Wunderhein Academy: Book 1- Awakening

“Finally.” Catai sighed in exhaustion as she dumped her shower gear in the bathrooms. “Last period.”

She had found a way to make it around the school, even if it wasn’t a perfect plan. No one missed her when she skipped the odd lessons. This gave her a chance to bypass most of the boys to sneak in a shower or bathroom break since there were no facilities for girls at all in this male-dominated place. She had been managing well for the past week, getting into a few scrapes here and there. The lesson she learnt was a bitter one. Her father didn’t care about her, a fact he made clear. The boys responded in kind, treating her as if she was the lowest thing on the food chain.

“Great.” She muttered, inspecting the latest mark on her arm as she got ready for her shower. She had gained that beauty earlier thanks to being caught trying to slip into the library. She hadn’t even known it was a library. She had got lost in-between classes and lost a class somehow. “Now I have this and extra homework. What else could go wrong today?”

Sighing she turned the water on in the shower and tested the water before climbing in.

She had at least 40 minutes to shower and get out of there. However, she didn’t trust time and kept it to a short 5 minutes under the water sprays, despite how tempting it always was to stay longer.

The warmth trickling over her always surprised her at first, but once she was used to it, it made her want to close her eyes. It felt like the most comfortable, safest place inside the whole school.

Her eyes darted open.

How long had she been in there? It had to be more than five. She had stood still too long for it not to be five.

In one swift motion, she turned off the shower and began darting into her clothes, not caring that she was still half-wet.

Ten minutes. She had maybe been ten minutes. She tried to estimate. “I still have time.”

She threw on her over-sized shirt, wincing slightly when it stuck to her. She tried pulling it away from her wet body but it was fruitless. She was going to be stuck with sticky clothes for the next hour at least.

“Stupid uniform.” She muttered, pulling at it again.

“Nice show Meat-bag.” Clapping began her, making her freeze. Chills ran down her spine before she even turned around.

She felt herself trembling at the leering youth before her. Balco was one of her main tormentors, often making a show to his friends of touching her. Had he been watching her the whole time?

The seventeen-year-old teen stepped towards her, one of his thick hands reaching out towards her.

“Why don’t you repeat the show?” He suggested.

“No.” She yelled, staggering backward without thinking. “Don’t touch me.”

“You can’t stop me.” He laughed, reaching for her again. “Meat-bag.”

She ducked under his arm, leaving her things in the showers as she ran to the adjoining door that led towards the toilets.

‘I have to get away from him.’ The thought exploded through her head.

“You’re going to regret running from me ’Suka.” She could hear him behind her. “When I get my hands on you, you stupid Meat-sack...”

She tried to block out his ranting, trying to focus on escaping from him through the toilet doors instead.

She felt him grab her arm.

“No!” She exclaimed as he pushed her to the cold floor and slap her across her face.

“Don’t you ever run from me again!” He snarled. “Do you understand ’Suka?”

The floor stank like a urinal and was cold under her. The guy stank of garlic and was heavy.

He had that same short hair that some of the guys in the school sported. The ones that did have it usually had an attitude too like they owned the place.

Catai felt sick and scared. Every part of her was screaming in protest at having him violate her like this. This wasn’t right some ancient voice in her cried out.

“Let me go.” She began to scream, pounding him with her fists.

“Someone should teach you to be quiet.” He grunted placing a hand around her throat. “You stupid piece of meat.”

She gasped and tried pulling his hands away as she tried to fight to breath. Tears stung her eyes.

A sound of a zipper distracted them both. A guy, one that looked younger than Blaco, stepped towards them and surveyed the scene. Catai felt Balco tense up above her, enough that he loosened his grip around her throat so she could breathe again.

“Stand up Balco.” The other guy ordered, cracking his knuckles.

“She’s mine Aleksei.” Balco replied as he stood up, getting ready for a fight. “I got her first.”

Once he was off of her, Catai was half crawling off the floor before she managed to get up and run back to the showers, as if her life depended on it to grab her shower things. Behind her there was fighting. She could hear the loud blows mixed with the intimidating threats and animalist growls that were coming from the communal lavatories.

