Wunderhein Academy: Book 1- Awakening

“Ewww gross,” Boris grinned as he pinched his nose that night at dinner time. “You smell like a toilet.”

Kitten was too tired to fight back. She acknowledged his comment with a wave but kept her head glued to the Mess Hall table, tempted to sleep as she was.

She felt dirty and disgusting. Her toothbrush looked even worse. She didn’t ever want to use it ever again but she didn’t have another one. The thought of it in her mouth made her stomach turn.

Mama had been right. Boys were savages.

She had finished her task a few minutes earlier but Dmitri hadn’t even allowed her to change before coming to the Mess Hall as part of her punishment.

“Here.”

She lifted her head as Aleksei placed a helping of food in front of her. She looked at it with little interest. All she could smell was the stupid lavatories.

“Eat it.” Aleksei coaxed, gentler this time. “You need your strength.”

Obeying, Kitten picked up her fork and tried eating the meal in small bites. She couldn’t taste anything of her meal. Her stench was so over-whelming she wondered how the others managed to ignore it.

Out of no-where, two fingers were under her chin as she tried to take another bite from her food.

“No matter the circumstances, always sit straight. Never let your guard down.” Aleksei warned her before removing his fingers and returning to his own food. Which would now smell like she did since he had touched her. She blinked, watching Aleksei eat for a moment.

He was so strange. Mean one minute and nice the next. And did he really never let his guard down? Didn’t that make him feel lonely hiding from everyone all the time? She tilted her head as Dmitri pulled Aleksei aside to tell him a joke. Maybe Dmitri was the only person he confided in.

The two halted in the middle of their conversation and looked at her.

“You can stop with the googly eyes princess.” Aleksei lost his smile. “We’re not interested.”

“Well…” Dmitri leaned closer past Aleksei. “Maybe if ya cleaned up.”

“Bite me.” Kitten felt her face heat up.

Dmitri burst out laughing. The corner of Aleksei’s mouth lifted. For a moment she couldn’t believe it. Was he really smiling?

“We’ll hit the showers early tonight,” Aleksei smirked. “So our walking bathroom over here can clean-up.”

Kitten spat out the food she had just eaten, spraying it over the others at the table.

“Kitten!” Aleksei growled before pushing his plate of girl contaminated food to one side. “Where’s your manners?”

“Wait…what?” She gasped in shock, ignoring his question. “SHOWER? With YOU?”

“Now that sounds like fun.” Dmitri’s smile widened as he flicked part of her meal from his shoulder.

“Yeah you’ll love it.” Boris spouted, hoping from one foot to the other like an excited child. “I’ll show you where the best place is to put up shiny stuff. Dmitri goes crazy looking at it”

“Boris SHUT UP!” This time Dmitri growled, getting up from his seat to make a grab for the youngster who ran to hide behind the giant. Ivan, however, remained silent and didn’t intervene in Dmitri and Boris’s quibble. Instead he grabbed a napkin and carefully whipped his face.

Kitten felt the air grow tense as the others stopped what they were doing and looked to the giant, as if waiting for something to happen. Instead, he handed his plate over to Kitten. Aleksei put his hand out to stop the exchange.

“I think she’s had enough.” He mused before turning to Kitten. “Just make sure you have your shower gear ready when we pick you up. Or else.”

Kitten clenched her fists. Yep. She still wanted to kill him in his sleep.