Wunderhein Academy: Book 1- Awakening

“What the… what happened?” Aleksei slowly opened his eyes, finding a canopy of greenery surrounding him. “Where am I?”

He slowly sat up and winced. His skin seemed to sting him as he moved. His tongue felt thick and swollen.

“What the heck?” He reached a hand up carefully to rub his throbbing head. “Did I go drinking with Dimi last night?”

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He blinked, trying to stop his eyes from feeling like they were burning. It slowly helped.

He tried to stand up but fell down again, his legs failing before he even tried them.

“Stupid Dmitri.” Aleksei growled before rolling over to push himself up, noticing the coarse hair on the back of his hand.

He stared at the appendage dumbly, clenching and un-clenching it to make sure he was seeing right and it wasn’t some dream.

“Claws.” He whispered, managing to find his feet. “I have claws? I can’t have claws. I was so careful-”

He had lost. He had transformed and now The Island had control of him. If anyone knew about it he would disappear like the other kids.

He snarled before lifting his head up. A sound erupted from his throat, scratching it as his vocals tried to make the right noise. Finally, after his third attempt, it felt right and he did again, anger and misery howling through him. Other voices joined him. Each on calling out louder than the next a chaotic chorus around him.

The sounds should have hurt his sensitive ears but instead, the frenzy sounded like a melody calling him.

He closed his eyes, feeling the air on his sensitive skin. It made him twitch and he hunched over to protect himself.

He found out that was a bad idea as a burning sensation run past his stomach and up to his throat. The acid after taste burning his nose.

“Gross.” He licked his lips trying to get rid of the vile taste. His stomach still heaving. He looked at the aftermath that was now lying on the ground in distaste.

“Are you ok?”

He spun around at the voice and felt dizzy for a second as he tried to adjust to his new body. For a moment dread rushed through him that it was an Adult that had spotted him. He felt instant relief as Kitten walked out from amongst the trees like one of the forest creatures he had read about.

Her green eyes looked too big for her small face.

She looked too small in general in the outfit she was wearing. He felt a heat of anger jump through him. She was in Dmitri’s clothes. He recalled seeing the place where Dmitri’s lieutenant badge had been removed earlier.

“Hey.” She spoke up again, this time brushing the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. He didn’t recall it being loose. Maybe she lost her string while hunting.

His paw snuck into his pocket on the ripped uniform hanging on him and fiddled with the ribbon there. He felt his breathing even out. The pounding in his head began to ease up and he could think a bit now.

“Hey.” He greeted back, wishing he had a toothbrush nearby. His torn clothes hung loose and broken on him as he felt his sinew and muscle shifting back into place. He tightened his grip on the ribbon, feeling the frayed material better now as the claws stopped digging into the palm of his skin.

He should give it back. He just hadn’t found a good time to do it.

Now would be a bad time. She might lose it out here.

Pity, she hadn’t moved the hair back from the other side of her face. He kind of liked the birthmark. It was like proof to the world she had fought some battle before being born just so she could live. It was a mark worth more than any rank he could think of. Not that he would tell her that, otherwise he would never hear the end of it.

“Come on.” He began heading back towards the designated meeting place. “Something’s wrong. We should find the others and regroup.”

“Aleksei wait.” He froze as she reached out and grabbed his arm. He flinched slightly as she touched him. “Do we have to? I mean …”

He looked at her, feeling confused at finding her smiling at him.

“Please?” She whispered before taking a step towards him, placing her hand on his face.

It felt good. She smelt good. She just sounded wrong. He closed his eyes and for a moment wondered if this was one of his crazy dreams again.

“Say my name again.” He asked.

“Aleksei.” She repeated in almost a whisper that he found attractive and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the same time.

He reached up and grabbed her hand, stopping her from coming closer to him. His eyes narrowed. He felt a burning rush through his body. Pain racked right into his pores. The head rush hit him. For a moment he wondered if he had misheard her thanks to the pain.

