Renegade (Urban Academy Rejects

Book 1) Mazzy J. March

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Renegade
Copyright 2024 by Mazzy J. March
Digital ISBN: 978-1-68361-942-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-68361-943-7

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any
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Published by Decadent Publishing LLC

Table of Contents

Stories by Mazzy J. March

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
An Excerpt From Urban Academy 9
About Mazzy J. March
Connect with Mazzy!
There are two wolves inside me. One I was born with and one born of trauma. Trauma I don’t remember and no one will tell
me about.

There’s no other shifter like me and for that reason, I can never have a mate.

Life is hard enough running from the Light Kingdom’s fury without adding romance to the mix. They want to drive out a part of
me—kill my night wolf, my second wolf. She is a part of me now, and I’m not letting her go. After I met with the headmistress
of the Urban Academy, she feared that I would be easily found inside its walls.

The best place for me to hide my light was among the shadows and the darkness. There was a place for the peskier shifters—
her words, not mine. Those who made trouble. Couldn’t control their shifts. Couldn’t cage their beast’s violence.

Once I got there, I had to hide my true self. If people knew I had a duality, the repercussions could be severe. So, I would do as
the headmistress told me—keep my head down and my wolves hidden—both of them.

And then I met the Three Kings. They stayed together—their own little pack. My wolves called out for me to go to them—both
of my wolves wanted them desperately.

Wanting them was one thing; getting them would mean the end of my night wolf and maybe my life.

Urban Academy Rejects: Renegade is the first story in the Urban Academy Rejects series by bestselling author Mazzy
J. March. It is a spinoff of the Urban Academy series featuring shifters and other paranormal beings who for various
reasons do not fit in with “mainstream” paranormals. Some have dark pasts, others darkness within them, but all have
stories waiting to be told and lives that could easily end far too soon. But love is key, and as always Mazzy promises an
HEA—eventually.
Stories by Mazzy J. March
The Lycan Academy
First Howling
Second Growl
Third Snarl
Jaded Love

Shifters of Consequence
Survivor
Legacy
Triumph
Dominion
Torn
Tether
Tremble
Tinsel

Academy of Fire and Ash

Betrayed by Dragons
Coveted by Dragons
Mated to Dragons

Sciathain Academy
Veiled Wings
Sullied Wings
Dawning Wings
Across the Veil

Mated in Silence
Rejected by Fate
Rejected by Blood
Rejected by Birth

Reaper’s Claw Wolf Pack

Abandoned at Birth
Forsaken Life
Endangered Heart
Heir Alight

Ridgewood Rogue Wolves Saga

Mangled
Marred
Wounded
Restored
Absolute

Shifters of the Golden Flame

Dragon Sacrifice
Dragon’s Divulgence
Dragon’s Vindication

Stars Aligned Series

Procyon
Nebula
Zenith

Academy of the Ravens

 Darkened Wings
A Conspiracy
An Unkindness
A Murder
Urban Academy
Semester One
Semester Two
Semester Three
Semester Four
Semester Five
Semester Six
Semester Seven
Semester Eight
Semester Eight.Five
Semester Nine

Urban Academy Rejects

Renegade

Mail-Order Matings
Delivered to My Mates
Delivered to My Pandas
Delivered to My Alphas
Delivered to My Koalas
Delivered to My Protectors
Delivered to My Polar Bears
Delivered to My Orcs
Delivered to My Tigers

