Prologue: Ancient Text Translated by Tess Ricklin
During the age of creation, the moon goddess descended from the heavens to earth. She was the youngest of the gods and therefore, the most curious. On Earth, she got to see the wonders of life, and the world her people resided over. She fell in love with life, and life fell in love with her. She watched the animals' life cycles curiously, since she had no cycle herself. Everything in the heavens was unchanging, but on earth, nothing stayed the same for long. She watched as humans grew, fell in love, had babies, and then died. During her travels she befriended five animals, who ended up joining her. These friends were the first she gifted with the ability to shift. A sea otter, a tortoise, a panther, an arctic hare, and a wolf made up the five original shifters.
News spread throughout the animal kingdom about the moon goddesses' gift, and creatures traveled from far and wide to get a blessing from her. She gifted any animal that wanted it, with the ability to shift at will. These new shifters formed a city and lived in harmony together. The city grew, and soon the moon goddesses' five companions became her knights and helped her rule the kingdom. Peace did not last. Fearing this growing kingdom, humans attacked. During the battle the moon goddess disappeared and was never seen again. There are many rumors about where she went, but no one knows for sure. She probably returned to the heavens. In her honor, the shifters planted a tree where she first stepped on the earth and watered it with their tears. These tears gave the tree magical abilities, and many believed that the tree would guide the moon goddess home.
The five original shifters, unable to bear life in the palace without their goddess, split up and spread in four different directions. The panther was the only one who remained in their city. Time passed and five kingdoms formed, one for each of the original shifters. The Forest Kingdom, the aquatic kingdom, the desert kingdom, the tundra kingdom, and the ruling pack that oversees them all. Although the moon goddesses' palace and tree were lost to time, many still give sprouts to new couples as a symbol of a blessing of the moon goddess.
Chapter 1:
Eudora
"Congratulaitons on your completed service to the Shifter Empire." General Hurma says to me as she pins my service badge onto my uniform.
I salute my general. "Thank you."
"At ease." She says and I relax my stance. She smiles at me. "What will you do now?"
"I got accepted into Tremont Academy." I can't help but smile as I say the words.
She nods. "I figured. You'll do well there." General Hurma gives me one last smile before she moves on to the next soldier in line. Once my squad have all received their completed service badges we are dismissed. We all cheer and throw our hats into the air. Gia squeals as she runs over to me. She bounces as she pulls me into a hug. She stands a head above me and her fiery red hair envelopes my face as she grips me. Gia and I met on our first day of training camp and we have been inseparable since. She walked right up to me and declared that we were going to be best friends, and she was right. It wasn't long until I learned that Gia has a knack for knowing who will make a good pair. In her home pack, her alpha would always have her assess couples before they got mated.
"I'm so jealous you two got into Tremont." Claire says from beside us, looking between Gia and me. We pull apart and I wipe her hair away from my face. My heart leaps just hearing at the mention of Tremont and I grin.
"We all knew Ora was a sure thing, but I can't believe I got accepted." Gia states. "The vibes I get about people really is a gift if it was enough to get me in."
I knew from the start that Gia's gift was special. She got accepted into Tremont because of her special gift, but also because of her hard work. She truly earned her place at the Academy. I didn't. I was guaranteed a spot from birth because I am a female shifter. Female shifters are extremely rare and valuable. Gia along with the rest of my all female squad are all nons (which is short for non shifter.) They are all children born to shifter parents, but were never gifted with a shifter animal. Most boys are born as shifters, but almost all females born in the empire are nons. Nons still have the same magic blood as shifter's which separates them from humans and half humans. Even though I still haven't had my first shift, I tested positive at birth for having shifter pheromones. According to that test my shifter pheromones are unusually strong, making me an alpha.
My father is the powerful high-alpha who leads the forest kingdom, so having a high ranking father along with being a rare and powerful shifter makes me an extremely eligible potential mate. The emperor himself visited shortly after my birth to discuss marriage talks and pairing me up with the crown prince, but my father insisted that there would be no marriage talks until I came of age and could feel my potential mate strings.
