Three Alphas, one selection

Chapter 5

The time flew by my last couple of weeks came and went. Before I knew it was graduation day. A day of celebration. Also a day of goodbyes. Things have become a bit tense at home since my parents don’t agree with my plan and they have made it clear. They feel like I am abandoning them and have been trying to play on my overwhelming feeling of guilt. They know how easily I feel guilty which is why they know to focus on it. I’ve been trying very hard to stay strong. I can’t let them win and keep me in this bubble that I have been living in. This is why I am leaving really early tomorrow morning. Potentia Cogitionis works differently from other universities. There aren’t any terms and they never close. You can start up at any time in the year, which is why I heard back so quickly about my acceptance. They do admission once a month, but when they are full, they are full and no one else will be accepted. It’s better to apply late in the year when there have been dropouts and graduates and of course at the beginning of the year for the same reasons. So how does it work you get a set amount of hours that you need to be in class and you get all your assignments, but the thing is that it is a lot of self-study. The lecturers have a lot of office hours and one-on-ones. It’s also what classes are for. The classes are for questions that you might have and lessons planned according to queries they received during office hours. It means that there is no time wasted on unnecessary things or topics. On the other hand, it’s a very fast pace to keep up with and if you miss one class or one appointment you can fall behind. This way more of the students get their degrees faster than expected, but it also means that there are a lot of dropouts and failures. They only produce the best. People who graduate are usually very hard-working go-getters. I’ve heard that people who belong to the university pack get away with slacking since they aren’t kicked out, they can do a year's studies over a couple of years. If they miss one test it will be there again at a later time. That is the one thing I don’t like about the university, the pack seems to be filled with spoiled wolves that lack true pack responsibility. Lupus Nobilitatis translates into wolf nobility, they have allowed that name to go to their heads. The rumours might be wrong. I guess I will see once I get there. As for now, I’m sitting among my fellow graduates listening to a speech that seems to have been going on for what feels like an hour. It’s a faculty speech not one of us will remember. The students aren’t paying attention to a word and the parents are all probably trying to spot their kids in a sea of black caps. Most of them probably have their phones on record to catch a glimpse. I know my parents are both sitting there with their cameras ready afraid one of them will miss something, but with two camera’s it’s impossible to miss a second of this moment. I really got lucky in the parent department even though they can be smothering and don’t want me to have any other future other than a housewife and breeding machine. Well, I guess now their expectations also include Luna. The speech was finally over. The first row got up and they started to announce the names. We are sitting in alphabetical order. To the school, I’m a no one, just another name in an ocean of names. All my efforts were dedicated to the pack. I didn’t participate in any of the school events. Row for row the students got up and queued to go on stage. We need to go up on the right side of the stage, take our diplomas with our right hand and shake the principal's hand with our left. You need to hold the handshake for the photographer to get the photo, the principal will then congratulate you and you move across the stage to the steps on the left side. You exit out the door, and outside is a backdrop where each student has to pose with their diploma. Once you are done you enter through the back door and take your seat again. It's all very orderly. Before I knew it it was my turn.

“Dilara Seren.” My name was called and I followed the instructions. I got my diploma and went through the motions with a permanent smile plastered on my face. The other students were all talking and laughing. They all seemed giddy about today. I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I went and sat back down. I will have friends at university. I will have a life.

