by Cheree Alsop
“You needed the money,” Alex said quietly.
“I thought I did,” Officer Dune replied, his voice soft. “Jamie’s medical bills were so high we were going to lose this house. It’s the house...” His voice choked off. He swallowed, then continued, “It’s the house my wife and I lived in when she died.” He took a shuddering breath. “I couldn’t bear to lose it, and I couldn’t afford to pay more medical bills, especially if Jamie needed another round of treatment. With Jamie sick, I was about to lose everything.”
His jaw clenched for a moment, and he looked up at Alex. “The second you were gone, I realized my mistake, my terrible, horrible mistake. I had just killed my friend, someone who trusted me and who saved my life and the life of my partner. I gave him away for money.” He said the last word with disgust as though even the syllables tasted bad.
“Maybe it was the right decision.” Alex spoke the words quietly, trying to understand despite everything he had gone through.
“It wasn’t,” Officer Dune replied. “It could never be.”
“You were trying to save your daughter.”
The officer’s voice broke when he said, “She is in remission; we just found out yesterday. We made it through.” He tried to smile, but failed. “I betrayed you and it wasn’t even necessary.”
Alex didn’t know what to say or do. Nothing was what he had expected it to be. The angry confrontation he had expected had instead turned into the heartbroken confession of a lost father trying to fight for his daughter. He would rather Jamie live than himself. She was young and innocent. The voice in the back of his mind said that he had been the same way, once.
Officer Dune finally broke the silence. “What will you do?”
Alex stared at him. There was an acceptance to the man’s expression as if he expected the werewolf to kill him for his betrayal and he knew he deserved it.
Officer Dune lowered his eyes once more to the floor. “At least don’t let Jamie find me, please.”
When Alex spoke again, it took so much work to voice what he needed to say that his words came out raspy. “Do you not know me by now?” He swallowed and continued in a voice barely above a whisper. “What kind of an animal do you think I am?”
He left the room. His mind reeled; questions and memories flooded through him, swarming him with conflicting emotions.
“Alex, wait!”
Alex barely heard the officer’s request. He slid the kitchen door open and stepped into the backyard. He didn’t stop until his bare feet stood on the grass still cool from the night. The warmth of the rising sun fell on his shoulders. He lowered his head, unable to look around him.
“Alex, I sent you away to die.” Officer Dune said, stopping a few feet behind him. “I deserve death in return.”
Alex glanced back at him. “Nobody deserves death. They deserve life. That’s what we fought for in the Saa. That’s what I gave back to this city. People deserve to live.” He lowered his voice. “Werewolves deserve to live, too. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to shoot you down or tear you apart because you were thinking of the little girl in there who needs you.”
Alex gestured toward Jamie’s window. He blinked back the tears that burned in his eyes, refusing to let them fall. “Of anyone in Greyton, you should know my character by now. I would never leave a child fatherless, especially your child.” His voice dropped. “And I’m not a murderer.”
Officer Dune watched him with tears flowing unabashedly down his face.
Alex turned away from the sight and said with his shoulders bowed, “I just needed to know why.”
Officer Dune crossed to him without a word. The officer put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. The touch of the man’s hand felt different than it had before. They weren’t comrades or friends any longer. Alex had trusted him, and to werewolves, trust was everything. He had almost died, and the man next to him was to blame.
The wolf part of him said to end the threat, and the Demon surged with agreement. However, Alex’s human side warned him that they might need an officer in Dune’s position. As much as he wanted his own revenge, the sorrow and regret he had heard in the officer’s voice said he would do what he could to try and repair the damage he had done.
Alex took a steeling breath and turned toward him. Officer Dune threw his arms around Alex and gave him a tight, fatherly hug.
“I am so sorry,” the officer said.
Alex stepped back when the officer was through. “I know.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
Alex nodded without speaking.
Officer Dune looked him up and down critically. “You need clothes and food. Come on. It’s the least I can do.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m fine. Take care of Jamie.”
He walked through the darkness and turned into the nearest alley away from the officer’s gaze. He leaned against the wall and let the emotions hit.
Officer Dune had been a friend, a close one. He had saved the officer’s life, and they had worked together to free the city from the gangs that held it hostage. The betrayal he felt was worse than even his loathing for Drogan, because his half-brother had never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. Alex vowed to be more careful who he trusted. It was a painful lesson, and one that had almost cost him his life.
Chapter Six
Jaze was out of the jet the instant it touched the ground. The walk from the officer’s house to the small airport on the edge of Greyton City had given Alex time to push past his frustration with Officer Dune and embrace the fact that he was going to see Siale, Jaze, and the others again. Alex couldn’t stop smiling when the dean hit the tarmac running.
Jaze caught him up in a tight hug. “I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, holding Alex so tight he could barely breathe.
“I’m okay,” Alex reassured him.
Jaze stepped back and looked him over. “You didn’t tell Trent everything that happened.”
Alex shook his head. “Some things are better off not being told.”