By Mazzy J. March and Jenna M. Jett

The Conjurer Academy

Enigma
Psionic
 Renegade
Urban Academy Rejects Book 1
By
Mazzy J. March
 Chapter One
Karelis
“Shut the door behind you, Karelis. This office is safe.”
I’d come to the Urban Academy to try to find a place to belong. Five minutes later, after some wide eyes from the
administration staff, and I was in the headmistress’ office. As I reached for the heavy door to her luxurious office, I caught
some of the students staring at me. I’d come here because of the rumors about Valentina and her mates. If a descendant of Circe
was safe here, perhaps I would be as well.
But the way I was shuffled into the office made me wonder.
“Can I put this down?” I asked, motioning to the backpack that seemed light when I packed it only a week ago but now was
heavy, as if loaded with cinder blocks.
“Of course. Anywhere is fine. Sit down, Karelis.”
I sat down in one of the high-backed leather chairs and looked to the ceiling while the headmistress picked up a sticky
note. It was fancy, yes, but nothing compared to where I had come from. Then again, the kingdom I’d escaped had gold on the
ceilings and some along the walls, and veins of it in the white marble that adorned the throne room.
I fucking hated the throne room. A flamboyant flaunting of riches and wealth.
My fingers itched as the leather-bound volumes along the walls called to me. If this was my library/office, there would be
no working done. Only reading. Luxurious, delusional time with me and these books.
“Karelis, tell me what’s going on, please.”
I squirmed. I had to be choosy about my truth, but, in my predicament, the truth was sacred and could only be shared with
those who wouldn’t put a call in to the ones who would keep me captive. “I was hoping to attend the academy.”
“What are you running from, Karelis?”
My heart thumped, and I looked down, surprised it hadn’t landed in my lap. “What do you mean? I want to attend the
academy.”
The headmistress nodded and leaned back, crossing her legs. “Karelis, I can’t help you if you keep on hiding the truth.
Where are you running from?”
Still, I wasn’t ready. She smelled honest enough, but if I’d learned anything in the last year or so, it was that a person
didn’t have to lie to manipulate. They could spin the truth. Spout sweet words that would one day turn into sour actions. They
could claim they wanted the best for me, but their best was twisted and ugly.
“What makes you think I’m running?” I stiffened my posture and ticked my gaze over to my backpack. Three footsteps,
maybe four, and I could get to it and be out of here before she muttered another word.
The thing was, I was out of options. I needed an ally. A refuge. A place to lie low, if only for a bit. My money was almost
gone, and the mental load of being on the run was wearing me down.
“The backpack. The way you keep eyeing it, ready to go at a moment’s notice. Your accent is from another part of the
country. And you just got off the bus.”
“Fumes?” I asked, guessing the diesel scent still clung to my clothes and probably my hair.
She nodded. “Wherever you came from, I’m not going to turn you in but I can also tell you that you’re not safe here. I can
help you but not without information.”
“I came from the Light Kingdom. They wanted…they wanted to forcibly remove a part of me.”
The poised woman leaned forward, a tendril of dark-brown hair releasing itself from her chignon and framing her face.
Her eyes were wide. “The Light Kingdom? I didn’t even know they still existed.” She sat back and repeated the name of the
place I was from under her breath.
“They do,” I responded.
“What do you mean they wanted to remove a part of you? Like an arm?”
I laughed at her candor. “No. Like my second wolf.”
Her body swayed forward as though my admission affected her physically. “A second wolf?”
“Most people have that reaction. You see now why I’m not safe. They have tentacles all over this world. It’s only a matter
of time before they find me if I’m on the run. I need a place to hide. I was hoping this was the place.”
“It’s not,” she said, deflating me completely. “But I think I know a place that will do. I’m also guessing there’s more to this
story about your second wolf, but I’ll let you keep those secrets. There’s another school. A sister school. An ugly-stepsister
school. It’s not governed as strongly by the council that runs this place. You’d have to keep the second wolf to yourself.”
“I can do that. She’s used to being tucked away.”
“What happens if she’s not?” the headmistress asked.
I blew out a breath. I was encouraged not to acknowledge and certainly not talk about my other wolf while I was in the
Light Kingdom.
 They hated her.
I loved her.
They feared her.
I encouraged her snarls and snaps.
They wanted her gone.
I knew she was my savior.
“I think…I think she has the potential to tear this fucking world apart.”
“Yeah, I can feel that.” The woman’s eyes glimmered with danger and intrigue. The headmistress stood. “I’m going to put
you on a bus, Karelis. The Urban Rehabilitation Academy is for those who are on the fringe of something dark. They have
disobeyed. They are the shadows of shifter society. But if you keep your wolves hidden, I don’t think they would look for you
there.”
“Will I be safe? I mean, it sounds like you’re sending me to a prison.”
“Not a prison. Most of them are merely misunderstood or have issues that no one has delved into and most don’t care to.
They are much stricter than we are. More discipline. Tighter schedules. They won’t look for you among the delinquents. Not
among the rejects. Come with me. The bus leaves tonight.”
 Chapter Two
Blaze
The driver dropped me off at the front door then the long, black car disappeared down the long drive, taking the last bit of
normalcy with it. At home for the holidays, it was hard to remember that I faced this ignominy on my return. The school didn’t
look too different in architecture from the Urban Academy I once attended and where my twin brother was even now returning.
As the black sheep of the family, I had been transferred to the Urban Rehabilitation Academy to learn manners or morals
or whatever the administration of the Urban Academy thought I lacked. If I met these standards, I might be able to return to my
original school and friends, but somehow, I didn’t see that as possible. Asher did. My twin was the ultimate optimist, seeing
the good in everyone, even me. But the truth was, nobody who was banished to the reject academy ever made it back to the
mainstream. The best I could hope for was to survive the school and graduate—then move far away where nobody knew me
and try to get a fresh start.
I’d miss my family, but as long as I stayed in the area, I’d never be able to have any kind of a life. Certainly not one like
my brother had with his mates. Raven and Onyx were incredible, and I was very happy for him. But it was one more way he
was succeeding where I was not. Had we ever really been those inseparable little guys getting into the same kind of mischief?
Shouldering the strap of my duffel, I mounted the stairs, fighting the instinct to cut and run. Technically I was old enough to
make my own decisions, but I needed my degree, even for that fresh start. Or so my parents insisted, and they’d gotten me to
promise not to walk away. I didn’t even know why I’d agreed, but despite popular opinion, I was a man of my word.
At the top of the steps, I pressed the button beside the door and waited for someone in the security room to buzz me in.
Funny that. Keeping the people inside from leaving was not the issue that many probably assumed. If we left, we’d be shunned
or whatever our individual pack chose as punishment. The doors were locked to protect us from enemies made by individual
students on their way in, for the most part. Rumors abounded about other threats, but it was difficult to nail them down.
Inside, I headed down the hall to the suite I shared with other delinquents. Unpacking wouldn’t take long. I had plenty of
clothes at home, but if I didn’t take my laundry when I went, my mother would fuss, so everything in my bag was freshly
laundered by staff or holiday gifts. Mom suggested I get up early and come here tomorrow, but I needed the night to decompress
and get used to being back. Not something she understood, and of course she tried to keep all of us at home until the last
possible moment.
In fact, she often pointed out to Father that she’d suggested we be tutored rather than go to any of the academies, and this
was the one bone of contention in their happy marriage. She blamed him for where I ended up.
“Blaze!” A girl who never got to go home for any holidays was sitting curled up in a chair near the library. She had a book
open in her lap, but since it was upside down, I didn’t think she was reading it. Not unless Angie had a gift I’d never heard of.
No, she had positioned herself to watch as everyone came back. The past weeks would have been lonely for her here, with the
hallways empty and only a few other students at most remaining in the building along with a skeleton staff.
Everyone wanted to go home for the winter holidays, the summer holidays…all of them, and I never understood how
parents could leave their children like that. Okay, there were reasons why they ended up here to start with, and in many cases,
their troubled presence would make for less than a serene Yule…but they were still their family. Mine had never made me feel
unwelcome, for which I would always be grateful.
It seemed I was one of the earlier returns because after exchanging a few remarks with Angie, I didn’t run into any other
students or staff on the way to my rooms. Outside the tall windows, snow drifted down, making our semi-prison grounds into a
winter wonderland. In fact, all it would do was isolate us further. There were no mountains for skiing or sledding nearby, no
pond for hockey, and except for letting our wolves run in the woods, we’d spend the next months inside looking out.
Our suite was the last one at the end of the hallway, and I let myself in and trod through the common room to my private
space. Inside, I tossed the duffel on my bed and reached for the zipper, only to hear my phone buzz.
Since phones went to very limited access the moment I crossed the threshold of the school, it had to be someone inside.
Who else was back so soon? I checked the screen.
Admin. No message from them was ever good or happy. Not in this place. For a moment I considered ignoring it.
Technically, I wasn’t even required to be here until tomorrow, but if I didn’t see what they wanted, it would keep me up, so I
plopped down next to my bag and picked up the phone.
Swiped the screen and clicked on the notification.
Report to the dean of discipline before your first class of the term.
Shit. What did I do now?
 Chapter Three
Karelis
Clutching my backpack slash emotional support bag tightly against my chest, I leaned my head against the dusty window of
the bus. One touch of my fingertip revealed that the layer of brown and gray dirt was on the other side of the window. Didn’t
make the inside completely clean, but clean enough to be a rest for my head, which was so heavy I feared it might pop off my
neck if I didn’t give it a crutch.
The headmistress of the Urban Academy had made sure I had dinner, a feast. I didn’t know when the last time I’d had a hot
meal was, but the taste of the first bite of lemon chicken reminded my tongue. Too long. That was its verdict.
My eyes had almost closed when the bus driver shouted something. I picked up my head and looked around for the person
she had spoken to but found the rest of the passengers had huddled into the back seats. They clearly already knew each other
and were chatting and sharing videos.
“Me?” I asked, pointing to my chest.
“Yeah. I was asking if you were hungry. I always keep some granola bars stashed under the seat next to where you’re
sitting. Some students come a long way to get to the academy. Everybody needs a snack.”
I moved my bag to the side and glanced under the green pleather seat. Sure enough, there was a square wicker basket filled
to the brim with packaged granola bars, both the healthier version and the ones that were almost candy bars. While I had eaten
a hearty dinner, I took a few of the bars and stuck them into my backpack and handed the driver one as well. “Thanks,” I said
and thought that would be the end of our conversation.
I was wrong.
“If you ask me, the kids going to that reject academy aren’t so bad. Some were raised under bad circumstances. Others
were shunned from their packs. Some rejected by their mates, even at your age. There are all kinds of reasons why kids act out
the way they do, and rarely does it have anything to do with being rotten to the core.”
Okay, then. “I thought it was called the Urban Rehabilitation Academy.”
She scoffed and pushed down on the brakes with all her might. The damned pedal went all the way to the floor, but we
barely slowed. The driver muttered some words, and only then did the bus decelerate with hisses and groans. “The kids call it
the Reject Academy.”
“Are you a…” I began to ask her if she was a witch because of the bus obeying her, but movement outside the window
stole my attention. A girl was saying goodbye to a middle-aged couple, probably her parents. They were standing behind her,
but even from inside this noisy bus, the words of admonishment and veiled threats could be heard.
She’d better act right—or else.
This was her last chance.
They couldn’t take another embarrassment like the one before.
The last one made me cringe.
Don’t even bother coming home if another incident occurred.
I knew a thing or two about the threats. They started out sounding like love but, in the end, there was nothing heartfelt about
them.
The young woman, probably the same age as me, stood facing the bus, with her shoulders slumped and tears welling in her
eyes. She bid them goodbye without turning around and, once her foot hit the bottom step of the bus, they turned and got their
phones out, heading to their expensive cars.
She was already forgotten—or compartmentalized. Neither was a great place to be.
“Can I sit here?” the girl asked after a brief greeting from the driver. She was asking me even though there were plenty of
seats empty near the middle.
“Yeah. Sure.”
She had long red braids on either side of her face. Her overalls and red sneakers, along with the braids, gave her a
childish charm. Once the bus got rolling again, she straightened her shoulders, swiped her face of the tears that wouldn’t be
held back, and began taking the bands from her hair.
“My name is June,” she said and unraveled both braids. She put all of that fiery hair into a bun on the top of her head. With
some maneuvering, she took off the striped shirt while keeping the overalls on. Underneath was a cropped black T-shirt. Next,
she took off her contacts in a balancing act that would surely vet her into some circus act then put on a pair of black-framed
glasses.
I watched in awe as her entire appearance changed in a few minutes. The bus driver let out a loud laugh. “Wow!”
She looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Usually when someone introduces themselves, the other person does, too.”
“Oh. Yeah. I’m Karelis.” I jutted my hand out, trying to smooth over my previous rudeness. “You had me in a trance with
the wardrobe change. Sorry.”
 “Karelis. That’s unique. Yeah. My parents prefer homely and depressed. That way, they can pretend this is all a mistake
and there’s no way they raised a delinquent. They can threaten all they want to. I don’t care anymore. While they were busy
with their meetings and socialite parties, I moved everything dear to me to a storage unit. I’m not going back after this semester.
I’ll figure out something.”
“I…” I had to be careful as to what I revealed and to whom. “I can’t go home, either. We can’t stay in between
semesters?”
“I don’t know but my parents live overseas most of the year. They probably won’t even notice I’m gone for a while.
Maybe we can work together.”
The bus driver stopped at a four-way and glanced over her shoulder at me. “I’m glad you two are getting along. You two
were the last accepted students. They gave me the list. Looks like you are going to be roommates.”
“You got the list?” June said. “Are you sure?”
The woman handed her a printout and, while June’s name was at the bottom along with the others, mine was scribbled next
to hers in pen. What an afterthought.
June nodded. “She’s right. You’re stuck with me now.”
“Yeah.” I tried like hell to be positive. “Cool.”
Great. It was enough that I had to hide my wolves from the other students, but now I had to hide it from a roommate?
Running from the Light Kingdom was what they promised and threatened me—a nightmare.
 Chapter Four
Casimir
The motorcycle was new, the latest in a series of bribes to keep me on track here at the Reject Academy. My parents
suffered under the impression that they had to make up for the way I’d been treated by the shifter educational system, so they
gave me bigger and bigger gifts, never asking if I wanted them.
It wasn’t the best way to travel in winter, but I liked having some level of independence, a way to leave should I ever
decide that school was too much for me. So I wore my wooliest scarf around my neck, tucked into the leather jacket that had
also been part of the gift. And of course, a helmet. Shifters’ skulls, even ones as hard as mine, could break when an accident
occurred.
They were concerned enough that I insisted on riding it back to school. But once I had those wheels under me, I refused to
use their driver.
The school was not thrilled with my bike and tried to refuse to allow me to keep it there during the term, but my warrior-
class mother placed a call and no further objections were brought. Mother and Father had objected to my going to school at all;
I was the first in our line to do it, and since the administrators had assumed I’d be some kind of a wild troublemaker, I’d been
assigned to this campus. Oddly my parents hadn’t minded that. I think they secretly hoped I’d hate it enough to quit. But they’d
be damned if someone was going to tell their son he couldn’t keep their gift at his disposal.
If anyone was likely to make trouble, it was my parents. But that didn’t stop the school from watching me for any sign of
misbehavior. I could have told them it wouldn’t happen. Warriors were nothing if not disciplined—at least until they got high
enough up in the pecking order to add ego to their character traits.
I could take whatever they dished out here, and so far, I had. When I chose to get a traditional education, I took it as
seriously as the warrior craft I’d been taught in the pack. We needed more than just knowledge of weapons and fighting and
how to claw out an enemy’s intestines if we were going to thrive in the modern world. As the future alpha of our pack, I felt I
had to lead the way, learn as much as I could, and be prepared to guide us to the future.
Our warrior skills were unsurpassed—but they weren’t the only things we needed to have at our disposal. Until a few
years before, most tech had been forbidden on the pack lands, and even now, the only PC I was sure of was in the office and
used largely for emails and accounting. Smart phones, on the other hand, were in the pocket of every young one who could find
a way to get them, which meant we had children doing things the adults did not understand and could not police.
For some reason, only I seemed to be disturbed by that. When I’d brought it up at a council meeting, the others brushed
them aside as “only phones.” I’d been the first one to have one, and knew well how much more than devices to call a friend
they were, but I feared if I pushed too hard, showed them what might really be happening, the alpha—Father—and his betas
would round up and destroy all the devices.
Which would not only throw us even more out of the mainstream but likely lead to a stream of young people leaving the
pack as soon as they were able. And with what I’d learned since being at school here, that was a problem for packs a whole lot
more accepting of the modern world than we were.
Pack lands had their charms, but the cities were exciting, and sometimes when you were too young to know any better, you
forgot that your wolf also had needs that might be difficult to fulfill there. I wasn’t sure what to do about that yet, but I hoped
that by spending these years with other shifters, making better connections with other packs, I might learn how they were
dealing with the same situation.
It was the only way our brave and noble line could continue and even thrive. Just try to explain that to my parents and the
other leaders… It was not possible. Being placed here with the troublemakers and semi-criminals of the wolf world was not
the optimum situation, but I had hopes that in time, I’d be able to prove myself worthy of going to the Urban Academy where I
could meet the more successful of my peers.
It was my single goal, and one I’d managed to delay, or worse, when I got into a fight the previous semester with one of the
bullies who made this school their home. They’d chosen to overlook my background because I made an effort not to allow
anyone to draw me into arguments or other negative situations. One fight. And my lack of control in that single instance might
have cost my pack the place in the wolf world I sought. Didn’t matter that I’d had no choice but to defend myself or that my
superior skills had made the situation end with nobody hurt too badly. I fought. The dean of discipline made it clear he’d been
waiting for me to behave like this.
Now I had to start at ground zero, or even lower, to prove myself.
I couldn’t afford another incident, no matter what. Even this school had its limits and when everyone expected you to be a
problem, you had way less leeway than the rest. Instead of gaining admission to the Urban Academy, I could find myself
returned home in ignominy, having lost the best chance for my entire pack to grow and thrive.
Nothing was worth that. If someone attacked, I’d have to…what? Let them?
My training would make that difficult if not impossible.
 Chapter Five
Karelis
“This is it?” June and I asked at the same time, laughing.
But our driver was busy passing an open set of tall iron gates and piloting the bus down a narrow drive that went on
forever, so she simply gave us a thumbs-up. The road was smooth compared to the others on the way here and was framed by
tall, looming trees with leaves glistening from the dripping ice. Up ahead, a grandiose yet grayish and foreboding castle came
into view. There were several towers, but it was a place in a story where the villain queen lived instead of the giggly princess.
Instead of rounded turns, making the place less severe, hard corners and jagged rocks made up the outside. From the front, it
appeared that windows weren’t a thing. Anywhere.
Once the bus pulled into the giant circular drive and grunted to a stop in front of the drawbridge-like doors, she got up and
bowed dramatically. This woman was a trip. “Welcome to the Urban Rehabilitation Academy, new students and old. I’ll see
you when the semester ends. Take care of yourselves in there.”
Not weird at all.
She then opened the bus doors, but even though June and I were at the front, we were the last ones out. The other students
hopped off and waited for the doors to open. A woman appeared, clapping some of them on the shoulder and lifting her chin at
others.
If I could get away with not being greeted by her, it would be great.
“Go on, you two. Take care of each other. It’s a war zone in there.” The bus driver nearly pushed us out as we both clung
to our bags. Well, my one bag. June had four and carried them without any trouble. She was tiny and mighty.
“Here goes nothing,” June muttered. We walked inside, approaching the woman with a blood-red skirt suit and her hair cut
close to her head. Large pearl earrings weighed her lobes down.
“You are June Harding and you…oh, you must be Karelis Sol. Welcome both of you. The others have gone into their dorm
rooms from the last term, but you two follow me.”
She led us through a hallway with marbled floors and tree-tall ceilings where the only sounds were the echoes of her
square heels hitting the floor beneath her. I snickered to myself as the slit in her skirt revealed a thigh tattoo as it swished on
her thighs.
“Here is the main office in case you should need anything. Let’s pick up your welcome packet and your schedules here then
we will proceed to your dorm room.” We stood outside the office while she chatted, interrupting a man on the phone. He
looked up and nodded once before handing the woman a stack of papers and then went back to his phone call.
“Ms…” I started since she hadn’t told me her name.
“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Hollis James but all the kids call me Miss Hollis. I’m the headmistress’ administrative
assistant, and this is Ranger, our school secretary.”
He waved while we were leaving.
“Ms. Hollis, do I need to fill out any paperwork? I know I’m a last-second acceptance.”
She shook her head. “No. We got everything from the headmistress at UA. We have it all.”
“Oh…okay.” I had given the other headmistress some details, but perhaps in trying to help me, she had made up the rest. I
only hoped I didn’t screw it up, mixing up details.
“This way. You two are on the freshman floor. There’s a map in your welcome packets, but the students are very helpful
with directions. They know all the shortcuts between buildings and such, but be aware. After all, this is a rehabilitation
academy. Not everyone has your best interests in mind.”
Gods, what had I gotten myself into? Ask the students, but beware the students.
My calves burned, and my stomach growled as we speed-walked from the main building to the next. She gave us some
general directions, pointing out some newer structures along the back that were out of sight from the front view of the school.
Behind the threatening but picturesque rectangle castle where we’d entered the school, there were expansive buildings. Some
held classrooms. The one in the middle was a library and study hall, and the others were a gymnasium and a dining hall.
“There is a smaller library in the main building as well. All of your meals are provided, of course. Uniforms are in your
closet, along with shoes. Backpacks are standard and provided as well. All of the rules and standards are in your packet.”
June stopped walking. “Uniforms? No one said anything about uniforms.”
Ms. Hollis let out a long breath but never turned around to face us. “This isn’t play school where you get to have a fashion
show, Miss Harding. This is where you learn discipline and order. And nothing says order more than everyone wearing the
exact same thing. Can we proceed? It’s getting dark.”
“Yes, please,” I responded. Even though I’d only known June a few hours, I tugged on her elbow. She rolled her eyes at
Ms. Hollis but let me tow her along.
Once we were in the room, I nearly dropped my bag. It was right out of one of those inspiration boards. The walls were
dark teal and simple twin beds were in dark wood frames with carved headboards with dressers and nightstands to match.
Even the desks were the same stain. The comforters looked new and plush. It had been months since I slept in a bed that wasn’t
a seedy motel.
“Bathroom is through there. Every room has its own. The rest is in your packet.” Ms Hollis turned to give us a stern look.
Her hands were on her hips. “Learn the packet. Tattoo it to your memory because everything you need to know and every rule
you need to follow is in that packet. You’d be wise to follow it if you intend to stay here and graduate. Good night, ladies. I
will see you both in the morning.”
She shut the door behind her, and I was surprised she didn’t lock us in. There were no sounds in the hallways or from
anywhere on campus, actually. Perhaps the other students hadn’t arrived. Maybe the rules were so strict they feared making a
peep.
“Hey, Karelis?” June asked, tossing her bags on the nearest bed.
“Yeah?”
“Where in the hell are we supposed to be in the morning?”
 Chapter Six
Adan
Human college was never like this.
I wasn’t sure if I would even be admitted, when I was dropped off at the gates of the Rejects Academy in the early hours
of the morning. Technically, the entrance to the complex was locked all the time, and I would have to buzz for someone to
unlock it, but there was not always someone available to do that after about ten o’clock. Also, coming so late would probably
get me some kind of flack that even reminding them it was a delayed flight would not resolve.
I’d never been sure what the local humans thought of the school, if they had any idea who went there, but most probably
just thought it was a prep school or something. At least that was what the administrators tried to put out there. A very expensive
academy on the outskirts that none of them would be able to afford, so why even think about it. We did leave campus from time
to time for shopping or such things, but we didn’t do it in uniform, so we just blended in to the passersby in the smallish city.
The rideshare was not permitted inside the gates, however, so I had to make the trek down the drive on foot. Only private
cars owned by the families of students or the weird bus the school maintained could penetrate the hallowed campus. There had
always been rumors of wolves in the nearby countryside, but if anyone saw the number who might be on the grounds, it would
draw unnecessary attention from the local authorities or even the state fish and wildlife people.
Trudging along, I tugged the collar of my coat closer to my throat, shivering and cursing the rules that governed my life.
There should have been no reason I couldn’t go to college, except that my education had no record nor would it have met
official requirements for admission. The level of homeschooling provided to those in our pack was minimal, and few could do
more than a human sixth-grade education, but gaming was popular, and having access to the internet, I’d set out to gain a real