"I heard the academy is filled with gorgeous men. You'll have your pick! I am so jealous. Fill your letters with all of the details, and I mean ALL of the details." Hailey says and then locks her lips and winks at me.
"You know I can't have sex until I come of age. It could mess with my strings and cause a partial mate bond to form." I sigh.
"I forgot you couldn't. How much longer?"
"My 22nd birthday is in a few months."
"Well you can do everything else with men before then." Hailey wiggles her eyebrows at me. "And after you come of age, you won't be fragile anymore and you can have as much sex as you want with as many men without worrying about accidentally forming a mate bond until you are ready!"
I blush deeply thinking about one man in particular who is at Tremont right now, but I quickly shake the thought of him out of my head before any fantasies can form. There is no point thinking about him like that because he is completely off limits.
"You only blush like that when you're thinking about your secret pen pal." Gia pauses and then gasps. "Wait! Is he at Tremont?"
"Maybe." I say trying to sound nonchalant.
"Oh my goddess, he's at Tremont!!!" Gia squeals.
"Who's the lucky man?" Claire asks.
"It doesn't matter who he is, he is off limits." I tell them.
"Why? Is he already mated?" Hailey asks.
"No."
"Then what's the problem?" Claire says.
I groan. "I guess I can't keep it a secret much longer, since Gia will figure it out the minute we get there. He's my brother's best friend."
"Sandalous." Claire says.
"Hot!" Hailey says.
Gia's eyes go wide peacing together exactly who my secret crush has been on this whole time. Aren. Aren, Jayden (my older brother) and I grew up together, since his father worked closely with ours. Aren's father is the ambassador from the Desert Kingdom, and my father is the High-Alpha of the Forest Kingdom. Everyday while we were growing up, Aren, Jayden, and I would be tutored and trained together. Though we've kept in touch through letters, and I get to see them when they come home for breaks, I haven't seen either of them in almost six months. The letters Aren and I sent to each other were nothing more than friendly, even if I desperately wanted them to be more, but just seeing my name in his handwriting made me blush.
Hailey, unaware of my internal turmoil, turns to Gia. "Since you're not a shifter, you don't have to worry about mate strings and I expect a full report on all of your shenanigans."
"Damn girl, you're acting light you won't get laid where you are going."
Hailey pouts. "I probably won't. My parents are making me move back in with them until I find a mate and get married."
"How old fashioned." Claire states with disgust.
"Where are you going to go now?" I ask Claire.
"I got a spot as a royal knight in the capital." Claire says, puffing out her chest with pride.
Gia whistles in appreciation. "Wow, I'm really impressed. You are the strongest in our squad, second only to Ora of course."
"I always thought you two would stick together." Gia says, looking between Claire and Hailey.
"We wanted to, but I didn't get a spot in the royal knights so my parents insisted I have to go home." Hailey says somberly.
"Maybe you can find a job in the royal pack." I say.
"The chances of finding a job there is practically zero." Hailey frowns.
"It's definitely zero if you don't try." Claire adds in.
Hailey looks at us with a new resolve in her gaze. "You're right. There is no harm in trying, and if it gets me out of my parents house and closer to Claire, then I have to at least give it a shot."
"Thats the spirit!' I exclaim.
It isn't long until we have to say our goodbyes and head our separate ways. We give them all one final squeeze before Gia and I head to my family's carriage. My parents wait for us beside the carriage. I told them that they didn't need to come all this way just to escort us to school, but they insisted.
My mother pulls me into a tight hug. "We missed you so much. I wish you could have come home for a few days before heading to Tremont."
She releases me and moves over to Gia pulling her into a hug. My father gives me a quick hug and shakes Gia's hand.
"I know, but the timing didn't work out." I remind her.
"At least Tremont isn't as far. You'll be able to come home on the weekends and you better bring Jay with you. He does not visit nearly enough."
"Yes mom." I lie.
We all load into the carriage and our journey begins. I rub my locket hoping it will bring me good luck. The next adventure of my life is starting now.
…
The carriage thumps over the uneven road jerking me around as I try to look out the rain soaked windows, impatiently waiting for our destination to come into view. After a few days on the road I am more than ready to arrive. Finally, I spot the school's castle-like spires in the distance. I sit up alert and Gia leans over me to see what caught my attention.
