A Kiss For The Alpha

First Day Learning The Mates

Still wrapped in the same gloom that had previously shrouded me, I slowly rose from my sleep. My heavy sweating spoke to a night of disturbed dreams, but as I stirred, the ache in my chest subsided, and my foggy, distorted vision gradually sharpened. My persistent headache was there, nonetheless, but I was now fully awake.

I had taken the little time to form an opinion of my surroundings. The pillow was soft, and with a cautious raise of my head, I squinted through the semi-darkness for a concept of my whereabouts. I was in a small and rather plain chamber. The bed upon which I had been lying was well-made, but the room furnishings seemed scant but serviceable.

On my left - in the angle of the room - was an empty bookshelf. Next to it stood a desk with a small piece of paper, a decorative key, a notebook, and a ballpoint pen on it. Next to the desk stood a wooden chair whose surface was a little polished.

On the wall between a calendar and a lamp which lit the room was a clock. The lamp emitted a gentle, round glow, like a light bulb, and everything in the room was bathed in its heat. The cold metal sheen of the clock glowed with it. To the right was a little wardrobe standing, as were the other furniture elements. Otherwise, the room was quite bare. Now I was so curious, so I leaned over and picked up the piece of paper on the desk.

"A note from Lucien?" I whispered to myself. "Let's then read what it says."

I unfolded the note and read:

"Dear Fey,

By the time you read this, I pray you shall be awake. The physician has assured me you are well, and you only require a day of rest. I am so very sorry for my ignorance that caused you to faint, and I ask for your most sincere apologies. Please do not be ashamed of your background from the orphanage; we like women who are full of courage and strength enough to have the guts to join us here. This room belongs to you now, and the key is on the desk. Your course program is on the first page of the notebook, so please take a look. Today is your first day—perhaps the second day, if you wake up late. Good luck, and may heavens smile upon your strong will."

Lucien's note left me with more questions than answers. That this was a vampire that spoke reverently of the heavens was an oddity not often heard. My skepticism mounted as I sat there, pondering my future in this new, overwhelming life.

First, it was a luxury I could ill afford at this moment. Second, the idea of magic, Lycans, and Vampires was something my mind had still to catch up on. I had no idea if these creatures were the same shape-shifting werewolves and blood-sucking vampires from my old world. Thirdly, I was still unsure about the treatment accorded to me by Akashic Academy.

I'd been awarded a free room and a key-perks that almost felt like a scholarship given to some kind of star student who was joining one of the most prestigious universities. Lucien had assumed I was an orphan, and my secret had fallen under the rug, for now at least. But the thing was, I couldn't help but get the feeling that it wasn't right that I was in the Akashic Academy tuition-free. There had to be something wrong with this picture, and I steeled myself against what that could entail.

I leaned forward and looked at the mark on my chest, then slid my left hand down from my neck down to my chest. The mark was real, and my encounter with Lucien wasn't just some figment of my imagination. That much was sure. I hastened to pick up the notebook, opening to the first page, checking the schedule that Lucien said was there.

"Let's see. Monday? And. Oh no," I muttered into the examination of the class schedule and the date on Lucien's note. Anxiety began to rise as for the first time in my life I compared a date and time on the calendar to the wall clock. Realization hit me like a rock-I was late.

"I'm late!

Not only had I missed the first day, but it said in the notebook that the first class was at eight o'clock in the morning, and the clock now showed me that it was past eight-thirty.

Memories of the anxiety I felt when, during my university days, I had overslept because I had stayed up reading books stirred within me. Pushed by a rush of adrenaline, instinctively, I ransacked through the wardrobe as if it were mine. There, I found what seemed to be my uniform.

Unique to Akashic Academy, their school uniform consisted of a cobalt-blue skirt barely reaching above the knee, while the white blazer was garnished with golden yellow motifs. Not exactly into fashion, the urgency of the situation propelled me into it without further ado. Notebook and key in hand, I raced out of the room, realizing I needed to lock the door. I did so in a flash and ran down the hall.

"At least the notebook contains the map of Akashic Academy," I said to myself, relieved. "I must say my university before looks so weak compared to this."

Most of the rooms seemed somewhat deserted around every corner and up and down the corridors. I did not have time to investigate; the priority was reaching the destination. The map in the notebook really saved me, and words could not express my great gratitude.