degree of knowledge.
And that’s where my journey to this severe place began.
Nearing the steps to the front door, I veered off and headed left to a section of wall I’d climbed before. It was hidden
behind some shrubbery at the base and led to an open courtyard beyond from which I could enter the dorms and go to my room
without checking in. It would drive someone crazy, but since they were on limited tech, it would be my word against whoever
was on duty late tonight. It was a volunteer job always taken on by kiss-asses, so I had no qualms about letting them get in
trouble for not checking me in.
At the top of the wall, I dropped my bag to the ground and hopped down after it. Then stayed in the shadows as I made my
way to the dorms. Most of the time, there would be monitors making sure nobody broke curfew, but with everyone returning
from winter holidays, rules would be lax until tomorrow. Not that I let the monitors stop me from doing things like this, but it
did make it a little easier.
I could hear their voices before I opened the door to our suite. My roommates, Casimir and Blaze. Of the three of us, I was
the only one who deserved to be here. Blaze never spoke of how he got moved from the Urban Academy, but he was every bit
the good guy his brother was, so how bad could it be? And Casimir? His only guilt was being born into a warrior clan. He
spent every day trying to prove he belonged in a better place.
Me?
I’d used my self-taught computer skills to hack into the computer system of a major human university and carved out an all-
expenses-paid ride for myself there. I actually could have gone to the Urban Academy, but they didn’t offer the engineering
degree I wanted. So…I left a note and headed off to the ivy-covered walls where I spent a full year before being found out by
the administration.
That still wouldn’t have mattered because I could have come home and tried something else, if not for a newspaper article
someone somewhere spotted and reported to the elders… If I wanted to go to school, I had to go to this one. And if I didn’t
want to…I had to anyway. I’d been blasted for chancing revealing us to the human world. We weren’t nearly as hidden
anymore as they might wish, and while I’d never told anyone at college that I was a wolf shifter, I heard enough talk there to
know they were less than mythological. But try to tell that to the elders who insisted only secrecy kept us safe.
“Well, are you going to stand in the hallway all night, or are you coming in?” While I was woolgathering, Blaze had
yanked the door open, and the two of them stood grinning at me. “It’s so late, we figured you wouldn’t be back until morning.”
“Nah. I had a delayed flight, or it would have been earlier.”
“Who checked you in?” Casimir asked.
“Nobody. I took the wall.”
“You’re a bad ’un.” Blaze imitated one of our professors. “No wonder you’re here in the Reject Academy.”
“Right?” I tossed my bag on the common room sofa and sank down next to it. “What are we drinking?” Unlike the
freshmen, we had our own rooms around this shared space. Not big or luxurious, but privacy was welcome.
“Do you really think we should?” Casimir held up a bottle, finger to his lips lest I forgot the walls had ears. Not that there
were electronic listening devices or cameras, but ears to doors? Yeah, that happened.
 “Of course not. Just kidding.” I accepted the glass of whiskey he passed me. “Do we have any milk?”
“Not yet.” Blaze tore open a bag of chips. “Kitchen wasn’t open when we got here. You’ll have to make due.”
I tossed back a shot and swallowed. “Doing the best I can.”
“Oh, check your messages. Dean of discipline has summoned Blaze.”
I didn’t have to see that particular guy, but I did find a message ordering me to admin. “What do they want this time? I had
my whole schedule all laid out when I left for the holidays.” One thing about the Rejects Academy. We were always in trouble
for something or other. Even if it was paperwork trouble.
 Chapter Seven
Karelis
Over coffee the next morning, June and I took in the sights and people who were rejects. There were groups already
formed. People who knew each other and some stragglers like us.
“Why is it you get to go to the administration office while I have to look at Hollis sourpuss for a rousing hour of
announcements?”
“Probably going over the rules. Again,” I said before taking the last sip of my coffee. It was more than coffee. This place
had a caramel cappuccino that put every other coffee place to shame.
June sighed and, while she held her cup, she hadn’t taken the first drink of it. I wondered a lot of things about my new
friend and roommate. Like how she fit that many clothes into her bags then magically got it all hung up and organized into our
tiny closet. How one person needed all those shoes. And how despite not putting on any makeup, she looked like she stepped
out of a runway show.
I thought I’d done magic by remembering to hang my jeans and shirt out while I showered the night before. Every piece of
clothing in my backpack was rumpled, and some of it was a few worn times past the washing expiration date.
There should be laundry facilities here somewhere. I just needed to find them.
June checked her watch and called out the time. We weren’t late, but considering we only had a paper map and no clue
how to navigate this campus, we should’ve left earlier.
I would’ve left earlier, but I had stayed up most of the night trying to meld those rules into my head. There were simply too
many of them. The schedule was rigid, but I would get used to it, but the stipulations about library use and restricted hallways
seemed arbitrary. Unless they were hiding something around here. I knew a thing or two about that.
There were also rules about mating and not sneaking into other dorm rooms. I bet that one went over well with shifters in
their prime. From what I knew about my kind, we were exuberant about sex. Though I’d never had the pleasure, we all craved
touch. From friends. Family members. Lovers.
With my predicament, mates were out of the question, but that didn’t stop my inner beasts from craving them.
They didn’t understand the problem with being me.
I didn’t really understand it myself, but others hadn’t restrained themselves from reminding me constantly.
“See you later?” I asked June as we reached the grassy common area where our paths would branch apart.
“Yeah. Hopefully I’m out for lunch. Have fun with administration.”
I followed the map until I arrived back where Ms. Hollis had brought us the day before. I smoothed down my black tank
top and jeans with the palms of my hands. My ragged checkerboard sneakers had seen better days, but when you were living
out of a backpack, choices were made.
“Ms. Sol, please take a seat. The headmistress will be with you shortly. In the meantime, could you fill these out please?”
The young man from the day before handed me a clipboard with four or five forms and a pen that probably was worth more
than my entire wardrobe. He leaned over the counter and whispered, “Whatever you can’t reveal, don’t worry about it, okay,
sugar?” A wink followed his murmurings, and he waved me away to the rows of seats outside what I assumed was the
headmistress’ office. Another door adjacent had a gold placard with fancy font that read Disciplinary Office.
Such a nice design for something so harsh. Or maybe they were trying to put students at ease.
Either way, I didn’t plan on finding out what was on the other side of that door.
While I filled out the forms, leaving more blanks empty than not, my darker wolf, Night, as I called her, let out a low
growl. Not menacing. Rather, she was trying to get me to pay attention to my surroundings. Ms. Hollis warned us about the
other students, that some of them had ill intentions, but I knew Night would always protect me in this way. She stayed alert and,
unlike my other wolf, she never saw the best in people.
I’d learned over time to heed her promptings.
I turned the page and scanned the room quickly. Night wasn’t exactly a conversationalist, so I had to figure things out on
my own once she warned me. There were students waiting in chairs. None of them were on their phones, which was a surprise.
Even in the Light Kingdom, everyone’s attention had been stolen by devices of all sorts. I’d never been allowed one, so the
addiction never bloomed.
Maybe phones weren’t allowed here?
Someone to my left cleared their throat and, when I looked to see who it was, my chest constricted. There wasn’t only one
but two gorgeous men, sitting side by side. One had dark hair and brown eyes with an olive complexion. He was tall, even
while sitting down. My fingers ached as I took in his broad shoulders. Damn, they would be nice to hold on to.
The other one had black hair, darker and shinier than the first guy. He wasn’t as burly or built, but that took nothing away
from his attractiveness. I crossed my legs as tingling crept up them. Maybe crossing them would halt the goose bumps.
They were talking to each other in hushed tones but, at once, turned.
 The first one moved in his seat and caught my gaze.
I tried to look away. I swear I did.
A shudder passed through me and, while my darker wolf had growled at first, now Sol, my light wolf howled so loudly
that I clapped my hands over my ears and dropped both the clipboard and the expensive pen in the process. They clattered to
the floor, loud in the quiet room.
“You okay there, Ms. Sol?” the young man behind the desk asked.
“Yeah. Um. Yeah.” I gathered up the clipboard and handed it to him. The papers were bent and torn in one corner but he
took them anyway. “Thanks. Where do I go now?”
“To the auditorium. You can catch the last of the announcements.”
I turned on my heel, determined to retain a sliver of my dignity in front of the two demi-gods. I made it out of there, but
once I was out of range of sight or hearing, I heaved breaths in and out. My heart stammered. Both of my wolves were restless.
Damn, I had to avoid those two at all costs. There was no telling what I would do in their presence.
 Chapter Eight
Blaze
Waiting for my meeting with the dean of discipline, I tried some of the relaxation tips I’d gotten from the school counselor.
One of the ways they tried to help us was by teaching us how to channel anger and other negative emotions into “healthier”
ones. Unfortunately, I found most of it to be nonsense, since I couldn’t think of a time when I had been angry or sad or upset
when it was not merited. And I refused to suppress any legitimate feelings and pretend they didn’t exist.
On the other hand, I did not object to using techniques that helped me avoid striking out in ways that the people in charge
here would consider inappropriate. I promised my brother I would be a “paragon of virtue” in an effort to be returned to the
Urban Academy. It seemed I spent most of my waking hours here trying not to get in trouble instead of just going to class and
learning. The actual classes followed the same curriculum as the other school, so there was no lack of opportunity to gain an
education. But nobody in their right mind wanted their diploma to read The Urban Rehabilitation Academy.
It didn’t bode well that I had been summoned to this meeting on the first day of classes. At least it was the first day for
everyone but the freshmen who had one extra day before beginning. They would be subjected to orientation, although the girl
seated near Adan and me, busy filling out forms, should have been in the auditorium at this point with the rest of them. She must
have gotten in late or even been admitted at the last minute. What had she done to land here with us?
Her hair hung in waves, and her jeans and tank top were a last vestige of the freedom she’d enjoy until she had to uniform
up tomorrow like the rest of us.
“Cute,” Adan muttered, gaze fixed on her. “Wonder what her story is?”
“Don’t know.” I shouldn’t even be looking at a freshman, but something about her drew my attention in a way no other
student—no other female had. “But I plan to find out.”
“Blaze?” The dean opened his door and stood aside. “I’m ready for you.”
“I’ll bet he is,” Adan muttered, but his smile offered little comfort. “Catch you later on.”
I lifted a hand in farewell before stepping into my least favorite place in the world. “What did I do this time?”
He closed the door behind us and moved to sit behind his desk. “You tell me.”
Oh hell. This guy watched too many videos where the cops got people to confess. Such a human trick. “Nothing that I’m
aware of. You’ll have to clue me in.”
“Come on, Blaze. You know nothing gets past me.”
Completely untrue. Despite the terrible list of rules, students here made getting things “past” the dean and other authorities
their job one. And many, including my suite mates and I, were very good at that job.
If I hadn’t been constantly accused of things I didn’t even do, I’d probably try not to get away with things. My promise to
my brother came back to me. If I was going to keep it, I’d have to change my ways. But the fact was, I couldn’t think of a thing
I’d done lately that the dean was likely to have found out about.
“I just got back from my parents’ home, and unless they’ve complained about how much cake I ate, my conscience is
clear.” It always was because I didn’t do things I considered wrong, but that didn’t mean they weren’t against the rules.
“You’re going to try to tell me you had nothing to do with the missing items from the administrator’s office?”
“I’m not trying to tell you anything. If there’s been a theft, it’s news to me.”
“You and those friends of yours are always behind the shenanigans around here. If it wasn’t you, it was one of them.”
“Sounds like a fishing expedition to me.” My anger was surpassing those counselor-approved breathing exercises. “You
have no reason to blame me or Casimir or Adan. Whatever disappeared, if anything did, you’re looking for a scapegoat. And I
refuse to be that for you anymore. I’ve allowed you to get me angry enough to do things you actually could go after me for in the
past, but that’s over.
“Now, unless you have proof that I’ve done something wrong, I have to get to class.”
“You’re in an awful hurry for someone who is claiming innocence.”
The counselor had never specifically recommended counting, but my mother had. She’d told me in confidence that when
Dad was having a tirade, it was count to one hundred in her head or say things that would only feed his rant. And very early in
their marriage, she’d decided not to feed it if possible.
Left to himself, he would eventually run down and generally feel bad for having lost his temper, but as an alpha, he felt his
responsibility to the pack down to his bones. And sometimes it made those bones cranky. According to Mom anyway. Probably
the only reason she put up with him on days like that. She also cared deeply for the members of the pack. People who didn’t
know better sometimes claimed that my parents just lounged around all day enjoying their wealth, but nothing could be further
from the truth. They worked hard for their people and never withheld any kind of assistance.
