by Cheree Alsop
Ren shook his head. “It’s like you were a ninja or something.”
“Where’d you learn that?” Tanner asked.
The question hung in the air until Sarah said, “Maybe we should all go to your boarding school.”
The others nodded.
“I’d never be afraid to walk the streets at night,” Jen said.
“And Dad wouldn’t have to worry about someone robbing the store again,” Cherish told them with a grin. “I’d be Ninja Cherish.”
“Then I’d be even more afraid of you,” Ren said.
Cherish laughed and hit his shoulder. Ren winced dramatically.
Tanner checked his watch. “We’d better get going.”
“Yeah,” Josh said reluctantly. “Mrs. Bowley doesn’t like it when we’re late. I’d don’t think she’d even take an attempted motorcycle robbery as an excuse.”
“I’ll catch you guys some other time,” Alex said.
“Soon?” Jen asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
“Jen,” Josh replied in an exasperated voice.
“I’m not sure,” Alex told them. “But keep a spot open for me.”
“We will,” Sarah promised.
Alex climbed onto the motorcycle and started it. He glanced at the buildings around them and hesitated.
“Anyone know which way is north?” he asked.
Sarah and Cherish pointed in opposite directions. Jen didn’t even try.
Tanner laughed. “It’s that way,” he said, indicating the road to their left. “Don’t trust these guys. They get lost in the mall.”
“On purpose,” Sarah replied.
Alex laughed. “Catch you guys later.” He drove slowly out of the parking lot and waved back at the seven friends who watched him go.
It was with a heady feeling that he headed back toward Haroldsburg. The trip on the motorcycle had been far different than anything he could have hoped for. He had no doubt Trent was breathing a sigh of relief at the tracking device headed for the Academy.
Though he didn’t know how much of his encounter with the humans he should relate to his friend, he owed the werewolf a great deal of thanks. Seeing the world through the eyes of normal humans had changed the way he thought about things. Alex smiled and shut his visor, letting the hum of the tires on the road fill his thoughts with peace.
Chapter Eleven
“You played soccer?” Meredith repeated.
Alex had gone through the normal motions of school at the Academy while thoughts of the encounter raced over and over in his mind. He had finally tracked down his mother in the small nurses’ lounge at the end of the medical wing.
Alex nodded. “It was amazing. I had to remember not to use my werewolf strength.” He smiled at the thought of the ball hitting the slide. “But they treated me like just another student.”
“You are just another student,” Meredith said with a fond smile that told Alex she thought completely the opposite of what she said.
“For a while there, I thought I was,” Alex admitted.
A shadow crossed his mother’s face. She sat back, watching him. “Alex, I don’t know if it’s safe for you out there.”
“I was careful,” Alex reassured her. “Nobody followed me.”
“What if you did something that clued them in on what you were?” The worry in her voice ate at him.
Alex thought of the fight with the thugs, then pushed it away. “I didn’t. They think I’m just some kid on a motorcycle. I’ll never see them again.” A slight hint of regret twisted his voice.
Meredith let out a little sigh. “I know you get tired of everyone worrying about you. I think it’s great that you made some human friends and everything went well.” Her brow creased. “What I worry about is if you get too comfortable with them and let down your guard. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Experience gave depth to his mother’s words. The sadness and remembered fear that filled her blue eyes reminded Alex that she had been captured on the streets and taken to the General who tortured and abused her. Alex took her hand. “Mom, I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll always come back.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “When the General’s involved, promises get destroyed. I just don’t want to lose you.”
Alex could feel the scars on her palm where she had been cut with a silver knife. He bore similar scars around his wrists and ankles from his confinement with manacles when Drogan captured him. “I’ll always be here,” he promised quietly.
Meredith gave him a tight hug. Alex held his mother, wondering not for the first time at how frail she felt even with her time at the Academy. Protectiveness welled up inside of him. She was his mother and he would make sure that the General never laid his hands on her again.