"If Lucien mentioned they get lost, it must be serious, since they included an entire map in the notebook. Thanks, Lucien; I owe you one. Later repay!"

I finally reached the classroom that had the plaque above the entrance reading "Valefor." I checked it against my notebook to make sure it was it. Very nervous about making a bad impression on what was supposed to be my first day, I hushed my breath and pushed the door open, in I went.

Much to my surprise, it was a class full of students. But the topper of them all was the hunk of the male standing next to each of my classmates. Each one of them was quite brazenly shirtless. My heart thudded and my cheeks crimsoned at this bizarre sight. I was embarrassed to death.

"Um. I think I may be in the wrong classroom. I think I should get outta here, haha!" I stuttered, turning in a circle, already returning to my escape. But before I was able to take more than a few steps, a hand connected with my wrist and pulled me back inside.

"Is your name Fey, the transfer student?" a voice asked. It was soft and melodious, but that only made me more nervous. The professor who spoke to me had a black rag sewn over her eyes, but somehow she got around the room as if she could see right through it. How can she even see when she can't see anything?

"Y-Yes, I am," I said, barely above a whisper.

"Nice to meet you, Fey. I'm Maria Azaroth, professor at Akashic Academy, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. Welcome to the Valefor class," she said with a smile and an inviting hand into the classroom. The atmosphere cooled with her presence; her gentle demeanor soothing much of my apprehension, though her hand felt a little cold and rough.

"Everybody, give them a warm welcome to our new transfer student. Fey, why don't you introduce yourself and state your rank?" Maria said, pushing me gently in the middle of the front of the classroom.

"I'm Fey Fontaine, and my rank is Omega. It's nice to meet you all," I stammered out, managing the introduction without messing it up too much.

"You can sit down on that free chair at the back," Maria said, pointing to an armchair placed in the left corner of the room. I walked toward it, trying not to pay too much attention to the shirtless men threateningly standing next to each row.

"By the way, Fey, as I said earlier, we will be having the mate assessment today. Do you have your mate with you?" Maria asked.

"Friend? Nope, I don't have any," I said, trying to make my voice as sure of this fact as possible, even though by this time, I really had no idea. Somebody in the class gasped upon my response, and a moment of uneasy silence fell over the room. By this time, I could almost tell what these shirtless guys meant, but somehow, I just couldn't help it: were the bare torsos necessary?. Even Maria wore an expression as if pondering the severity of my situation. I still didn't get what the repercussions were of not having a mate. Does having a hot n***d guy make me part of this class?

"That's perfectly fine now, but you should try to find your mate during the gatherings as soon as possible. For today, you can observe and learn alongside your fellow witches," Maria added. The urgency in her voice underlined the finding of a mate as important.

As the class started, the witch student beside me tapped my shoulder. I fixed my glasses, gosh, she was so strikingly pretty—her features so faultless that they were almost inhuman. I felt really awkward then, comparing myself to her, but I knew I should start conversation if I wanted to make some friends.

"H-Hey." she whispered. "You don't really have a mate?"

"I don't. Is that a problem?" I asked. By this time, I knew she had a man by her side, presumably her mate.

"N-No, it's not that. It's just that you should be cautious. Especially with that girl sitting in the front. Her name's Casie," she warned me. This was a far cry from the peaceful second life that I had looked forward to.

Just as we said Casie's name, she did a complete turn and locked eyes with me. Her smile was tinged with an underlying superiority and disdain that unsettled me. It was then I realized that having a mate was a kind of protection. Lucien had mentioned something about mates being involved in some sort of joining with witches, but I'd missed the details.

"Just keep away from her. We, Omegas, are her primary targets. I'm Lilian Rose, by the way." My seatmate extended her hand in friendliness, which I shook upon receipt.

"You ought to know me by now; I'm Fey Fontaine. Thanks for the warning. Really, I don't know how it is around here, so anything you can tell me will be much appreciated," I said, hoping to make a new friend.

"Of course! Not at all," Lilian said, her head c****d slightly in a friendly smile that immediately put one at ease.

I sat after a while and thought of how most of my classmates were here with at least one male companion, some with two and three. This really made me reflect on the very idea of mates and where they fit in this world. "Where would I even find one?" I anxiously wondered, feeling curiously anxious about the social dynamics of Akashic Academy.