Initiation (Wolf Blood Academy Book 1) by RaShelle Workman (best book club books for discussion txt) 📕

them and closest to the door. Across the top of the opening hung a neon green sign. It said ENTER, flashed my name, and then the number twenty-two. At that moment, I felt less like a wolf blood and more like a prize pig in the county fair. My breath hitched. I wasn’t an animal. At least not all of me. Yet they wanted to put me in a cage.

It reminded me of an animal carrier—only made of steel instead of plastic. The back and side walls were painted cream. The bottom half was solid metal, while the top had octagonal holes reminding me of a prison cell, except smaller.

The guy next to me grimaced.

I was sure my face reflected exactly what he seemed to be feeling.

“Change into your uniforms,” the man in uniform barked as he walked the line like a drill sergeant shouting at the new recruits.

On the bench against the back wall was a folded black uniform. Underneath were a set of black trainers. It was one thing to get a one size fits all uniform—quite another to select the right size shoe.

“There’s no privacy,” someone hollered from farther down.

That was precisely what I was thinking.

“When you shift, your clothes will be ripped to shreds anyway,” the guy began, a sour look on his face. “Might as well set aside any prudishness you have now. Getting naked is part of a wolf’s life. Get used to it.”

My heart hammered against my ribs. We were going to shift already? I didn’t know how. I couldn’t. It felt like I might start hyperventilating. I swallowed back my need to scream or run from the building. I had to do this. Otherwise, they intended to hurt my mom. With my dad as the dean, I couldn’t believe they were serious, but Mom promised the threat was real. I was tired of being threatened and even more sick of people using my mom against me. Just thinking such thoughts had me angry. When I stepped inside my room, the door automatically closed and clicked shut. I turned, and the sergeant was smiling. “Go on, Diana. Strip down to your skivvies. Show me what you’ve got.”

He crossed his arms and settled in as though he intended to watch.

Further down, there was a commotion, and the guy rolled his eyes. “Why is there always a runner.” He flashed me a gritty smile and took off.

I sighed and glanced over at the guy next to me. He already had his shirt off, his body facing the back wall. That seemed like the least revealing way to get dressed. I copied him, pulling off my boots, jeans, and shirt, then quickly slid on the one-piece jumpsuit that zipped in the front. A stretchy belt hung at each side of my waist. I brought them together and hooked them with the silver clasp, then put on the cross-trainers. They fit, and that surprised me.

I stood and moved around, lifting one knee and then other. The outfit wasn’t awful. I glanced over at the guy who was standing near the door, looking out. I did the same.

“I guess we wait our turn,” I said, lightly.

“Looks like.” He made a face and then turned his body so I could see him fully. He looked to be fifteen or sixteen and had short bleach-blond hair. A piece stood up at the back, giving him a nerdy appeal. His eyes were a warm brown shade, as was his skin. “The name’s Fallon, and you’re Diana?”

“Yeah,” I said, praying he didn’t know my last name.

“Good to meet you,” he said.

“You too.” I tilted my head to the side and tried to act casual. “Any tips on how to shift for the first time?”

His mouth fell open, and he leaned in, grabbing hold of the metal to get a closer look. “You haven’t done it before?”

I tried to act natural, but that was impossible. “No,” I said. “Does it hurt?”

“The first time is the worst because you aren’t used to it, but it isn’t like what the movies portray.” He paused as though thinking about how best to describe it. “Yes, your bones shift and realign, but it’s more like getting stung by a hundred bees at once than all the drama in the movies.” He rolled his eyes. “After a few times, you barely notice the pain.”

I didn’t think I believed him. As a kid, I’d been stung by a bee. It hurt. And he was saying it felt like getting stung a hundred times all at once? Pass. From where I stood near the door, I could see out onto the field. Above the bleachers were large TV screens. At the moment, it flashed ads for buying Wolf Blood Academy swag.

Choose Your House

Legacy

Claw 

Familiar

As each of the house names flashed on the screen, underneath were tee shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, ball caps, and even mugs with one of the three pictures I’d seen on the side of the sleigh. Turned out Legacy was the wolf head. Claw was the easy one—the clawed paws, and Familiar was the moon.

Where would I wind up? Which house?

According to my mom, I came from a long line of Legacy wolves. Dad was a Legacy. Mom wasn’t. She said she could’ve been, but she chose Familiar house. She hadn’t wanted the pressures. There had to be more behind her decision, but I didn’t say anything. Because I didn’t know enough to judge.

A loud howl rang over the loudspeaker. Those in the stands stopped talking, sending an eerie hush over the coliseum.

My father’s face appeared on the TV screen, replacing the swag ads.

“Friends. Family. Welcome to the initiation phase of the Wolf Blood Academy.” He paused, smiling as the crowd erupted with clapping and cheering. Was my mom out there watching? Probably not. I wasn’t sure whether that brought me sadness or comfort. It was bad enough my father—a man I barely knew and basically despised—would be judging me. I had a lot to live up to. Especially once