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

I shuddered.

My father went on. “Tonight, for our initiates first test, they will face Duel of Wolves. It will reveal submissiveness versus dominance. Points will be given for courage, tenacity, strength, agility, and speed. The challengers have been chosen at random. Are we ready?” he shouted.

The crowd cheered and began chanting.

“Duel!”

“Wolves!”

“Duel!”

“Wolves!”

“Let’s bring out our first challengers.”

On the screen flashed a guy and a girl I didn’t know but had seen on the grassy knoll. Above their photos were their names. Vivian Anders and Cohen Timpkins. My heart sank that they used the student's first and last name. As soon as my name went up there, everyone would know. I was a Valene, the dean’s daughter. I crossed my arms and began to pace, wishing there was a way out of this. Couldn’t my mom and I run? Leave Wildwood and go someplace else. A town far from the Shade Rasa and wolves and anything to do with shifting into a wolf. Why would my dad want me here? When I got out onto the field, I wasn’t just going to embarrass myself, I would embarrass him. He couldn't want that.

I clung to the door, desperate to go back to my boring life where my mom laid on the couch all day while I went to school and worked, where the bills piled up, and my biggest worry was whether the lawn would get too full of weeds before someone called the city or the last time I kissed a boy.

“Hey, Diana?” Fallon called.

I didn’t respond, but closed my eyes, hoping the ground would open up and swallow me whole. At least if I went out like that, no one could hurt my mom.

“Anger can help you change, but it’s actually easier if you’re calm. Know any yoga?”

I snorted. “Karate count?” I whispered.

“Just focus on shifting. Use all of your resolve to will your wolf from your body. She wants to come out, especially if you’ve been holding her back this long. Let her have her way.”

I glanced over at Fallon. His eyes were warm and intent. He really was trying to help. “Thanks, I’ll try to remember that.”

There was a howl over the loudspeaker, and the crowd silenced as the first two challengers walked onto the field. A two-person camera crew followed each student, tracking their moves and their facial expressions. When they reached the center of the field, they stepped inside the cage. I wondered why the pen was even necessary. Until the girl started to cry and tried to get out. “I don’t want to fight. Let me out,” she shouted.

The guy laughed and shifted into an enormous brown wolf. He growled and nipped at the girl’s flank, causing her to scream. Then she turned around, lifting her hands above her head. At the same moment, she shifted. Her colors were gray and brown. She was slightly smaller than the guy, but her wolf was maniacal, going after the guy so quickly, he wasn’t prepared. Before he could even fight, she had him on his back, her teeth at his throat.

“She was playing him,” Fallon said to himself.

But I had to agree. “Cunning,” I responded.

“We have our first winner. Vivian Anders. Well done,” my dad said, and Vivian’s picture was flashed up on the screen. The cage opened, and the two of them exited. Vivian barking and leaping into the air, celebrating with the cheering crowd while Cohen held his head low as he exited the field.

It went like that for a while. Two people entered the cage in human form. They shifted into their wolves and fought until dominance was established. One came out a winner while the other came out with its tail between its legs.

I watched intently, hoping to feel more comfortable with what I had to do.

Penelope Smythe went against Jasper Milligan. He was so much bigger than her, and I worried about my new friend. But where he was bigger, she was faster, and their duel ended in a draw.

On all fours again, Jasper, whose wolf was brown with russet spots, nudged Penelope’s wolf, which was tan with brown paws under the chin. She nuzzled him back, and I got the feeling their wolves liked each other.

Next was Fallon and another guy named Caleb Bosch. Where Fallon was wiry, the other guy was big with a frizzy beard. He looked like he was twenty-five instead of a teenager. That seemed so unfair.

When they shifted into their wolves, I noted that their wolves looked very similar. Both were gray. The difference was that Fallon had black spots, and Caleb had black paws. They were pretty evenly matched throughout their fight too. It didn’t matter that Fallon still looked like he hadn’t gone through puberty yet. His wolf was full-grown and fought valiantly against Caleb. I even thought he would win, except at the last second, Caleb flicked some grass and dirt into Fallon’s face making it so he couldn’t see, and that was when Caleb went in for the kill shot.

“Winner is Caleb Bosch,” my father announced.

When Fallon came back, his wolf looked angry. He slammed into the sides of the cage and growled like he would attack at any second. His reaction scared me, but more than that, it hit home what I was… what we all were.

I was an animal, or at least I could shift into one.

The idea hurt my head, and I sank to my knees.

“Tonight’s final contest will be between Wyatt Wright and Moonlight Valene,” my father said and sounded like the announcer at a boxing match.

Chapter Seven

“Super,” I mumbled as my picture, as well as Wyatt’s, appeared on the giant TV screens. My heart pounded against my ribs, and I felt light-headed. A panic attack. It was my first, but then why not? Probably about time after everything I’d been through lately.

I clamped my teeth together to keep from screaming out. Wyatt was massive. His stats rated his height at