I preferred to count backward.
Ninety-nine, ninety-eight… The dean’s lips were moving, but my focus was on the numbers moving past my mental screen.
Each one lit up in turn, glowing numerals that kept me from telling him what I really thought about his behavior and
accusations. Finally, as I got close to twenty, he stopped and sat back.
“So, I can go?” Once, I’d have worried that I’d missed something important, but I got over that my first semester here.
“As long as we understand one another.”
Sure. Of course we did. He liked to listen to himself talk—and could do without it.
 Chapter Nine
Karelis
These uniforms were a trip.
Knee-length navy skirts with your choice of a long-sleeve or short-sleeve button-up white shirt with a plaid tie. A tie.
Even for girls. Ms. Hollis had admonished June for asking about these uniforms, saying that this wasn’t a playdate or maybe
she said daycare, but I sure as hell felt like a kindergartener with this outfit on. Hand me a pink lunchbox, and I’d be all set to
color in the lines and call out the names of shapes all day long. Freshmen started a day after the other classes, I’d been
informed, so this was my first day in uniform.
June had taken over my hair that morning, putting it all up in a messy bun, but pulled out some tendrils to give me a sexy
mussed look, whatever that meant. As soon as we’d parted ways, going to our respective classes, I’d pushed those hairs behind
my ears before they drove me to madness.
As I sat in my first class, I expected to see the dregs of humanity, or rather, shifter society. From the extensive rules in the
welcome packet, I thought I would be surrounded by criminals and shifters who exploded into their beasts without warning,
eating up all the teachers and others at will.
The headmistress from the Urban Academy had mentioned some things while she walked me down to the bus that
afternoon. There were shifters here who couldn’t control their animals. There were those who could control their shifts but
their beasts were bloodthirsty.
I let my eyes roam around the classroom while the professor took roll and, honestly, everything seemed like your ordinary
school. I went to private school all my life, and these young people resembled the ones in my classes. No one was
spontaneously combusting into a rabid beast. There was no blood on the walls or bars on the windows.
This classroom was full of young people. Perhaps they had made mistakes that landed them here, but I didn’t feel in
danger. Night would have warned me if I were.
“Karelis Sol,” the professor called out at the last even though the alphabet had been gone through. I suspected that would
be the case since I was a last-second enrollment.
I raised my hand instead of answering, and she nodded. Some students turned to look at me but for the most part, we were
all here trying to survive in our own hurricanes. I was one of many with secrets and hidden parts of myself. Comforting,
somehow.
Everyone here was broken, just like me.
June and I had compared schedules, but I was surprised anyway when she plopped down in the seat next to me at the start
of my third class. “When is lunch?”
I laughed. She didn’t eat a single bite for breakfast and used the coffee to warm her hands instead of actually drinking it.
“After fourth period.”
“Two more hours. Damn it.”
The professor launched into a long lecture about the history of shifter politics. He began with the normal alphas and betas
normal things but then got into some controversy about bloodlines and the times when an alpha, even though he or she wasn’t
the heir, was unfit. Before long, I found myself leaning forward, scribbling notes on the provided notebook and truly listening.
The last two classes, not so much.
When the class was over and we were dismissed, I was kind of bummed out but knew that studying might not be so bad
after all.
And despite all the warnings about this school, it wasn’t the prison full of horrors at all. The schedules were strict, and in
between classes, there were monitors in the hallways making sure everyone moved along and didn’t dawdle but, all in all, it
was elevated high school but a bit more disciplined.
June and I didn’t share the next class, but once I entered the dining hall, I spotted her red hair immediately. After getting my
food, I sat down next to her. She had already eaten half her lunch. “How’s it going?” I asked. At full tables around us, older
students already had their groups and friends. If someone got too loud, they were admonished by one of the teachers, so the talk
and laughter maintained a low hum. I hadn’t seen the two guys from the day before in the administrative office and while I was
glad, since I was still embarrassed, I was also a little disappointed. I’d only been in their presence a few minutes, but my
wolves had both responded. They never shared a reaction to anything. Either Sol flared to life or Night did, but never at the
same time. They spoke to me but not to each other.
Not until them.
“I have so much studying to do already. Can you believe we have a test every Friday in shifter history?”
I pulled my schedule from my bag and looked. Yeah. I had that class as well. Last one of the day. “This is the same
professor?” June looked over the paper and confirmed it was him. “We can study together.”
By the end of lunch, we had agreed to hit the books together, maybe in the library or in our rooms. The bell rang, and we
split up for our classes. It seemed we had nearly all the same subjects, with the same professors, but at different times.
She left, taking my tray with her, as I put my bag on my shoulder. I stopped before sliding the chair back under the table.
The hair on the back of my neck rose, and bumps filled my otherwise-smooth skin.
Both of my wolves came to attention, preening inside me. I’d never known Night to preen. Hell, I didn’t know she could
do anything but growl and snarl, but now they were all of a sudden getting along. I turned around, sure that someone was behind
me or looking at me, but in the flood of students making their way out of the large room, I saw nothing.
The feeling left almost as quickly as it came.
My wolves could do what they wanted, as long as they stayed hidden. I had to focus. We were here to learn and stay
hidden from our enemies. Enemies who claimed they were full of goodness and light.
 Chapter Ten
Casimir
As the first person in our pack to attend one of the academies, I took my classes seriously. It was bad enough that I’d been
assigned to this loser school, but I’d be damned if I’d settle for anything but the highest grades.
Most of the students had much better educational backgrounds before they got here, putting me at a disadvantage I worked
hard to overcome. They all had either gone to other schools or had tutoring of some kind that gave them the background
necessary to step into the classes we studied. And that was great. I was glad for them but also making mental notes about how
to better prepare our young people to step into the shifter world as more than just hired swords.
In fact, I had a document open on my laptop whenever I was in class or studying in the library or in the suite just for that
purpose. We didn’t need to not be warriors. I loved being a warrior. But we could be so much more.
Shifter anatomy was a very complex class. Of course, we focused on wolves, since nearly everyone in the academy was a
wolf shifter, but the professor also strove to help us to understand some of the others we might encounter. Primarily other large
predators like some of the big cats. How the shifting happened was still largely a mystery, but we could learn about the
differences between our two forms. This was one of my favorite classes both because of the subject matter and the fact that the
professor treated me just like everyone else.
We were deep into a side-by-side diagram of wolf/human shoulder muscles when I received a summons to go to the office.
As I packed up my laptop, my classmates cast me glances of pity or, in a few cases, actual smirks. Nobody liked to be called to
the office—but the sooner I got there, the sooner I’d be freed up to get back to what was important.
The prof handed me a hall pass, something I found a bit juvenile considering the age of the average student, but it was one
of many rules here at the Reject Academy. Growing up in our clan, I’d been taught independence as well as self-discipline, two
things many of my fellow students lacked.
I plodded down the hallway, lifting the pass whenever I came upon one of the monitors stationed at various points for the
purpose. Honestly, I’d have preferred to punch their smirking faces—but that would do nothing to move me forward toward my
goals.
Since I’d been at the opposite end of campus, it took me a few minutes to get to the office, but when I did, the secretary at
the main desk waved me over. “Took you a while.”
“Yeah…sorry.” I didn’t feel any need to explain myself, or apologize, either, really, but that seemed like the easiest
solution. “Who is it?”
“One of your betas, I think.” She waved toward the chair across from her desk and punched a button on her landline phone.
“Have a seat.”
If phones worked decently in this place, I’d have been able to take the call privately, but maybe that was part of the point. I
lifted the receiver. “Hello?”
“Casimir? This is Antoine.”
“What’s up?” The beta was one who my father relied on heavily. I tensed involuntarily in preparation for what he’d have
to say.
“It’s about that situation we discussed before you left. It’s not getting any better.” The situation he referred to was a
competing pack trying to take over our warrior/security service. We provided bodyguard and other similar services for packs
that did not have the inclination to provide it for themselves. We even hired out to humans, most of whom had no idea we were
anything more than the words scrawled across our logo: Protection Services for Individuals and Businesses. Okay, there was
a picture of a wolf on there, but nowhere did we mention being shifters. Those who knew knew.
“And what did you want me to do about that from here?” I’d been back such a short time. “I hope you’re not asking me to
return for a meeting or anything like that?”
“No, it’s just a heads-up that things are getting worse, and a call may come.”
“Can’t you all handle this? Father surely has things under control.” Or he did when I left.
“You are the next alpha. You belong here, at your father’s side, if you want to keep that position.”
I had been very much responsible for the business growing into what it was. Setting up the computer system, teaching those
who handled it what to do…I didn’t have the skills that my roommate did, but between what I’d managed to learn on my own
and what he’d helped me with, we had a solid business going now. No wonder they wanted me back. But I also wanted this
education—and preferably one I could get from the Urban Academy. Not just for me but for the young people who would
follow me in once they realized warriors weren’t necessarily troublemakers.
“I have permission to be here. When I come back, it will be as a better educated person than when I left.”
“You don’t need all that to be a warrior.”
“I need to get back to class.” Without waiting for a reply, I hung up. “Thanks for the use of the phone.”
As hard as it was being here, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to go home. I could try to find another way for the
youth to get into the Urban Academy. After all, I hadn’t done anything terrible here. Maybe they’d agree that being from a
warrior clan didn’t make a wolf all bad.
 Chapter Eleven
Karelis
By the time the day was over, I was more tired than after a full day of running away from what was once my home. My
brain throbbed as I tried in vain to process all of the information that was thrown at me hour by hour. I had enough syllabi to
fill a binder, which the school kindly provided for exactly that purpose.
Once I got back to my dorm room to change for dinner, June’s and my desks had a bag on top with said binder and enough
school supplies for the year and even a laptop. It was marked as property of the Urban Rehabilitation Academy, of course, but
it was mine to use for now. I’d seen most of the students use them during our classes that day but didn’t feel left out. I kind of
preferred the notebook-and-pen situation.
I met June at the dining hall where we opted for the to-go option. Baked chicken, along with a vegetable stir-fry and
perfectly fluffy rice. It came in a large bag that included cutlery, a drink, and a large piece of carrot cake for dessert. It was a
big meal by human standards, but, by the end of the night, I would be reaching for the granola bars I’d gotten from the bus
driver.
When I ran out of those, I would be out of luck. We shifters ate and because I had two wolves inside me, I ate a lot, even
more than every shifter I knew.
I had changed into my pajamas which consisted of the same black tank top and some satin pants while June finished her
carrot cake. Honestly, I’d hoped she would leave me some but lost hope when she ate the last bite.
Damn it. I was hungry already.
“What do we do now?” she asked, walking around the room.
“I thought we were studying. We had a plan, remember? We have that history test in a couple of days. And I’m eyeball
deep in homework, which means you are as well.”
She cocked her head sideways and hummed a bit. “But we have some extra time, right? I mean, we’re not studying all
night, are we?”
I honestly thought we would, but the glint in my roommate’s eyes told me otherwise. I didn’t immediately answer.
“A walk would be good to clear our heads,” she went on. “I think we should take a walk and get to know the place we’re
going to call home for the next few years.”
I looked down at my books, not wanting to start yet. “What time is curfew?”
She clapped. Yeah, she’d already won. “We have to be in our dorm room by ten, I think.”
“You went to the assembly this morning. They didn’t tell you?”
Her eyes widened. “I might have zoned out a few times. But I really do think it’s ten.”
According to the clock on the wall, it was only seven. That meant we had three hours to get that fresh air and back in time.
The last thing I wanted was to be in trouble. That might mean getting kicked out and, unlike others, I had nowhere else to go.
“Okay,” I conceded then put on my shoes and a hoodie.
“Where are we even going?” I asked, looking over my shoulder as June headed out in a direction I’d never gone. I tried to
memorize different things I saw that would guide me home in case June left me somewhere or I got lost.
“I don’t know. It’s an adventure.”
Shit. My whole damned life for the last few months had been an adventure. I wanted calm and regimented. I’d come to
exactly the right place for that, and here I was, galivanting around like a fool looking for trouble.
I laughed at myself, thinking about the word galivanting. My nanny had used the word often since walking outside of my
wing of the castle was considered trouble for the leaders.