“We are proud of you.” I heard my father say from the balcony gallery of the hall. My ears picked up on it and I smiled. That is a benefit of having amazing hearing. I wonder if Sander actually graduated. We were in the same primary school, but different high schools. If we were in the same school I might have been able to say that I had one friend. He left before graduation for training, but it was after our exams. He might have graduated but is missing his graduation ceremony. Which is very sad. It’s one of those moments that we can’t get back. I believe in cherishing moments like these. Even if the speech was boring and I had no one to share the moment with. When every student was back in their seats we got to throw our caps in the air and then it was all over. My parents were waiting outside for me where we took a bunch of family photos. After that we went home the day felt a bit anti climatic. It was over. I had graduated, all those crazy hours of studying until the morning hours and it’s over so quickly. It’s kind of a let down. I still have to pack so I went upstairs to do it. I used my big travelling bag that I never used. We were going to go on vacation the one time, but the pack was attacked and as the pack doctor my father had to look after all the pack's injuries. My father is really busy. He works at the local hospital and on his days off he is the pack doctor. Werewolves can’t always go to the human hospital, We heal faster and usually when we are injured it’s with a bunch of claw marks. Animal attacks can only explain so much until people start looking for the dangerous animal and they might just come across the pack and try and kill one of us. Then there is pregnancy we aren’t pregnant for nine months. We are usually only pregnant for six months and we do have a bigger chance of having twins. The last big problem is that we run a bit hotter than normal so automatically when we go in we will be admitted for a fever. We should keep it apart, it just makes it difficult for my father to get time off, maybe a day a week, but not enough for a vacation. I packed all the clothes I will need in my travelling suitcase. In my mom's traveling suitcase I put my bedding that my mom had washed for me along with some photographs I had so that they don’t break. In a box, I put my side table lamps a couple of reading books and some of my bathroom things. I’ve been saving my pocket money for years. I plan to use it to buy my textbooks and the basic things I need. After finishing my limited packing I laid on my bare bed and looked at my room. It’s going to be a while before I get to sleep in this room again, probably when I come to visit. When I come home permanently I will probably have to move in with the Alpha and Luna. I went downstairs to get something to eat but was surprised by balloons and champagne popping. My parents and the Alpha and Luna stood there screaming congratulations. A big smile spread on my face. Suddenly graduation didn’t feel like a let down. I don’t need friends and a high school life all I need is my family. The Alpha and Luna included. In the living room was all my favourite take-out food. Which was odd since my mom thinks it’s is poison. As a stay-at-home wife and mom, she cooks all our meals and she likes using organic veggies and fruit. Take away is more something I did when I worked late. When Emilia would decide that it was time to feed me she would order food, because she can’t cook for the life of her. I guess if I smelled all my favourite home-cooked meals from upstairs I would have known something was up. We all sat down and ate. Them making jokes about me living the hard student life and how I would be living on noodles and homemade Ice tea. I know that the struggle might be real, but I won’t be struggling that much. I have saved up quite a bit and if I get a job I will be able to keep my savings and use my earnings of each month. After all that is the plan. It was a great night. When we were done eating and reminiscing I went upstairs to take a shower. After finishing I noticed that my mom had put some of my old bedding on my bed. I took off my slippers and got in bed. It was a long day so I drifted off to sleep easily. I tossed and turned all night, it was like my wolf was restless and worried. I don’t know if it is the change of environment or something else that had her on edge. I got up and took a quick shower since I was sweaty from the strange dark dreams and the tossing around all night. Seeing myself in the mirror I decided today was a make-up day. I have dark circles under my eyes and bags. I hardly look appealing. I did my make-up and curled my hair. I then got dressed in high-waisted black jeans and a loose jersey that is a white cream colour with one red sleeve and one black sleeve. I tugged it in in the front. I put on a pair of suede black ankle boots and a black headband to keep the hair out of my face. I put in a pair of diamond stud earrings. Once I was done I went downstairs. My mother had made French toast. She and my father were sitting at the table waiting for me. I sat down smiling at them as I took a piece of french toast and added some syrup and grated cheese.

“We need to talk to you.” My father said so I put the bite I was about to take down. Giving them my full attention.

“Don’t be a stranger, you can call us as much as you want and calling us because you miss us doesn’t mean that you are falling. It just means that you love us.” My mom said tears were filling her eyes as she stared at me. I’ve been so excited to leave, to get out from under them, but I never considered how they would feel. I know that they didn’t want me to go, which made me want to go so much more. I never thought that they would be sad to let me go.

“I will call you guys, mom. I promise. It might not be as often as you like, but I’ll call every time I have a free moment between classes, work and working for the pack.” I smiled at her.

“If there is any trouble at all you call me and I will be there. Don’t for a second let anyone treat you like you are beneath them. Remember that you are going to be a Luna. All of them are beneath you. I swear if anything happens to you I will s*******r that entire place.” I smiled at my overprotective father and the idea of him storming in at campus yelling and slashing as he goes.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, but if something happens, you will be the first I tell. I promise.” Now that I had promised them I turned back to my food. I ate the delicious food and helped my mom with the dishes. While we did that my father loaded my things into my car. He had filled the water and gas for me one last time. I have to make a mental note and an actual note to do these things when I’m at university. I hugged my parents before getting in my car. I felt a lump in my throat as I looked back at them in my rearview mirror as I pulled away. My mom was crying, and my father was holding her in his arms. I had to keep telling myself that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I can’t be sad in this moment. This is when my adventure starts. I put on my radio and had my favourite new song blasting as loud as it could go. At the moment Red by Taylor Swift is my favourite. I’m not a fan of singers specifically, I’m a fan of songs. Red just hits differently. It makes me feel happy and awake. I shouted the lyrics along at the top of my lungs and drummed at the steering wheel. I listened to it over and over again until I felt my mood had improved. I put the radio on shuffle play and listened to all my songs. In a couple of hours, I’ll be in my new town, going to university and being initiated into a new pack. I’ll get to be whoever I want to be. Mentally I started to make a list of things that I have to do when I arrive in the order of importance. Once I am done with all my tasks I can explore a bit, maybe even go for a run as a wolf to get to know the territory. My new territory. My new home. My new life. I hope that it is all that I have been dreaming about. After all, this is my escape until I can go back. Even when I go back things will change I won’t be who I used to be I will be the Luna, I will be with Sander. It gives me butterflies. It is actually very nerve-ranking and exciting.