Wolf Spell: Shifters Bewitched #1

There could be no actual law on the books for something like this. Although once you got about an hour outside of the city, there was no telling what you’d find.
“You will go to him tomorrow night,” Headmistress Hart went on as if I hadn’t spoken. “For three nights, you will share his bed. By day you will return to the school. After three days, you will choose.”
“Choose what?” I asked.
“Whether to stay with him, or come back to us,” she said carefully.
“So I can just come back?” I asked.
Beside me, Cori gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
“You can,” the Headmistress said quietly. “But no one ever has.”

9
Bella
I awoke to a gentle voice.
“Bella, it’s time for class,” Cori was saying as she lightly touched my shoulder.
I sat up, trying to remember how I’d even gotten to bed.
Then Headmistress Hart’s words came back to me and I sank down again, unable to believe that it was real.
You will go to him tomorrow night. For three nights, you will share his bed.
I shivered.
“It’s going to be okay,” Cori said softly.
“I came here to learn,” I said. “I left college for this. I had a scholarship and a job and an apartment.”
To her credit, Cori just listened.
“Why does no one ever come back?” I asked. “And why don’t I remember going to bed?”
“I can’t answer the first question, but it’s probably the mate bond,” Cori said. “I read about them in the library for Mythical Creatures. Mate bonds are strong, and very hard to break. And you don’t remember going to bed because you were so panicked that Headmistress Hart had the nurse bring you some special tea.”
“She knocked me out?” I asked.
“She wanted you to get some rest,” Cori said. “And she was right, you were falling apart.”
That much was true. But I was still furious that I had been acted upon without my consent. It was my perfect right to be up all night freaking out.
“She does have your best interests at heart,” Cori said. “I know she seems tough, but she’s responsible for a lot here.”
Before I could formulate a response that articulated just how much of a damn I didn’t give about Headmistress Hart’s responsibilities, the door banged open and Kendall barged in with Anya at her heels. It occurred to me that the two must be roommates.
“Ready, Cori?” Kendall asked, ignoring me completely.
“Bella just woke up, so we’ll need a few more minutes,” Cori said. “You guys go on.”
Anya came over and sat on the edge of my bed, her wide eyes sympathetic.
“How are you doing?” she asked. “Did the tea work? Were you able to get some rest?”
“Did literally everyone know I was being drugged besides me?” I demanded, sitting up again.
Kendall rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, muttering something under her breath.
“What did she say?” I asked.
Cori and Anya exchanged a look.
“She said breeders,” Anya said carefully.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Cori said. “Let’s get you dressed.”
“No,” I said. “I want to know.”
Cori sighed. “Go ahead, Anya.”
“Some of the upper year girls think the witches who get chosen are inferior,” Anya explained. “Like they’re only good for mating and having babies - breeders.”
“Sounds about right,” I said.
I’d been here less than twenty-four hours and I was already being given up as a sacrifice in the name of the school. How fantastic that the other students would mock me for it while they were the ones who got to stay and reap the benefits.
“Not everyone feels that way,” Cori said quickly. “And some of us think the upper girls are only saying it because they’re jealous.”
“Why would they be jealous?” I asked, repressing a shudder.
Anya giggled and Cori grinned at her.
“What?” I demanded.
“Well, I mean, obviously you have a lot on your mind,” Cori whispered. “But did you see how gorgeous he was?”
I blushed in spite of myself.
I would have to have been blind not to see how sexy he was. Every inch of him was solid muscle, and those eyes…
“She saw,” Anya teased. “Come on, let’s not be late for your first day of class.”
I tried not to think about how it might also be one of my last as I crawled out of bed and grabbed my stuff.
“Bathroom’s through there,” Cori said, pointing to a door in the corner. “And here’s your uniform.”
“We have our own bathroom?” I asked. “I thought this was a dorm.”
At least I wouldn’t have to repeat the very un-private process of the communal shower.
“It’s also a castle,” she said, shrugging.
I didn’t waste any time, speeding through a shower and quickly getting into the green dress Cori had given me without taking the time to fully dry my hair.
It didn’t look like a school uniform. It was modest and comfortable, with large hidden pockets. I decided I liked it.
Don’t get used to it. You’re only wearing it for three days.
I tried to quiet the voice in my head and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. When I got out of the bathroom, the other two were still waiting for me. We headed out of the bedroom and down the corridor in relative silence.
The halls were empty enough that I realized we must be late.
“Are you guys going to be in trouble for waiting for me?” I asked.
“Not at all,” Cori replied. “But we won’t have much time for breakfast.”
We headed down the stairs and turned left, as if we were going back to the group showers. But just after the kitchen, I could see the double doors were propped open.
Dozens of women sat at tables in identical green dresses, chatting and eating.
“Grab a tray,” Cori said, as she snagged one for herself.
We didn’t have to wait in line, since the rest of the school seemed to have started already. A beaming woman stood behind the counter, wearing an apron that matched the green of our dresses.
“What’ll it be today, girls?” she asked.
It was an incredible spread with pancakes, waffles, muffins,