Shaking, she ran through the other shower exit to hide in her room.

At her room, unlocking and re-locking her door had become the most difficult thing in the world as she battled to control her hand. Breathing heavily, as if it was something she had just figured out how to do for the first time, she finally allowed herself to grasp the full impact of what had happened. She dropped her things to slide against the bedroom door to the floor, hid her face in her arm and began to cry.

“Stupid.”

Aleksei smashed his fist against the wall, pulling down one of the war propaganda posters in annoyance before walking on.

The people in the corridors were quick to salute him as they moved out of his way.

Unless they planned on challenging him, they knew better than to hang around and irritate him further.

He had always ignored Balco as some rank climbing young pup. Yet if Aleksei had lost this match to the Boar over some stupid meat-bag, then he may as well hand over his Captains badge now.

Or take the Meat-bag as a pretty boy. Something he refused to do. His team didn’t keep pretty boys to cool out the system.

That’s what cold showers were for, unless you were Dmitri who was having rendezvous with one of the schools' nurses.

Irritated, Aleksei halted, picking up figure crouching at the edge of the courtyard.

“BORIS!”

The youngster instantly jumped.

“Captain!” Boris squeaked.

“What did I tell you about the Meat-bag?” Aleksei ordered as he neared the boy.

“I know, I mean...”

“Spit it out.” Aleksei glared at the rat.

“She’s busy crying.” Boris looked up at Aleksei pleadingly.

“We all did when we got here Boris. The meat-bag doesn’t get special treatment.” Aleksei responded. “You’re on food response, starting tomorrow for a week.”

“Aw no, I hate shuffling food.” Boris grimaced. “I always get the heavy stuff.”

“That should teach you to listen. Now go to the dorm before I make it for two weeks.” Aleksei pointed to the direction of their rooms.

“No fair.” Boris muttered as he scampered on.

“That was unfair.”

Aleksei turned to find his two other team members watching him.

Dmitri casually smoking as usual while Ivan stood with crossed arms.

“He disobeyed an order.” Aleksei pointed out.

“He cares about someone else.” Ivan frowned. “He should not be punished for this.”

Around them, Aleksei already noted that the other students had begun halting to watch and were whispering amongst each other.

“The Red-Bear is going to fight.”

“He’ll put the Alpha-Wolf in his place.”

“Maybe this time he’ll take over the Alpha Pack.”

Aleksei rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Last time he had fought Ivan, he had barely made it out alive. He wasn’t in a hurry to repeat the experience.

“An order is an order Ivan. It has to be obeyed.” Aleksei finally replied. “You don’t have to like it.”

“Then I will do the punishment for him.”

“You do that, and I will take away your honey privileges.” Aleksei warned.

“Blyad.” Dmitri’s eyes widened.

Ivan straightened, his eyes darkening as they bored into Aleksei. Aleksei didn’t miss the muscle in the giant’s neck twitching or the way his hands kept balling into fists.

“Just go Ivan. I’m not having this fight here.” Aleksei ordered, standing his ground.

Ivan growled before turning to leave. The crowd making a path for him before they too vanished, disappointed in the lack of a fight.

“Are ya just insane?” Dmitri queried. “Are ya really taking away his honey?”

“If he helps Boris, then yes.”

“Ya don’t plan on waking up tomorrow, do ya?” Dmitri hissed. “Taking away my cigarettes is still cute but his honey?”

“I gave a direct order. I expect it to be obeyed.” Aleksei shot back. “I shouldn’t have to explain myself Dmitri.”

“CAPTAIN!” Boris called out as he ran up to them.

“Boris, I ordered you to go to the dorms.” Aleksei began in annoyance.

“Captain, come quick.” The youngster hopped from one foot to the other. “It’s Ivan. He’s going crazy.”

“We just need to pour water on him and he’ll be fine.” Aleksei replied grimly. “Come on.”

“This isn’t like last time Captain.” Boris squeaked. “There’s something wrong. Not even the bear rhyme is calming him down.”