He growled, tightening his grip on her arm making her squeal. “Who are you?”

“I am Meat-Bag…” She began to recite until he stopped her.

“No. Who are you? Where is Kitten?”

She tilted her head, lifting her shoulder slightly. Her lower lip trembled slightly although his senses told him it wasn’t fear. She didn’t smell afraid. She smelt excited.

It bothered him.

“I am Kitten.” She insisted in a low voice. “Don’t you recognize me?”

Aleksei shook his head. It couldn’t be. Kitten never used his name.

“You look pale.” Her voice was soft. She tried to touch his forehead with her free hand but he flinched away. “We better get the others. You need a nurse.”

She tried stepping away from him but he pulled her back towards him viciously. “Since when do you run to the nurses?”

“They’re here to help.” She tried explaining. “You need help.”

Something was wrong. He was feeling sick again. He looked into the concerned face of the creature in front of him.

“Let me help you.” She whispered, half closing her eyes as she stood on tip-toe to reach up to him. Something primal in him screamed in victory. He had won.

He slipped shaky hands onto her face and froze as the feeling that he was missing something hit him again.

“Kitten, say my name.” He hated how much it sounded like he was begging. “Please.”

“Aleksei. Aleksei Cassonov.” She covered his hands with her own, waiting for him to make the next move. “My Aleksei…”

A part of him felt like breaking into a joyous howl right there. He felt like walking into the Mess Hall and give the bird to everyone there. He felt like he could run any marathon and climb any mountain.

“Wrong name.” He laughed bitterly as the happiness shattered. The thing inside him wanted to break free and howl out in protest. He could already feel the sound trying to work its way to his throat. It wanted to leave this place and run until he couldn’t stand again. The creature wanted to hunt and pass the pain on to something else.

Aleksei reached out and pushed back the hair from the girl’s face, revealing perfectly flawless skin.

“You’re not Kitten.” He accused, letting her go as quickly as if she were burning him.

“You’re crazy.” She rubbed her wrist where he had held her. “I keep telling you I am.”

Whatever was inside him exploded. His body tore itself apart again and it felt as if the air was forced from his lungs.

A second later it was over.

He huffed trying to keep himself under control.

“You’re a werewolf?” The soft whispers from the imposter caught his attention. “You’re beautiful.”

Without thinking he turned to the girl, summing her up as she stared at him in awe. As if moving on instinct, he went closer towards her, circling around her.

She smelt good. She smelt like friends. Part of his mind tried to place her. She held out her hand towards him. Then the pieces clicked and he began licking his jaws.

“Stand your ground.” The girl lost her smile. “That’s an order.”

“I don’t take orders from little girls.” He growled back.

“I said…” She took a few steps back before starting to run. This time he could smell the fear on her. It was the same that normally hung around Kitten. The kind that made you sad and angry and protective. For a moment he was tempted not to chase her.

Imposter, the word shot through his brain. He snarled and began running.

“I said stop it Cassonov!” She yelled. “Stop it now!”

Strike three, he thought grimly before pouncing, pinning her to the ground.

She began to scream, the sound hurting his ears. He silenced her by biting out her throat, lapping at the warm blood escaping her throat.

“Captain!” A scream behind him made him look up.

Boris, Ivan, and Dmitri were watching him. Boris had changed, his face looking somewhat rat-like and horrified. In his hand, he was clutching a fox like a gory victory trophy. “You killed Kitten!”

“It’s not what you think Boris.” Aleksei attempted to stand up but held his place at Ivan’s glare.

Dmitri was walking up towards him. “Nice look.”

Aleksei ran a hand over his face, only smearing the blood. “It’s not her.”

“You killed Kitten.” The wail from Boris pulled their attention again. The rat was shaking. He dropped his prize and clenched his hands. His face slowly slipping back into its usual form. “I hate you! I hate you forever!”

“Boris wait-“ Aleksei tried to explain but the rat was already turning around and vanishing through the trees, leaving Aleksei to face Ivan’s wrathful expression.

