When we got back to the school, the vampire lifted my bags out of the car and led us back up to the main building. I was still shocked and overwhelmed, but I knew I had to just keep going through the motions and pray that everything would work out. I was grateful for my daddy's presence. His overprotectiveness was working to my benefit for once. Everyone was giving us proper distance, and none of the vampires wanted to stare at an Alpha for very long. They didn't seem to like his presence.

The headmistress met us at the entrance. "Mr. and Miss Lykos, welcome to Aiela Academy. Orientation for parents is down the hall to the left with Professor Cast. Orientation for new students is down the hall to the right. Orientation will last for about an hour. Your things will be brought up to your room. After Orientation, you will be allowed to say your goodbyes," the headmistress explained. "Mr. Lykos, before Orientation, would you come with me so we can discuss the accommodations we need to make to maintain our relationship with the Shifters?" My father nodded, but he looked at me, concerned. He didn't like leaving me alone, especially in a room full of strange vampires. "I assure you that your daughter is safe in the Academy, Mr. Lykos," he hesitated one more moment before he went off with the headmistress. One of the other professors stepped up to take over the headmistress' job.

"Your orientation is just down the hall," she informed me, pointing down the hallway. "Professor Rhodes is waiting outside the classroom for you," she gave me a reassuring smile. I nodded, nervously twining my hands in front of me.

"Thank you," I told her politely. I turned to head down the hall, nervous, but knowing that I needed to go to Orientation. I also knew I was being watched by the vampires. The Academy was impressive and huge, with well-lit corridors and portraits on the walls. It wasn't far to the classroom Orientation was being held in. There was a vampire woman waiting outside of the classroom.

"What is your name, dear?" she asked me. She was holding a clipboard to check off names.

"Samantha Lykos," I told her, trying not to stutter out of nervousness. She looked down her list and checked off my name. She gave me a big smile.

"You're the Shifter," she told me unnecessarily. Of course I knew that I was a shapeshifter. I knew that this was the first time a Shifter had been Chosen, though. I didn't want to be a celebrity. I didn't want to be singled out, just because I happened to be born different than the rest of the people here. "I've never met a shifter before. I apologize for being so excited," she told me with a grin. "I just graduated a few years ago, from Aiela University," she continued to explain. LIke all of the vampires I had seen so far, she was very pale. She was thin, too, but seemed younger than the others. It made a lot of sense, since she had just said she was only a few years older than I was, if she had only now graduated from University. She shook her head as if she needed to clear it. "Sorry about that. I get a little overexcited. Welcome to Aiela Academy, Miss Lykos," she told me and directed me inside the classroom. There were five of us in total, 3 girls and 2 boys. I tried to smile at them. They all looked as nervous as I felt. One of the girls was perfect and blonde, a preppy type. The other looked like a nerd. The two boys looked like jocks. There were only five chairs, so I took the last one, feeling scared. Professor Rhodes, the vampire girl from outside the classroom door joined us. She stood in front of us and smiled.

"Again, I would like to welcome you all to Aiela Academy. I am Professor Rhodes. I am a new graduate from Aiela University and am in training to teach here," she explained to us. "I know it is all very confusing to you right now, but through your studies here, you will learn to appreciate the gifts you have been given," she let this sink in.

"What gifts?!" the preppy blonde girl demanded. "We've been taken from our homes and families and lives!" she exclaimed, the perfect image of an entitled spoiled girl.

"As you will learn," Professor Rhodes replied calmly, "Vampires are immortal. There is plenty you will be able to do with that gift alone. You will see your families again. I promise it is not as dreary as it seems at the moment. Most of the students are not here now, in fact. Classes will begin on September 1st. You will study all of the normal high school classes, as well as learning about what it means to be a vampire. I must warn you again that unless you are surrounded by Master-level vampires, your bodies will reject the change and you will die. Your bodies will change over the next four years that you are here. You will learn more about that later. Once you have graduated, however, you will be able to live among humans again if that is what you wish," she told us, trying to make the news sound less dismal than it was. "You also will get to keep your cell phones and computers, so you will be able to contact your families during your free time," she reassured everyone. I was sure my father would insist on more contact than that. "There are four grades here, just like in a normal high school. After Orientation, you will receive the Academy pendant," she lifted the hourglass pendant she wore on a chain around her neck. "Every Academy uses the pendant. It will mark you as a vampire to anyone who sees you. There is a severe penalty for any human caught trying to copy the design. Until you have graduated your pendants will be silver," her pendant was gold. "Apprentices have no sand in their hourglass. Neophytes, or second years, have all of the glass in the top of their hourglasses. Novices have their sand distributed evenly and Journeymen have their sand entirely at the bottom. Right now, we are on night schedule, since the Elder vampires do not like daylight. Vampires can be out in the daylight. Elder vampires get migraines and physical pain because of the sun. When classes start, we will switch back to day schedule for the students and parents. There are two dorms, one for boys and one for girls. Unfortunately, as Apprentices, your rooms will be on the top floor of the dorms,"

All five of us were pretty dazed by this point. We were getting a lot of information all at once. "We're going to head down the hall now to get your class schedules, then uniforms, you'll see your parents again, then a tour of the campus before bed for the day," she told us quickly. "Let's get started," We all stood and headed further down the hallway, following her to the next classroom, where five vampires were waiting for us at desks around the room. They each called one of us and I headed toward an asian vampire woman. She was tiny and perfect and obviously asian, but I knew she was much more dangerous than she appeared.

