CHAPTER 72: INTRODUCTION TO THE TYPES OF COURSES.

The next day arrived swiftly, with the morning sun casting an eerie glow over Victoria’s face, illuminating the delicate contours of her peaceful slumber.

"Wake up, sunshine!" came Leo’s playful voice, pulling Victoria out of her deep sleep in an instant.

Startled, she sat up in bed, blinking away the remnants of her dream. "You scared me, Leo!" she exclaimed, brushing her hair back. Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. "How come you’re here? Weren’t you still in the bodyguard’s body?"

Leo shrugged nonchalantly, standing beside her with his arms crossed. "Well... I was, but not anymore. Besides, your brothers didn’t go after him yesterday or even bother dealing with him. So, he’s safe for now....thanks to you. You had them all wrapped around your fingers," he added with a half-smile. "And as for Damien, he’s still at the academy."

"I see..." Victoria murmured. She threw the covers aside and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Anyway, I’ll go get ready now. You can take over the bodyguard’s body again."

But Leo shook his head. "No need. I think it’s better to let the bodyguard rest today. He seems confused....still trying to process everything that happened yesterday. It’s better to let him be for now. Besides, your brothers aren’t going to be home this morning as you’re all going to the academy, so he’s safe until we return."

Without waiting for a response, Leo vanished into the golden locket around Victoria’s neck with a flash of warm light.

Victoria released a long, tired sigh and made her way to the bathroom. After a warm and calming bath, she stepped out feeling refreshed. She toweled off and began dressing with deliberate care, slipping into a blue brocade shirt-dress that hugged her figure elegantly. She matched it with a pair of sleek black heels, then tied her hair into a neat bun. A pair of small golden earrings and a matching necklace completed her look.

Once satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of the room and walked briskly toward the parking lot. There, as always, stood her three brothers...Callum, Theo, and Lucian...waiting for her beside their sleek black car.

"Good morning, brothers," Victoria greeted, her voice light but graceful. She handed her bag over to Theo, who took it with a gentle smile on his face.

"Let’s go," she added.

Her brothers nodded in silent agreement and climbed into the car along with her. The engine purred to life, and soon, the vehicle was cruising smoothly out of the mansion gates and into the city streets.

As they drove, Theo leaned slightly toward her, concern etched into the softness of his tone and the tension of his brow. "Do you still feel sore?" he asked quietly. "Did the massage work at all?"

Victoria turned to him and offered a warm, reassuring smile. "Yes, it did, Brother. I feel much better now. Thank you all...for everything."

"That’s great news then." Lucian chimed in with a warm smile.

Theo looked visibly relieved, and even Lucian, who sat silently beside the window, allowed a rare flicker of comfort to cross his expression.

Mirabel didn’t show up yesterday, and my brothers aren’t angry either, Victoria thought, her gaze drifting toward the passing scenery outside the window. But this is just the beginning. A lot still has to happen.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of the grand gates of the academy. Without delay, Victoria and her brothers stepped out. The moment her heels touched the pavement, the sounds of bustling students filled the air, but five familiar voices cut through the noise like a sharp melody.

"Hi, Victoria!" chorused Blonde, Rose, Joe, Dickson, and Jamaila, their faces lighting up as soon as they spotted her. In a blur of excited motion, they surrounded her, spinning her around in a group hug.

"We heard about what happened!" Blonde exclaimed, her eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I’m okay, guys," Victoria replied with a soft chuckle, genuinely touched by their worry. "I really am. I feel much better now."

Callum, standing just behind her, couldn’t help but smile at the sight. "I feel at ease knowing that my sister actually has friends who care about her," he said, nodding toward the group. "It means we don’t have to worry all the time."

He glanced at his watch and added in a more serious tone, "Anyway, you’re already running late. Go to class, kids."

"Sure!" Victoria and her friends chorused in unison, their voices bright with excitement. Without wasting any more time, they made their way toward the classroom, their laughter fading as they approached the entrance only to stop dead in their tracks.

Their eyes landed on four familiar figures seated gracefully at the front of the room: Darius, Zephyr, Damien and Auren....all in the same classroom.

"Huh?" Victoria blinked rapidly, her heart skipping a beat. "What’s going on here now?" she muttered under her breath, rubbing her eyes as if to confirm she wasn’t hallucinating.

She wasn’t.

