Chapter 1 - New Beginnings.

"It's a castle! It's a freaking castle!" Cora Windsor murmured as she dragged her luggage in front of the towering castle gate. It was a long walk into the castle itself.

She grimaced as she looked at the long lonely walk ridden with gargoyles and angel sculptures.

All around her, students carrying luggage, some in cars and some laughing loudly were walking towards Avalon Academy for Werewolves.

Avalon Academy was a large Castle with extensive school grounds surrounding it, which included sloping lawns, flowerbeds, vegetable patches, a large dense forest, several greenhouses and other outbuildings, and a full sized pitch.

One of the castle's towers held containment rooms, where werewolves in training who couldn't control themselves on the full moon were locked in.

The castle was set upon huge rocks above a magnificent lake, better known as the Moon lake. The castle had been around for centuries, and consequently had a long history of ancient magic surrounding it even though it was a werewolf academy.

With a sigh, Cora started the long walk into the castle gates.

Her parents had not given her much instructions or help, they just dropped her off and left her to figure everything out herself. Even if she was going to leave the Academy, she had no way of going back to the new pack house they called home. 

Cora didn't want to admit that she was lost, but she was definitely lost, she had tried stopping one or two people for help but most of them had looked at her weirdly and growled at her. It must be her lack of distinct wolf scent. That was what was missing.

Her mother warned her that it was going to happen.

Cora Windsor had lived in the human world for sixteen years. She had lived as a human and for a long time, she believed she was human. She did human things, had human friends and boyfriends. When her father had uprooted her whole life and decided it was time for her to go back home to Avalon, she had been devastated. 

How would she cope? How would she survive? Her wolf side had been repressed a long time ago after a traumatic experience at the age of one. She thought that being in Avalon would rekindle that but so far, nothing had happened. Her wolf was still dormant.

"You must be Cora." A woman with a shock of bright red hair asked as she helped her with her luggage with effortless ease. Super strength was one quality she was also lacking. The woman was short and wore dark clothes.

"Wow! Thanks. Yea. Cora Windsor."

"Is it always so rowdy here?"

The woman shook her head.

"I'm Sydney. And no, it's never like this, only at the beginning of school year. The year three students are particularly loud and boisterous after making their first shift."

Cora felt a little embarrassed that she was almost seventeen yet she had not shifted yet. She looked around and found students of her age walking around with brazen happiness and confidence. Most of them must have made their first shift. Unlike her.

"Ugh! Do you smell it?" Sydney asked as they turned into a less busier hallway.

"Smell what?" 

"It's the smell of sweat and raging hormones. It's always particularly high for the mated ones. No wonder they all say year three is one of the hardest years."

Cora didn't say a word, she would be lying if she said she understood a word of the nonsense the woman was saying. The only thought in her mind was why her iPhone wouldn't work in Avalon. Even though her mother had explained that the magic keeping Avalon safe and out of reach of the human world messed with the technology of the human world, she still found it hard to believe.

So, against her mother's warnings, she had packed a bunch of phones, laptops, iPods and headphones. They all turned out to be pretty useless.

Her iPhone died the very minute they crossed the veil. At least she was lucky the guardians didn't confiscate it. Certain human technology was not allowed in Avalon.

"Now! You run along to the Great Hall, I'll send someone later to pick you up from this spot. Principal Claude has to make his address."

Cora did as she was told, walking into the great Hall adjacent to a row of offices with a hundred or more students in it.

Cora looked all around her in amusement, suddenly feeling self conscious that almost everyone else was in uniform.

The great hall was larger than any other hall she had ever been in. It was old and musty and ancient and comfortably housed over a hundred students in it.  It had ancient murals on every side of the walls that told the story of the werewolf history.

The ceiling was a large dome of ancient drawings and glittering magical stars. It was magic. Magic kept it alive. The whole academy was spun from magic, from the very first Lycan mages.

A chandelier hung from the ceiling like the bejewelled corpse of a giant spider. It was old, grim and haunting to Cora.

Cora looked around and found that most of the people around her were looking at her strangely, till one girl had the courage to growl at them and they all turned away.

"Thanks." Cora murmured amidst the noise of the students in the great hall.

"They're worried by your lack of smell. Pay no attention to them."

"Thank you. I'm Cora Windsor."

"Mabel Devine. Ortus Solis pack." She said proudly as she shook her hands.

Cora couldn't remember much of her werewolf history, but Ortus Solis was the leading pack in terms of government.

"Cora Windsor. Filli Luna." 

Mabel watched Cora weirdly.

"How is it you have no distinctive scent? You smell like a human."