"So you are the alpha's daughter," she greeted me as I sat down in front of her. I nodded shyly. "I am Professor Kinoshita,"

"It is a pleasure to meet you," I replied. She seemed so nice and welcoming, that I felt myself relaxing, even though she was a vampire. She opened the file folder in front of her.

"So I see you've had decent grades," she told me, looking over my transcripts. I had never been the best student, but I maintained good enough grades to appease my parents. "And I feel like you have the potential to do well here," she smiled at me. "I know the alpha demands structure and commitment. We demand excellence here as well. There are two tracks, however, one for honors students, and a normal track for those whose skills are not necessarily academic. It will be difficult, but I feel like you should be placed in the honors classes, as that will offer you the best options for your future," she told me. I nodded again, worried, but feeling like I would be able to handle the honors classes she was suggesting. She looked at the laptop next to her and filled out part of a class chart. "You will also need a foreign language and a physical activity class," she informed me. "Have you participated in any sports?"

"No, ma'am," I replied. It had been seen as an unfair advantage for me to be in sports, since I was more physically fit than any of the other students. "I have studied karate with my brothers for almost 10 years, though," I told her. She smiled and scribbled something else down.

"We have a karate class that will fulfill the physical education requirement," she offered with a smile. I grinned. That would at least be something I knew.

"That sounds perfect!" I told her, relieved that something would be familiar here. She smiled again.

"Do you have any interest in a particular foreign language? I would suggest Japanese, since you already have the foundation, through your karate studies. However, I am particular to the subject, since I teach it,"

"I think that is a good idea," I agreed with her. Again, it would be something familiar.

"Excellent," she smiled and began typing at her laptop. "You're schedule's all set. You can pick up a copy on your way out," she indicated the printer by the door. "Everything will also be available online. The school will provide you with a laptop if you did not bring your own,"

"I brought one," I told her, glad that I had. I was more comfortable with my own technology. She nodded.

"I will see you in class, alpha's daughter," she bid me and the meeting was over. All of the others were getting out of their meetings too. I headed toward the door to pick up my schedule. It didn't look terrible, but I didn't have to worry about it for another week. It was a strange system we had going here, but none of the schools seemed too upset that they didn't know how many freshmen they had until a week before classes started. I looked over the schedule more carefully, just to see what I was in for:

8:00 Honors English

9:00 Honors Geometry

10:00 Honors Biology

11:00 Honors Modern History

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Apprentice

2:00 Japanese 1

3:00 Karate

4:00 Club

"Every student must be a part of a club. During the first week of classes, there will be a club fair to show off all of the club options," Professor Rhodes explained to us as we looked over our class schedules. The preppy blonde girl was busy complaining that she didn't get into the honors program and was trying to demand that someone fix it. I smiled. I didn't like preppy girls, and was glad that I had managed to have good enough grades to get into honors. Now I just had to be able to stay there. "Next stop is uniforms," Professor Rhodes led us to the next classroom again. "Boys, please go with Professor McCullen," a male professor was there to lead the boys to another classroom to get their uniforms. Professor Rhodes turned to address us again. "Uniforms are required at all times while on school property. The clothes you brought with you are only for the event that you must leave campus," she explained. I wasn't looking forward to uniforms. "Evening and weekend wear will also be provided by the school," she added. There were four changing rooms set up in this classroom somehow, which seemed crazy to me, but whatever worked for the vampires. The woman in charge of the uniforms handed me an armful of clothes to try on. I changed carefully, not sure on the sizes. I ended up with a button-up long sleeved white shirt, a purple and black plaid skirt, which hit 3 inches above my knee, a purple and black striped tie, black sweater-vest with purple trim, black knee socks, black shoes, and a black blazer with the school emblem on it.

"Wear this uniform now. The rest will be sent up to your room. You will have 6 sets of uniforms, 3 sets of weekend wear, and 7 pair of pajamas. Since you are in karate, your gi will be there as well," the uniform woman informed me. The other girls were dressed identically as I was. Professor Rhodes smiled at us.

"I know it seems uncomfortable now, but it will be a relief not having to worry about what to wear in the mornings," she tried to reassure us. I was uncomfortable in a skirt, but I knew I would have to deal with it. "We have one more stop before you reunite with your families," she informed us. We collected the boys, who were in the same uniforms, except they had black pants instead of skirts, and headed to the headmistress' office. She was waiting for all of us, with five hourglass pendants on her desk.

"These pendants are symbols of your joining this Academy, and the ranks of the vampires. Only the vampires are allowed to wear them. Do not sell your pendant, or give it to a human under any circumstances. The penalties are very high for such an act. First, Miss Lykos," I stepped forward and she held up one of the silver hourglasses. "I formally welcome you to Aiela Academy. With this pendant you begin your studies and join us as an Apprentice vampire. Welcome, Apprentice Lykos," I carefully took the pendant from her, and clasped the silver chain around my neck, so the hourglass hung in plain view. Each of the others were given their hourglasses by the headmistress, before we were finally allowed to see our families again.