***
Alex leaned against Jet’s statue. He refused to accept the fact that Jet wasn’t his brother. He felt it every time he touched the statue. In each memory he had been with Jet, the tie between them was real.
Jaze’s words came to him. “It’s in here. Brothers share a soul, a heartbeat; they bleed together, fight together, and have each other’s backs. When Jet was with me, I was never afraid. I knew he had my back, and he never let me down.”
Alex took a shuddering breath. “I feel so trapped,” he said aloud to the statue that watched over him. “I feel like every time I take two steps forward, I’m pulled three back.” He studied the Academy’s dark windows. “I want to protect them, to keep Cassidy and Mom safe. I want to be the brother and son that they need.” His throat tightened. “But I also want to be out there.” He turned his gaze to the gates and the road beyond. “I felt what it was like to just be myself. I didn’t have to worry about attacks, or what the rest of my pack would think.” He sighed. “It was nice.”
The words were hard to admit. It felt like he was betraying something that made him what he was. He wondered if Jet ever felt the same way, as if he was trapped with no way to break free and no right answer.
Footsteps made Alex smile. He wondered how Jaze always knew when he was troubled. The dean certainly had a gift for words that helped. He listened to the soft swish of Jaze’s shoes across the grass. The dean paused near the front of the statue.
“Jet, I need some advice. Alex has caused so much trouble that I don’t know whether to make him scrub toilets or put him to work with Dray in the gardens.”
Alex laughed. “Dray’s going to be upset that you rank his gardens the same as the toilets.”
Jaze chuckled and walked around the statue. “It is if he keeps planting mint in the greenhouses. The smell gives me a headache, but he insists that it’s supposed to cure headaches instead.”
“What did you tell him?” Alex asked curiously.
Jaze’s smile deepened. “I asked him if he ever met a dog that liked mint.”
Alex laughed. “Has he ever met a dog with a headache?”
Jaze leaned against the statue next to Alex. “Touché,” he replied with a grin. The smile faded as he looked up at the stars and the dark form of the statue. “It’s so much easier to think out here,” the dean said, his voice softer than before. “I come out here to clear my head.”
“Me, too,” Alex admitted. He slid down the statue so that he was sitting with his back against the base. The cool grass tickled his bare feet.
After a minute, the dean joined him. They sat in silence, enjoying the breeze that carried a chilly bite, reminding the pair that winter would soon be on its heels.
“What were you talking to Jet about, if you don’t mind me asking?” Jaze said eventually.
Alex leaned his head back, watching the stars wink down at them while he replied, “I just feel like sometimes there’s no right decision. I was wondering if he felt the same way.” It felt funny to admit it aloud, like he was a four year old asking why the sky was blue. There were obvious answers, but it was the reason behind the question that filled him with unrest. It wasn’t so much the color itself, but would another color have worked just a
s well. If the sky was red, would the world be the same?
When Jaze replied, his tone was distant as he told memories Alex didn’t know. “You know that your brother was kidnapped when he was a baby.”
Alex appreciated the way Jaze always referred to Jet as his brother. He nodded.
“What do you know of his childhood?”
The question caught Alex by surprise. He thought about it. “Not much. I know it wasn’t pleasant.”
Jaze nodded, his gaze sad. “Jet was raised through the atrocities of underground werewolf fighting. He grew up in a cage, beaten and forced to fight in order to survive.” Jaze ran a hand across his forehead, pushing his blond hair back. “Jet had to choose between killing the werewolves he was pitted against or to give up and die. The Jet I knew would have chosen to die, except for the fact that instinct refuses to submit.” Jaze’s brown eyes were filled with knowledge when they met Alex’s. “An animal will fight for its life with every last shred of breath. When a werewolf is put in the same position, the same instinct takes over. A werewolf cannot choose to die.”
“So Jet had to kill other werewolves,” Alex said quietly. The dean’s words filled him with horror.