The powerful Alphas were truly there. Damien didn’t freak them out unlike the other three alpha’s.

Before any of them could process the unexpected sight, a sharp voice cut through the silence.

"Are you going to keep standing there like morons?" Nicole snapped from her seat, flipping her long hair over her shoulder with disdain. Her eyes were narrowed with irritation. "We don’t have all day. Studying with you scholarship students is annoying enough as it is."

"Go and have your seats," Darius’s deep voice followed next, his tone calm yet commanding, with a flicker of amusement hidden beneath his otherwise unreadable expression. "We’ve been waiting for you. Class can’t begin until all students are present."

Prompted by his words, Victoria’s friends immediately nodded and scrambled toward the nearest available seats, dragging a stunned Victoria along with them.

"We didn’t attend classes yesterday because we had something important to handle," Zephyr began, his voice smooth but laced with authority as he stood before the students. "But the three of us are here today for one reason....to oversee and guide you through the topics you’ll be learning... from us."

His words hung heavy in the air.

"As you all know, this academy is governed by four primary Alphas excluding the Council," Zephyr continued, folding his arms. "Each Alpha specializes in a specific field, and our responsibility is to prepare you for survival not just in this academy, but in the real world beyond it."

"But first..." came Damien’s voice as he stepped forward, sighing as he crossed the room with deliberate, controlled steps. His piercing gaze locked onto Victoria’s, though she was too fixated on the three Alphas to notice. "Let’s discuss the different kinds of courses that will be taught and the roles each of us plays in your training."

"One of the most vital classes is on Dominance and Pack Dynamics," Auren explained, his tone serious and sharp like a blade. "This subject covers hierarchy, authority, submission, and leadership. You’ll learn everything about how a pack functions... and more importantly, how to survive within it. That includes understanding your position, your instincts, and your responsibilities. This is just an introduction."

"I’ll be handling Combat and Tactical Warfare," Darius announced next, his expression impassive, but his voice carried the weight of experience. "This includes hand-to-hand combat, claw-to-claw engagements, strategy, pack formations, ambush tactics, and how to fight against rogues, vampires, and other rival species."

A gasp rippled through the classroom.

"V...Vampires?!" Jamaila stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief. She clutched the edge of her desk tightly. "They actually exist in this world?"

Darius turned his steely gaze on her and nodded once. "Yes. Many supernatural species exist, but werewolves dominate in numbers. Just because you don’t see the others walking among us doesn’t mean they’re not out there."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"They’re simply hiding. Most of them have dwindled to just one or two individuals per species. Coming out in the open would be suicidal. We werewolves can sense them easily. So, yes...vampires exist, but they’re smart enough to remain unseen."

His calm delivery only heightened the tension in the room. Jamaila swallowed hard and nodded timidly. "Y...Yes, Alpha Darius. Thank you."

Glancing around the classroom, it was clear that most of the elite-born students were already aware of this reality....expressions neutral, eyes forward. But the scholarship students, including several from Victoria’s group, looked visibly shaken.

As for Victoria... she already knew. Vampires were among the species imprisoned in the same underground lab where she had once been captured and experimented on.

"I teach Instinct Management and Rage Control," Auren continued, his voice steady, but his sharp eyes scanned the students like a hawk. "This subject includes meditation, breathwork, emotional regulation, and most importantly how to avoid shifting when your emotions surge. If you lose control, you could hurt others or yourself."

He paused for emphasis.

"As werewolves, we all have a breaking point. The difference between the strong and the reckless is self-restraint."

"Then there’s Shifting Techniques," Damien added, stepping forward again. "You’ll learn about partial shifts.. claws, enhanced senses, accelerated healing....as well as full-body transformations. This includes managing the pain, handling unexpected shifts during mating season, or controlling your form in the middle of battle."

"And yeah," Zephyr chimed in, flashing a charming yet cocky smile as he leaned casually against the desk, "we have the Mate Bonding and Biology course. That includes the mechanics of fated mates, pheromones, the effects of marking and rejecting a bond, heat cycles for Omegas, and rut cycles for Alphas. I’ll be teaching all of that....along with demonstrations when necessary."

He winked.

Victoria immediately rolled her eyes in disgust, her lips curling in irritation. Of course. As expected from the number one playboy in the pack, she thought bitterly. He never misses a chance to make everything about mating.