Spirit Tales (The Millennium Wolves AU)

I felt my eyes close while the Biology professor rumbled on and on about whatever. I thought I heard the term Photosynthesis more than once.

Sometimes, I regretted choosing Biology as my major. I hadn’t chosen it because Charlotte did, for a change, but rather because it was the Art of Life, and I wanted to know more about it than anyone could’ve guessed. The courses of this major were tough, and I had to work my ass off to understand everything, and it made me wonder how Charlotte had survived so far, considering she was much more of a slacker.

Hazel and Jane were wise enough to major in Film. Even Ethan was smart enough, taking English Literature. Anything was better than this eternal boredom.

Charlotte, who was sitting next to me, had lost her concentration after the first ten minutes of class and was now sleeping, her head on the desk and drool escaping her gaping mouth. I was disgusted as I took a napkin from my bag and wiped the drool away - Charlotte was one of these people who couldn’t take care of themselves, and I’d always been there to do so. Even if it meant making sure her mouth was drool-free.

When class came to an end, I woke Charlotte up and she said, “We were talking about Metamorphosis, right?”

“Photosynthesis,” I corrected, exasperated. “But it doesn’t matter anyway.”

We picked up our things and left the building to the yard, where we settled in our usual bench and took out the Chemistry textbooks and began reading the chapters for the next lesson. The bench was in front of the football quad, where Strider Luxford was currently training with his group of friends. Charlotte liked watching him - instead of studying, as she should - and she did so now while Strider, who wore sweatpants and a tight tank top that empahsized his abs, smiled as he did push-ups with his pals. Dozens of girls were outside, watching him as well instead of studying, and more so than before; now, being a Guard, made him look even stronger than before, and no woman - werewolf or human - could deny that this strength of him doubled his appeal sevenfold. Even I couldn’t deny it, despite everything else I thought about him.

Hazel joined us sometime later, and Charlotte stopped pretending to study and turned to chat with her about Strider. Jane was sitting with Ethan at another bench, and the two took the time to enjoy their intimacy. It made me jealous, I hated to admit, to see them being all lovey-dovey; I wanted someone to kiss and hold hands with, and there was no one available here in this college, what with all men being werewolves who would never look my way or Ethan, who was ensnared by Jane, and even without Jane in the picture, there was no chemistry between us anyway. In the city, the only humans I came across at the few times I actually went out of the college borders, were mostly elderly who decided to spend the rest of their days there. So even the city couldn’t produce any dating prospect.

I forced myself to focus on the Chemistry text, even though unwanted thoughts tried to steal my attention. Also, Strider had just won a mock-game of soccer with his pals and the applause from the adoring women all around made it impossible to concentrate. Now, Strider was smooching Sally’s face off, and Charlotte and Hazel stared at them with fiery rage. I tried again to read the text, willing myself to magically understand how to balance chemical equations.

After the break and Chemistry class, we had Electrical Engineering, which was the course I hated the most, and not because of the subject - even though it was boring, too - but rather because of, you guessed it, Strider Luxford. He took this course as well as part of his Guarding major, much to my dismay.

He always disrupted the class, and the professor couldn’t handle him. He sat in the middle of the class, with men and women all around him, and made jokes throughout the lesson. Despite all that, he managed to get easy As, and that was even more annoying than anything; if he already knew the subject, why the fuck did he take it to begin with? Because he obviously had prior knowledge, and it wasn’t like he was listening. So why? It was beyond my understanding.

Charlotte and I sat at the corner, and like every EE lesson, my friend stared at him, ignoring the professor, who had a hard enough time teaching as it was. There were rumors Prof. Moore had slept with Strider, considering she was stunning - but what werewolf wasn’t? - and because Strider was always flirting with her.

“You’re electrifying me, Prof,” the asshole now said, smiling flirtatiously at the poor teacher. “I fell much more positive when I’m in the same room as you.”

Prof. Moore blushed deeply. “Stop it, Mr. Luxford,” she chastised him lightly, but it was obvious she was enjoying the attention of a young, hot, male werewolf in his prime, “and try to listen.”

I almost broke my pencil in half. Goddamn Strider and his interruptions.

“Angela,” Charlotte whispered to me, “stop being so angry.”

I glowered. “Look who’s talking!” I hissed. “Stop drooling like an idiot all over Strider, and I’ll stop being angry!”

“What does Strider have to do with it?” Charlotte asked, scowling. “Fine. Keep being angry. I don’t care.” She returned her look back to Strider, a dreamy smile on her face.

I threw the piece of my broken pencil on the floor. I knew I had anger management issues, and Charlotte knew about those issues, but I hated being told to stop being angry. It did the opposite.

At the end of the school day, I went back to the dorms and changed into my pajamas before sliding inside my bed. I took a book I’d purchased a few days ago in the city and started reading. At some point, Jane entered the room, a smile on her face, and her lips puffy from the kissing she must’ve done. She even had a hickey on her neck. I felt myself boiling up again - this time from jealousy. Jane had already lost her virginity to Ethan, something all of us girls knew about, and it made me wonder if I would ever lose mine. The probability of it was so low that it made me, well, angry.