Cora opened her mouth to explain but was cut short by a loud horn which had all the students groaning and whining.

"What's going on?" She asked in confusion.

Mabel shrugged.

"Principal Claude and his stupid speech. We do this every year, it's a complete waste of time." Mabel growled as she examined her nails.

Oh she desperately needed a manicure, Cora thought as she looked at her perfect nails that had been painted in a pretty shell pink colour.

She had taken extra effort to look extra good. Her hair was as fresh from the salon as it could be and there were golden highlights in her blonde wavy hair. She had worn one of her best outfits, a pretty short shimmering yellow dress that barely reached her knees and she had quickly regretted it, the steps here were higher. Not to mention the utter lack of attention she was getting from her revealing clothes.  Fashion seemed to be a few years backward in Avalon.

In her former school, Cora had been the most popular girl to grace her school, here in werewolf academy, nobody gave her a single look of admiration. Only weird looks and crazy snarls. 

Well, she hoped that would changed soon. 

"Students of Avalon High. We welcome you all back to the new school year." 

The Principal wasn't even done talking when the students started cheering loudly. Their voices loud and boisterous.

The horn sounded again and they all groaned and whined again. Cora felt a mild discomfort in her ears. There must be something in the horn.

"What's with the horn?" She asked Mabel who shrugged.

"It's some stupid mage invention that keeps wolves in order. I know it sounds like a normal horn but to werewolves it sounds loud and screeching, like the sound of a banshee scream."

She didn't hear it. Cora didn't hear anything. She shifted uncomfortably as she wondered how the hell she was ever going to fit in the school if she couldn't get her werewolf side to be reactivated.

"Now now. I know most of you third year students are happy after experiencing your first shift, but do know that blatant disregard for the rules would lead to severe punishment! You all must comply with the rules laid down or face the consequences regardless of whoever you are."

Cora noticed the Principal's eyes went to a particular individual when he said that.

"Is he referring to someone?" 

She asked and Mabel nodded in amusement.

"Yes, he is. Alpha Superior Noah. The youngest Alpha in Avalon history." 

"Isn't he sixteen or something? Why is he an Alpha. What pack?" Cora asked and Mabel shrugged.

"His father has been battling with madness for years, he finally passed the mantle of leadership to his firstborn son. It's the Lux Aeterna pack."

Lux Aeterna, Filli lunae, Ortus Solis etc they all sounded the same to Cora. Maybe she shouldn't have refused all those werewolf history lesson her mother was so keen on teaching her in the human world.

After a few more words from the Principal Claude who seemed more interested in warning the students about the punishments available for them if they broke the school rules, he finally told them to leave. 

Cora was leaving when she caught a glimpse of Alpha Superior Noah.

"That's him!"

Mabel said with glee as she pointed at him.

He looked young, Cora thought. Young and unbelievably hotter than any man she had ever seen.

There was only one word to describe the sun-kissed Alpha. Perfection. Where his eyes were the green of fresh dew glinting in the sunlight off a leaf of green emerald. His lips were pale and full and his nose slender and rounded. A prominent jaw curved gracefully around and the strength of his neck showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body; strong arms, bold thighs and calves, a firm chest and abdomen. He was a god among the other men who each paled in comparison. One look and all the students swooned at the sight of him no matter their sexual preferences and one word passed from his lips that could even have the straightest of men flushing shades of red that no one ever knew was naturally possible.

Alpha.

He passed by Cora without a second glance and she blinked furiously out of surprise.

Did he just pass by without noticing her? She thought as she looked around. She found Mabel watching her strangely.

"Is he taken?" She asked.

Mabel busted into uncontrollable laughter.

"If you mean has he found his mate, not yet."

"Ohh. I can work with that." Cora murmured as she watched the retreating figure of the Alpha.

"I gotta go. I'll see you around maybe." Mabel said as she waved at Cora.

Cora decided to move back to the spot where she was to see Sydney again.

Was it here or here?

She asked herself as she struggled to identify the hallway.

"Ms Windsor." A loud booming voice called out.

Cora jerked back in surprise.

It was non other than the Principal who had spoke earlier.

"Hello."

She greeted with a slight wave.

Sydney was standing next to the Principal.

"Welcome to Avalon Academy Ms Windsor, would you like a tour?"

Principal Claude's face was anything but inviting as he looked at the girl.

His wolf sniffed around her but found nothing. How was it possible that there was zero indication that she was a werewolf? He asked himself. He would have doubted her werewolf heritage if he didn't know her parents. 

He sent a quick glance at his assistant Sydney. Sydney was right, the girl smelled human.

Whatever happened to her wolf must be the result of a powerful mage. One whose actions might be irreversible.