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I sprinted toward the edge and leaped off a seven meter drop. Wind whipped through my dark crimson hair and the ground came too fast. My knees bent, absorbing the impact, and I launched forward, dashing around a tree to catch the white werewolf that had cheated! He'd started while I'd still been putting my runners on and it had taken me three miles to catch up.

The surrounding forest was dulled from the blanket of clouds covering the morning sun, but even with the long sinuous shadows, I could see perfectly. I hurdled up to a log and pushed off, sailing over a two meter wide hole and landed in front of the massive wolf.

"Ha! Too slow, Buppy." I grinned, wiping a few beads of perspiration from my brow.

Baylan growled, flashing his fangs in the corner of my eye. He hated when I called him that. I'd come up with the pet name during our first year, when he'd been a scrawny little thirteen-year-old puppy. He'd grown in the six years I'd known him, filling out in all the right places, and six months ago he'd finally achieved his first shift, but the ability came with a bunch of suped up emotions too.

After our two best friends, Raven and Roan, were forcibly transferred out two weeks ago, we'd taken to running twenty miles every morning to help him burn off some excess energy, so he didn't wolf out every time someone pissed him off.

A new scent twirled in the breeze. I inhaled deeply and got a lung full of what smelt like ash, but there hadn't been any fires nearby and I doubted the closest village, twenty miles away, would be lighting up their fireplaces for a few more months. I breathed in another whiff and slowed.

"Bay, do you smell that?"

Baylan trotted up next to me and raised his head. It was then that I noticed how quiet the forest had become. It felt almost ominous. Usually we'd hear hundreds of birds, insects, and wildlife. We'd even spotted the occasional stray cats scampering out of our way as we thundered through the woods.

A couple of pops and crackles signalled that the wolf beside me was changing back into a man. A very naked man that would get pissy if I tried to sneak a peak at his bits. Not like I hadn't seen them before, I mean we'd known each other since we were twelve and gone skinny dipping every summer with our other friends. But the boys had ended that a couple of years ago when our boobs had become too much of a distraction for them.

"Is something burning?" Bay asked.

"It's really quiet," I whispered.

He edged closer until his arm bumped into mine. "We should get back."

A twig snapped. The ash scent was getting stronger, which meant whatever was making it was coming closer.

I grabbed Bay's wrist, pulling him back with me. "Shift. We're taking the direct route."

"Got it." Pops and crackles sounded a second before Bay hit the ground in wolf form.

"Go," I whispered.

We spun and sprinted straight for the Academy eight miles away.

A rumbling snarl rose up behind us and footsteps thundered.

I glanced over my shoulder at a massive black creature weaving around the trees, and it was gaining on us. I tripped, stumbling to keep upright, after a few steps I was back to full speed and closed the gap to Bay. A fizzle of magic tickled my senses. I glimpsed back. A massive swirling ball of fire sped straight towards Bay. I dove, slamming into him. We tumbled. The flames grazed my shoulder, singeing the back of my tank top. Bay rolled on top of me and shifted.

He lifted himself up and grabbed my arms. "Briana, are you okay?"

A shadow sped overhead and we both peered up at the sky. A pale blue dragon the size of a bus soared past.

"Whoa!" Bay stared.

The dragon swooped down and expelled a burst of brilliant white magic. The creature howled, scrambling in retreat. The magic exploded on impact. Blinding light and a cloud of freezing mist flooded the forest, sweeping over us. When it cleared the whole section of woods where the creature had stood was frozen solid.

"Holy Realms," whispered Baylan.

He blinked then turned back to me. I stared up into his widened brown eyes. Locks of his shaggy brown hair hung forward, framing his chiseled face. "Is that a winter dragon?"

I stared up at the dragon circling the area. "Yeah..."

The dragon's presence felt nostalgic, but there weren't any purebred winters at the Academy. There were a few yellow autumn dragons and winter mongrels but none that had the pure winter power that dragon was emanating.

Bay shifted. "Did the fire burn you?"

"I'm fine, but you might want to get off. You're flashing the dragon."

Bay grinned. "Maybe she appreciates the sight of a sexy butt."

"It's a dude. And you do realise you are laying on top of me naked."

Baylan smirked. "It's a good think I'm not attracted to you otherwise this might have become awkward."

Someone cleared their throat and we both looked at a pair of boots and up at the quirked burgundy eyebrows of Professor Stormfall—our combat instructor.

Professor Stormfall crossed her toned arms. "Mr. Whitefang, why aren't you wearing shifting pants?"