“What?” Immediately Aleksei headed for the dorms.

He opened the door and sneezed when one of the feathers from a pillow flew past his nose.

A mattress had been torn in half. His trunk had been smashed. One of the walls now had a hole in it.

One the floor lay Ivan.

He growled as he tried reaching for Aleksei with hands that seemed bestial than human.

A spasm as his body began altering, trying to find its new shape.

“Blyad.” Aleksei growled before rushing over to his broken trunk, digging it until he found what he was looking for.

“What’s with da...Ivan?” Dmitri looked at the creature in surprise.

“Keep everyone out.“ Aleksei ordered. “Especially Boris.”

“Gotcha.” Dmitri nodded before making a quick exit.

A painful whine pulled Aleksei’s focus again.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.” He took the hidden container of honey and began slowly feeding it to the mismatched creature. “This should help.”

The container was nearly empty before Ivan began to change back.

“Hey, can you stand up?” He asked the bear.

Ivan shook his head.

“Should I get Dmitri to come and help?”

Ivan rolled over in response, clearly happy to just sleep on the floor.

Aleksei went to the door and pulled Dmitri back in.

“Blyad.” Dmitri whistled. “What a mess.”

“You know the drill.” Aleksei began, exhaustion starting to take its toll on him. “Come help me pick him up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dmitri replied. “Guy needs to go on a diet.”

“Feel free to tell him.” Aleksei smirked as they hauled Ivan up.

After placing Ivan on his bunker, Aleksei tried to inspect the damage to the room.

“The wall is easy.” Aleksei ran his fingers over the edge of wall around the gaping hole. Stone. Ivan had punched through stone. “Fight over a card game. The Grunts will be fine with that.”

“Pillow fight.” Dmitri picked up a stray pillow from his bed. “Things burst all da time. I’ll get a new one from Jov.”

“See if you can arrange a new mattress too.” Aleksei continued. “Make it his teams problem. If he asks why, tell him you fell asleep with a cigarette.”

“Nearly burnt the dorm down.” Dmitri grinned as he lit a cigarette. “You need a new trunk too?”

“That would be nice.”

Dmitri looked around the place. “What do we tell the kid?”

“That his food duty just became clean up duty.” Aleksei sighed. “And Ivan was having a tantrum.”

“The usual story, eh.” Dmitri replied softly.

“It has to be.” Alekseis’ lips drew into a thin line. “I’m not having someone from my team disappear like the others did.”

“Ya think the island took them?”

Aleksei rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He finally replied. “Dimi, I want your advice on something.”

“Bit late if ya asking if I wanna stay ya’r second.” Dmitri teased. “I ain’t swopping for ya Captain job.”

“Do you think we should get a new member?”

“Eh?” Aleksei could feel his seconds eying him questioningly. “Ya said ya didn’t want no more members after the Rat.”

“We don’t pay enough attention to Boris.” Aleksei pointed out. “He needs someone his own age.”

“So we’re getting a puppy?”

Aleksei threw Dmitri a half-hearted glare. “Not funny.”

“What? Puppies, wolves. Both look good with collars.” Dmitri waved a dismissive hand.

“You know the rules. No Pretty Boys on the team.” Aleksei frowned, subconsciously raising his hand to rub his neck.

“I ain’t getting involved.” Dmitri shrugged.

“You’re not going to ask who I want on the team?”

“Ain’t nothing to do with me. Ya Captain. I just keep ’em behaving.” Dmitri slipped his fingers together and stretched. Aleksei watched each movement with sight envy. When he was done, he tilted his head to one side, examining the room “Just be careful who ya pick on Lexie.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I don’t. Just saying.” Dmitri began digging in his pockets, pulling out his box of cigarettes. “Ain’t like we have much room left here.”

For a moment, Aleksei wondered if Dmitri knew who Aleksei wanted to pull into the team.

He wished Dmitri would say something to talk him out of it.

When Dmitri didn’t say anything further, Aleksei turned to the window and stared at the sky outside.

For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this.