My chest swelled with a bit of regret, leaving those I loved behind. There weren’t many of them who truly loved me for
who I was, but there were some. I bet their hearts were broken when they realized I was gone. I didn’t leave a note. I simply
vanished. If I had told someone my plans, they might have been pulled in and questioned. The way I escaped was best for them.
If they had nothing to tell, they wouldn’t be punished for lying or not divulging information.
They knew nothing.
June rounded a corner, and my heart flip-flopped even though I knew she was only steps away from me. There was
something eerie about this place at night. With no students or noise to liven it, it was coffin-like and the hallways narrowed
around me even though I knew they weren’t moving.
I didn’t have a watch or a phone and the more we walked around, the more I began to panic. “June?” I asked the darkness
as I turned the corner and saw nothing ahead of me. No light. No doors. No June.
“I’m here,” she said and appeared from an alcove carved into the wall. “This leads to the common area.”
Releasing a breath of relief, I put my hand to my chest. The common area I knew.
I walked from the hallway to the common area but, again, my heart dropped. Yeah, I knew the common area and how to get
back to the dorm, but there was no one around. Not a soul. Twinkle lights strung in the trees that gave the place a bit of life,
along with the flickering lampposts where sidewalk met grass but no other students.
“June, no one else is out. Maybe we should go back.”
She didn’t seem to hear me. June was in the middle of the common area, arms in the air, turning in circles with the
brightest smile on her face.
“Ahem.” A female cleared her throat behind me. Night came to attention, snapping her teeth inside me. “Ms. Sol. Ms.
Harding. I’m assuming you have a pass to be here at this time?”
Well, everyone knew what they said about assuming.
“A pass?” I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up. “We were just taking a walk. A break from studying.”
I turned to see Ms. Hollis with her arms crossed over her chest. She had a walkie-talkie clipped to her jacket and a scowl
plastered to her face. “A break from studying? On your first night here?”
Shit. Shit. Double-shit. Triple? Ah hell. June came over. “We’ll go back now. I didn’t know.”
Ms. Hollis cocked her head sideways. “That’s strange that you didn’t know because I specifically asked you two to make
that welcome packet and all the rules entailed your best friend. How could you not know? Curfew to be in your rooms is at
seven unless you have a pass for the library or the study hall or there is some student activity that requires you to be out of your
rooms.”
“We have to have a pass to go to the library and study?”
She nodded as a snowflake clung to her lashes. “Yes. I made you aware of how strictly disciplined this academy was. I
will record one demerit for each of you. Now, return to your room and actually study. While you’re at it, read the damned
packet. Both of you.”
So much for staying out of trouble.
I didn’t even know what demerit meant, but it didn’t sound like a treat.
 Chapter Twelve
Adan
The advantage to not being a freshman was having my own room. I liked my suite mates fine, and we spent a lot of time
studying or just hanging out in the common area, but I couldn’t lie that I liked having a small, private space all to myself.
Despite the fact that my hacking got me in here, I still spent a lot of time on my computer doing things that could probably get
me in trouble with the administration if I got caught.
Not that I planned to let that happen. I’d become a lot smarter since getting busted, and in fact had turned my attention to
computer security. Here at the academy, students were provided with limited internet access and it was monitored, making it
impossible to get away with any online activity that the school did not like. Basically, we were supposed to use it for research
for classes, for contact with family and approved friends, things like that.
And I did those things, of course, usually in class or other public areas on campus. But, for me, those things were tinker
toys.
Which was why I had installed a divider in my laptop that revealed only what I wanted to when in public. And that
included even the common room because I didn’t want the guys to have any trouble because of my activities. While pursuing
my goal of getting into the Urban Academy for my degree from there, I had not given up my original goals of a broader degree.
One that, now, was going to be in computer security. In order to do so, I backtracked and signed up for online classes at a
junior college that would accept just about anyone, even with a vague homeschooling record. Once I completed those classes
—something I was very close to now—I would have established the background I needed to get admitted to the school of my
choice. Not the one I got kicked out of…and not even one in this country. The internet and world of online degrees was a
wonderful thing.
I was just about to call it a night and head for my room to finish my ridiculously easy English and math classes when Blaze
cleared his throat.
“Who was she?”
Casimir frowned. “Which she are you referring to?”
“The one with the long brown hair from this morning. We saw her in the office,” I put in. “I have been thinking about her,
too.”
“Oh sure. The one time I’m not summoned, you two see someone who clearly has you both interested. Brown hair?”
Casimir asked. Of course, that hair color wasn’t unheard of here in our little corner of the world.
“Yeah, with golden highlights. And I didn’t think it was dyed. It looked too natural,” Blaze added. “Did you, Adan?”
“I’m not an expert on women’s hairstyles. I just thought it was pretty.” I shrugged. “But I was more into those curves. They
went on for days.”
“They did, didn’t they?” Blaze’s grin spread wide. “She must be new. I’ve never seen her before and looked like she was
filling out forms.”
“Tell me more,” Cas asked. “Did you get a name or anything?”
“No.” If only. “But it’s a small world around here. I’m sure she will turn up again. She looked a little on the young side, so
maybe a mid-year-entering freshman?”
“Likely.” Blaze opened his laptop. “We’ll be sure to point her out to you.” He yawned. “Or maybe not. Say, you guys
hungry?”
“I could eat.” In fact, I’d been regretting not getting extra at dinner to bring back with us. “What do we have?”
“Not a damn thing.” Casimir opened the cabinet where we usually stored our snacks as if to make a point, which it really
didn’t. “Didn’t either of you bring stuff from home to tide us over until we can restock?”
“Not me.” Blaze closed his computer again. “I did have some sandwiches and chips but I ate them in the car. Adan?”
“Nope. I guess we’ll have to do something about that.”
“It’s a little soon to get caught in the hallways after curfew, don’t you think?” Casimir snarked. He wasn’t serious. We
never got caught. So far.
“Probably, but if my stomach rumbles any louder, it’s going to distract me from studying.” I stood up and stretched. “In the
interest of education, we will need to take action.”
“Right. Otherwise, I’ll never finish these six chapters of history I was assigned on day one. What is wrong with the
professors that they would do something like that?” Casimir grumbled. “It’s like they want us to fail.”
“I think they have to hand out a certain number of failures daily or they don’t get any cookies.” I clicked the lock on my
laptop that would prevent anyone from seeing my hidden side of the hard drive. “To the kitchen, then?”
“It’s good to be home.” Blaze pulled on a hoodie. They never heated the hallways at night much. Also, it was dark
colored. “I hope they have some cookies, now that you’ve mentioned them.”
“We’ll find something. Ready?” I zipped my black sweatshirt while Cas tugged his over his head.
Another random document with
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which overpass the bounds of instinct, and approach closely to those
of reason.
From its scent and by its quick strong vision the bear apprehends
the position of the seal. Then it throws itself prone upon the ice, and
profiting by inequalities which are invisible to human eyes, gradually
steals upon its destined victim by a soft and scarcely perceptible
movement of the hind feet. To hide its black muzzle, it constantly
uses its fore feet; and thus, only the dingy white of its coat being
visible, it is scarcely to be distinguished from the general mass of the
floe. Patiently it draws nearer and nearer; the seal, mistaking it for
one of its own congeners, or else yielding to a fatal curiosity,
delaying until its assailant, with one spring, is upon it.
Yet, as the old adage says, there is many a slip; and even in
these circumstances the bear does not always secure its feast. It is
disappointed sometimes just as the prey seems within its grasp; and
how keen the disappointment is can be appreciated only, we are
told, by hapless Arctic travellers, “who have been hours crawling up,
dreaming of delicious seal’s fry and overflowing fuel bags, and seen
the prey pop down a hole when within a hundred yards of it.” The
great muscular power of the seal frequently enables it to fling itself
into the water in spite of the bear’s efforts to hold it on the floe; Bruin,
however, retains his grip, for his diving powers are not much inferior
to those of the seal, and down they go together! Sometimes the bear
proves victorious, owing to mortal injuries inflicted upon the seal
before it reaches the water; sometimes it may be seen reappearing
at another hole in the floe, or clambering up another loose piece of
ice, apparently much mortified by its want of success.
 BEAR CATCHING A SEAL.
As we have said, the bear dives well, and is nearly as much at
home in the water as upon the ice. If it catches sight of a seal upon a
drifting floe, it will slide quietly into the sea, swim with only the tip of
its nose above the water, and, diving under the floe, reach the very
spot which the hapless seal has regarded as an oasis of safety. It is
this stratagem of its enemy which has taught the seal to watch its
hole so warily. Even on extensive ice-fields fast to the land, where
the bear cannot conceal its approach by taking advantage of
hummocks or other inequalities, the seal is not safe; for then Bruin
drops down a hole, and swims along under the ice-crust until it
reaches the one where the poor seal is all unwittingly enjoying its
last rays of sunshine.
The bear’s season of plenty begins with the coming of the spring.
In February and March the seal is giving birth to her young, who are
born blind and helpless, and for ten days are unable to take to the
water. The poor mothers use every effort to protect them, but, in
spite of their affectionate exertions, a perfect massacre of the
innocents takes place, in which, not improbably, the Arctic wolf is not
less guilty than the Arctic bear.
Voracity, however, frequently proves its own Nemesis, and the
bear, in its eager pursuit of prey, often involves itself in serious
disaster. The seal instinctively breeds as close as possible to the
open water. But the ice-floes, during the early equinoctial gales, will
sometimes break up and drift away in the form of pack-ice; a matter
of indifference, says Osborn, to the seal, but a question of life and
death to the bear. Borne afar on their little islets of ice, rocked by
tempestuous waters, buffeted by icy gales, numbers of these
castaways are lost along the whole area of the Polar Sea. It is said
that when the gales blow down from the north, bears are sometimes
stranded in such numbers on the shores of Iceland as to endanger
the safety of the flocks and herds of the Icelandic peasants; and they
have been known to reach the coasts of Norway.
Bears drifting about at a considerable distance from the land are
often enough seen by the whalers. They have been discovered fully
sixty miles from shore, in Davis Strait, without any ice in sight, and
utterly exhausted by long swimming. It is thus that Nature checks
their too rapid increase; for beyond the possibility of the wolf hunting
it in packs and destroying the cubs, there seems no other limitation
of their numbers. The Eskimos are too few, and too badly provided
with weapons, to slaughter them very extensively. Wherever seals
abound, so do bears; in Barrow Strait and in the Queen’s Channel
they have been seen in very numerous troops. The Danes assert
that they are plentiful about the northern settlement of Upernavik in
Greenland, for nine months in the year; and from the united
testimony of the natives inhabiting the north-eastern portion of Baffin
Bay, and that of Dr. Kane, who wintered in Smith Sound, it is evident
that they are plentiful about the polynias, or open pools, formed there
by the action of the tides.
In the summer months, when the bear is loaded with fat, it is
easily hunted down, for then it can neither move swiftly nor run long;
but in deep winter its voracity and its great strength render it a
formidable enemy to uncivilized and unarmed man. Usually it avoids
coming into contact with our British seamen, though instances are on
record of fiercely contested engagements, in which Bruin has with
difficulty been defeated.
It is folly, says Sherard Osborn, to talk of the Polar bear
hibernating: whatever bears may do on the American continent,
there is only one Arctic navigator who ever saw a bear’s nest! Bears
were seen at all points visited by our sailors in the course of
M’Clure’s expedition; at all times and in all temperatures; males or
females, and sometimes females with their cubs. In mid-winter, as
well as in midsummer, they evidently frequented spots where tides or
currents occasioned either water to constantly exist, or only allowed
such a thin coating of ice to form that the seal or walrus could easily
break through.
That the Polar bear does not willingly attack man, except when
hotly pursued or when suffering from extreme want, is asserted by
several good authorities, and confirmed by an experience which Dr.
Hayes relates. He was strolling one day along the shore, and
observing with much interest the effect of the recent spring-tides
upon the ice-foot, when, rounding a point of land, he suddenly found
himself confronted in the full moonlight by an enormous bear. It had
just sprung down from the land-ice, and met Dr. Hayes at full trot, so
that they caught sight of each other, man and brute, at the same
moment. Being without a rifle or other means of defence, Dr. Hayes
suddenly wheeled towards his ship, with much the same reflections,
probably, about discretion and valour as occurred to old Jack Falstaff
when the Douglas set upon him; but discovering, after a few lengthy
strides, that he was not “gobbled up,” he looked back over his
shoulder, when, to his gratification as well as surprise, he saw the
bear speeding towards the open water with a celerity which left no
doubt as to the state of its mind. It would be difficult to determine
which, on this occasion, was the more frightened, the bear or Dr.
Hayes!