"I wasn't expecting to shift until we got back to the dorms. And Bri's got me covered. She's my valet."

He flashed his killer boyish smile that made a lot of girls weak in the knees, but Professor Stromfalls stern expression didn't flinch. Even though Bay was more like a brother to me, I had noticed that he'd blossomed in a the past year. He was the current heartthrob of the younger years.

"Well, either put something on or shift. And get off Briana."

He tapped two fingers to his forehead and winked. "Yes, Professor."

"And both of you, since you're here, follow me." She stepped around us and continued toward the frozen woods and stopped a few meters away. "Today, children."

"My shorts?" Bay looked down at me.

Above Bay, I caught sight of the dragon circling us. "I can't reach them until you get off, twit."

"Oh, right." Bay scooted back. "No peeking."

"I've seen it already, Bay."

"I can hear you," Professor Stormfall called over her shoulder.

Awkward. I unzipped the small, uncool fanny pack resting on my butt, pulled out a pair of shorts, and tossed them at Bay, before I got up and joined Professor Stormfall.

I stopped next to her and stared at the frost covered trees. "What was that thing?"

"Can you not guess?" She tilted her head back and inhaled deeply.

"It looked like a demon." I'd only seen pictures and drawings of them in books. "But it couldn't be."

"And why couldn't it be?"

"There haven't been any demons around these parts since the academy opened."

Professor Stormfall drew in another deep breath"In deed."

Baylan jogged up, wearing only a very short pair of running shorts. Professor Stormfall strode toward the winter wasteland and we followed.

"So it was a demon?" I asked.

"Shit, seriously?" Bay's mouth formed a circle.

"Language, Mr. Whitefang."

Ice crunched under my running shoes. Bay let out a quivering brr. Even though werewolves ran hot he was covered in goosebumps and his nipples were rock hard. He was a head taller, and his shoulders half again as wide. My eyes lingered on the definition of his chest and biceps. I'd never been romantically interested in Bay, but you couldn't blame a girl for appreciating some muscle when it was presented so freely.

"You should shift before you catch a chill," I said.

"Professor, that okay?"

"Yes, Mr Whitefang."

A pair of shorts hit the back of my head and a second later a white wolf appeared at my side. His cold nose nudged my elbow.

"Okay, I got it." I stuffed the shorts back into the fanny pack. "I don't see it anywhere. Where'd it go?" The ash smell had completely vanished.

"Mr. Whitefang, can you pick up any trail?"

Bay put his nose to the ground and darted around, after a few minutes he returned to Professor Stormfall, and shook his head.

Professor Stormfall looked up at the circling dragon, raised her hand, and pointed toward the academy. The Dragon hovered overhead for a moment then swooped away.

"New teacher?" I asked, staring after it.

Professor Stormfall side-eyed me and there was an odd twinkle in her eye. "A new student."

"Oh." Must be one of the new pure-blood students. "Won't the humans see him?

"There's a new glamour ward that extends twenty miles beyond the barrier."

They'd definitely need it with all the new students. From today, our safe little corner of the world was going to change forever. I'd tried to impress upon Baylan what was coming, because as a werewolf, he'd never dealt with dragon nobility before. But I had, and I'd bet a pot of gold they would bring their damned only the strong survive mentality with them. Those pureblood snobs, just the people I'd been trying to avoid.

"Come on, you two. Back to the Academy. And don't tell anyone about what happened out here." She waggled her finger at us. "Also, until further notice, no leaving the barrier."

"Yes, Professor."

The professor darted off, and Bay, and I trailed her all the way to the shimmering blue barrier that surrounded the Bloods Academy, or the BA and its students like to call it. It was the only dragon run academy in the human realm, and one of the few that accepted a mix of supernatural races.

Bay had grown up in Surrey, a couple hundred miles away, and Baylan's dad was the alpha of the local pack. They were apparently one of the most powerful in Europe and Bay should really be at the Alpha's Academy in London. But with two older brothers likely to take over from his father, Bay had been shipped here instead in hopes of furthering relations between the Weres and Dragons. The Dragons were a fickle race that didn't like to mix with other races, unless it was for a quick roll in the hay.

The barrier buzzed over my skin as I stepped through. I'd heard that any person not approved by the barrier for entry would be incinerated instantly upon contact.

"See you later, Professor." I waved as Bay and I jogged over to the dorms, and for the first time since leaving the Summer court nine and a half years ago, I was dreading the day ahead. 

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More soon. Hope you liked it 😁

Note: This is a draft version, so please forgive me if you find any typos/ mistakes.