Jaze put an arm around his shoulders and walked him to the jet. “Everyone wanted to come.” A smile spread across the dean’s face, telling Alex just exactly how many werewolves he had forced to wait at the Academy. “I told them I needed to debrief you.” They climbed up the short steps. “Trent insisted on flying, though.”
Trent was already out of the pilot seat and charging at Alex. “I thought I was dreaming when you called.”
Alex chuckled, stepping back out of his friend’s tight hug. “You know you’re the first I’d get ahold of.”
Trent nodded proudly. “And I’m glad. You should have seen it when I told everyone you were alright. There was laughing and crying.” His smile faltered. “I think everyone was worried that this time you wouldn’t be coming home.”
Alex forced a smile. “I’m too stubborn to kill. You know that.”
“Thank goodness,” Trent replied with an answering smile. He hurried back to the pilot’s seat and slipped on his earphones.
“Good to have you back,” Mouse said, waving from the copilot seat.
“I can’t believe you let him fly the jet.”
“He’s very stubborn,” the professor told Alex with a wry smile. “But he’s picking it up fast. If I’m not careful, I’ll be out of a job.”
Trent shrugged. “Or we can get another jet.”
A debate started about why another jet would be useful. By the sound of it, they had undergone the same argument before.
“I’d recommend buckling up,” Jaze said, motioning for Alex to take a seat toward the back. “It gets a bit bumpy.”
Alex watched Greyton City fade away outside his window. The sun was overhead and bright, washing the city in shades of gold and yellow that reflected from the sky rise windows.
“Were you in Greyton the whole time?” Jaze finally asked, his tone level as if he was trying to be careful with his questioning. “We found mutant tracks around the school when we were searching for you, but no
thing connected. We couldn’t find a way to follow where you had gone.”
Alex sat back in the seat, debating how much to tell the dean. Jaze had been there for him ever since his parents were killed. The dean had never steered him wrong. He let out a slow breath. “I was betrayed by a friend.”
Jaze watched him closely. “Who?”
Alex studied his hands. “Officer Dune.”
Jaze rose from the seat. “He denied ever seeing you that night. I’m going to make him wish he’d never set—”
Alex grabbed the dean’s arm before he actually succeeded in making it to the door. It didn’t matter that the plane was already in the sky. The dean appeared ready to jump right out to exact his vengeance on the officer. The fact that Jaze looked ready to tear Officer Dune apart gave Alex a sort of feeling of relief. It matched how he had felt coming back from the Extremists, and let him know that it was okay.
“We’ve cleared it up.”
Jaze stared down at him, his chest heaving. “You cleared up the fact that Officer Dune betrayed you to the Extremists? How on earth do you clear up something like that? You trusted him! We both did!”
Alex nodded, accepting the dean’s anger because he knew it was directed more at the officer and the situation than at him. “I did trust him. That’s why it hurt and why I had to see him when I got back to Greyton.”
Jaze slumped in the seat next to Alex. He leaned his head against the seat in front of them and turned to glance at the younger werewolf. “So tell me why I shouldn’t make him pay for what he did to you.”
Alex thought of the man’s daughter, of her sickness and all Officer Dune had been through watching her battle leukemia. The officer hadn’t told him everything, but it had been there in his voice and his eyes. No man should have to fear his daughter’s death, and after losing his wife, Jamie was the last person Officer Dune had. He couldn’t blame the man for trying to do everything he could to save her.
“His daughter’s sick.” Alex said quietly. “He’s been through enough. We’ll keep him as a contact because he’s a valuable asset in our efforts towards werewolf acceptance, but I won’t ever trust him again.”
His answer deflated a bit of the fire in the dean’s dark brown eyes. He held Alex’s gaze, searching his face. “You’re sure?”
“I’m positive. And I’ll be more careful who I place my trust in.” Alex’s response was hard to say, but it had the effect of calming the dean further.
Jaze nodded. “I trust you in this. We’ll bug his house and track his movements, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to practice as much self-control if I see him again...”
Alex smiled at what the dean left unsaid. “Thanks for caring. I really am okay.”
Jaze sat back. “Then let’s talk about what happened after you were betrayed.”
Alex kept his voice low so Trent wouldn’t overhear as he told the dean about Dr. Kamala, the Extremist stronghold, and Drogan’s surprise capture.
“His own men turned on him?”
Alex nodded at Jaze’s question. “I guess finding out their leader was one of the werewolves they despised shook his standing. It didn’t sound like all of them were on Dr. Kamala’s side, but he was in the cage.”
“Which says a whole lot,” Jaze replied.
Alex told Jaze about the torture with electricity, keeping his voice level when he talked about his heart stopping. Jaze’s conflicted expression deepened when Alex described waking up with Drogan hitting his chest.
“He said if I died then he would be next, so it was in his best interest.”
“He saved your life,” Jaze said, his tone unreadable.
“Yeah,” Alex replied, thinking of their conversation and Drogan’s threats. “But it changes nothing.”
Jaze nodded without speaking.
A though occurred to Alex. “It hasn’t skipped since.”
“What do you mean?”
Alex put a hand to his chest, realizing the truth. “Since Drogan got it beating again, my heart hasn’t skipped.” He was quiet a moment, feeling the rhythm of his heart that was more regular than it had been since he lost his parents. “What do you think that means?” he asked quietly.
