Wolfgrove Academy

Chapter 2

Wren walks into the room, taking in the surrounds. There are hundreds of books on a large bookshelf on one side. There isn't a single speck of dust that can be seen, showing that the area is well tended.

There are trinkets and treasures from exotic locations dotted on the shelves, displayed with the utmost pride. There are a few extra items since the last time that Wren was in this office. The new additions as well as the old Wren can only assume that they are gifts from the wealthy families that reside in this school, as, unless things have changed drastically, Wren has never seen principal Saunders have a single day off in the entire nine years she was at the school.

Maybe Principal Saunders has an online shopping addiction in an effort to make herself look more interesting.

Apart from the few new editions, it is very much the same as the day her world came crashing down, the day she got blamed for a crime she did not commit.

The same heavy drapes, the same large desk, the same large windows looking out at the same view, even the day looks very similar, the sun barely glimpsing through the heavy cloud cover.

Evelyn Saunders looks over the woman in front of her, pursing her lips. Wren is a far cry from the girl that stood in front of her four years ago. Evelyn’s hands come up to her mouth, her elbows resting on the thick timber desk, her fingers intertwine and her chin rests on her hands trying to work out how much her decision is going to blow up in her face. Of course she remembers Wren.

A girl is hard to forget in this school, where it is rare to have a woman come through. Wren still sticks in her mind, she is impossible to forget. The girl is more beautiful than she ever would have anticipated.

That fact alone makes her decision waiver a little bit. She feels like she is just opening herself up to a whole lot more trouble. But there is nothing she can do because, technically, even though Rebekah has gone the complete wrong way about it and even though Evelyn was about to rip her ears off after listening to Rebekah's whining voice for so long and maybe she is just caving in so easily just so she can get the woman off her case and out of her school. Rebekah is technically correct. Wren was never formally expelled.

Back then, Evelyn was just trying to do the right thing. She never expected the act to come back and bite her the way it has. She would never expect that in the last year that Wren would be suddenly shoved back in front of her face in such a way.

The fact is that she cannot really hold Wren's beauty against her. That is something that she can't change. Wren was always a diligent and polite student. She got along with everyone well and Evelyn actually felt bad when she told that little girl that she was required to leave, in the midst of all the yelling and screaming, the accusations that were flying the anger in that room. There was a little fourteen-year-old girl that was struggling so hard to hold it together, a little girl that held back her tears even though she was shaking in fear, her desperate eyes back then as she picked at pieces of dried blood on her skin.

Evelyn admired her composure in the face of it and that is the reason she is accepting her back now.

Evelyn won't go soft on the girl. Wren caused so much drama back then that it took months to settle down, to placate the others involved and then it took a year for the school to get back to what it was. Wren left a massive mess in her wake, one that the school had never seen before in its hundreds of years of operating.

Evelyn looks down Wren's body with a scrutinizing gaze, the white button-up shirt is straining heavily over her breasts. The buttons look like they are holding on by a single thread and could pop off with the slightest movement.

The skirt is sitting high on her waist in the tiniest part of her waist. Evelyn is surprised that the zip can go all the way up and can only assume that Wren is struggling to breathe, the heavy material of the pleated skirt is straining. The pleats are pulled wide. Struggling to accommodate Wren's hips, which in turn, are pulling the material even higher up, the once knee-length skirt looks more like something that would come out of an adult shop for a school girl costume. The only redeeming fact is that her pale, slender legs are completely covered by black opaque stockings. The gray blazer with the school emblem is having the same effect, opening wide and making Wren’s ample breasts look even larger. It is the same uniform that Wren wore back then. It is severely undersized now, but at least it is a lot cleaner than the last time Evelyn saw it. This time the white shirt is clean and pressed, it is far from the ripped, blood-covered shirt Wren was wearing after the incident.

"Just because you are trying to make it like you never left, stepping straight back into the enrolment from when you were fourteen years old, doesn't mean you are able to step straight back into the uniform you wore when you were fourteen years old. Wren, aren't you ashamed? Where is your dignity?"

Wren can only offer a half smile. She stands perfectly still even though all she wants to do is fidget, it is not like she wanted to be dressed like that and she is incredibly uncomfortable. She holds her tongue as stating her opinion or even defending herself will not get her anywhere, she knows that all too well.