A curious illustration of the combined voracity and epicureanism

of Bruin is recorded by Dr. Kane. A cache, or depôt of provisions,
which had been constructed by one of his exploring parties with
great care, and was intended to supply them with stores on their
return journey, they found completely destroyed. It had been built,
with every possible precaution, of rocks brought together by heavy
labour, and adjusted in the most skilful manner. So far as the means
of the builders permitted, the entire construction was most effective
and resisting. Yet these “tigers of the ice” seemed to have scarcely
encountered an obstacle. Not a morsel of pemmican (preserved
meat) remained, except in the iron cases, which, being round, with
conical ends, defied both claw and teeth. These they had rolled and
pawed in every direction,—tossing them about like footballs,
although upwards of eighty pounds in weight. An alcohol-case,
strongly iron-bound, was dashed into small fragments; and a tin can
of liquor twisted almost into a ball. The bears’ strong claws had
perforated the metal, and torn it up as with a chisel.
 BEARS DESTROYING A CACHE.
But the burglars were too dainty for salt meats. For ground coffee
they had evidently a relish; old canvas was also a favourite,—de
gustibus non est disputandum; even the flag which had been reared
“to take possession” of the icy wilderness, was gnawed down to the
very staff. It seemed that the bears had enjoyed a regular frolic;
rolling the bread-barrels over the ice-foot and into the broken outside
ice; and finding themselves unable to masticate the heavy India-
rubber cloth, they had amused themselves by tying it up in
unimaginable hard knots.

The she-bear displays a strong affection for her young, which she
will not desert even in the extremity of peril. The explorer already
quoted furnishes an interesting narrative of a pursuit of mother and
cub, in which the former’s maternal qualities were touchingly
exhibited.
On the appearance of the hunting party and their dogs, the bear
fled; but the little one being unable either to keep ahead of the dogs
or to maintain the same rate of speed as its mother, the latter turned
back, and, putting her head under its haunches, threw it some
distance forward. The cub being thus safe for the moment, she
would wheel round and face the dogs, so as to give it a chance to
run away; but it always stopped where it had alighted, until its mother
came up, and gave it another forward impulse; it seemed to expect
her aid, and would not go forward without it. Sometimes the mother
would run a few yards in advance, as if to coax her cub up to her,
and when the dogs approached she would turn fiercely upon them,
and drive them back. Then, as they dodged her blows, she would
rejoin the cub, and push it on,—sometimes putting her head under it,
sometimes seizing it in her mouth by the nape of its neck.

FIGHT WITH A WHITE BEAR.

 For some time she conducted her retreat with equal skill and
celerity, leaving the two hunters far in the rear. They had sighted her
on the land-ice; but she led the dogs in-shore, up a small stony
valley which penetrated into the interior. After going a mile and a
half, however, her pace slackened, and, the little one being spent,
she soon came to a halt, evidently determined not to desert it.
At this moment the men were only half a mile behind; and,
running at full speed, they soon reached the spot where the dogs
were holding her at bay. The fight then grew desperate. The mother
never moved more than two yards ahead, constantly and
affectionately looking at her cub. When the dogs drew near, she sat
upon her haunches, and taking the little one between her hind legs,
she fought her assailants with her paws, roaring so loudly that she
could have been heard a mile off. She would stretch her neck and
snap desperately at the nearest dog with her shining teeth, whirling
her paws like the sails of a windmill. If she missed her aim, not
daring to pursue one dog lest the others should pounce upon her
cub, she uttered a deep howl of baffled rage, and on she went,
pawing and snapping, and facing the ring, grinning at them with
wide-opened jaws.
When the hunters came up, the little one apparently had
recovered its strength a little, for it was able to turn round with its
dam, however quickly she moved, so as always to keep in front of
her belly. Meantime the dogs were actively jumping about the she-
bear, tormenting her like so many gadflies; indeed, it was difficult to
fire at her without running the risk of killing the dogs. But Hans, one
of the hunters, resting on his elbow, took a quiet, steady aim, and
shot her through the head. She dropped at once, and rolled over
dead, without moving a muscle.
Immediately the dogs sprang towards her; but the cub jumped
upon her body and reared up, for the first time growling hoarsely.
They seemed quite afraid of the little creature, she fought so actively,
and made so much noise; and, while tearing mouthfuls of hair from
the dead mother, they would spring aside the minute the cub turned
towards them. The men drove the dogs off for a time, but were
compelled to shoot the cub at last, as she would not quit the body.
 A still more stirring episode is recorded by Dr. Kane, which will
fitly conclude our account of the Polar bear.
“Nannook! nannook!” (A bear! a bear!) With this welcome shout,
Hans and Morton, two of his attendants, roused Dr. Kane one fine
Saturday morning.
To the scandal of his domestic regulations, the guns were all
impracticable. While the men were loading and capping anew, Dr.
Kane seized his pillow-companion six-shooter, and ran on deck, to
discover a medium-sized bear, with a four-months’ cub, in active
warfare with the dogs. They were hanging on her skirts, and she,
with remarkable alertness, was picking out one victim after another,
snatching him by the nape of the neck, and flinging him many feet, or
rather yards, by a scarcely perceptible movement of her head.
Tudea, the best dog, was already hors de combat; he had been
tossed twice. Jenny, another of the pack, made an extraordinary
somerset of nearly fifty feet, and alighted senseless. Old Whitey, a
veteran combatant, stanch, but not “bear-wise,” had been foremost
in the battle; soon he lay yelping, helplessly, on the snow.
It seemed as if the battle were at an end; and nannook certainly
thought so, for she turned aside to the beef-barrels, and began with
the utmost composure to turn them over, and nose out their fatness.
A bear more innocent of fear does not figure in the old, old stories of
Barents and the Spitzbergen explorers.
Dr. Kane now lodged a pistol-ball in the side of the cub. At once
the mother placed her little one between her hind legs, and, shoving
it along, made her way to the rear of the store or “beef-house.” As
she went she received a rifle-shot, but scarcely seemed to notice it.
By the unaided efforts of her fore arms she tore down the barrels of
frozen beef which made the triple walls of the store-house, mounted
the rubbish, and snatching up a half barrel of herrings, carried it
down in her teeth, and prepared to slip away. It was obviously time to
arrest her movements. Going up within half pistol-range, Dr. Kane
gave her six buck-shot. She dropped, but instantly rose, and getting
her cub into its former position, away she sped!
And this time she would undoubtedly have effected her escape,
but for the admirable tactics of Dr. Kane’s canine Eskimo allies. The
Smith Sound dogs, he says, are educated more thoroughly than any
of their more southern brethren. Next to the seal and the walrus, the
bear supplies the staple diet of the tribes of the North, and, except
the fox, furnishes the most important element of their wardrobe.
Unlike the dogs Dr. Kane had brought with him from Baffin Bay, the
Smith Sound dogs were trained, not to attack, but to embarrass.
They revolved in circles round the perplexed bear, and when
pursued would keep ahead with regulated gait, their comrades
accomplishing a diversion at the critical moment by a nip at the
nannook’s hind-quarters. This was done in the most systematic
manner possible, and with a truly wonderful composure. “I have seen
bear-dogs elsewhere,” says Dr. Kane, “that had been drilled to
relieve each other in the mêlée, and avoid the direct assault; but
here, two dogs, without even a demonstration of attack, would put
themselves before the path of the animal, and retreating right and
left, lead him into a profitless pursuit that checked his advance
completely.”
The unfortunate animal was still fighting, and still retreating,
embarrassed by the dogs, yet affectionately carrying along her
wounded cub, and though wounded, bleeding, and fatigued, gaining
ground upon her pursuers, when Hans and Dr. Kane secured the
victory, such as it was, for their own side, by delivering a couple of
rifle-balls. She staggered in front of her young one, confronted her
assailants in death-like defiance, and did not sink until pierced by six
more bullets.
When her body was skinned, no fewer than nine balls were
discovered. She proved to be of medium size, very lean, and without
a particle of food in her stomach. Hunger, probably, had stimulated
her courage to desperation. The net weight of the cleansed carcass
was 300 pounds; that of the entire animal, 650 pounds; her length,
only 7 feet 8 inches.
 It is said that bears in this lean condition are more palatable and
wholesome than when fat; and that the impregnation of fatty oil
through the cellular tissues makes a well-fed bear nearly uneatable.
The flesh of a famished beast, though less nutritious as body-fuel or
as a stimulating diet, is rather sweet and tender than otherwise.
Moral: starve your bear before you eat him!
The little cub was larger than the qualifying adjective would imply.
She was taller than a dog, and her weight 114 lbs. She sprang upon
the corpse of her slaughtered mother, and rent the air with woful
lamentations. All efforts to noose her she repelled with singular
ferocity; but at last, being completely muzzled with a line fastened by
a running knot between her jaws and the back of her head, she was
dragged off to the brig amid the uproar of the dogs.
Dr. Kane asserts that during this fight, and the compulsory
somersets which it involved, not a dog suffered seriously. He
expected, from his knowledge of the hugging propensity of the
plantigrades, that the animal would rear, or it she did not rear, would
at least use her fore arms; but she invariably seized the dogs with
her teeth, and after disposing of them for a time, refrained from
following up her advantage,—probably because she had her cub to
take care of. The Eskimos state that this is the habit of the hunted
bear. One of the Smith Sound dogs made no exertion whatever
when he was seized, but allowed himself to be flung, with all his
muscles relaxed, a really fearful distance; the next instant he rose
and renewed the attack. According to the Eskimos, the dogs soon
learn this “possum-playing” habit.
It would seem that the higher the latitude, the more ferocious the
bear, or that he increases in ferocity as he recedes from the usual
hunting-fields.
At Oominak, one winter day, an Eskimo and his son were nearly
killed by a bear that had housed himself in an iceberg. They attacked
him with the lance, but he boldly turned on them, and handled them
severely before they could make their escape.
The continued hostility of man, however, has had, in Dr. Kane’s
opinion, a modifying influence upon the ursine character in South
Greenland; at all events, the bears of that region never attack, and
even in self-defence seldom inflict injury upon, the hunters. Many
instances have occurred where they have defended themselves, and
even charged after having been wounded, but in none of them was
life lost.
A stout Eskimo, an assistant to a Danish cooper of Upernavik,
fired at a she-bear, and the animal closed at the instant of receiving
the ball. The man had the presence of mind to fling himself prone on
the ground, extending his arm to protect his head, and afterwards
lying perfectly motionless. The beast was deceived. She gave the
arm a bite or two, but finding her enemy did not stir, she retired a few
paces, and sat upon her haunches to watch. But her watch was not
as wary as it should have been, for the hunter dexterously reloaded
his rifle, and slew her with the second shot.