Jaze shook his head. “I’m not sure.” He smiled at Alex, reassuring him with the look. “But I’m glad. Maybe when it stopped it was able to heal correctly, fixing the problem.”
“Maybe it wasn’t Drogan at all,” Alex replied, but doubt touched him at the statement.
Jaze must have read his need to move past the topic, because he said, “So how did you get out?”
Alex told the dean about his conversation with Drogan and how the Extremist attacked him when they were talking about his mother. He told about being shot with the silver dart and strapped to the table. Kate’s bravery struck him again when he told about her freeing him, reminding him how lucky he had been that she was there. He made sure to repeat Drogan’s threats so Jaze would know that the Academy could be in danger. The dean’s gaze tightened when Alex mentioned the curs they had passed in the stairwell.
“Mouse and Brock have added new security measures. The term is almost over and the students will be going home next week.”
Alex could tell there was something else the dean wanted to tell him. “What is it?”
Jaze shifted in his seat to face the student. “Red’s invited you to stay at his place for the summer.”
“Siale’s dad?” Alex asked in surprise.
Jaze nodded. “When Trent told us you were safe, he also mentioned that you wanted to take extra precautions in case Drogan attacked. I made a few phone calls. Red invited you, Cassie, and Tennison to spend the summer with him and Siale. He said he has some things he could use help on. I feel that getting you away from the Academy for the break would protect you and also the students there while we work on locating Drogan. What do you think?”
Alex usually looked forward to summers at the Academy and the ability to enjoy it as they used to before it was flooded with students, but after falling for Siale, he had dreaded the months apart. The thought of an entire summer with Siale, Cassie, and Tennison was a welcome one.
“What about rescues? Will you need me on your team?” he asked, trying to think it through.
“We took care of things before you joined us. If it gets too crazy, we could send the jet.”
Alex was quiet for a moment. He finally nodded. “I think it’s a good idea.”
Jaze smiled. “I figured you’d say that.”
Trent’s landing on the tarmac at Haroldsburg’s tiny airport was bumpy, but Mouse reassured Alex that it was far better than their landing at Greyton City.
“It’s true,” Trent said, walking Alex to the waiting SUV while Jaze and Mouse covered the jet with a tarp. “I think my teeth almost rattled out the first time I landed. I’m getting a lot better. Maybe next time Mouse will let me fly it alone.”
“Maybe,” Alex said, trying to keep his tone positive even though he doubted whether giving Trent all of the reins so soon would be a good idea.
“Thanks,” Trent replied, slapping him on the back. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”
They climbed inside the SUV. Silence filled the vehicle.
“If you do that again, I think I’m going to retire as your best friend.”
Alex glanced at Trent. “You mean if I disappear.”
Trent nodded. “Yeah. I probably lost ten years in the last couple of days. Stress is bad on the heart, you know? Jordan thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.”
Alex kept his attention on the threads lining the seat in front of him. “Were you?” he finally asked his friend.
After a few moments of silence, Trent answered, “Yeah. Probably.”
Alex glanced at his friend. “The moment I knew I could call you and come home was when I realized I had really escaped.”
Trent nodded. “I knew you’d call. I kept my phone with me everywhere. Jordan said if I carried it much longer, it’d be imprinted in my h
and, but she always took it for me if I needed her to.” Trent let out a shaky sigh and threw Alex a smile. “Having the girl of my dreams has definitely given me some perspective on life.”
Alex nodded. “Me, too. It’s like we’re growing up or something.”
Trent laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”
The ride to the Academy was over quickly. Any thoughts Alex had about sneaking from the garage to Pack Torin’s quarters vanished the second he climbed out of the vehicle.
“Alex!” Cassie shouted.
Siale reached him first, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him firmly. She then stepped back, looking up into his eyes. “You’re okay?” she asked, her eyebrows pulled together with worry.
Alex smiled at her. “I am now.”
She hugged him again and this time he was the one to kiss her. It took him a minute before he realized everyone was watching them. His lips creased in a smile, and Siale’s answered. Alex glanced up at the students and professors around them.
“Uh, sorry about that,” he apologized.
Laughter flooded through his friends.
“You can’t even go to a dance without getting into trouble,” his twin sister said. Cassie hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re home. I think a trip to Red’s is what we all need.” Her eyes widened and she looked at Jaze as if worried she had given something away. “Did I just spoil the news?”
The dean shook his head with a warm smile. “I already told him. Alex thinks it’s a good idea.”
“Yes!” Cassie exclaimed. She pushed her brother’s shoulder. “Maybe we can get through the summer without worrying about your life.”
“You might be asking too much,” Alex told her.
“We’ll have fun,” Siale said. “Dad’s getting things ready.”
“Glad you’re back,” Tennison said, shaking Alex’s hand. “And I’m glad you’re not leaving me there with just the girls.”
“Hey!” Cassie said in a mock hurt tone.
Tennison gave her an apologetic smile. “Can you blame me? Werewolf girls are crazy.”