Jaze nodded. “The only reason I tell you this is so you can understand that sometimes we have to fight to remember who we are and what our purpose is here. Jet told me once that the werewolves he had been forced to kill stayed with him, reminding him to live the best life he could in their honor.”
“How did he get out?” Alex asked, his voice just above a whisper.
Jaze closed his eyes. “I found him at one of the fights. The woman who owned him had pitted him against other Alphas and bet against him. She wanted him to die.” A small smile crossed the dean’s face. “But Jet rebelled in the only way he could. He survived.”
“He won the fight,” Alex guessed.
Jaze nodded. “So the woman had her men take him out and shoot him. We got there right after. It was a hard fight to save his life, but you know how strong he was.”
Alex nodded.
Jaze let out a slow breath. “He told me once how terrible it was to know that in order to live, someone else had to die. He couldn’t choose to die. He was trapped to the point that when he was shot, the bullet promised the only relief he had.”
Alex thought about that in silence. He knew a hard past had been the reason for the haunted depths to Jet’s eyes, he had never known until that point how hard it had actually been. His own problems seemed so small in the light of what Jaze had told him.
Jaze gave Alex a small smile. “No matter what Jet went through, he became the most selfless person I’ve ever met. He laid down his life to save hundreds. For some, it would have been a hard decision. For him, it was merely an extension of who he was. The families of those hundreds, and the students inside this school, will never forget him.”
Alex knew it was true. The day he told the students he was Jet’s brother, he had seen it in their faces. Jet had given them their lives back. Alex pointed at the silver seven on the wolf’s shoulder. “What was the seven for?”
Jaze didn’t need to look up. “That was the tattoo they gave him during the fights so they could keep track of the werewolves. The ink was silver based, so it carried over to his wolf form.”
“Didn’t that hurt?” Alex asked.
Jaze nodded. “But I think Jet went through so much that it didn’t bother him.”
Alex studied the silver seven on Jet’s shoulder as the information Jaze had told him rushed through his mind. He hadn’t known about the fighting rings— only that Jet had gone through something terrible in his childhood. The truth was far worse than Alex had imagined.
“How did you like the motorcycle?”
Jaze’s question broke through his thoughts. Alex couldn’t deny the smile that stole across his face. “It was amazing.”
The dean nodded. “I know. I remember the first time I rode.”
Alex’s eyes widened and he stared at Jaze. “You ride motorcycles?”
Jaze chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised. I love motorcycles. How do you think Trent got the idea to build you one?”
“Where do you keep them?” Alex asked.
Jaze shook his head with a laugh. “No way. If I tell you, I’ll never see you again.”
“Don’t tell me there’s another underground lair,” Alex pressed.
Jaze gave an innocent shrug.
Alex shook his head. “Fine. You don’t have to tell me. But when did you start riding?”
Jaze smiled, his gaze distant. “Nikki’s dad had an old motorcycle. We used to take it at nights to a sanctuary of sorts, a garden with statues of saints.”
Alex tried to picture it. The thought of Jaze and Nikki riding the motorcycle made him happy; thinking of them young and in love also made his heart ache to feel the same way. He thought of Kalia, of the smiles she gave him and the fact that she never seemed to notice anyone else. He considered the way hearing her voice filled him with warmth. He wondered if it was love. He hoped so.
Neither werewolf was surprised at the sound of Brock’s voice. “Thought I’d find you guys out here.” The human patted the wolf statue on the shoulder. “Hey, Jet. Good to see you. It’s getting cold out here,” Brock said amiably as if the statue would respond.
Jaze grinned at Alex.
“Did you need us for something?” the dean asked.
“Oh, uh, yeah,” Brock said. “They followed your lead to the source. Turns out it’s huge. We’re going to have to sweep it quickly if the General has any idea we’re onto it. I’ve got the Black Team and the GPA on board. Agent Sullivan’s already on the way.”
“Let’s get going,” Jaze replied. The easy-going side of the dean was gone, replaced by the all-business leader of the pack determined to save every werewolf in the General’s grasp.