“What are you reading?” Jane asked, feigning interest. It was terribly obvious she was stuck in her own head, probably ruminating about Ethan.

“Lucifer: Origins,” I replied dryly.

“Oh,” she averted her gaze and dropped herself on her bed. “Cool.”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t notice the bitterness in my voice and instead widened her smile. “Ethan and I are going to marry,” she suddenly said, “Once we finish college. Or so he led me to believe.” She glanced at me, her eyes shining with so much happiness, it was hard for me to keep the eye contact with her without showing the green monster inside me rising. “He hinted at a wedding, you see,” she giggled.

“I’m glad for you,” I said in a tone that reflected otherwise.

Unfortunately, Jane noticed that no longer oblivious to my mood. “What’s wrong?” she asked as if she cared.

I felt the anger taking control over me. “What does it matter?” I shot in response. “It’s not like you care about anyone except you or Ethan!”

“Why are you being like this?” she asked, shocked and hurt. “Why can’t you simply be happy for me? We’re friends.”

“Calling us ‘friends’ is an exaggeration,” I said venomously before returning my eyes to the book, which was way more interesting than this conversation.

“Let me know when you calm the fuck down, Angela,” from the corner of my eye I saw her rising to her feet. “I don’t have the energy for dramas.”

How wonderful, now I made her mad at me. But regret refused to come - even my conscience knew I was right.

I decided to not attend dinner tonight, even though I was the always-hungry type of girl. I wanted to be alone, with only my book for company, and so it was. Eventually, I went to sleep before the girls came back, and I hoped the next day would be

Tuesday arrived, and with it the Alpha of the Millennium’s visit. The excitement was at its peak, and it was contagious; when it was dinner time, I found myself walking to the dining hall wtih the other humans, a little skip in my steps. Hazel, Charlotte, Jane, and Ethan dressed up for the occasion, but I didn’t; I was excited, sure, but not enough to bother getting rid of my comfy jeans and tee. Besides, nothing looked good on me except jeans and tee; I was just a little too fat to rock a dress or a skirt. My big light brown eyes wouldn’t look exceptional even if I did bother with makeup, and my shoulder-length hair, which color was its only perk - a shade between honey and bronze - was always so wildly tousled, that no matter what I tried to do with it, it was looked best being down. I’d give up on it a long time ago.

So I looked the worst of us lot - even Charlotte put in some effort and managed to cover almost all of her acne - but I knew it mattered nothing, because even though the Alpha of the Millennium had no hangups about humans, the majority was that of his kin, and he would care more about them than give any attention to us, so dressing up was moot.

We reached the dining hall, which was rearranged for the welcoming ceremony. All tables were shoved to the walls and rows of chairs filled the room. A makeshift stage was built at the front, too. I sat with my friends at the edge of one of the rows in the middle, with me being next to the passage in the middle, where the famous Alpha of the Millennium was going to walk through. My excitement grew; it wasn’t every day you got to see such an important person in real life.

I saw Megan and Rachel, Strider’s occasional flings, sitting at the first row. Strider himself was sitting on the stage itself and was chatting with the professors. Part of the local Millennium Force was stationed outside the college and five of them, Strider notwithstanding, in the hall itself. I knew more Guards would arrive with the Alpha, because despite the fact the Alpha was the strongest werewolf alive, he was still too valuable to travel on his own. Even if he could take on a complete army of werewolves and come up victorious.

I didn’t exactly understand what went on in the werewolf hierarchy - humans weren’t let in on such information - so even if it made no sense that the Alpha had to have Guards with him, it mattered not to us puny humans.

Minutes later, the hall was full. The excitement was thick inthe air, and the chatters were full of fervor, all centered about the VIP who was yet to appear. Even Strider seemed a little jittery and eager as he took his seat at the place of honor on the stage. He was the one who would greet the Alpha because he’s the only Guard at college and he was the students representative. There was a reason more than a few people called him the Golden Boy.

Meanwhile, I studied the rest of the werewolves. Everyone had dressed up, and it made me realize I was underdressed. A small twinge of regret made me wince, but I pushed it away. It was too late, even if I had wanted to go back and change - and I didn’t, not really. Comfort above anything was my motto.

When the college President, Mr. Redley, went on stage and grabbed the mic, silence fell on the hall. He cleared his throat and smiled, looking handsome. Even the older werewolves looked better than young humans. “Good evening, students,” Mr. Redley said, “in a few moments the Alpha of the Millennium would enter the hall. I expect you to be on your best behavior - “ he sent a meaningful gaze to Strider “ - and any interruption, no matter of what kind, will be punished. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir,” everyone called in response hurriedly; everyone was anxious for the Alpha to come already.

Mr. Redley nodded and smiled. At the same moment, the dining hall doors opened, and everyone turned around to watch. Eight Guards dressed in the Elite suits - black trousers, crimson shirts with black buttons on the side, dark leather boots and jackets - entered the hall.

Into the hall, right after the Guards, strode the Alpha of the Millennium.