Tiger Crown: Sabre Woods Academy, #1

By Laura Greenwood

A tiger shifter, an academy, and a royal court full of drama.

I've spent my entire life being passed over by the Shifter Queen. Which wouldn't be a big deal, except she's my mother.

Now she's finally let me come to the foremost academy for big cat shifters, Sabre Woods, I'm hoping to find some independence. If only I wasn't plagued by my rival for the title of Shifter Heir.

All I need to do is get through the first few weeks without accidentally challenging someone to the Shifter Trials. That should be easy...right?

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Tiger Crown is book one of the Sabre Woods Academy series. It is an urban fantasy academy with shifters and a slow burn m/f romance. 

If you enjoy big cat shifters, paranormal academy settings, slow burn romance, and royal intrigue, start the Sabre Woods Academy series today with Tiger Crown!

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Drowlgon Press
• Release date: May 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393035848

Laura Greenwood

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set. Laura specialises in quick reads, with healthy relationships and consent positive moments regardless of if she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-heavy urban fantasy, or anything in between. You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in The Paranormal Council Facebook Group. Happy Reading!

Book preview

Chapter One

I'm not going to let my nerves get the better of me, even if the soaring turrets of the old castle towering above me are enough to induce them in anyone. No wonder Mother doesn't want me to be her heir if I'm intimidated by an old building. It's barely any different from the ones I've grown up in.

But something feels different about it all. Probably because I've had to fight tooth-and-claw to let my parents send me to Sabre Woods Academy. I'm not sure why they don't want me to come. Mother has some odd ideas of what's good and bad for me. I'm pretty sure she's the reason I get so anxious about everything.

Pull yourself together, Kayra, I mutter. No one can hear me, which is probably a good thing. I don't want everyone to think I'm crazy on my first day. That can wait for day two.

I make my way up the steps, my heart pounding within me as I did. I need to keep myself under control or I'm going to end up shifting in front of everyone and making a complete fool of myself in the process. Everyone knows a shifter who can't control themselves is a recipe for disaster.

And definitely not the person they want on the Shifter Throne. If I mess up during my time here, Mother will never pick me to be her heir no matter how hard I try.

Ah. That'll be why she didn't want me to come here in the first place. She's worried I'm going to embarrass her. But I can't live my life based on what Mother wants. I'm not some wilting flower, no matter what she thinks.

The entrance hall is decked in marble everywhere except the floors. It's ostentatious but that sums up big cats. Most of us like to think we're better than everyone else, even when that isn't the case. Other shifters should have a say in the way our species is ruled.

Of course, there are many people who argue that each subset of shifters is a different species and that's the reason big cats act differently. I don't believe them. There have been lots of studies done to prove that we all have similar DNA and I believe that over the prejudice of years.

I rap my knuckles against the glass pane of the reception door.

Come in, a friendly voice calls.

I push it open and step inside, not too sure what I'm going to find on the other side.

A portly woman with lots of laughter lines and glasses perched on the end of her nose sits behind an over large desk.

Good morning, dear. What can I do for you?

I'm Kayra Herrity, I'm starting at the academy today. There's a slight quiver in my voice, but I think I manage to hide it.

Ah, yes. Give me a second. She gets to her feet and makes her way over to a filing cabinet.

I shift my weight from one foot to the other in an attempt to allay my nerves. I'm starting to think that this might be the mistake Mother says it is. I should have known the moment my family announced none of them were coming with me for my first day.

Herrity, Herrity, Herrity, the woman mutters under her breath as she flips through the files. Ah, here we are. She pulls out a folder and hands it to me. That's your welcome packet. Your key and room number are in there. But before you go find it, you need to head to the dining room. It's straight down the hall and to the left. All of the new students are waiting there for orientation.

Thank you, I say through gritted teeth. I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing other students.

Welcome to Sabre Woods Academy, she says cheerily. I hope you have a pleasant time with us.

I smile and exit the room without saying anything else. I'm not sure how I can respond without being insincere.

I can hear the new students long before I can see them, my senses going into overdrive at the volume of their chatter. I hate this part of being a shifter. The world is never quiet, no matter how much I want it to be.

No wonder the receptionist didn't tell me more precise directions, she'll have known I wouldn't need them.

The moment I step into the lunch hall, conversation dies off. It doesn't last long. I didn't expect it to. Whispers follow around the room. No doubt they're all wondering what I'm doing here and why I'm not being educated at the royal court. If they spent five minutes there under Mother's care, they'd know why.

I bow my head and make my way to the back of the room where the only empty table is. I set down the welcome packet and sit down as gracefully as I can muster, even if I'd rather disappear quickly. I don't know if Mother has a spy here, but it's only a matter of time if she doesn't.

Slowly, the other students forget I'm here and conversations strike up again. I take the opportunity to assess where things stand.

Everyone here is a big cat shifter, I don't need proof to know that. While technically other species, including humans, can apply to get in, most of them don't bother. If they do, then they won't get past the entrance tests. I'm not sure I like the system, but it's the one that's in place right now.

The lions are easiest to spot. A handful of burly guys surrounded by fawning lionesses who hang onto their every word. I couldn't live in a dynamic like that, but I suppose that makes sense. To some extent, we all take on characteristics of the animals we shift into. My preference is to be alone, the lions' is to gravitate together and form prides no matter where they are.

The cheetahs aren't making themselves very inconspicuous either. It's almost cliché how many of them are on sports teams. Right now, they're looking more at ease than when they're on the track though.

I should be glad of that. Spending too much time around cheetahs can be exhausting.

Hello, a chipper voice says.

I startle and turn to face a small-ish girl with huge dark eyes and her hair in twin plaits. I can't place what kind of shifter she is immediately, which must mean she's one of the rarer ones.

Hi.

I'm Demi. She holds out her hand.

I frown, but take it anyway. Kayra.

She drops into the seat opposite me. Why are you sitting alone?

Why are you?

I just got here, but you could have joined any of the others.

I don't like people much, I mutter.

She chuckles. "That just means you haven't met the right people yet."

Despite myself, a small smile lifts at the corners of my lips. You sound like you're talking from experience.

I am, Demi responds brightly.

How do you know I'm the right kind of person?

She shrugs. Intuition.

You don't know anything about me.

She raises an eyebrow. Don't I? You're Kayra Herrity, you're the Shifter Princess.

I groan. Don't call me that, it's not a real thing.

Not true.

I let out a loud sigh. "All right, fine. It is a real thing, but only once Mother announces who her heir is and she hasn't done that yet."

Which everyone thinks is stupid now you're eighteen.

If they do, then they've never mentioned as much to me, I point out.

"That's