Chapter 1 Recruitment Fair

Anila POV

“Anila!! Don’t you dare tell me you are still asleep!!!”

My eyes shot open at the sounds of my stepmother, Claire’s, voice. She was getting louder, which meant she was getting closer. I sat up quickly with a racing heart, panic consumed me.

My bedroom door swung open, and Claire stood before me.

She was breathing heavily, and she had a fire in her icy blue eyes. Her long blonde curls cascaded over her shoulder. She stood with her hands on her hips and her perfect red lips pressed in a thin line.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Claire said in a low and threatening tone.

I shook my head, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

“It's 10 am,” she said through her teeth. “You know the rules, Anila. Nobody is to stay in bed past 9.”

“My alarm didn’t go off,” I told her, tugging at my fingers nervously and keeping my attention locked on the ground. “I got home from work late last night and—”

“That’s not an excuse. You must finish all the chores and go to work!” she practically hissed snakelike, sending a chill down my spine. “Quick!”

On that note, she walked out of my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

A prisoner.

That’s the only way I can explain my life. I was a prisoner in a house that I grew up in. Everything I did and anyone I spoke to had to be approved of by Claire. The only thing she truly cared about was making money.

She treated me like a money machine that could do all the housework. To make sure I was under her control, I had no free time at all.

I shook my head, shaking the thought from my mind as I put on a blouse and a pair of jeans. I tied my hair into a ponytail at the nape of my neck and sucked in a deep breath.

Before Claire decided to yell at me again, I went downstairs and into the kitchen. Just as I did, Gina, my 15-year-old half-sister, the daughter of my father and Claire, ran into the kitchen holding a large manilla envelope.

“Mom! Another college letter came in the mail for Anila,” Gina said, handing Claire the envelope.

I stood frozen as I stared at the envelope that Claire was now clutching.

“I wouldn’t get her hopes up, Darling,” Claire said to Gina, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Remember what happened with the last 3 colleges that sent rejection letters? We could hardly get her out of her room.”

She was right. It was difficult to cope with the fact that my windows for getting out of this small town and starting over in life were closing.

Going to college was my only chance for freedom. Claire promised my father on his deathbed that she would let both Gina and I go to college. Of course, only if I was accepted.

I thought large envelopes meant I was accepted, but just like the other 3, it didn’t seem to be the case.

I felt sick as Claire ripped open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. As she scanned the words on the page, her face remained expressionless. Then she squared her shoulders and cleared her throat.

“Another rejection,” she muttered and before I could say anything, she was ripping the letter in half; and then she ripped it again, and again. “Still a disappointment to your father.”

With every rip of the letter, it felt like a slap in the face. I winced as I listened to the tearing of the paper and then small pieces of paper flew in the air and landed on the kitchen floor.

In an instant, my heart shattered.

Gina only snickered while she fixed her attention on her phone.

“Why are you just standing there?” Claire asked, arching her brow. “You have chores to do!”

She pointed a finger at the chore chart she hung on the kitchen wall; it mostly consisted of things I needed to do. But Gina had a slot for cleaning her room.

I willed my feet to move. I didn’t want to stand in the kitchen with them anymore. I was completely frozen and disheartened. The letter was my last chance to get out of this town and be my own person and not someone Claire wanted me to be.

Realization dawned on me that I was truly stuck here, in my prison.

“Well?” She urged me to speak.

“I just remembered, I told my boss that I’d go to work early today,” I lied, my boss actually asked me to take the day off. “So, I should probably go.”

She pressed her lips firmly together as she studied me. I knew Claire well and I knew she wouldn’t pass the opportunity for me to go to work and make money.

“Fine,” she finally said.

I relaxed a tiny bit. I needed to get out of here.

The pub wasn’t a far walk. We live in a small town, so everything was about a mile from each other.

As I walked, I noticed that the town was extra crowded. Recession stands were being set up and it looked like they were also setting up areas for games.

Was it some kind of fair?

As soon as the thought surfaced in my head, I realized exactly what this was.

The Academy Recruitment Fair for Lunar Academy.

Every year the recruitment team for Lunar Academy travels the world in search of worthy students. Worthy students are mythical beings and those who yield magic.

We live in a world where magic exists: werewolves, vampires, and other creatures walk amongst us.

The recruitment team stations themselves in certain parts of the region, and those who are interested in taking their tests and proving themselves are welcome to travel to the parts of the region where they are stationed and attempt to get into the school.

That explained why there were a bunch of unfamiliar faces in town today.

I was never allowed to participate in the fair because Claire always said I wasn’t worthy or special enough. So, I never bothered to try their testing and games.

As I continued to walk through the crowd of people who were eagerly waiting for their chance to wow the recruitment team, my eyes found someone who stood in the distance at a long table with a few others.

Xaden Gresham. He is the Alpha heir of the biggest werewolf pack in the world.

I would recognize him anywhere.

He was tall and had muscles for days which were evident in the short-sleeved, button-down, shirt he was wearing. Not to mention he was incredibly good-looking.

I’ve seen him on TV in the past. Along with his brother Zach Gresham, the strongest werebear Harley Burlow, and the most talented wizard Damian West, they are the most promising future stars in the Lunar Academy.

If the magical beings are all privileged in this world, they are the ones that I should feel honored to even see in reality; and here I stood, in the middle of the town staring at the magnificent Xaden Gresham.

As if he knew I was watching him, Xaden’s eyes found mine. My mouth had gone completely dry, and my heart began to pound rapidly in my chest. He was looking at me as if he recognized me and I couldn’t bring myself to look away.

If he was someone so unapproachable, why I was feeling this undeniable connection?

He began to walk towards me, an intoxicating citrus and blackberry scent hit my nose. A tightness formed in my chest.

Before I could greet him in the most respectful way I could, he bent down pausing only inches from me. For a moment, we breathed the same air as we looked into one another’s eyes.

Then, to my utter surprise, he closed the gap between us, pressing his lips to mine.

The kiss only lasted a moment before he whispered, “Mate.”