Evelyn turns her attention to Rebekah once more. Finally able to one up the woman.

"Do you allow her out of the house like that? You say she's the same as before. She is dressed like she is ready to stand up on street corners. You say you understand why she got kicked out before, but looking at her now, I don't think you get the idea at all. Look at that skirt, look how short it is"

"It's not like you have many women here to compare it to. What is short for one is fine for another. Who are you going to compare it to?"

Evelyn just laughs as she looks at the idiotic woman. She has never seen a woman argue so hard about an irrelevant issue. The uniform clearly doesn’t fit yet, Rebekah just doubles down, refusing to accept any loss.

"Are you trying to tell me that you think that is actually appropriate? If you really want Wren to continue on here, you need to bin that uniform and get her another. Actually, the bin isn't even good enough. It needs to be burned"

Rebekah's face curls into a smile as she has got exactly what she wants. Give them something, a little win, so they don't look at the large picture. Rebekah has victory in her grasp once again and everything is going to be fine.

Wren's azure eyes brighten, making them even more mesmerizing than they were before, and her smile becomes a little less forced and more genuine.

Rebekah walks out of the office first after finishing all the formalities and Wren is left alone with Evelyn.

"You are walking a very thin line here Wren. Don't put a foot out of line, you know how they are here, they are sharks waiting to eat you alive. Don't give them a reason to"

"Are you talking about the parents or the students Principal"

"Both Wren, keep it in mind"

Wren bows her head to the woman.

"Thank you, Principal Saunders"

"Don't thank me yet Miss Banes. It may just be worse than it was before. Times have changed. Four years is a long time in these children's worlds. I'm sure it is a long time in your world. You have to fit in really quickly. You have to remember everything you knew before and more. Just because I allowed you in doesn't mean I won't hesitate to kick you back out and this time it will be an expulsion. There will be no more arguing your way back in"

"I understand Principal Saunders"

Wren turns and leaves quickly before the lady can change her mind. Truly, she cannot believe she actually got let back in. When she left that office four years ago, she never thought it would be a possibility. She never thought she would see this building again.

Wren emerges from the uniform shop only an hour later. Looking completely different. She has an elegant, understated type of beauty. She looks meek and harmless.

As reality kicks in, her smile gets wider but her nerves start to build. She looks as confident as always, but the slight tremor in her hand gives her away.

Rebekah stands right in front of Wren, her hands wrapped tightly in the front of Wren's blazer in what some would view as a motherly and sweet gesture. Trying to straighten it out, make it fit perfectly, but only Wren can feel the hidden threat. Rebekah's short self looks even shorter in front of Wren's 5’7” figure. Wren is not what would be called tall compared to other she wolves, but she is average and standing in front of her stepmother, she looks like a giant, yet Wren still marvels at her stepmother's ability to look down her nose even when she is looking up.

"I've done the hard work for you. Just make sure you make it worth my while"

Wren frowns as she gazes upon the woman. Rebekah keeps saying things like that but she has no idea what she is meant to be doing or accomplishing in this place except for finishing off her schooling.

"What are you hoping for me to achieve?"

"Don't speak like that. You are the lucky one. Kerr didn't get to attend, neither did Lewis. You are the only one, still you talk back to me in such a way"

Wren understands why Kerr was not sent to the academy, but if Rebekah was actually willing to separate from Lewis he would have been here and Wren would have been pulled out anyway. So now that Rebekah is acting like she should be thankful, Wren can't understand her motives, it doesn't sit well, but it is not strong enough for her to want to leave.

"I am thankful"

That is true. She is thankful that she gets to go, but that is only because any place is better than that home. That pack stopped being her home long ago. She just didn't notice until she left the place she should have been considering home the whole time.

"Good now show it"

Rebekah nods at Marcus, who shoves Wren's bags into her arms with a little more force than necessary, but Wren doesn't move. Her father nods a greeting before wrapping his arm around Rebekah and the couple walk out together, leaving Wren standing all alone.

Wren's arms are wrapped tightly around one bag. Another bag on wheels by her feet. Her hand slowly twists around one single finger extending out of her fist, giggling to herself as she flips them the bird.

"Good riddance assholes, if I have my way I will never be back"