“Let the kid go.” Aleksei turned confused towards Dmitri at the words. His friend was at the body of the dead girl, examining it. “He needs to grow up sometime.”

“But that’s not her.” Aleksei tried again. “She kept calling me by the wrong name and didn’t have a birthmark and…”

“Paint could have covered that.” Dmitri interrupted. “Some of that make-up stuff the nurses use.”

“Kitten would never…” Aleksei halted, realizing how crazy he sounded. He began laughing. “She couldn’t even say my name. Kitten never called me Aleksei.”

“Yeah, annoying that.” Dmitri flipped the body over and un-ceremoniously yanked the shirt up, whistling. “No tattoo on this one.”

“So it was a fake.” Relief washed over Aleksei. He felt a sharp pain as his body began to alter once more as the stress vanished.

“A bad fake.” Dmitri stood up, slipping his hands into his pockets. Aleksei was aware his friend was watching the transformation with an almost morbid fascination.

“If you’re done ogling me.” Aleksei snapped at the ‘Shark’ who was grinning.

As if on purpose, Dmitri’s eyes roamed over Aleksei’s body before he whistled. “Ain’t a nurse but still good enough to look at.”

“Not a punching bag but that doesn’t mean I can’t hit you.” Aleksei warned, making the taller youth throw back his head and laugh.

A snort from the side indicated that even Ivan had enjoyed the slight joke.

“Come on.” Aleksei looked down at his tattered shirt in annoyance before pulling the last strands off him. “We have to find Kitten. The real one. Something funny is going one.”

Dmitri stuck a finger into his mouth, trying to dig something out of his teeth. Aleksei noticed the red staining from something he must have caught not so long ago. Consciously Aleksei licked his own teeth, reminded of his own kill.

“Go then.” Dmitri stopped digging in his teeth and bent down. He lifted the corpse over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing at all. “I’ll sort out this.”

“You’re not going to eat it are you?” Aleksei checked.

“No point now.” Dmitri gave a half shrug, lifting the body higher onto his shoulder. “I ain’t into dead chicks.”

“Dmitri!” Aleksei warned.

“Relax.” Dmitri’s relaxed features vanished and his voice when low. “I told ya before, I’ll protect the team. This thing ain’t the team.”

“Thanks, Dimi.” Aleksei smiled weakly.

Ivan nodded before placing a hand on Dmitri’s open shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze.

“Careful there Mammoth, before ya break my arm.” Dmitri complained loudly before turning to walk towards the direction of the lake.

Aleksei watched Dmitri vanish before turning in the opposite way.

“Come on Ivan.” Aleksei beckoned, trying to get his thoughts together. “Let’s go find her. She has to be around here somewhere. She…”

He stopped his rambling as Ivan jammed a cookie in his mouth. It was partly crumbled from being carried in the giant’s pocket. Slowly Aleksei began to chew it, hating how sweet it was but biting it again and again.

He dropped the item halfway into it, his face damp all over again.

“Stupid blood.” He muttered trying to wipe his eyes. Only blood didn’t leak from your eyes. Blood didn’t leave clear marks down your face. It didn’t even hit him that he was crying until Ivan pulled him into a hug. The strong sweet smell of cookies mixing with the rough smell of bear.

Boys didn’t cry, he tried reminding himself. Man up and stop acting like a Med. It wasn’t Kitten. It wasn’t Kitten.

“You are exhausted.” A low rumble came above him. “You should sleep. I will search.”

“I’m fine.” Aleksei tried to take a deep breath. Stop being a weak sissy Aleksei, he told himself. You’re better than this.

“You should rest.”

“I’ll rest when I know my team is safe.” Aleksei straightened. He tested the air but the only smell he could pick up for Kitten was the one from where they had come from. Another, weaker one, came from the direction of the school. He felt his throat itch. “Let’s go, Ivan. It’s time to get our Kitten back.”

Then he would kill whoever tried to hurt her.