It has been pointed out that in approaching the bear the hunters
should take advantage of the cover afforded by the inequalities of
the frozen surface, such as its ridges and hillocks. These vary in
height, from ten feet to a hundred, and frequently are packed so
closely together as to leave scarcely a yard of level surface. It is in
such a region that the Polar bear exhibits his utmost speed, and in
such a region his pursuit is attended with no slight difficulty.

And after the day’s labour comes the night’s rest; but what a
night! We know what night is in these temperate climes, or in the
genial southern lands; a night of stars, with a deep blue sky
overspreading the happy earth like a dome of sapphire: a night of
brightness and serene glory, when the moon is high in the heaven,
and its soft radiance seems to touch tree and stream, hill and vale,
with a tint of silver; a night of storm, when the clouds hang low and
heavily, and the rain descends, and a wailing rushing wind loses
itself in the recesses of the shuddering woods; we know what night
is, in these temperate regions, under all its various aspects,—now
mild and beautiful, now gloomy and sad, now grand and
tempestuous; the long dark night of winter with its frosty airs, and its
drooping shadows thrown back by the dead surface of the snow; the
brief bright night of summer, which forms so short a pause between
the evening of one day and the morning of another, that it seems
intended only to afford the busy earth a breathing-time;—but we can
form no idea of what an Arctic Night is, in all its mystery,
magnificence, and wonder. Strange stars light up the heavens; the
forms of earth are strange; all is unfamiliar, and almost unintelligible.
 STALKING A BEAR.
It is not that the Arctic night makes a heavy demand on our
physical faculties. Against its rigour man is able to defend himself;
but it is less easy to provide against its strain on the moral and
intellectual faculties. The darkness which clothes Nature for so long
a period reveals to the senses of the European explorer what is
virtually a new world, and the senses do not well adapt themselves
to that world. The cheering influences of the rising sun, which invite
to labour; the soothing influences of the evening twilight, which
beguile to rest; that quick change from day to night, and night to day,
which so lightens the burden of existence in our temperate clime to
mind and soul and body, kindling the hope and renewing the
courage,—all these are wanting in the Polar world, and man suffers
and languishes accordingly. The grandeur of Nature, says Dr. Hayes,
ceases to give delight to the dulled sympathies, and the heart longs
continually for new associations, new hopes, new objects, new
sources of interest and pleasure. The solitude is so dark and drear
as to oppress the understanding; the imagination is haunted by the
desolation which everywhere prevails; and the silence is so absolute
as to become a terror.
The lover of Nature will, of course, find much that is attractive in
the Arctic night; in the mysterious coruscations of the aurora, in the
flow of the moonlight over the hills and icebergs, in the keen
clearness of the starlight, in the sublimity of the mountains and the
glaciers, in the awful wildness of the storms; but it must be owned
that they speak a language which is rough, rugged, and severe.
All things seem built up on a colossal scale in the Arctic world.
Colossal are those dark and tempest-beaten cliffs which oppose
their grim rampart to the ceaseless roll and rush of the ice-clad
waters. Colossal are those mountain-peaks which raise their crests,
white with unnumbered winters, into the very heavens. Colossal are
those huge ice-rivers, those glaciers, which, born long ago in the
depths of the far-off valleys, have gradually moved their ponderous
masses down to the ocean’s brink. Colossal are those floating
islands of ice, which, outrivalling the puny architecture of man, his
temples, palaces, and pyramids, drift away into the wide waste of
waters, as if abandoned by the Hand that called them into existence.
Colossal is that vast sheet of frozen, frosty snow, shimmering with a
crystalline lustre, which covers the icy plains for countless leagues,
and stretches away, perhaps, to the very border of the sea that is
supposed to encircle the unattained Pole.
In Dr. Hayes’ account of his voyage of discovery towards the
North Pole occurs a fine passage descriptive of the various phases
of the Arctic night. “I have gone out often,” he says, “into its
darkness, and viewed Nature under different aspects. I have rejoiced
with her in her strength, and communed with her in her repose. I
have seen the wild burst of her anger, have watched her sportive
play, and have beheld her robed in silence. I have walked abroad in
the darkness when the winds were roaring through the hills and
crashing over the plain. I have strolled along the beach when the
only sound that broke the stillness was the dull creaking of the ice-
floes, as they rose and fell lazily with the tide. I have wandered far
out upon the frozen sea, and listened to the voice of the icebergs
bewailing their imprisonment; along the glacier, where forms and
falls the avalanche; upon the hill-top, where the drifting snow,
coursing over the rocks, sung its plaintive song; and again, I have
wandered away to some distant valley where all these sounds were
hushed, and the air was still and solemn as the tomb.”
Whoever has been overtaken by a winter night, when crossing
some snowy plain, or making his way over the hills and through the
valleys, in the deep drifts, and with the icicles pendent from the
leafless boughs, and the white mantle overspreading every object
dimly discernible in the darkness, will have felt the awe and mystery
of the silence that then and there prevails. Both the sky above and
the earth beneath reveal only an endless and unfathomable quiet.
This, too, is the peculiar characteristic of the Arctic night. Evidence
there is none of life or motion. No footfall of living thing breaks on the
longing ear. No cry of bird enlivens the scene; there is no tree,
among the branches of which the wind may sigh and moan. And
hence it is that one who had travelled much, and seen many
dangers, and witnessed Nature in many phases, was led to say that
he had seen no expression on the face of Nature so filled with terror
as the silence of the Arctic night.
But by degrees the darkness grows less intense, and the coming
of the day is announced by the prevalence of a kind of twilight, which
increases more and more rapidly as winter passes into spring. There
are signs that Nature is awakening once more to life and motion. The
foxes come out upon the hill side, both blue and white, and gallop
hither and thither in search of food,—following in the track of the
bear, to feed on the refuse which the “tiger of the ice” throws aside.
The walrus and the seal come more frequently to land; and the latter
begins to assemble on the ice-floes, and select its breeding-places.
At length, early in February, broad daylight comes at noon, and then
the weary explorer rejoices to know that the end is near. Flocks of
speckled birds arrive, and shelter themselves under the lee of the
shore; chiefly dove-kies, as they are called in Southern Greenland—
the Uria grylle of the naturalist. At last, on the 18th or 19th of
February, the sun once more makes its appearance above the
southern horizon, and is welcomed as one welcomes a friend who
has been long lost, and is found again. Upon the crests of the hills
light clouds are floating lazily, and through these the glorious orb is
pouring a stream of golden fire, and all the southern sky quivers, as
it were, with the shooting, shifting splendours of the coming day.
Presently a soft bright ray breaks through the vaporous haze,
kindling it into a purple sea, and touches the silvery summits of the
lofty icebergs until they seem like domes and pinnacles of flame.
Nearer and nearer comes that auspicious ray, and widens as it
comes; and that purple sea enlarges in every direction; and those
domes and pinnacles of flame multiply in quick succession as they
feel the passage of the quickening light; and the dark red cliffs are
warmed with an indescribable glow; and a mysterious change
passes over the face of the ocean; and all Nature acknowledges the
presence of the sun!
“The parent of light and life everywhere,” says Dr. Hayes, “he is
the same within these solitudes. The germ awaits him here as in the
Orient; but there it rests only through the short hours of a summer
night, while here it reposes for months under a sheet of snows. But
after a while the bright sun will tear this sheet asunder, and will
tumble it in gushing fountains to the sea, and will kiss the cold earth,
and give it warmth and life; and the flowers will bud and bloom, and
will turn their tiny faces smilingly and gratefully up to him, as he
wanders over these ancient hills in the long summer. The very
glaciers will weep tears of joy at his coming. The ice will loose its iron
grip upon the waters, and will let the wild waves play in freedom. The
reindeer will skip gleefully over the mountains to welcome his return,
and will look longingly to him for the green pastures. The sea-fowls,
knowing that he will give them a resting-place for their feet on the
rocky islands, will come to seek the moss-beds which he spreads for
their nests; and the sparrows will come on his life-giving rays, and
will sing their love-songs through the endless day.”
With the sun return the Arctic birds, and before we quit the realm
of waters we propose to glance at a few of those which frequent the
cliffs and shores during the brief Polar summer.
 Among the first-comers is the dove-kie or black guillemot (Uria
grylle), which migrates to the temperate climates on the approach of
winter, visiting Labrador, Norway, Scotland, and even descending as
far south as Yorkshire. In fact, we know of no better place where to
observe its habits than along the immense range of perpendicular
cliffs stretching from Flamborough Head to Filey Bay. Here, on the
bare ledges of this colossal ocean-wall, the guillemot lays its eggs,
but without the protection of a nest; some of them parallel with the
edge of the shelf, others nearly so, and others with their blunt and
sharp ends indiscriminately pointing to the sea. They are not affixed
to the rock by any glutinous matter, or any foreign substance
whatever. You may see as many as nine or ten, or sometimes
twelve, old guillemots in a line, so near to each other that their wings
almost touch. The eggs vary greatly in size and shape and colour.
Some are large, others small; some exceedingly sharp at one end,
others rotund and globular. It is said that, if undisturbed, the
guillemot never lays more than one egg; but if that be taken away,
she will lay another, and so on. But Audubon asserts that he has
seen these birds sitting on as many as three eggs at a time.
 SEA-BIRDS IN THE POLAR REGIONS.
The black guillemot differs from the foolish guillemot (Uria troile)
only in the colour of its plumage, which, with the exception of a large
white patch on the coverts of each wing, is black, silky, and glossy;
the feathers appearing to be all unwebbed, like silky filaments or fine
hair. The bill, in all the species, is slender, strong, and pointed; the
upper mandible bending slightly near the end, and the base covered
with soft short feathers. The food of the guillemot consists of fish and
other marine products.

The Alcidæ, or auks, are also included amongst the Arctic birds.
The little auk (Arctica alca) frequents the countries stretching
northwards from our latitudes to the regions of perpetual ice, and is
found in the Polar Regions both of the Old World and the New. Here,
indeed, they congregate in almost innumerable flocks. At early morn
they sally forth to get their breakfast, which consists of different
varieties of marine invertebrates, chiefly crustaceans, with which the
Arctic waters teem. Then they return to the shore in immense
swarms. It would be impossible, says an Arctic voyager, to convey
an adequate idea of the numbers of these birds which swarmed
around him. The slope on both sides of the valley in which he had
pitched his camp rose at an angle of about forty-five degrees to a
distance of from 300 to 500 feet, where it met the cliffs, which stood
about 700 feet higher. These hill-sides are composed of the loose
rocks detached from the cliffs by the action of the frost. The birds
crawl among these rocks, winding far in through narrow places, and
there deposit their eggs and hatch their young, secure from their
great enemy, the Arctic fox.