"Finally!"
The carriage begins to slow, and I can see a figure standing under the canopy of the front door of my new dorm building. The carriage pulls over, and I can make out the dark hair and playful grin of my brother. I can't help but feel disappointed that Aren isn't here to greet me, but I am ecstatic to see Jay. I fling open the carriage door and sprint towards him, leaping into his arms. I can't help but notice how tall he is as he spins me around before putting me down and looking me over.
"Is that you Ora? It's hard to tell you and trolls apart." He says teasingly.
"Shut up!" I respond. No one could ever mix me up with a troll. My curves and human form make me distinctly feminine and definitely not troll like.
'Hi Jay." Gia says, stepping in for a quick hug. "I'm going to head in and get a quick tour so you can have some time with your family." With that, she gives my family a final wave and disappears into the building.
"It's so good to see you dear!" My mother's voice comes from beside me. I look back to see my father talking to the movers, directing them where to take my stuff.
"Hi mom." Jayden leans forward and kisses our mom on the cheek. Mom takes this opportunity to pull him into a tight hug. Jay takes after our mom in looks. She is tall with dark hair and a kind smile. Our father is slightly shorter than her with a thick beard and brown hair. When I was a kid, I was jealous of how much Jay looks like our mother. Everyone could tell at a glance that he belonged where as I, with long silver hair and piercing purple eyes, don't look anything like either of my parents.
"Promise me you'll take care of your sister." Mom demands, still holding him tightly.
"Don't worry mom, she's in safe hands with me. No guy will even think about talking to her here."
Mom looks even more worried now, "You know that is not what I meant! I don't think you need to go to extremes. She does need to meet young men at some point." Mom never liked how sheltered dad kept me. She was worried it would impair my social development.
"Nonsense, our Eudora doesn't need to be talking to any boys until she is of age." Dad steps into the conversation clapping me on the back.
Mom takes a step towards dad and brushes her hand down his arm in a comforting way. "Eudora will be coming of age in two months when she turns 22, don't you think she should have some prospects before the mate strings appear. She shouldn't be going into matehood without ever talking to a man. We want her to have some experience, so she will be able to make good and informed choices."
"You have a point dear, but she has talked to a guy." My father responds and puts his arm around her.
"Her brother doesn't count." Mother retorts.
"Sure he does, and she's talked to Aren." Dad turns and directs his next question to Jayden, "Where is Aren by the way?" I was wondering the same thing. I was expecting Aren to be here to greet me with Jayden. His lack of presence here confirms for me even more that my feelings are one sided.
"Aren wanted to be here, but he is helping our new roommates get settled. We were placed with three 1st years. They will be in your class, Ora." Jayden says, making me smile at his use of my childhood nickname.
"Oh, that will be nice. Three men the same age as Eudora. You can introduce her." I agree with my mom that I should get some dating experience before I come of age, but she is sometimes a little too focused on finding eligible men for me. The closer I get to my 22nd birthday, the more she pushes dad to let me socialize.
"And what is Ryland up to?" My father asks about my brother's other friend. Jay met Ryland his first year at the Academy in shifting class. Ryland, Aren and Jayden are the three most powerful shifters in the school, and so of course they spent a lot of time together and grew close. Aren and Jay wrote me letters filling me in on their shenanigans at school. They kept their stories pg, but my mom told me Ryland is a flirt with a trail of heartbroken women behind him.
"Who knows?" Jayden responds "Probably terrorizing the new girls. That guy would flirt with a rock if there were no women around."
"Well I'm sure he will be respectable to our Eudora." My father gruffly responds.
"Sure he will dad." Jayden responds sarcastically, then he quickly turns to me before our father can say anything. "You ready to go up? Your roommates might already be there."
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." I respond.
"Do you have a class schedule yet?" Mom inquires and I roll my eyes at her switch from telling dad I've grown, to treating me like a child.
"No mom, I have to go through placement testing first." I answer.
"Okay sweetie. I love you. Are you sure you have everything? Do you have enough underwear?" Mom pulls me in for a hug that lasts a little too long.
