This class is draining me! Why do they put the most tedious class first thing in the morning? I have to take these prerequisite classes despite having a wealth of credits from high school, not all of which qualify, so here I am. Ugh!
The communications professor is droning on and on, and I'm struggling to follow. I've never had trouble paying attention in class before, but looking around, I'm not the only one having trouble staying focused. The almost full class is mostly freshmen, all here for the same reason as me – it's required. I'm envious of Mina, who already has a few college credits, so she doesn't have to suffer through this with me.
We decided that since Mina is in the parks, rec, and tourism program, I should do the forest ecology track. That way, we can take some of the same classes and canvas more people. Both of us lucked out and managed to get into some of our program classes, which puts us in close proximity to many of the new wolves in the territory. It makes sense, though. Not all wolves have their jobs decided like the Alphas and other leaders, and we need people in positions that can help protect us from humans and other species.
I've noticed that the wolves tend to congregate together in my classes and give off an air of being your average muscle-bound athletes, even the women. The humans, for the most part, keep a wide berth. It seems like the usual high school separation of groups, but I know it's the humans' natural instinct to stay away from predators. Although I've never heard of a pack member harming a human for sport or food. I don't know about rogue wolves; it's possible they'll do anything to survive. Based on what I've seen from this Rogue King, some of them don't have a problem harming anyone who gets in their way.
My afternoon ecology class heads straight outside for our first lesson. By the smell and look of my professor, this is where he spends most of his time and would rather be. He handed out the syllabus, citing that if we couldn't figure it out on our own, we should find another program. Then, he brought us on a tour of the area we'll be using for projects and research this year.
“Nickolas, we're heading outside for a tour of the facility. Is there anything you want to know? I'll try to work it into the conversation.”
“We'd like to know about the wildlife. Does it come onto the property regularly? How often will we come into contact with it? Let's see if the school has noticed a change in the wolf population. And keep an eye on the rogues while you ask – find the most fidgety one so we can keep an eye on them.”
“On it.”
This class has been my favorite so far. The professor treats us like peers, not just students, and his no-nonsense approach to teaching is refreshing. The area we have for research is about 25 acres, with some forested areas and a prairie that's been left to grow wild with tall grasses that are still standing strong after the harsh winter. There are trails beaten into the grass where people walk to maintain the integrity of the land. I can feel my entire body relax just being out here – it's amazing.
“Professor Chance?” I ask, walking up to him as he leads us around a fenced area marked for another class. “Does the school restrict the wildlife that comes through here, or should we be prepared to come into contact with some animals?”