“If it’s a big job, should I bring my team?” Alex asked.
Jaze hesitated and glanced at Brock. The human looked thoughtful. “It’s not a bad idea. Caden says the students Alex chose have done very well with their marksmanship and combat skills. It might be good to have them along with the size of the area we need to sweep.”
Jaze nodded. “Very well. Tell them they have five minutes.”
Alex ran inside. Students lounged in the Great Hall and through the various rooms. He rushed past them up the stairs to the students’ quarters. To his relief, Jericho and Tennison were sitting in the commons room.
The Alpha looked up when Alex burst through the door. “We’ve got a mission,” Alex said excitedly.
The same enthusiasm spread across Jericho and Tennison’s faces. “Trent, Terith, Pip,” Jericho called.
“Cassie,” Tennison said.
“Kalia,” Alex called at the same time.
The two wolves exchanged a look. Alex felt a rush of red fill his face. Everyone appeared at the doorways, saving him the need to decide how he felt about calling Kalia as if she was his girl.
“To the Wolf Den,” Jericho said dramatically. He opened the door with a flourish and everyone filed into the tunnel.
Chapter Twelve
Alex watched the snow rush past the SUV. It was early for such weather, but the breeze had promised as much. The flakes were thick and fell fast, speeding by the windows like streaks of light in the darkness.
Alex could feel the excitement from his pack. Trent and Terith exchanged eager glances. Trent’s knuckles were white as he drove behind Mouse’s black vehicle that carried Jaze’s pack. Trent patted the gun holster at his side. His sister shook her head and rolled her eyes. It was the first time any of them besides Alex had worn weapons or actually left the Academy on a mission with Jaze’s team.
“Remember what Jaze said,” Jericho told them, his tone steady even as anticipation filled his brown eyes. “Steady and smart. We’ll sweep as a team. Everyone sticks together in three person units.” He touched his earpiece. “You read me, Kalia?”
“Loud and clear,” Kalia replied
with a hint of frustration in her voice. Though it was obvious she was the right one to monitor the screens and keep them updated on any dangers, Kalia had not been thrilled at the suggestion from Jaze.
“Aw, come on,” Alex heard Brock say over the headset. “It’s not that bad here. Have a chip.”
“No, thank you,” Kalia replied curtly.
“Your loss,” Brock said. Loud crunching followed.
“She’s going to kill us when we get back,” Jericho said.
Trent met Alex’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “You’re going to have to keep your girl in check.”
“Trent,” Alex warned.
Trent grinned. “What? It’s pretty obvious. We’ve all seen the way you two look at each other.”
Alex glanced at Cassie. His sister nodded, happiness in her eyes.
Alex sighed and turned to the window. He couldn’t deny the way he felt around Kalia, but he also couldn’t help feeling like something was missing.
“Shut off your lights,” Mouse’s voice said over the SUV’s intercom. “We’re going to pull around back. The longer we can keep the General from knowing we’re onto this location, the better.”
“I thought it’s supposed to be empty,” Pip said from the backseat with a hint of fear in his voice.
“It’s alright, Pip,” Alex reassured him. “Your job is to stay with the vehicle and radio us if you see any suspicious activity. Can you do that?”
The little werewolf nodded quickly, relief clear on his face that he wasn’t going to go inside the big dark building Trent drove around.
The rest of the vehicles sat in darkness like beasts waiting to spring. Alex and the rest of the pack climbed out of their SUV in silence. Tension hung in the air. Alex checked the position of his gun again, reassuring himself that he wasn’t about to run into a firefight without it. He had gone with Jaze enough times to know that sometimes the places that were supposed to be empty held the highest danger.
Jaze nodded at them when they reached him. Alex recognized members of the Black Team standing on the dean’s other side. Jaze and Agent Sullivan spoke in undertones. The agent smiled when he saw Alex and held out a hand. Alex shook it wordlessly.