"Come on sweetheart. You have to let her go. She needs to settle into her new room. Besides Jayden, Aren, and Ryland will make sure she's looked after." Dad says reassuringly.
Mom reluctantly releases me from the hug, but she takes my hands in hers and looks me in the eye, "You call me if you need anything at all."
"I will."
"I love you."
"I love you too." I pull away from my mom, and Jayden and I start walking towards the front door. Just as we enter, I glance back to see tears in my mothers eyes. She's always had a hard time saying goodbye, and I know she's already planning on writing me tons of letters. As we enter my suite, I prepare myself to meet my suitemates, but none of them seem to be here.
Our suite has three bedrooms, a common room, a small kitchen, bathroom, and a study room tucked away in the back. Each of the rooms is a double, so there will be six girls total sharing this space. The first room near the kitchen has two name tags; Madison and Camilla. The next door has the names; Charlotte and Olivia. On the door of the room closest to the study room, I find a door tag with my name on it. Beside it is another tag with the name 'Gia'. Jayden and I enter it together leaving the door open behind us. All of mine and Gia's luggage has already been brought up from the carriage and sits in the center of the room in a pile. Gia is nowhere to be found. She's probably still exploring the building.
"Well, this is it." Jayden says "My suite is only one story up if you need anything. It's suite 303. I'm going to head up now to meet my new suitemates."
I nod and smile, giving Jayden one last hug. "Have fun! I'll see you at dinner."
With that, Jayden walks out of my room and a sudden loneliness takes over. At our estate, I had never been alone. There was always a maid or a footman bustling around. Then in the military we were in barracks, which made any alone time impossible. Now for the first time, I take a deep breath and I settle into the silence of my empty suite.
The silence does not last long, though. Only about 15 minutes into unpacking my stuff, a familiar face appears in my doorway.
"Well hello there roommate." Gia exclaims. "This room is way nicer than the barracks."
"Yes it is!" I smile at her. "Where have you been?"
"Some nice guy offered to show me around."
I grin at her. "You work fast. Hopefully you also work fast with unpacking."
Gia winks at me and bends down to open one of the boxes. Once the final box has been emptied, I hear my stomach growl.
"Do you happen to know where the dining hall is? I am famished after that carriage ride and unpacking."
"Yes, let's get some dinner together." Gia loops her arm in mine. We exit our room into the common area just as three other girls enter from the main door. The girl leading the trio is tall, with long sleek blonde hair and golden eyes. The girl on her left is curvy with tanned skin and cropped curly hair. The girl on her right has short black hair that falls just past her chin.
The blonde in the middle looks us up and down then lets out a breath. "Well thank goddess you two look normal. I would hate to have to share a space with some weirdos. I'm Madison by the way," She flips her hair over her shoulder and nods at the curvy girl to her left, "this is Camilla," she then nods her head at her other friend "and this is Olivia."
"I'm Gia! And this is Eudora." Gia excitedly responds.
Madison continues as if Gia hadn't said anything at all. "It's really too bad someone like me has to share a living space at all. As long as you weak non-shifters stay out of my way, I'm sure you'll make it to graduation." She looks down at us like we are gum on her shoe.
Seeing the confusion on my face, one of her lackeys— Camilla I think—chimes in: "Madison is the only female shifter at the school. That means she gets first pick on mates and she's going to be the next High-Luna of the Forest Kingdom."
"You're going to be the next High-Luna? You're mated to Jayden?" I ask, even more confused. I would have thought my mom or my brother would tell me if he had a girlfriend let alone already went through a mating ceremony.
"They aren't mated yet, but they will be soon." Camilla snaps at me.
"So you've heard of Jayden, are you one of his fans? Well, I hate to break it to you, but he's mine." Madison states smugly. "Stay away from him, and we won't have any problems."
And with that, Madison and her lackeys push past us into the suite.
"Damn, who put a stick up her ass? She's gonna be pissed when she learns she's not the only female shifter here anymore." Gia whispers to me. "Do you really think she's dating your brother?"
"I don't know, but I really don't think so." I respond. If my brother was dating that girl, I was definitely going to have to talk to him about it.