pack so Hunter would take me back and forth in his car. Every day he had to wait for it because I didn’t even know the way to the pack because it was hidden in the middle of the forest. Only the wolves knew how to get there. And how did I get there in the first place? I did not know. I did not know it.

“Oh, sorry, bunny. I forgot to warn you that I couldn’t today,” he apologized.

I did not understand. He had seldom stranded me, and it was always for a good reason. What could be more important?

“Yeah, we’ll be busy all night,” a voice purred from behind me.

Wynter. Dyed red hair, of course, wide hips, and voluptuous breasts. She always used to take advantage of her body, wearing as little clothing as possible. That is how I could define a b*tch like her, and I wasn’t just saying it out of jealousy.

Well, maybe a little, but I did have reasons.

I couldn’t deny that I sometimes envied her body. We were the same age! However, Wynter already looked like a woman while I was still looking for where my breasts had gone. I couldn’t deny that I had an excellent rear end, but they couldn’t compare to Wynter. She was everything that I wasn’t.

If her attitude towards me wasn’t disgusting, I might even compliment her some time. She always did it with Primrose, after all. Wynter despised me from day one and took it upon herself to let me know.

“Wynter, how nice to see you.” I smirked. Instantly she answered me with an equally fake smile.

“Hello, Sienna. Hello, baby,” she greeted Hunter, taking his shirt between her nasty claws and pressing her filthy lips against him.

Ugh, I really didn’t like her. I knew she was doing it just to provoke me.

A little grunt escaped me, but I didn’t give it much thought. There were more important things to worry about. Was he really going to leave me here just to go screw, Wynter?

“I can take you,” Hunter offered after a long make-out session.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I denied.

“The buses will be running late into the night.” Wynter checked on her phone, feigning kindness.

“We can take her and then go back to town,” I heard Hunter whisper in Wynter’s ear.

“You don’t have to, Hunter. It is not the first time, and it will not be the last that I go by bus. Just make sure someone is close to the road to guide me the rest of the way.”

Still not convinced, but the reality was that I did not want to see that couple flirt right under my nose. I wasn’t sure I could control my jealousy.

“I’ll see you later,” I said goodbye, without getting any response.

I walked, feeling angry even with the air that passed around me. I didn’t like it when Hunter left me stranded, much less when he did it to go on a supposed date with my arch-nemesis. I arrived at the bus stop with rapid breathing. At least I was not that far from the institute, and with luck, I would arrive at my home in about forty-five minutes. I hoped to be lucky at least once in my life.